Greatest Feats Sport's Most Unforgettable Accomplishments

Packed from cover to cover with striking images and insightful prose, Greatest Feats is a memorable tribute to the men and women whose extraordinary performances have made them the personification of athletic excellence. Some of the feats achieved by these athletes-such as Bob Beamon's record long jump in 1968-have since been eclipsed, while others-like Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak-may never be equaled. But all of the performances have carved a legacy of greatness for the athlete who created them, one that promises to last forever. Beginning with a special introduction from Sports Illustrated senior writer Jack McCallum, Greatest Feats stylishly revisits the greatest achievements in sport. Think Secretariat, and you automatically remember the colt's overpowering victory at the 1973 Belmont. Think Cal Ripken Jr., and his 16-year consecutive-games streak immediately comes to mind. These are the feats that immortalized our heroes, from Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game to Lance Armstrong's victory over cancer and three straight Tour de France titles. There are 60 feats in all, classified and ranked in four unique categories. Guaranteed to provoke debate, our list chronicles feats from 16 different sports and a century of competition. Classic Performances These are the feats that made you gasp in awe, like Nadia Comaneci's perfect performances at the 1976 Olympics and Michael Jordan's 63-point outing against the Boston Celtics in the 1986 NBA playoffs. Many of these athletes rank with the alltime greats. Others, like baseball's Harvey Haddix and football's Tom Dempsey, are remembered for one day of brilliance in an otherwise ordinary career. Spectacular Seasons Catching lightning in a bottle on a single day is one thing, but to maintain that level of excellence for an entire season is extraordinary. Relive some of sport's most memorable years and argue the merits of each. Is Babe Ruth's 54-home run season of 1920 better than Barry Bonds' 73-home run year in 2001? Is Dan Marino's 1984 season, in which he threw for 48 TDs and more than 5,000 yards the greatest of all? Legendary Streaks Streaks develop slowly, day by day, week by week, and our fascination multiplies with every hit or every win. The very nature of streaks-success after success in the face of inevitable failure-requires a certain type of athlete. He or she must be talented, like boxer Sugar Ray Robinson, focused, like DiMaggio, and resilient, like hurdler Edwin Moses. DiMaggio produced sport's most famous streak, but how does it compare to Johnny Unitas's 47 consecutive games with a touchdown pass? Will anyone ever break Byron Nelson's record of 11 consecutive golf victories? A Lifetime of Excellence These are the faces and feats that would appear on sport's Mount Rushmore: Cy Young and his 511 wins, Jack Nicklaus and his 20 major tournament victories, and Jerry Rice and his 195 touchdowns are just three of the legends profiled here. Whose career represents the greatest feat of all? Look inside to find out. With 176 pages and more than 150 eye-catching photographs, Greatest Feats is Sports Illustrated's tribute to sport's greatest accomplishments.Bishop, Morin is the author of 'Greatest Feats Sport's Most Unforgettable Accomplishments' with ISBN 9781931933155 and ISBN 1931933154.