Dark Horses and Underdogs

DARK HORSES AND UNDERDOGS: The Greatest Sports Upsets of All Time By Les Krantz (Warner Books Hardcover; Publication date: Fall 2005; $34.95; 160 pages; 9 x 10 7/8 with 4-color photos; ISBN: 0-446-57703-0) includes a bonus DVD narrated by Jim Lampley. (PRNewsFoto)

NEW YORK, NY USA 11/16/2005

NEW YORK, Nov. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Below is a ranking of sports upsets, according to a new book, DARK HORSES AND UNDERDOGS: "The Greatest Sports Upsets of All Time" by Les Krantz, which is being published by Warner Books, Fall 2005. The rankings were determined by a poll of sportswriters, sports broadcasters and sports executives. More information about the methodology and balloters is available in the introduction of the book. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051116/NYW104 ) RANK EVENT SPORT 1. Olympic Hockey Semi-Final: USA vs. USSR, 1980 (OLYMPIC HOCKEY) 2. Super Bowl: NY Jets vs. Baltimore Colts, 1969 (FOOTBALL) 3. Heavyweight Championship Buster Douglas vs. Mike Tyson, 1990 (BOXING) 4. World Series: NY Mets vs. Baltimore Orioles, 1969 (BASEBALL) 5. Heavyweight Championship -- Cassius Clay vs. Sonny Liston, 1964 (BOXING) 6. Chaminade vs. Virginia, 1982 (BASKETBALL) 7. NCAA Final: North Carolina State vs. Houston, 1983 (BASKETBALL) 8. ALSC -- Boston Red Sox vs. NY Yankees, 2004 (BASEBALL) 9. Rulon Gardner wins at Summer Olympics, 2000 (OLYMPIC WRESTLING) 10. NCAA Championship: Villanova vs. Georgetown, 1985 (BASKETBALL) 11. NCAA Final: Texas Western vs. Kentucky, 1966 (BASKETBALL) 12. Seabiscuit Wins Pimlico Special, 1938 (HORSERACING) 13. USA vs England in Elimination match at World Cup, 1950 (SOCCER) 14. Indiana State High School Basketball Championship Milan, 1954 (HIGH SCHOOL BASKET BALL) 15. Funny Cide Wins Kentucky Derby, 2003 (HORSERACING) 16. Temple vs. Virginia Tech, 1998 (FOOTBALL) 17. John Daly Wins PGA Championship, 1991 (GOLF) 18. Greg Lemond at Tour de France, 1989 (CYCLING) 19. NFL Wild Card Game: Buffalo Bills vs. Houston Oilers, 1993 (FOOTBALL) 20. World Series: Marlins vs. Yankees, 2003 (BASEBALL) 21. World Series: Brklyn Dodgers vs. NY Yankees, 1955 (BASEBALL) 22. Boston College vs. Notre Dame, 1993 (FOOTBALL) 23. Army vs. Navy, 1950 (FOOTBALL) 24. Heavyweight non-title bout: Max Schmeling vs. Joe Louis, 1936 (BOXING) 25. Boris Becker Wins Wimbledon Final, 1985 (TENNIS) 26. World Series: Cleveland Indians vs. NY Giants, 1954 (BASEBALL) 27. Billy Mills wins 10,000 Meters at Olympics, 1964 (TRACK & FIELD) 28. Super Bowl: New England Patriots vs. t. Louis Rams, 2002 (FOOTBALL) 29. Heavyweight Championship: Benjamin Braddock vs. Max Baer., 1935 (BOXING) 30. Big 12 Championship--Kansas State vs. Oklahoma, 2003 (FOOTBALL) 31. World Cup Opening Rounds: Senegal vs. France, 2002 (SOCCER) 32. Spud Webb Wins the NBA Slam Dunk Championship, 1986 (BASKETBALL) 33. NBA Final, 1970 (Game 7: NY Knicks vs. Los Angeles Lakers) 34. Ed Furgol Wins U.S. Open, 1954 (GOLF) 35. Keri Strug Wins At Summer Olympics, 1996 (OLYMPIC WOMENS GYMNASTICS) 36. Jim Abbott's No-Hitter--NY Yankees vs. Cleveland Indians, 1993 (BASEBALL) 37. Althea Gibson Wins Wimbledon Final, 1957 (TENNIS) 38. Summer Olympics: United States vs. Cuba, 2000 (BASEBALL) 39. NBA Finals: Golden State Warriors vs. Washington Bullets, 1975 (BASKETBALL) 40. Paul Lawrie Wins British Open, 1999 (GOLF) 41. NBA Playoffs: Denver Nuggets vs. Seattle Supersonics, 1994 (BASKETBALL) 42. Stanley Cup: New Jersey Devils vs. Detroit Red Wings, 1995 (HOCKEY) 43. Lasse Viren wins 10,000 Meters at Olympics, 1972 (TRACK & FIELD) 44. Goran Ivanisevic wins Wimbledon Fina, 2001 (TENNIS l) 45. Tenley Albright Wins at Winter Olympics, 1956 (OLYMPIC WOMENS FIGURE SKATING) 46. Laura Wilkinson at Summer Olympics, 2000 (OLYMPIC WOMENS DIVING) 47. Dan Jansen at the Winter Olympics, 1994 (OLYMPIC SPEEDSKATING) 48. Sarah Hughes Wins at Winter Olympics, 2002 (OLYMPIC WOMENS FIGURE SKATING) 49. Jim Morris Major League Debut--Tampa vs. Texas, 1999 (BASEBALL) 50. World Series: Anaheim Angels vs. San Francisco Giants, 2002 (BASEBALL) In the world of sports, everyone loves rooting for the underdog or the dark horse and that's precisely what DARK HORSES AND UNDERDOGS: The Greatest Sports Upsets of All Time (Warner Books Hardcover; October 27, 2005, $29.95), edited by Les Krantz delivers. This illustrated, oversized book is complete with text and four-color photos, and includes a DVD documentary narrated by Jim Lampley with actual game segments, newsreels, interviews, high-energy music and everything you'd expect in a television-quality production about the most awe-inspiring sports upsets of all time. These are the victors who captured the imagination of the world. They are the unlikely ones, the longest of long shots-the ball players, boxers, Olympians, and athletes of all kinds who were the least likely to succeed. Krantz shows how these athletes overcame the seemingly impossible in the face of millions of naysayers to win. Just some of the historic upsets in DARK HORSES AND UNDERDOGS include: * The Miracle Mets winning the World Series in 1969 * The Miracle on Ice USA hockey team winning the gold in 1980 * Joe Namath and the Jets winning the Super Bowl * Seabiscuit winning the 1938 Pimlico * Rulon Gardner winning the gold medal in wrestling in 2000 * The Buffalo Bills coming back from a 35-3 deficit to beat the Houston Oilers in an AFC playoff game in 1993 This book offers the 50 greatest sports upsets of all time, complete with captivating photos and the extraordinary DVD documentary. About the author: Les Krantz is also the author of Not Till the Fat Lady Sings, Definitive Guide to the Best and Worst in Golf, and Their First Time in the Movies.