Last Second Miracles: Number 23 Trivia Quiz | Sports

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The video opens with the host telling a brief story, in which he said he was on the Cincinnati Bengals, when they lost Super Bowl XXIII to the San Francisco '49ers. Who was the host of this video?

Answer: Cris Collinsworth

After retiring from the NFL in 1989, Cris Collinsworth joined HBO's Sports Programming division, as a reporter for "Inside the NFL." And in 1998, he started performing double-duty when he joined the "FOX NFL Sunday" broadcast team. By the way, the final score of Super Bowl XXIII was San Francisco 20, Cincinnati 16.

2. At the 1987 NCAA Basketball Championship, Indiana won at the last second over Syracuse. The winning basket was scored by the player wearing Number 23. Who was this player?

Answer: Keith Smart

Initially benched early in the game, Keith Smart returned in the second half and scored 12 of Indiana's last 15 points, including the final basket, a 2-point shot with only three seconds on the clock. The final score was Indiana 74, Syracuse 73.
Though his professional playing career never amounted to much, Smart became a coach, first as head coach for the BCA's Fort Wayne Fury, then to the NBA as an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers. During the 2002-03 season, Smart became interim head coach of the Cavs.

3. Did Michael Jordan wear Number 23 in college?

Answer: Yes

Yes, he did! In fact, the only times in his college/professional basketball career in which Jordan did not wear Number 23 was when he came out of his first retirement (He wore Number 45), and once when his jersey was stolen just before a game. By the way, the game featuring Michael Jordan in this video was the 1982 NCAA Championship, North Carolina vs. Georgetown. Jordan scored the final basket in the game. Though there was still time for Georgetown to reclaim the lead, one their players, Fred Brown, inexplicably passed the ball directly to North Carlina's James Worthy, and the game was over. Final score: North Carolina 63, Georgetown 62.

4. In 1951, the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants squared off in a playoff to determine the winner of the National League Pennant. On the final at-bat, Bobby Thomson (Number 23 on the Giants) hit a home run, winning the game for the Giants. This home run, dubbed "The Shot Heard Around the World," came off what Dodger pitcher?

Answer: Ralph Branca

Thomson's home run was immediately immortalized with the exclamation "The Giants win the pennant!" from the play-by-play announcer. As for Branca, his otherwise trusty arm that the Dodgers had depended upon was worn out; he had pitched in three of the previous four days. The final score: Giants 5, Dodgers 4.

5. The 1960 World Series (Pittsburgh Pirates vs. New York Yankees) made sports history. The Pirates' Bill Mazeroski became the first player in Major League Baseball to hit a World Series-winning walk-off home run, when he knocked a solo shot over the fence in the ninth inning of Game 7. The Yankee pitcher who allowed the home run wore Number 23. Who was he?

Answer: Ralph Terry

In 1960, Ralph Terry was an up-and-coming star in the Yankees pitching staff, with a 10-8 record and a 3.40 ERA. In Game 7 of the World Series, the Pirates had developed an early lead, but the Yankees game back to tie it up in the ninth inning. In the bottom of the ninth, Mazeroski was the first (and only) batter at the plate. Final Score: Pirates 10, Yankees 9.

6. The 1988 World Series holds my favorite moment in sports, when the Los Angeles Dodgers won handily over the Oakland A's. In Game 1, Kirk Gibson (Number 23), hampered by knee injuries, literally stepped out of the locker room and into the batter's box, and then into baseball history with his two-run game-winning home run off pitcher Dennis Eckersley. Who was the runner on base?

Answer: Mike Davis

Ironically, Mike Davis had spent eight seasons with Oakland before playing for the Dodgers. The home run was Kirk Gibson's only plate appearance in the World Series that year, but it was enough to galvanize the Dodgers, who won in five games (And, Gibby was awarded the National League MVP Award that year, too). Final Score: Dodgers 5, A's 4.

7. The 1984 Miami/Boston College football game (otherwise known as "The Miracle In Miami") ended with a dramatic Hail Mary pass by Doug Flutie, to a well-guarded Gerard Phelan in the end zone, for the winning touchdown. The drive began with BC on their own 20 Yard Line, with just 28 seconds on the clock. The first play in the drive was a complete pass to the BC player who wore Number 23. What was his name?

Answer: Troy Stradford

Troy Stradford caught a 19-yard pass to open the scoring drive that led to one of the greatest college football victories in history; the scoring drive (especially the final pass) also sealed Doug Flutie's award of the Heisman Trophy that year. By the way, both Flutie and Stradford were First Team All-Americans for 1984 (From bceaglesfootball.com). Final Score: Boston College 47, Miami 45.

8. Did the play known as "The Immaculate Reception" begin when there were 23 seconds remaining in the game?

Answer: No

Actually, it was 22 seconds. "The Immaculate Reception" is renowned as the greatest play in NFL history. In 1972, the Oakland Raiders and the Pittburgh Steelers had squared off in a defensive matchup, when the Steelers' Terry Bradshaw (yes, THAT Terry Bradshaw) threw a pass intended for John Fuqua.

But the Raiders' Jack Tatum intervened, causing the ball to carum, apparently right into Franco Harris' hands. Harris then ran the ball in for the touchdown. Final score: Steelers 13, Raiders 7. By the way, college football now has its own "Immaculate Reception." In the 1997 match-up between Nebraska and Missouri, Husker quarterback Scott Frost threw into the endzone at the end of regulation.

The pass, intended for Shevon Wiggins, was incomplete, but the ball bounced off Wiggins' foot and into the hands of Matt Davison, tying the game and forcing overtime. Final score for this game: Nebraska 45, Missouri 38 (OT).

9. In the championship game of the 1983 NCAA Basketball Tournament, the winning team scored 23 field goals (out of an attempted 59). Which two teams played in this game?

Answer: North Carolina State and Houston

Before the video showed the the highlights of the championship game, the late NC State coach Jim Valvano told his story of watching the Louisville/Houston "dunkathon" in the semi-finals (Houston won, 94-81). In the championship, with the game tied at 52, Dereck Wittenberg launched what looked like an airball, but Lorenzo Charles "Alley-Ooped" it into the basket at the buzzer. Final score: North Carolina State 54, Houston 52.

10. By far the most outrageous play in sports history, 1982's infamous Touchdown Through the Band, gave the University of California a victory over Stanford. After scoring a game-leading field goal, Stanford delivered an onside kick to Cal, but Cal performed five laterals among the four players who contacted the ball, with the last player running through the Stanford band for the win. Did any of the players who held the football in this play wear Number 23?

Answer: No

The order of jersey numbers in this play is as follows: #26 receives the kick and laterals to #5, who then reverses it to #43, who runs seven yards and reverses back to #5, who takes the ball 12 yards before pitching it to #3, who carries until the 23 Yard Line (Hey, there's the connection!), who pitches it back to #26, who runs it in for the score. Final score: Cal 25, Stanford 20.

Source: Author robmeister

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Nightmare before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Last Second Miracles: Number 23 Quiz

This 1991 "Sports Illustrated" video is a collection of sports highlights, in which a winner came from behind at the last moment. But I noticed the number 23 kept coming up in it. Take this quiz and learn what I learned. Good Luck!

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