The greatest speech ever!

While on Facebook on Wednesday, I came across a post from Bedford High School boys basketball and boys tennis coach Mark Anderson. He had linked a Youtube version of Jimmy Valvano's 1993's speech from the ESPY Awards while accepting the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage.

I immediately commented to Mark's post that it was the greatest speech ever. But that got me thinking to some of the great sports-related speeches of all time. I've always thought of Valvano's speech as the best I've ever heard, in large part due to Valvano's losing battle with cancer at the time. After saying his famous "Don't give up, don't ever give up," he had to be helped off the stage by Coach K and Dick Vitale, having been so frail from the disease. I remember Jimmy V brushing off the light in front of him saying that his time with the speech was up. "Fanabla Baby." he said. Valvano, whose iconic dash around the court looking for someone to embrace after winning the 1983 NCAA Championship remains one of the great images ever, was gone not long after those ESPYs.

As long as sports have been around, there have been great speeches. Lou Gehrig's farewell speech and Muhammad Ali's "I am the Greatest" speech are two I was not alive for. Two more recent ones come from the NFL. After winning Super Bowl XL, Steelers running back Jerome Bettis ended his career in style in his hometown of Detroit. And while I was never a fan of Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin, his acceptance into the Pro Football Hall of Fame was a very poignant speech.

Another side to great sports speeches are the more humorous ones, such as Allen Iverson's "Practice" or Herman Edwards' "You play to win the game," and who can forget Jim Mora's famous "Playoffs."

Everyone has their favorite or most memorable. Mine is certainly Jimmy V's.