48. Atari PONG (1976)
Blip……………………….blip…………………..blip…………………..blip…………………blip………..blip-blip-blip-blip-blip-blip-blip-blip-blip-blip.

49. The red, white and blue basketball (1976)
Of all the charming remnants the ABA left us -- e.g., Dr. J's afro, the '76 Slam Dunk contest -- this is the most iconic.

50. Black Sunday (1977)
Deranged Vietnam vet attempts to pilot explosives-laden blimp into stands at Super Bowl. Of course, something like this could never happen. Based on the novel by Thomas Harris, the same dude who gave us Dr. Hannibal Lecter.

51. Punch and Rudy (1977)
Acting out more from instinctive self-defense than malice, Laker power forward Kermit Washington literally rearranges Rocket Rudy Tomjanovich's face with one punch. The nadir of the NBA's post-Celtics pre-Magic and Larry interregnum.

52. "No time for losers/Cuz we are the champions ... " (1977)
How did a British rock group with a fey name and a bisexual lead singer ever come to write the most popular sports arena anthems of all time? It all began with the breakthrough hit "We Are the Champions."

53. Cosmos-politan (1977)
75,000 fans to watch a non-international soccer match in the U.S.? All it took was a team that featured the best player of all time (Pele) as well as the best Italian (Chinaglia) and German (Beckenbauer). Soccer in the U.S. has never come closer to dropping its "sport of the future" label.

54. The Rainbow Connection (1977)
"Rockin'" Rollen Stewart donned a rainbow-colored afro, wrote "John 3:16" on placards and, for a few years, was the most ubiquitous, conspicuous fan in sports.

55. 55 (1974)
Number of unanswered points Southern Cal scored vs. Notre Dame -- in just 17 minutes -- after falling behind 24-0. Anthony Davis led the carnage by scoring six TDs, including a 102-yard kickoff return to open the second half.

Bob Daugherty/AP Red Auerbach won 938 games and nine NBA championships as a coach. He subsequently won seven more titles as general manager and team president of the Celtics.

56. Red on Roundball
Halftime of "NBA on CBS" featured the most successful coach in NBA history, Red Auerbach, teaching rudimentary hoops drills. Red's assistants, many of them future Hall of Famers such as Elvin Hayes or Pete Maravich, dutifully obeyed his every command. Sometimes a cigar is just a teaching tool.

56. Ham, Jam and Lam Jones (1978)
Johnny "Ham" Jones, Johnny "Jam" Jones and Johnny "Lam" Jones all played at Texas simultaneously. In the Longhorns' 42-0 Sun Bowl victory Ham, Jam and Lam rushed for 211 yards and four touchdowns.

57. Up, Up and Away ... (1978)
My, how our expectations had been lowered. Only half a decade after the final lunar landing, America goes nuts over three dudes who become the first to pilot a balloon, the Double Eagle II, on a trans-Atlantic flight. It even makes the cover of SI.

58. NFL Defense Nicknames
The Doomsday Defense (Cowboys), Purple People Eaters (Vikings), The Steel Curtain (Steelers), Orange Crush (Broncos), the Fearsome Foursome, the No-Name Defense (Dolphins), the Malachi Crunch ... wait ...

59. The White Shadow (1978)
Transplant "Welcome Back, Kotter" to the Left Coast, substitute the Sweat Hogs for the Carver High hoops team, substitute reality for buffoonery, and you have this classic. Bruce Paltrow -- Gwyneth's dad -- wrote most of the episodes.

60. Lite Beer ads
"Tastes great!" "Less filling!" "I still don't know why they asked me to be in this commercial." The prehistoric version of the "This is SportsCenter" campaign.

MORE FROM SPORTS

Sports Section Front

Nadal shocks Federer for Wimbledon title Collins: All-time great match raises key questions Celizic: Wimbledon makes it best sports year ever Brewers close to deal for Sabathia BoSox, Cubs dominate All-Star starting lineups   A-Rod ties Mantle with 536th home run Phils give Lidge 3-year, $37.5 million extension A-Rod's wife to file for divorce Monday Torres sets another U.S. record to win 50 free Hushovd wins 2nd stage of Tour de France Sports Section Front   Add Sports headlines to your news reader: