Los Angeles Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker reached uncommon air within the Week 16 version of “Thursday Night time Soccer.”
Because the second quarter wound down, the Denver Broncos have been flagged for interference on a good catch, leading to a 15-yard advance for the Chargers. This surprising name gave Los Angeles a singular selection: try a Hail Mary, take a knee or strive a free kick — a seldom-seen play that enables a discipline purpose try from the spot of a good catch.
With the penalty shifting the ball into Dicker’s vary, the Chargers opted for the uncommon alternative. Dicker rose to the event, drilling a 57-yard free kick as time expired within the half, slicing the deficit to 21-13. This kick wasn’t simply clutch, it was historic, because it marked the NFL’s first profitable free kick since Ray Wersching’s 45-yarder for the Chargers in 1976, in accordance with Quirky Analysis.
A uncommon honest catch free kick leads to a Cameron Dicker 57-yard FG for the @Chargers 🤯
It is the primary free kick FG since 1976! pic.twitter.com/yb0cyPuKnR
— NFL (@NFL) December 20, 2024
It was additionally Dicker’s sixteenth profession discipline purpose of fifty or extra yards, breaking John Carney’s document for essentially the most such kicks in franchise historical past. In line with Elias Sports activities Bureau, the final honest catch kick try occurred in 2019, when Joey Slye’s 60-yard effort fell quick.
For Dicker, nevertheless, the celebrities aligned completely, and obtained us pondering. What different achievements in sports activities are simply as uncommon and onerous to return by?
NBA
Common a triple-double for whole season
In 2016-17, Russell Westbrook averaged 31.6 factors, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists to grow to be the second participant to common a triple-double for a season. Westbrook has performed it in 4 totally different seasons.
Averaging a triple-double for a season has occurred solely 5 instances in NBA historical past. Oscar Robertson averaged 30.8 factors, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists per recreation in 1962.
Baseball
Batting Triple Crown
The Triple Crown has been achieved in Main League Baseball simply 16 instances, most just lately by Miguel Cabrera in 2012. Cabrera led the league in batting common (.330), house runs (44) and runs batted in (139), changing into the primary participant since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967 to hitch the elusive membership. Rogers Hornsby (1922, 1925) and Ted Williams (1942, 1947) are the one gamers to perform the feat twice.
Pitching Triple Crown
The pitching Triple Crown is not as uncommon because the batting model, however it’s nonetheless not a typical achievement. Forty pitchers have led their respective league in wins, strikeouts and earned run common in an MLB season, most just lately Tarik Skubal and Chris Sale in 2024.
Immaculate inning
In line with ESPN Stats & Info, Max Scherzer on Sept. 12, 2021, grew to become simply the third pitcher in MLB historical past to document three immaculate innings (three strikeouts on 9 pitches). He recorded the feat in the identical recreation he had his 3,000th profession strikeout.
Scherzer is one among three pitchers to have thrown three immaculate innings — Baseball Corridor of Famer Sandy Koufax plus lively pitcher Chris Sale are the others.
Hitting .400
Eight gamers have hit .400 or higher for a season a complete of 13 instances since 1900, however none since Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941. In complete, 20 gamers have reached the .400 mark in MLB historical past, and 5 have performed so greater than as soon as (for 28 .400 seasons complete).
Others have flirted with the quantity since Williams’ historic season, together with Rod Carew, who completed at .388 in his MVP season of 1977, and George Brett, who was hitting over .400 on Sept. 19 however completed with a .390 common in 1980. The participant with maybe the perfect shot, Tony Gwynn, had his quest reduce quick by the gamers strike in 1994 and settled for a .394 season.
A number of main awards by rookies
Solely Fred Lynn (1975) and Ichiro Suzuki (2001) have received each Rookie of the 12 months and MVP in the identical season. Fernando Valenzuela is the one participant to have received Rookie of the 12 months and the Cy Younger in the identical season (1981).
Consecutive no-hitters
A document that seemingly won’t ever be damaged, Johnny Vander Meer threw no-hitters in consecutive begins in 1938. Nolan Ryan, who had seven profession no-hitters (and took a no-hitter into the eighth inning 23 instances) had his greatest likelihood to go match the feat on July 19, 1973.
Coming off his second profession no-hitter, a 17-strikeout masterpiece in Detroit 4 days earlier, Ryan made it by way of seven innings towards the Baltimore Orioles earlier than giving up successful within the eighth. In 1947, Cincinnati’s Ewell Blackwell threw 8⅓ innings of no-hit ball within the begin after a no-hitter, the closest anybody has come to matching Vander Meer.
Postseason good video games
Of the 23 good video games recorded in main league historical past, solely Don Larsen’s in 1956 got here within the postseason. The New York Yankees right-hander struck out seven and wanted solely 97 pitches to complete the sport.
His good recreation remained the one no-hitter of any kind pitched in postseason play till the Philadelphia Phillies‘ Roy Halladay threw a no-hitter towards the Cincinnati Reds on October 6, 2010, in Recreation 1 of the NLDS. Led by Christian Javier’s six no-hit innings, Houston Astros additionally mixed for a no-hitter throughout the 2022 World Collection.
NFL
2,000-yard speeding season
Solely Eric Dickerson, Jamal Lewis, Barry Sanders, Terrell Davis, Chris Johnson, O.J. Simpson, Adrian Peterson and, most just lately, Derrick Henry have rushed for greater than 2,000 yards in a single season. Henry ran for two,027 yards in 2020, fifth-most in NFL historical past. Dickerson holds the speeding document for two,105 yards in 1984, his second season within the league.
Faculty soccer
Successful the Heisman Trophy twice
Ohio State’s Archie Griffin is the one man to have received the Heisman twice, going back-to-back in 1974 and 1975. There have been some considerably shut calls just lately. Lamar Jackson gave it a run, successful the award in 2016 and ending third in voting in 2017. Baker Mayfield received in 2017 after inserting third in 2016. Tim Tebow took the award in 2012 and was third in 2013.
Successful the Heisman and nationwide championship
Solely 17 Heisman Trophy winners have additionally received the nationwide championship in the identical season, with the latest being Alabama’s DeVonta Smith throughout the 2021 marketing campaign.
Golf
Teenage winners on PGA Tour
Jordan Spieth‘s win on the 2013 John Deere Traditional made him simply the fourth golfer to win as a young person on the PGA Tour and first since 1931. Solely Harry Cooper (19 years, 4 days; 1923 Galveston Open), Ralph Guldahl (19 years, 8 months, 3 days; 1931 Santa Monica Open) and Johnny McDermott (19 years, 10 months, 14 days; 1911 U.S. Open) received at youthful age.
Be aware: Tom Morris, Jr. received the 1868 The Open Championship at age 17 years, 5 months, 8 days. He repeated in 1869 (18 years, 4 months, 27 days) and 1870 (19 years, 4 months, 26 days).
Males’s Grand Slam
Solely Bobby Jones in 1930 has accomplished the single-season Grand Slam, successful the British Open, British Novice, U.S. Open and U.S. Novice. None have accomplished the trendy period Grand Slam, with simply 5 within the Masters period finishing the profession Grand Slam (Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Ben Hogan, Gary Participant and Gene Sarazen).
Woods achieved the “Tiger Slam,” holding all 4 fashionable main championships concurrently — the U.S. Open, Open Championship and PGA Championship in 2000 and the 2001 Masters — though not in the identical calendar yr.
PGA Tour winners 50 or older
Sam Snead (52; 1965 Better Greensboro Open), Artwork Wall (51; 1975 Better Milwaukee Open), Davis Love III (51; 2015 Wyndham Championship), Jim Barnes (51; 1937 Lengthy Island Open), John Barnum (51; 1962 Cajun Traditional), Fred Funk (50; 2007 Mayakoba Golf Traditional), Phil Mickelson (50; 2021 PGA Championship) and Craig Stadler (50; 2003 B.C. Open) are the one gamers to have earned PGA Tour wins at age 50 or older.
Tennis
Singles Grand Slam in a single season
It has been achieved in males’s tennis solely thrice (Don Budge, Rod Laver twice), and girls’s tennis thrice (Maureen Connolly, Margaret Court docket and most just lately Steffi Graf in 1988).
Auto racing
Winner of each the Daytona 500 and Indy 500
Solely Mario Andretti and A.J. Foyt can say they’ve received each the Daytona 500 and Indy 500. Andretti is the one racer to win the Daytona 500 (1967), Indianapolis 500 (1969) and a System 1 world title (1978). Foyt is the one driver to win the Indianapolis 500 (1961, 1964, 1967, 1977), Daytona 500 (1972), 24 Hours of Le Mans (1967) and the 24 Hours of Daytona (1983, 1985).
