AP Poll: The most dramatic sports event of the half century.

[Dempsey-Louis]

Summer 1951, New York, NY

An Associated Press dinner/poll of 374 sports writers chose the Dempsey-Firpo fight as the ‘most dramatic sports event of the half century.’

The leading events selected were:

1. Dempsey-Firpo fight, 1923 – 70 votes
2. Bath Ruth ‘calling series homerun,’ 1932 – 66 votes
3. Dempsey-Tunney ‘long count’ fight, 1927 – 43 votes
4. Lou Gehrig’s farewell, 1939 – 23 votes
5. Grover Alexander’s strikeout of Tony Lazzeri , 1926 World Series – 21 votes
6. Notre Dame’s victory over Ohio State, 1935 – 17 votes
7. Red Grange’s feats against Michigan, 1925 [sic]* – 13 votes
8. Babe Ruth’s farewell, 1948 – 13 votes
9. Floyd Bevens’ near- no hitter in 1947 World Series – 12 votes
10. Joe Louis’ knockout of Max Schmeling, 1938 – 12 votes
11. Jesse Owens in 1936 Olympics – 9 votes
12. Dempsey-Willard fight, 1919 – 6 votes
13. Bobby Jones’ grand slam in golf, 1930 – 5 votes
14. Black Sox World Series Scandal, 1919 – 4 votes
15. Jim Thorpe returns Olympic medals to King of Sweden, 1913 (1912 Olympics) – 4 votes

* The Illinois-Michigan game took place in October, 1924

[NChristo]

Thought Jesse Owens would've been higher

[BKM-]

I thought Louis-Schmeling would have been top 3. Dempsey was quite a star though.