A large part of sport's huge appeal is the chance for the seemingly impossible to be achieved.
Shane Long and Chris Gayle realised that potential on April 23, each entering the record books in their respective sports.
Long and Gayle etched their name into the history books for delivering in quick time, but on this date 15 years ago Aaron Rodgers' NFL Draft experience was anything but swift.
READ |
Here we look back on some of the most memorable moments from the world of sport to take place on April 23.
1991: Borg way past his best on comeback
Having initially retired as an 11-time grand slam champion in 1984, Bjorn Borg made his return to the tennis court, but was a shadow of his former self.
The 34-year-old proved too slow to compete with Jordi Arrese at the Monte Carlo Open, his Spanish opponent easing to a 6-2, 6-3 win in just 78 minutes.
Borg went on to suffer first-round exits in 12 tournaments before putting the racquet down for good.
2005: Niners go with Smith over Rodgers
The San Francisco 49ers held the first pick in the 2005 NFL Draft and the sentimental choice was clear.
Quarterback Rodgers, a Northern California native who had starred across the bay from San Francisco in Berkeley for the California Golden Bears and grew up a 49ers fan, was among the cream of the crop.
However, instead of selecting Rodgers, the 49ers went with Utah quarterback Alex Smith, leading to a now-infamous draft-day slide.
Rodgers was eventually selected 24th overall by the Green Bay Packers and, as Smith experienced a rollercoaster career with the Niners, went on to establish himself as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time.
He won a Super Bowl with Green Bay at the end of the 2010 season, but revenge over the Niners has not been forthcoming. Rodgers has faced the 49ers three times in the playoffs and lost on all three occasions, including in last season's NFC Championship game.
2013: Universe boss sends records world records tumbling
West Indies star Chris Gayle is famed for his explosive batting, and he delivered in record-breaking fashion seven years ago.
Playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League, Gayle struck an incredible unbeaten 175 against Pune Warriors.
READ |
Hitting 13 fours and a scarcely believable 17 sixes in a memorable 66-ball stay, Gayle set records for the fastest Twenty20 century and the highest T20 score of all time.
It truly was a day on which the self-titled 'Universe Boss' lived up to his moniker.
2019: Shane didn't need long to score
April 23, 2019 is a date Ledley King may want to forget, as the former Tottenham defender saw his record for the fastest Premier League goal broken by Shane Long.
The Southampton striker needed just 7.69 seconds to score in a 1-1 draw with Watford at Vicarage Road.
His effort was over two seconds quicker than King's, who netted for Spurs after 10 seconds against Bradford City back on December 9, 2000.
Comments
SHARE