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RICK MONDAY SAVES THE AMERICAN FLAG 1976 - TOP 100 BASEBALL PLAYS IN HISTORY
Rick Monday - 30 Years Ago Saved the American Flag Apr 25, 2006 If you had one shot, one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted, in one moment, could you capture it? Baseball player Rick Monday captured the moment and more, 30 years ago. On April 25th, 1976 the Chicago Cubs center fielder rescued the American flag moments before it was to be burned by two protesters who stormed the field in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Running from center field, Monday, a former Marine Reserve, intercepted the flag from the two men who were only seconds away from igniting the cloth. He left them there empty handed looking like two teenagers in disbelief who had the phone number for Paris Hilton just fall out their hands into the Grand Canyon. The history of sports is littered with athletes who fail or succeed under pressure. Big games make and break careers and lives can be changed by how a person reacts. Sometimes an incident in a sporting event can define a person beyond the sidelines. Just ask Roberto Alomar, who snapped and spit on Umpire John Hirschbeck in 1996. Ask anyone about Alomar and most will remember him more for his saliva than his clutch hits. Adam Vinatieri is known for being cool under pressure, the same with Michael Jordan, Derek Jeter, Magic Johnson, Kerri Strug, and Larry Bird, The list of players who performed under pressure during a game can go on longer than the final two minutes of an NBA game. If you are prepared, how you perform can also solidify you as a great person and not just an athlete. Monday has received various sorts of praise for his act, complete with awards, plaques, admiration and in 1976 the Chicago Cubs presented him with the actual flag from the incident. Recently, the baseball Hall of Fame named the quick thinking act of Monday one of the top 100 events in baseball history. It may be a top performance in baseball, but it was more than that, it was a top performance from an athlete who made a life changing decision in a split second. In 2003, Eminem walked away with the Oscar for best song in a movie. 30 years ago, Rick Monday waked away with the respect of Americans. Some rewards are gold, some are more valuable. 
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