Sports events have a way of bringing people together, regardless of their age, race, gender, social status, etc. And no matter what type of sports you prefer, records will continue to be set, matched, or broken. However, there are certain records that are seemingly far beyond what most athletes or teams are capable of achieving. It is almost inconceivable for these records to be broken. Here is a list of sports records that are likely to remain untouched or matched.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Record-breaking Losses
The Buccaneers’ record will likely never be matched or broken by another football team, thanks to their record number of losses. This record was set during the 1976-1977 season. With Steve Spurrier as its quarterback, the Buccaneers lost 26 out of 32 games. The Detroit Lions came in second with 19 losses during the 2008-2009 season, followed by the 2001 Carolina Panthers team with 15 losses. With the record set this high, various teams are probably reminded each season to do what they can to ensure that this ranking remains unbroken (Longest Losing Streaks in NFL).
Lance Armstrong and His Tour De France Wins
During his heyday, many athletes regarded Lance Armstrong as an inspiring example. Armstrong battled testicular cancer for the majority of his career but has never allowed his condition to hold him back from competing. He participated in the Tour De France competition for 7 years in a row and won every single one of them. One cyclist managed to win five times at the Tour De France, but aside from Armstrong, no one has ever managed to win the Tour seven times in a row. The cyclist’s record, however, has been marred by cheating allegations. At one point, he tested positive during drug testing and was promptly disqualified from the event. A few months later, Armstrong revealed that the steroids he was taking at the time were prescribed by the physician who was treating him for cancer.
Richard Petty Dominating NASCAR
In the racing sport of NASCAR, Richard Petty is referred to as “The King.” So how did the professional driver earn this title? He did it by winning a record 200 races in the modern and pre-modern eras of NASCAR racing. Aside from the number of race wins, he also placed in the Top Ten 712 times during his stint as a NASCAR driver. Petty posted his best record in 1967, by winning 27 times in a single racing season. The only driver who has come close to his record is David Pearson, whose total career wins is 105. They are followed by Jeff Gordon, with 85 wins (so far).
Cal Ripken Jr.’s Unstoppable Winning Streak
Cal Ripken Jr. is nicknamed ‘The Iron Man’ for the record number of games he has participated in. The Iron Man started playing on May 30, 1982, and his playing days stretched on until September 19, 1998. During that interval, Ripken Jr. had played in every game of every season, bringing the total number of games played to a staggering 2,362 games. Previously, Lou Gehrig held the record for most games played with 2,130. Ripken Jr. shattered this record in 1995. Only a few players can boast of logging more than 900 games. One such player is Miguel Tejada, who was able to participate in 1,152 games until 2007 when he broke his wrist during a game.
Michael Phelps’ 28 Olympic Gold Medals
Michael Phelps is one of the most famous Olympic gold medalists in any sport. He participated in four Olympic Games (spanning 16 years), starting in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games when he was 15 years old, and finally in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. During the course of his Olympic career, the swimmer established a total of 39 world records. He won a total of 28 medals, 23 of them gold (plus 2 silver and 2 bronze medals). Meanwhile, Mark Spitz, another notable U.S. swimmer, amassed a total of 11 medals (9 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze) during his Olympic run from 1968 to 1972. Before Michael Phelps came onto the scene, Larisa Latynina, a Soviet gymnast, held the record for the highest number of Olympic medals (18).