The most amazing streak in sports history was put together by Byron Nelson in the 1940's. I mean if you want a record that simply is impossible to beat, Nelson's streak of winning 11 consecutive golf tournaments on the PGA tour would be the one. Tiger Woods, at the height of his powers, once won an amazing seven straight -- and was still a month of victories away from catching Nelson.
UCLA's basketball team, coached by the legendary John Wooden, didn't lose for nearly three seasons once. Their incredible streak ended at the hands of Notre Dame in a shocking upset in the early 1970's. I can still remember the Sports Illustrated headline the following week: "After 88, comes zero." For UConn women's basketball, after 88 came 89, 90 and so on...until their winning streak reached 111 games.
To put that into perspective, the current run put together by Brian Dutcher's San Diego State Aztecs -- currently standing at 20 straight -- would have to be duplicated five more times in order to catch UConn. And no matter how great the Aztecs are, and no matter how much we love what they're doing, that's not happening. Right?
"Enjoy this 20-0 start while you can Aztec fans, because you'll never see anything like it ever again."
That proclamation was made by Chris Ello on the radio during the 2010-11 NCAA basketball season, when the Steve Fisher-led Aztecs of Kawhi Leonard, D.J. Gay, Malcolm Thomas, Billy White, James Rahon and Jamaal Franklin started the season with that amazing mark. Shows how much that guy knows. (I happily stand corrected, by the way).
But all streaks must come to an end; it's just a matter of when. For the Boston Celtics of the mid-1960's, the number reached eight (straight championships). The Los Angeles Lakers' famous number was 33 (consecutive victories). Oklahoma football made it to 47 one time. Joe DiMaggio's untouchable mark still stands strong at 56. And speaking of strong, Cal Ripken, Jr.'s iron man number was 2,632 (consecutive games played).
SDSU is not in any of those leagues just yet. Nor do they have to be in those leagues for us to still be living the high life. The Aztecs will try to break their own school record this Sunday at UNLV with a 21st-consecutive win. Then they'll travel into The Pit in Albuquerque to take on New Mexico and hopefully be trying for 22. And in the dream world we're enjoying, who knows where it will all end?
Could the streak make it to 38? That would be the ultimate. Because 38 means the Aztecs would win their final nine Mountain West Conference games, the win three more the take down the MWC Tournament title, and finally six more after that to cut down the nets in Atlanta as the first undefeated NCAA basketball champion since Indiana in 1976. I know, I know. There's no way that can happen. But, actually, there is. Or put another way, there's not another team in the nation who even has the chance to do it.
So let's keep streakin'. Let's do something special. (They already have). Let's keep enjoying Malachi Flynn and K.J. Feagin and Jordan Schakel and Yanni Wetzell and Matt Mitchell. They're taking us on a joy ride right now. And, with the top down to boot. The wind feels fantastic.
So do the wins.