Wayne Gretzky. Michael Jordan. Muhammad Ali. Joe Montana. They were at the top of their game, their drive and passion incomparable, and they inspired true greatness. Simply, they were unstoppable! ESPN Classic honours these – and other – legends with a month-long four-part series entitled Ford Unstoppable Weekends, beginning this weekend (March 24/25) and continuing each weekend through April 14/15 (see broadcast schedule below). The 50 hours of themed-programming includes games, players and teams that became the very definition of ‘unstoppable’.

Highlights of Ford Unstoppable Weekends include:

Weekend One – March 24 and 25: Magic moments from some of sports’ greatest athletes including Jordan, Gretzky, Ali, Jimmy Connors and Cal Ripken Jr. Relive Jordan’s third NBA championship leading to his first of three retirements, and Ripken’s 2,131st consecutive game, breaking Lou Gehrig’s ‘Ironman’ record.

Weekend Two – March 31 and April 1: Classic performances from Arturo Gatti, Mickey Ward, Patrick Roy, Mario Lemieux, Warren Moon, Tiger Woods, Mike Tyson and John Elway. Highlights include a double dose of U.S. Open victories by Tiger Woods and a trilogy of unforgettable bouts between Gatti and Ward.

Weekend Three – April 7 (Encores on April 8): Fans can reminisce about that snowy first Blue Jays game on April 7, 1977 in Toronto with the Jays’ inaugural game. April 7 marks the 30th anniversary of the team’s MLB debut. Weekend Three also features sweet moves from the man they called ‘Sweetness’, Walter Payton.

Weekend Four – April 14 and 15: The final installment includes Carlos Delgado smacking four home runs in one game, Mark Messier delivering on his Game 6 ‘guarantee’ with a natural hat trick, and Team Canada winning their first gold in 8 years at the 2005 World Juniors.

The Ford Unstoppable Weekends broadcast schedule is as follows:
Weekend One – Saturday, March 24
• 12 noon ET – 1993 NBA Finals: Chicago @ Phoenix, Game 6 at 12 noon ET – Jordan takes home his third NBA title
• 2 p.m. ET – 1981 NFC Final: San Francisco @ Dallas – Joe Montana throws the touchdown pass, forever known as ‘The Catch’
• 3:30 p.m. ET – The 49ers Dynasty – Montana leads the San Francisco 49ers to three titles in six years
• 4 p.m. ET – 1993 Campbell Final: LA Kings @ Toronto, Game 7 – Gretzky scores a hat trick en route to the Stanley Cup Finals
• 6 p.m. ET – 1997 Grey Cup: Toronto vs. Saskatchewan – Doug Flutie is named MVP, winning his second straight Grey Cup
Sunday, March 25
• 12 noon ET – 1991 U.S. Open Round of 16: Jimmy Connors vs. Aaron Krickstein – Connors wins a marathon match on his 39th birthday
• 2 p.m. ET – MLB: Sept. 6, 1995: California @ Baltimore – Ripken passes Lou Gehrig as baseball’s all-time ‘Ironman’
• 4 p.m. ET – Classic Night at the Fights: Ali vs. Foreman & Ali vs. Frazier III – Ali rocks the ring at the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ and the ‘Thrilla in Manilla’

Weekend Two – Saturday, March 31
• 12 noon ET – Boxing: The Gatti/Ward Trilogy – Arturo Gatti and Mickey Ward go toe-to-toe in a test of will, three times over
• 2:30 p.m. ET – 1986 Stanley Cup Finals: Montreal @ Calgary, Game 5 – Rookie goaltender Patrick Roy hoists the Stanley Cup and the Conn Smythe trophy
• 4 p.m. ET – 1991 Stanley Cup Finals: Minnesota @ Pittsburgh, Game 2 – ‘Super Mario’
• 6 p.m. ET – 1982 Grey Cup: Toronto vs. Edmonton – Warren Moon leads Edmonton to its fifth straight Grey Cup championship
Sunday, April 1
• 12 noon ET – 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach – Woods wins his first U.S. Open title
• 1 p.m. ET – 2002 U.S. Open at Farmingdale – Woods wins the tournament, leading wire-to-wire
• 2 p.m. ET – Classic Night at the Fights: Young Tyson – Mike Tyson becomes the youngest heavyweight champion in history
• 3 p.m. ET – 1986 AFC Championship: Broncos vs. Browns – John Elway leads the Broncos to the Super Bowl with ‘The Drive’
• 4:30 p.m. ET – 1998 Super Bowl: Denver vs. Green Bay – Elway wins his elusive first Super Bowl title

Weekend Three – Saturday, April 7
• 12 noon ET – MLB Opening Day 1977: Chicago White Sox @ Toronto – the Toronto Blue Jays make their MLB debut on a snowy April day
• 2 p.m. ET – 1997 Masters – Woods wins his first major, becoming the youngest golfer to win The Masters
• 3 p.m. ET – NFL Films – Pure Payton – 60 minutes with one of the NFL’s greatest running backs
• 4 p.m. ET – 1993 Stanley Cup Final: LA Kings @ Montreal, Game 2 – Eric Desjardins scores a hat trick, including the overtime winner
• 6 p.m. ET – CFL Classics: B.C. @ Toronto, Sept. 1, 1990 – The Argonauts and Lions combine for the highest scoring game in CFL history

Weekend Four – Saturday, April 14
• 12 noon ET – 1986 NBA Eastern Quarter-finals: Chicago @ Boston, Game 2 – Jordan sets the record for points in a playoff game with 63
• 2 p.m. ET – NBA: March 25, 1995: Chicago @ NY Knicks – Air Jordan returns from retirement in time to score 55 points against the Knicks
• 4 p.m. ET – 1994 NHL Eastern Conference Finals: NY Rangers @ New Jersey, Game 6 – Messier backs up his guarantee with a natural hat trick
• 6 p.m. ET – 1978 Grey Cup: Edmonton vs. Montreal – Moon wins his first Grey Cup in what would become a dynasty of five straight championships
Sunday, April 15
• 12 noon ET – 1982 NCAA Football: Stanford vs. California – “Band on the Field” – Stanford’s band rushes the field early, and a trombone player pays the price
• 2 p.m. ET – MLB: Sept. 25, 2003: Tampa Bay @ Toronto – Delgado swats four consecutive home runs in front of the hometown crowd
• 4 p.m. ET – 2005 World Junior Hockey Championship: Canada vs. Russia – Canada claims its first gold medal since 1997