10. The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! ... And More
Going into 2010, the last time the Giants had won the World Series was 1954, back when they were still the New York Baseball Giants. The Giants entered the season with 30-1 odds of winning the World Series, right in the middle of the pack. It was a good-looking team; the two headliners were pitchers Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain, but many thought that was far from enough to come close to challenging the top contenders in even the National League. After a 90-72 season however, they won the NL West and found themselves in the NLDS going up against the Braves.
In Lincecum's first game, he was brilliant going all nine innings to secure a 1-0 victory. But an extra innings loss in the second game, after having been up 4-0, put the series at 1-1. Then came Jonathan Sanchez, one of the many role players that stepped up in the playoffs when the Giants needed it most. Sanchez pitched a phenomenal Game 3, carrying a no-hitter all the way into the sixth. The hitters also pulled through; down 2-1 after a Braves' two run homer in the top of the eighth, the Giants fought their way back to a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the eighth, and kept the lead to take the series lead. In Game 4, facing the Braves' ace Lowe, who was pitching on three days' rest, the Giants struggled early on, but after some errors, controversial calls and clutch hits that went their way, they ended up taking the series and moving on to face the big bad Phillies.
Clearly the underdog going into the NLCS against the Phillies, the Giants played like they had nothing to lose. Enter stage left Cody Ross, one of the unlikely heroes of this tale. With Ross' two home runs and Lincecum's solid pitching, the Giants took an unlikely win in Game 1. Then they got a shellacking in Game 2, losing 6-1, but picked themselves up with the series shifting to San Francisco in Game 3, winning 3-0 on the arm of Matt Cain. Game 4 was back-and-forth, the Giants originally led 2-0, then the Phillies taking a 4-2 lead, then the Giants coming back to put it at 4-3 in the Phillies' favor. A double off of the bat of Pablo Sandoval scored two and the Giants took a 5-4 lead in the sixth. That lead was quickly squandered in the eighth at the hands of Ryan Howard and Jason Werth whose back-to-back doubles tied the game. In the ninth with the game still tied, Brian Wilson, the man who had been growing this beard (http://picasaweb.google.com/data/media/api/user/105176238900540568192/albumid/5271252428042078129/photoid/5533088208764293490?authkey=Gv1sRgCLiKkP-h9e_eKQ) retired the side, and the Giants capitalized scoring the winning run on a sacrifice fly, putting them on the doorstep to the World Series, up 3-1, with Lincecum headed to the mound in the last game in San Fran. Despite having their ace on the mound and gaining the early lead, the Giants ended up losing to the Phils 4-2, hoping Game 6 would punch their ticket to the World Series. Jonathan Sanchez started in Game 6 and struggled early, but in the third inning, the Giants tied it up 2-2 and stayed that way until the eighth, when Juan Uribe hit a solo homer to put the Giants up by one. Lincecum came in as a reliever and allowed two singles, but Brian Wilson was brought in and finished the five-out save to send the Giants to the World Series.
The World Series featured two teams that had struggled their entire existence in the Rangers and the Giants. In what many thought would be a pitchers duel in Game 1 between Tim Lincecum and Cliff Lee, the Giants won a hit-off, 11-4. Instead, Game 2 was the pitchers duel, at least until the Ranger bullpen fell apart and the Giants scored seven runs in the eighth, winning the game 9-0. In Texas, the series shifted back to the Rangers in Game 3, which the Rangers won 4-2. But the Giants were not disheartened and a guy named Madison Bumgarner led them in Game 4 with eight shutout innings, giving the Giants a 4-0 win. Game 5 saw Lincecum and Lee face off again, and the result was the face-off everyone originally expected. Both pitchers pitched shutout games through six innings. With two outs in the sixth, and men on second and third, the Giants' Edgar Renteria launched a three-run homer. Lincecum gave up a solo home run to Nelson Cruz in the seventh but other than that gave up only three hits in eight innings. Brian Wilson retired the side and the Giants won the World Series., the first championship for the city since the 49ers won back in 1994.
The Giants, who had put up with Barry Bonds' antics for years finally had a team as a whole, that came together with what seemed like a group of mediocre players and one young ace, and delivered in the World Series. They beat the heavily-favored Phillies and in one of the most unlikely, tense, exciting playoff runs in a long time, won the pennant and in addition the World Series.
9. Three Inches Away From A True Cinderella Story
You know the cliche underdog versus favorite story. It's written about in books and shown in television shows and movies constantly. In the 2010 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship this game was brought to life in a not so cliche way.
The Duke Blue Devils entered the game atop the basketball world. One of the most distinguished basketball programs in the country, Duke University came into the game with three titles under its belt and nine championship appearances. Receiving a #1 seed in the 2009-10 tournament, after going 30-5 during the season, Duke made its way through the South region, where they met a team that very few expected would make it to the big game: the Butler Bulldogs.
After starting off 8-4, the small school from Indiana went on a 25 game winning streak, which ran all the way into their title game with Duke. With a little bit of a home-field advantage, being that the game was played in Indianapolis, just miles from the Butler campus, the Bulldogs led by a coach who looked no older than 14 and a group of undersized, overlooked players, gave Duke a run for its money.
In the most-watched NCAA men's basketball championship game of the decade, Butler hung with Duke the entire game. Up 60-57 with 1:19 left in the game, Duke's Nolan Smith missed an open lay-up that would have put them up five, which gave Butler the ball on a fast break. Shelvin Mack missed a three to tie but Butler's scrappy big man Matt Howard got the board and the lay-up moments later to put Butler down by one with 54 seconds remaining, which led Coach Krzyzewski of Duke to call timeout. Then with 36 seconds left, the ball was put in the hands of one of Duke's best players Kyle Singler, who missed an open jumper, giving Butler the ball with the shot clock off. The Bulldogs passed it around waiting to get the last shot and called a timeout after the ball went out of bounds off of Duke with 13.6 seconds left. Another timeout was called when the Bulldogs had trouble in-bounding the ball, but finally they were able to get the ball to their star Gordon Hayward who missed a short fade-away jumper from the baseline with 5.2 seconds left, a miss which fell in the hands of Duke big man Brian Zoubek who was subsequently fouled with 3.6 seconds remaining and Duke still up one. Zoubek made his first foul shot but then in a very questionable move, purposely missed the second to give Butler a harder time to get a shot off, being that the Bulldogs had no timeouts remaining. Hayward pulled down the rebound, made his way to half-court and with less than a second remaining put up a prayer that felt like it was in the air for an eternity. As the ball made its way toward the basket, the shot that could give Butler the win and do the unthinkable, it started to look closer and closer. Off the backboard, off the side of the rim and out. Duke wins 61-59.
The Butler Bulldogs had made it all the way to the biggest dance of the big dance, and had fallen just a few inches short. But, at the end of the day it was one of the best games of the year, and a proud moment for mid-majors around the country. The fact that some small school from Indiana, which did have some success in basketball previously, yet was still a tourney stepping stone, could come that close to beating one of the most prestigious programs in the country was remarkable in it of itself.
8. Another Controversial Heisman Winner
Arguably the most impressive athlete of the year, Auburn's Cam Newton was one of the biggest names of 2010. A 21 year old kid surrounded by such high accomplishments yet at the same time so much controversy, Newton constantly seemed to be in the news in 2010.
Newton originally started off at the University of Florida, but quickly ran into trouble. After an ankle injury, Newton decided to redshirt his freshman season. During his sophomore season he was arrested after a stolen laptop was found in his possession, but all charges were dropped after he took a court-ordered program. Then, rumors about possible expulsion because of cheating in addition to Tim Tebow's announcement that he would be returning for his senior season led Newton to transfer to Blinn College, a junior college in Texas, where he stayed for a year before transferring to Auburn.
This season, on the field, Newton has been met with anything but trouble. Leading Auburn to a perfect season and a national championship bid, Newton threw and ran his way to one of the most dominant seasons ever by a college football player. With 49 total TDs, Newton won the Heisman in a landslide victory, but it was a victory met with dispute.
Newton, in addition to the stolen laptop and cheating rumors, has been accused of asking Mississippi State for up to $180,000 in order to get him to transfer there. Although the NCAA found that Cam's father Cecil Newton is the one who asked for the money, some believe Cam may have known about it. After the discovery Newton was originally declared ineligible but was quickly reinstated and played the rest of the season.
Of course it will be interesting to see how the Newton controversy plays out, especially with Reggie Bush giving back his Heisman Trophy this year after similar allegations were made about him. But for now, all that can be said is that Newton was the one of the most dominant and newsworthy athletes of the year.
7. The Road To Redemption
With downfall came redemption. When there were guys like Tiger and Big Ben, there were also guys like Michael Vick. A first overall pick back in the 2001 NFL Draft, and at one point the richest man in football, Michael Vick seemingly had everything; the one thing he was missing however was a positive demeanor. He could run, he could throw, but no one liked him. In 2006 he gave his own fans the middle finger. Just when it seemed like Vick's public persona could not get any worse however, it did.
In 2007, Vick pleaded guilty to federal charges concerning dog fighting. His Smithfield, Virginia home was found to have 54 pit bulls. Vick admitted to financing the fights and even killing several dogs and on December 10, 2007 was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison. Less than six months later, he filed for bankruptcy protection while in jail. Vick was finally released from federal custody on July 20, 2009, and conditionally reinstated by Roger Goodell a week later.
Vick got his second chance from the Eagles, who signed him to a one year, $1.6 million deal, in what was a relatively quiet year for the third-string Vick; this year has been anything but. After Donovan McNabb was traded and the original starter Kevin Kolb came down with a concussion, Vick stepped in and did a phenomenal job. He was named the starter for the rest of the year on September 21, 2010; less than a year and a half after he was released from federal custody, he was on his way to becoming one of the best players in football again.
Now, Vick is putting up the best stats of his career, possessing a big-time arm he did not have before, the same legs he has always had, and through-the-roof confidence. He has emerged as a clear MVP candidate, and it seems as if the only person standing between him and the award is Tom Brady.
Vick still remains one of the most-hated athletes in the world. Many will never forgive him for the dog fighting scandal, but no one can say there has been a better tale of redemption in sports this year or in the past few years at least. Vick has not only come back a changed football player, he's come back a changed man. He has stayed out of trouble - save for a shooting at his birthday party in Virginia Beach that Vick played no part in - and speaks to kids about staying out of trouble and avoiding peer pressure. He is a long way from the brash, middle finger-waving, immature man he was just a few years ago. Michael Vick is back and better than ever.
6. The Imperfect Game
In a season in which there were six no-hitters, including two perfect games, the most memorable "perfect game" of all was not even technically a perfect game. On June 2, 2010 28 year old Armando Galarraga took the mound for the Detroit Tigers against the Cleveland Indians. Galarraga had never been a big talent, getting drafted in 1998 but not making his major league debut until 2007. After going 13-7 with a 3.73 ERA, Galarraga continued to struggle as a big leaguer, yet managed to stay around in the majors.
On June 2, Galarraga retired the first 26 batters he faced. Then came Jason Donald. Donald hit a grounder to Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera who threw it over to Galarraga at first. Galarraga clearly beat Donald to the bag, caught the ball from Cabrera and secured his perfect game. But then Jim Joyce, the first base umpire and one of the most respected umps in the game, called Donald safe to the disbelief of Galarraga, the Tigers, the fans and everyone watching at home. All Galarraga could do was laugh at the situation. Perfect game gone, no-hitter gone. The next batter, Trevor Crowe grounded out to Brandon Inge, ending the game 3-0.
After seeing the replay, Joyce admitted he was wrong, stating he knew he had taken "a perfect game away from that kid over there that worked hard his ass off all night." The next day Joyce was back in town, and in an incredible moment, greeted Armando Galarraga at home plate, where Galarraga gave him the Tigers' line-up card. A teary-eyed Joyce and a well-composed Galarraga shook hands, and as Galarraga walked back to the dugout, Joyce gave him a pat on the shoulder.
Of course, the blown call brings to light a big controversy in baseball: the lack of instant replay throughout the sport. It is obvious that the ability to use instant replay on all calls - instead of just the home run calls which it is currently used for - would have given Galarraga the perfect game he rightfully deserved, but there is something bigger in this story that made it so great. The sportsmanship and integrity it took for Joyce to admit his mistake and the grace with which both men handled the situation shows that sports is not always about getting at the other guy's throat, but about sportsmanship and maintaining civility. Just because people are competing does not mean that the rules of society do no still apply.
The game may have not been perfect, but the moment certainly was.
5. Age Catches Up To Everyone
You know the story: Favre retires, Favre comes back with the Jets, Favre retires, Favre comes back with the Vikings, Favre contemplates retirement, and once again Favre comes back with the Vikings. Yet throughout all of the drama that the Wrangler-wearing diva brought upon the NFL, through it all he never missed a start and played extremely well, having one of his best seasons as a 40 year old. Then this year everything changed.
Had Favre not thrown an interception late in regulation in the NFC Championship Game against the Saints last year, the Vikings may have been the ones playing in the Super Bowl, so almost everyone believed that they would contend again this year. Then reality set in. Father time finally caught up with the 41 year old gunslinger as his condition and body deteriorated more and more as the year dragged on. Coming off of ankle surgery, Favre started the season surrounded by concern and it only got worse. Injury after injury to his neck, shoulder, head, etc. Favre started under center and fought his way through but struggled statistically, ending the season with 11 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. As he struggled so did the team, which finished 6-10.
The pain finally got to Favre on December 13, 2010 due to a shoulder injury, and after 297 consecutive starts, a streak that lasted over 19 seasons, Favre was marked inactive. When he came back the next week against the Bears he suffered a concussion on the icy tundra and was taken out of the game. That may have been his last snap and play ever as an NFL player.
Many people forget the whole story with Favre. What they remember is just that Favre had one of the greatest careers that any athlete has ever had. But there's more to Favre's career which makes his 297 game starting streak even more unbelievable. During his streak he faced drug abuse, his father's death the day before a game, a sexting scandal, a couple of retirements, Wrangler commercials and even a cameo in There's Something About Mary. When Favre leaves, there will be no Super Bowl, no playoff game, for the man many believe is the best quarterback of all time. But hey, why should there be? He may just be back again next year.
4. U.S.A. Making Its Way
Soccer in the U.S. does not have much of a following. It shows with how poorly the U.S. national team usually plays in the World Cup. The best performance the team had had going into the 2010 World Cup was third place, and that was all the way back in 1930. Following that they had only made it past the first round once, back in 1994. Yet, 2010 was different. The team had been runner-up in the 2009 Confederations Cup and looked strong. But no one expected what was to come.
Placed in a group with their former mother country, U.S.A. had some extra incentive to make it past the group stage. The first game was against England, an highly anticipated match. But, after Steven Gerrard of England put in a goal just four minutes into the game, U.S.A.'s chances looked dismal; that was until the 40th minute, when U.S.A.'s Clint Dempsey put a shot on goal that bounced off England goalkeeper Robert Green's hands and trickled into the net. The game ended up in a tie and it seemed as if everything would be going U.S.A.'s way.
After tying Slovenia, U.S.A. needed a win against Algeria to make it into the Round of 16. After missing a few unbelievable chances, and having a goal called back from a questionable offside call, U.S.A. looked down and out with the game tied 0-0 and the clock at 90:00. After such high hopes, it looked like the U.S. would once again fall in the group stage. Then in extra time, with just over two minutes remaining, Landon Donovan, the face of U.S.A. soccer for the past decade had a put-back goal that sent people around the country - soccer fanatics and people watching their very first soccer game alike - into pandemonium. U.S.A. would no longer be a stepping stone in the World Cup; it was moving on to the Round of 16.
U.S.A. faced off against Ghana in the next round. Once again, the team got off to a terrible start, as Ghana scored within five minutes. U.S.A.'s struggles continued the rest of the first half, but after halftime, with the team rejuvenated, U.S.A. mounted its comeback. When Clint Dempsey was fouled in the box, Landon Donovan took and made the ensuing penalty kick, hitting it off the post and in. Then in the 94th minute, during extra time, Ghana regained possession, hitting the ball up the field to Asamoah Gyan who cut through the defenders and put in the winning goal.
It wasn't a fairy tale ending for the U.S.A. national team, but it was an improvement, progress. Soccer is slowly gaining fans in the United States, and although it is far from reaching the popularity of the Big 4 sports in the United States (football, baseball, basketball, hockey) soccer and the U.S.A. national team are gaining respect in this country. Whether the national team can duplicate or improve on its 2010 World Cup performance is yet to be seen; the team won some extremely close games that could have gone the other way, however, slowly but surely the U.S.A. team is making its way.
3. The Downfall of the Year
The picture-perfect athlete. Totally dominant in his sport, good looking, clean cut, married to a beautiful model, and possessing a special connection with his father. No black marks on his record, no mysterious past, Tiger Woods was almost too good to be true. Sadly, he was.
On November 25, 2009, The National Enquirer ran a story claiming Woods was having an affair with a nightclub manager, which the manager, Rachel Uchitel, denied. On November 27, 2009 at 2:30 a.m., Woods had a car accident while leaving his home. The story quickly spiraled out of control, when Us Weekly had a story in which Jaimee Grubbs, a cocktail waitress, claimed to have had a two-and-a-half year affair with Woods. Grubbs even provided a voicemail message from Tiger stating "Hey it's Tiger, I need you to do me a huge favor. Can you please take your name off your phone? My wife went through my phone...You got to do this for me. Huge. Quickly. Bye."
It was all downhill from there. Mistress after mistress revealed their affairs with Tiger, and with them came vague apologies from Tiger and increased media attention. The New York Post put Tiger on the cover a record 20 consecutive days, breaking the record previously held by 9/11. Then, inevitably his sponsors began dropping him, first Accenture, then TAG Heuer, AT&T, Gatorade and so on and so forth.
On February 19, 2010, Woods issued a speech in which he stated his infidelity, apologized to everyone he had hurt, and made clear his desire to reform himself and return to golf. He did not take any questions.
Woods returned to golf at the 2010 Masters, finishing fourth in the tournament, but after that continued to struggle and failed to notch a win, his first win-less season as a pro. His personal life also took a turn for the worst, as he and his wife Elin Nordegren officially divorced on August 23, 2010; Nordegren settled for $100 million and custody of their two children. In late October, Woods officially fell to No. 2 in the world rankings to Lee Westwood ending his 281 consecutive week streak in the top spot.
In one of the biggest downfalls of any celebrity, Woods went from one of the most well-liked athletes and celebrities in the world to one of the most hated. In terms of his golf game, it once seemed like a sure thing that Woods would eclipse Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 career major wins. Now, with Woods sitting at 14 major wins, it is unsure what his future in golf will look like, whether he will continue to struggle to come back after such a tumultuous period in his life, or whether, in Tiger-like fashion, he will overcome everything and once again be the Tiger of the past.
2. The Decision Makes A Villain?
It was the moment that changed the course of the NBA for the next decade, and the moment that many thought was one of the most foolish, boneheaded, self-absorbed moves an athlete has ever made. There he was, LeBron James, on ESPN, with close to 10 million people watching, waiting on his every word, and the moment he would finally blurt out where he was going to be playing next year.
If anyone had the skills, the talent and the work ethic to challenge MJ as the greatest of all-time, it was LeBron James. At 6'8" 250 lbs, LeBron James resembles a monster truck, and dominates the floor and the game like no one else does. He could score, pass, play defense, rebound, the whole nine yards. He carried the totally unskilled Cavaliers (who are now the worst team in the conference this year without him) and made them the best team in the NBA; no, not even Kobe could do that when he had sole control of the Lakers. Only one other man could make that kind of impact on a team and it was Michael Jordan.
For a couple of years, people had wondered where LeBron James, who was well on his way to becoming one of the best (if not the best) players of all time at the ripe age of 25 (now 26), would end up when his contract was over. Many thought he would stay in Cleveland, the place he had lived his whole life, the place that he had put on his shoulders and where he was king, but also, the place which he was seemingly outgrowing. Many thought he was Miami-bound, to join up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in what would create arguably the best basketball trio of all-time. Then there were others that said he was headed for New York's bright lights, the town which had been the favorite going into free agency, in order to serve as the savior of New York basketball and take on the role of ultimate superstar at the crossroads of the world. James decided to "take [his] talents to South Beach." Now, we'll never know what he could have done leading even just a somewhat talented team, at least a supporting cast that was on the level that Michael Jordan's Bulls were.
The importance of this moment in not only basketball but in sports in general is paramount. Not only did LeBron pass up a couple of million dollars - something athletes rarely do - to play for the team he thought he had the best chance of winning with, he also passed up on having to compete with the best of the best, and having to win with his own team. Michael Jordan would have never sold out, never would have joined forces with the likes of Barkley and Malone in order to dominate the field; the whole point of playing was to compete and compete with the best. James' decision to join forces with what was already a stacked team bucked tradition (in a bad way) and for better or worse changed basketball and sports forever.
1. The Savior of New Orleans
It was a city that desperately needed a win. Just a little more than four years after Hurricane Katrina had ravaged the city of New Orleans, many in the city were still struggling to recover, their lives turned upside down, many still in temporary housing, trying to piece their lives back together. Then Drew Brees came along and changed everything, even if just for a second.
If there is one story that proves the huge impact that sports can have on society, it's the story of the Saints. A perennial cellar dweller for their entire existence, the Saints have had 34 .500 or below seasons out of their 44 years of existence, and went without a winning season for the first 20 years that they were around. The team had a couple of good years here and there but besides that nothing but trouble followed the Saints. Then in 2005, much more trouble hit the city of New Orleans.
Hurricane Katrina killed 1,836 people, caused $81.2 billion worth of damage, and wreaked havoc on the lives of many when it hit in August of 2005. It was the costliest natural disaster in the history of the United States. Needing a miracle to get back on its feet, New Orleans found a miracle worker in Drew Brees.
Like the Saints, Brees had been an underdog his entire life. After being selected as the Texas High School 5A Most Valuable Offensive Player, he was told he was too small to play college ball, and had to settle on Purdue. After setting passing records galore and being a Heisman Trophy finalist at Purdue, he was once again told he was too small to go pro. He was drafted in the second round by the Chargers, but just four years later the team essentially gave up on him in favor of Philip Rivers in 2005. Finally in 2006, just months after Katrina he signed with the Saints (who had gone 3-13 the previous year), and since that day he has been as big of a help to New Orleans as New Orleans has been to him.
After a magical 13-3 season, the Saints quickly became America's New Team in the playoffs, taking down the reigning Super Bowl runner-up Cardinals in the Divisional Playoffs, and having the best of luck in the NFC Championship Game against the Vikings to win in overtime. Then came the Super Bowl against the Colts. In the most-watched television event of all-time, the Saints beat the 4.5 point favored Colts 31-17, and as Brees lifted the Vince Lombardi Trophy over his head, it was clear that the entire city of New Orleans, still struggling, still recovering, still recuperating, was right there with him.
Some clips for your viewing enjoyment to commemorate the best moments of 2010
Giants World Series Run: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZYJzsAXZX0
Butler-Duke: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB00wfyuQjY
Cam Newton: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOi2hj_sjyY
Michael Vick: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-7JFSsMVM4&feature=related
Armando Galarraga, Jim Joyce: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTutDzTgZ0k
Brett Favre: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55JWYRuX4pI&feature=related
U.S.A. Soccer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbn3rOPmR9w
Tiger Woods: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdFxMfSJAy4
LeBron James' Decision: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVKwdOaNiOE
Saints Super Bowl: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LX4ZE5rXUc, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oghFaHJ_Q6E&feature=related
Thanks for following the blog and I hope everyone has a great 2011!
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