2016 was a year rich in sports stories. There were history-making moments worldwide. The farewell season of Tony Stewart as a driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase. The passing of Muhammad Ali. The tragic death of Florida Marlin Pitcher Jose Fernandez in a boating accident. Small town football club Leicester City defying the odds and winning the Premier League title. The Villanova Wildcats winning the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament for a second time. The Deflategate scandal which caused the Patriots to lose a draft pick and Tom Brady to be suspended for four games. There were headline grabbing moments all year long. Here are my five biggest stories from the world of sports.
No. 5 Peyton Manning guides the Denver Broncos to a Super Bowl title last January and then retires. Despite experiencing his least effective season statistically, let’s face it, he had the worst season of his career. Number #18 was able to go out with his second championship ring. The best defense in the league and an effective running game were the reasons for the Bronco’s success and Peyton was along for the ride. He now belongs to the ages. As Super Bowls go, No. 50 was not the most exciting as the Bronco defense dominated the Carolina Panther offense.
No. 4 Lebron James leads the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first NBA title. It was a long time coming and it took diverting Lebron to Miami for several seasons. But upon his return and adding power forward Kevin Love from the Timberwolves and the emergence of former No. 1 draft pick Kylie Long as a top flight point guard, the Cavs put together the nucleus of a championship team. For the second year in a row they took on the Golden State Warriors in the finals. Down 2-1, the Cavs became the first team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit and win the championship. It broke the Cleveland curse and it was the first sports championship of any kind for embattled Cleveland fans since the 1964 Browns football team won the NFL championship against the Baltimore Colts.
No. 3 A rookie wins the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500. Alexander Rossi, a 25-year-old Formula 1 driver from Auburn, California was considered a rookie to watch but at 66-1 odds no one expected him to wind up on the victory platform drinking the bottle of milk. Driving for Brian Herta under the Andretti Autosports team umbrella in a Dallera Honda with the legendary No. 98 as his car’s number, Rossi was well coached and drove a smooth, cautious race. Some well-timed and very quick pit stops helped, but it was the carefully planned fuel management that allowed the young driver to come out of nowhere, pass Tony Kanaan and Carlos Munoz on the closing laps to take the checkered flag running on fumes. It was one of the most exciting finishes ever and a very appropriate way for the 100th running of the Indy 500 to end.
No. 2 The Rio Olympic Games. No matter whether it was swimming, diving, gymnastics, running, or shooting, the United States teams dominated. Michael Phelps set a record for gold medals won with 23 career total (5 in the 2016 games). Women’s Swimmer Katie Ledecky won five gold medals and was a dominant figure, dwarfing her opponents. The Russian doping scandal made headlines as 111 of the country’s athletes were suspended from competition for illegal drugs in their systems. A Zika virus outbreak was a big worry as well as polluted water. The U.S. Women’s gymnastic team showed itself to be the best in the world and won gold. A great performance for the games by all the U.S. athletes!
No. 1 What else — the Chicago Cubs win in the World Series. Ending a 108 year championship drought and officially calling a halt to the curse of the goat, the Cubs finally brought home a championship banner for their long suffering fans. Dominating the NL during the season, the Cubs had some narrow escapes during the playoff run. The Cleveland Indians won the AL championship after 60 years, Perhaps taking a cue from the Cavs, the guys played to win and gave baseball fans everywhere an old school World Series that was as exciting and well played as any in history. According to TV ratings it was the most watched series in history. It was a very fitting end to a very exciting professional baseball season.
Okay so these five events were the top sports stories of 2016…….or at least in my personal opinion. You may have some other stories that appealed to you. But we can all agree that 2016 was a great year for sports.
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