2016: The Year of Champions

    We are now within hours of welcoming in the new year. As usual at this time of year, these are the days that we review what kind of year 2016 was. So, what kind of year was it? That depends on who you ask.

    As a whole, most would say that 2016 was a tough year. Mass shootings, issues with police, a record number of celebrity deaths, and a presidential race with no desirable outcomes, have many counting the hours until this year is behind us.

    Does it make sense to blame a year? Not really. Is putting a 7 instead of a 6 on your check' date line going to make everything better? I doubt it. But 2016 was a hard year for many, regardless. That being said, why do we love sports? I can tell you why I love them. Sports are fun. Watching sports, playing sports, following sports transports us to another world for awhile. Sports provide an escape from life, if only temporarily. Forgetting about the bills you have to pay, the job that may not love, or the heartache you may have suffered, and enjoying the unity and joy of sport, that's why they exist.

    While 2016 may seem like one of the worst years in your memory, as far as the sports world is concerned, view it as one of the best. Sometimes, the harder life gets, the more important cheering for our favorite sports teams or stories can become. So doesn't it seem appropriate that this year in sports came along when we needed it most? Take the next few minutes and come with me as we have a 2016 Sports Year in Review, and see why 2016 will go down as one of the greatest years in sports ever.

Sheriff's Last Ride- Super Bowl 50

Manning walked away a champion in 2016

    When Peyton Manning was traded to the Denver Broncos in 2012 after 13 record-breaking years with the Indianapolis Colts, the question was not if, but when, the man known as "The Sheriff" would bring a Super Bowl title back to the franchise. It may have taken a few years and one more neck surgery, but after a 2013 campaign where Manning broke the NFL record with 55 passing touchdowns, Denver fans knew it would come soon. After an injury-plagued 2015 regular season that saw Manning have statistically the worst season of his career, before being benched for Brock Osweiler, the Broncos still managed to get into the playoffs, where Manning was controversially re-inserted as the team's signal caller. After getting through the AFC Playoffs, the Broncos met the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50. Denver's defense, and Peyton's best game of the season gave the Broncos the win and gave Peyton his 2nd Super Bowl trophy. Manning also became the first quarterback to win a Super Bowl with two different franchises. With his retirement still in question during the season, we weren't certain that we had seen the last on Peyton Manning, but anyone who had watched the postseason, could see that with each passing week, it became more and more apparent that Manning was done. That Super Bowl was his final game, and he went out a champion.

Kobe Drops 60/Warriors Win 73
    April 13, 2016 was a historic night for the NBA. At Staples Center in Los Angeles, 20-year NBA veteran Kobe Bryant was playing his final game for the Lakers against the Utah Jazz. At the exact same time, 371 miles away in Oakland, the Golden State Warriors were trying to break a record previously thought to be unbreakable, by winning their 73 game of the season. On the last night of the regular season, in the same time slot, on two different networks, a historic night was just beginning.

Bryant scored 60 in final game on April 13

    In Oakland, the Warriors were in full control from start to finish against the Memphis Grizzlies, winning the game easily, 125-104. The Warriors won the 73 game, finishing the regular season 73-9, the best record in NBA history. At Staples Center, 37 year old Kobe Bryant played 42 minutes, the most of his farewell season. A player who, throughout his career was seen as a bit of a ball hog, couldn't get rid of the ball on this night, even when he tried. Everyone in the building knew this was Bryant's last game, and the Lakers were well out of playoff contention, so this night was all about Kobe. His teammates forced him to shoot the ball, which he did 50 times. With great volume, came great points. Kobe made 22 of his 50 shots and finished his final game with a remarkable 60 points, including leading a big comeback for the Lakers and winning his final game 101-96. Whether you were rooting for these two events or not, the final night of the NBA season gave us something very special.

Cleveland Rocks
    Long seen as a city of suffering as far as sports teams were concerned, Cleveland sports had not won a major sports championship since 1964. But 2016 was the year of Cleveland sports. LeBron James took the Cleveland Cavaliers to the 2016 NBA Finals against the 73-9 Golden State Warriors. The Cavs won the championship, ending the 52-year drought for the city, and bringing the franchise it's first title in franchise history. James, born in Akron, Ohio, was overcome with emotion after the win. Bringing a title to his home state was his top priority throughout his career, and 13 years later, his mission was accomplished.

The Cavs celebrate a big year for their city
at Indians World Series game

    The city of Cleveland was satisfied. They had their championship. Then came the home stretch of baseball season. The Cleveland Indians had been one of the best teams in the league all season, but it seemed that the Cavs title energized them even more. The Indians reached the postseason, and won their first six games. They eventually reached the World Series against the Chicago Cubs. The Indians hadn't won a World Series since 1948, and hadn't reached one since 1997. Their opponent, the Cubs, hadn't won a World Series since 1908, and hadn't been to one since 1945. That made this World Series matchup one that was between the two teams with the longest droughts in baseball. After 7 incredible games, the Indians lost to the Cubs, in what many will call the greatest World Series of all time. Despite the loss, being that close to two titles in one year definitely gives Cleveland something to smile about heading into 2017.

The Curse Is Broken

The Cubs were a global phenomenon in 2016
winning their first title in 108 years

    As tragic as the sports history of Cleveland, Ohio is, there is no question that the sports franchise with the most heartache is the Chicago Cubs. Not having won a championship since 1908, and not even getting to one since 1945 was tough to stomach. The Cubs went through years of pain, curses, waiting, and losses that would make a grown man weep. Despite all of this, when the Cubs hired GM Theo Epstein in 2011, Cubs fans knew their time was coming. Epstein was the same man who engineered the Boston Red Sox team that won the 2004 World Series, ending that franchise's 86-year World Series drought. Epstein even brought a second title to Boston in 2007.

    The Cubs had good reason to believe in Epstein. When he was hired, Epstein told fans that he had a 5-year plan to bring Chicago a championship...and he executed that plan perfectly. Five years later, the Lovable Losers found themselves with the best record in Major League Baseball, and heading to the World Series. In the World Series, the Cubs found themselves in a 3-1 series hole, and it looked like the Cubs would have to wait yet another year. Then, the young team came to life, won the next two and forced a Game 7. In what was potential the greatest World Series game of all-time, the Cubs defeated the Indians 8-7 and won their first championship in 108 years. The wait was over, the Cubs were champions, and the Lovable Losers were no more. November 2, 2016 is a night that no baseball fan will ever forget.

It's Time For Dodger Baseball

Vin Scully was Dodgers broadcaster from 1950-2016

    For 67 years, in the ever-changing game of baseball, there was one constant for the Los Angeles Dodgers: Vin Scully. Since 1950, Vin Scully was the voice of Dodger baseball. His one of a kind voice and storytelling ability made him a giant in the industry. Scully made baseball about more than just baseball. From Greek mythology, bottle throwing contests, if there was a story to be told that could be tied into the game, Vin told it with ease and charm, and never missed a beat. In a world of farewell tours, Vin Scully isone man that I was glad announced his last season in advance, giving both Dodger fans and fans of his the opportunity to hear him call games one last time. On a personal note, Vin Scully is a huge reason why I am writing this, and why I make a career out of talking about sports. He is the greatest of all-time. In his farewell address following his final broadcast, he thanked the fans and said, "I needed you way more than you needed me..." No Vin, you have no idea how much baseball fans, aspiring broadcasters, and the game of baseball, needed you. There are no words. Thank you Vin.

    Those were just some highlights from an incredible year in sports. Let's not forget about the retirement of great athletes like Tim Duncan, Marshawn Lynch, and Calvin Johnson. Let's always remember the sports legends we lost this year: Pat Summitt, Gordy Howe, Muhammed Ali, Craig Sager, and a special mention to Jose Fernandez. And who could forget one of the craziest NCAA Tournaments we've seen ending in a buzzer-beater. For all the moments, I neglected to mention, thanks for being a part of one of the greatest sports years in history.

    As 2016 winds down, after a year where it seemed like everyone just needed a break, sports was there. In a year when we needed the escape of sports a little more, the sports world did not disappoint. So long 2016! I'm not sure how 2017 could top it, but I look forward to the effort. What a year! Happy New Year sports fans!

Reverence

    Whether we realize it or not, there is a reverence in sports that we don't see anywhere else in our lives. Sure, the world of sports is a collection of overpaid men and women who play children's games for a living, but let us not the value that professional sports brings to us. These people are, after all, entertainers. We as a society come home from our 9 to 5 office jobs, grab a cold drink and just want to relax, and what is always there to meet us? Sports-the game of the week allows us a chance to leave our stresses behind, if only for a minute, and get caught up in the spirit of competition at the highest level that many of us longed for in our backyards as children. It's true that any sport is just a game, but every once in a while, there is a moment that transcends that very game and becomes more than that, bigger somehow.
   
    Less than 24 hours ago, one of the greatest basketball players of all time stepped off of the court for the final time. Kobe Bryant will go down as one of the best to ever play the sport, and I am lucky enough to say that I tuned in to see every point he scored in the final game of his 20-year NBA career-all 60 of them. For one final time, the man known simply as Kobe laced up his sneakers, ran out of the tunnel, and stood on the floor at Staples Center, and for the 42 minutes that he was on the floor, all eyes were on him. That's right, there are certain moments that transcend sports.

    By the end of 2016, the three major American sports will have said goodbye to one of their most iconic members. In football, Peyton Manning threw his final pass in February, in basketball, the man who is third all time in the NBA is scoring took his final shot one night ago, and in baseball, Vin Scully, the man who has been the voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers since 1949, will sign off of his broadcast and close his score book one last time, but thankfully that won't happen until October.



Vin Scully has been Dodgers broadcaster since 1949

   These three men are icons who rose above their sports, become role models for those who only wish they could fill the same shoes. Vin Scully may never have hit a home run, but for 67 years, he continually raised the bar for sports broadcasting. Even today, he fuses baseball and storytelling in a way that seems so overwhelmingly American, that you can't help but listen. Whether he is talking about Greek mythology, stories from the road, or trying to explain what the term G.O.A.T means, what's actually happening in the baseball game takes a back seat, not in the eyes of Scully, but with those who recognize that his voice is forever intertwined with America's pastime. I can truthfully say that I am writing this piece because of Vin Scully. When I first heard him call a game as a little kid, I knew that I wanted a career in sports. So, watch as many Los Angeles Dodgers games as you can this year, listen to his stories. When Vin Scully hangs up the mic in October, the game of baseball will lose one of its greatest legends on or off the field.

Kobe Bryant: 3rd all-time in scoring and oldest player
ever to score 60+ points (37)

    At 37 years old Kobe Bryant scored 60 points in his final game, playing 42 of the 48 minutes. Anyone who has watched basketball at any level in the past 20 years has undoubtedly seen a kid who's game was directly influence by Kobe. He is a giant in the game of basketball. Kobe was only expected to play 32-36 minutes in that final game, but he knew the weight it carried. At 16-65, the Lakers were far removed from the postseason well before last night's opening tip. That entire season had been about celebrating Kobe and the final game was no different. At a price tag in the thousands for a nosebleed seat, the weight of the moment stretched far beyond Game 82 of 82 in a miserable season for Lakers fans. It was their last chance to see their hero, their champion play the game he loved so loyally for their city for two decades. Knowing the moment, Kobe muscled through the pain and fatigue when his 37-year old body said no, and kept shooting when he didn't know if he could. The man who was told for years that he shot the ball too much, had finally seen the day when his teammates refused to shoot in his moment. Kobe Bryant, in his final game, shot the ball 50 times, making 22 of them and finishing with a total of 60 points. One last Kobe show. As the final buzzer sounded, Bryant took a look around, grabbed a microphone and said goodbye to his fans, his city, and his game. As he took a right turn into that Lakers locker room, sat at the press conference, and thanked the media one last time, it was clearer than ever in that moment that there would never be another Kobe Bryant. Yes, there are moments that transcend sports.

Manning: 539 career passing touchdowns (most all-time)

    Peyton Manning will go down as arguably the greatest quarterback in the history of the NFL. He owns every individual passing record, and is the only quarterback in NFL history to lead two different teams to Super Bowl victories. This season, due to his age and a multitude of nagging injuries, Manning had his worst statistical season of his career, prompting many to say it was time for "The Sheriff" to move on. Peyton fought through the injuries and the criticism to get back on the field for the Denver Broncos heading into the playoffs. As a fan of his, I wanted to believe he would be back for another year, but with each passing week towards the end of the season, it became more and more clear that this was Peyton's last run. I cherished every minute of the playoffs, and when they made it to the Super Bowl, I knew this was it. It's a special feeling to see your favorite player play his final game on the biggest stage, and to the surprise of many, Peyton Manning went out a champion. There are moments that transcend sports.

    There's something to be said for calling it a career ahead of time. I like to think that when a player announces his pending retirement before the season begins, that it's his way of getting back to the reasons he, and the reasons we all, fall in love with sports in the first place: for the love of the game. To cherish every moment as it comes, knowing it won't come again is a luxury we don't often get in life. We don't get retirement ceremonies, giant send-offs in front of stadiums full of people, or retired jersey numbers. It is a reminder to us all to cherish the moments we do have, because after the last game is played, after, the locker is cleaned out, and after the lights go out in the arena, all that's left are memories, same as all of us. There are moments in sports that are bigger than the games themselves. The moments when you recognize when something special is happening and the world stops to take notice. Sometimes, sports are just sports.... and sometimes they're not.