SPORTS
Tuesday, January 5, 2016 9
The year that was… in sports
-kareem webster
MMA
Every year, we witness things in sports that provide
us with lasting memories. Some of these memories
remain with us for a lifetime. This year was no different as the last twelve months gave us jaw-dropping,
head-scratching, fist-shaking moments.
Upsets
Holly Holm absolutely demolished Ronda Rousey in
what was one of the biggest upsets in UFC history.
Rousey was the face of the UFC, but after this obliteration, it remains to be seen. Next, we had Chris
Weidman nearly put into a coma by Luke Rockhold
for the middleweight championship. Finally, we had
the colourful, outspoken Connor McGregor knock out
Jose Aldo, the UFC’s only featherweight champion –
in thirteen seconds. Many analysts had Aldo defeating McGregor after a few rounds, but no one had a
first-round knockout coming from McGregor.
NBA
Year of the Warriors
2015 NBA Champions. A 24-0 start to the following
season. The Warriors had the best start in NBA history, and nearly matched the Lakers historic winning streak of 33 wins, but that was thwarted by the
Milwaukee Bucks. Nevertheless, this group of young
men have been the most dominant team in professional sports this year.
Bones
This year Jon “Bones” Jones was in the news for the
wrong reasons. After the hit-and-run, Bones was
stripped of his title and expelled from the UFC. He
was later reinstated and is expected to face Daniel
Cormier in 2016.
Kobe’s Retirement Announcement
In November, one of the greatest players to ever step
onto the basketball court announced that this will be
his last year. Many speculated that he would hang it
up after this season, but it was not confirmed until
the man himself, Kobe Bean Bryant, announced that
his body could no longer take the beating on a nightly
basis.
Stephen Curry
After leading the Warriors to the best record in the
league, electrifying All-Star point guard won the
MVP award in a landslide. If that was not enough, the
Warriors won the title a few weeks later. Currently,
Curry leads the league in points-per-game and threepointers made. He appears to be even better than he
was last season. This young man has a bright future.
Deflategate
Brady was under fire for allegedly cheating during
the playoffs and there was some damning evidence
against him for quite some time. Unfortunately,
there were some holes in Ted Wells’ report, and Brady
was let off. He then started off the new season “guns
blazing.”
NHL
Blackhawks Win 3 out of 5
NFL
Dynasty? The Hawks won their third Stanley Cup
in five years, led by the spectacular play of Brent
Seabrook and Jonathan Toews.
Patriots Win the Super Bowl
Patrick Kane
Should Russell Wilson have handed the ball off to
Marshawn Lynch? Should there have been a passing play called at the one-yard? These questions may
haunt the Seahawks forever. Tom Brady and Bill
Belichick won their fourth Super Bowl after this very
surprising (and head-scratching) ending to an exciting game.
One of the NHL’s most promising stars was accused
of sexual assault and the potential case cast a
shadow over his summer and training camp.
Notwithstanding this PR nightmare, Kane started the
season on a twenty-six game point streak. This was
something that had not been done in many, many
years.
Carolina’s Shocking 14-0 Start
Connor McDavid
Cam Newton is likely the NFL MVP after leading his
team to such a surprising start. He has been nothing
but stellar this season, and even though the Panthers
lost their first game to the Falcons, their season has
been fantastic. Their defense has been stifling to
opponents.
The consensus number-one overall draft selection
had a slow start to his NHL career, looked like the
promising heir to the throne until he sustained a
broken clavicle, leaving him shelved for months. With
the Oilers poised for another season of futility, there
is no reason to rush him back.
Hernandez
Boxing
To the surprise of no one, Aaron Hernandez was convicted of murder and is likely to be sentenced to life in
prison. Water is wet.
Mayweather-Pacquiao
The fight of the century went out with a whimper, but
made Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao very,
very wealthy. Millions tuned in to watch the twelveround bout.
Soccer
FIFA
Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter was suspended
from his position and was under investigation for
corruption in a huge scandal that rocked the sports
world this past summer.
Women’s Soccer
The rise of women’s soccer was spearheaded by the
stacked rosters of the U.S. and Canada national teams.
It was an overall fantastic display of athletics at the
2015 tournament. The future of women’s soccer is
bright, and in North America, this sport has been left
on the fringes – behind football, baseball, basketball,
and hockey – so it is nice to see that it will be prioritized in the years to come.
Tennis
Serena and the Joker
2015 had both Serena Williams and Novak “The
Joker” Djokovic nearly sweep the Grand Slams (both
won three out of four). Williams again won the
Associated Press (AP) Female Athlete of the Year.
I have no doubt that 2016 will berth upsets, triumphs,
and scandals. With the World Cup, Olympics, and pro
sports championships slated, the new year will be full
of smiles, cheers, and tears.