Every year in sports is memorable for its own reasons. 2015 was no exception. The year started with the inaugural College Football Playoff, which proved to be an unparalleled success. We also finally saw another Triple Crown and almost saw a Grand Slam. We learned more than we ever thought we would want to know about deflating footballs and found out that who you are and who you're supposed to be aren't necessarily the same thing, even if you're a famous athlete.
My annual Top Games of the Year post will take its traditional place as the final entry before we flip the calendar over, but there are plenty of things beyond the games that I'll remember about 2015. So, that's what today's post is all about. Here, in no particular order, are the 15 sports stories of 2015 that I'll remember the most, and not for any specific reasons, either.
Women's World Cup: It had been 16 years since the U.S. last won the Women's World Cup. That all changed this summer in Canada, and they had the entire nation transfixed. That dominant performance in the final won't be forgotten for a long time. They got a ticker-tape parade down the Canyon of Heroes, met the President, and inspired a generation of little girls the way they were inspired by the '99ers. All because they played like bad asses.
American Pharoah: After years of near-misses, we thought we might never see a horse racing Triple Crown again. But we did. And the nation fell in love with the sport all over again as a result. The Belmont was a sellout, and I know thousands of people who didn't cash in their winning bets. They wanted to be there. And they wanted a souvenir.
Serena Williams & Jordan Spieth's Near Misses: Serena was the story of the year. She came within two wins of the first calendar-year Grand Slam since 1988 while dominating women's tennis at a level we've never before seen. There was Grand Slam talk about Spieth, too, after he won the Masters and U.S. Open. It didn't happen for either one, but that didn't make their years any less spectacular.
Nobody's Perfect: Kentucky entered the NCAA Tournament undefeated and lost to Wisconsin in the Final Four. The Panthers started 14-0, only to see the '72 Dolphins crack the champagne in their second-to-last game of the season. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Hawks had a ridiculous undefeated month, but didn't win a championship. Then the champion Warriors went 24-0 to begin their defense before finally losing to Milwaukee. The UConn women may still go undefeated, but the quest is always a story in its own right.
Deflategate: For the two weeks before the Super Bowl, we spent more time talking about the air pressure in footballs than anything else. Even after the Seahawks made one of the stupidest play calls I've ever seen and New England won its fourth championship of the Bradicheck Era, Deflategate was still the only thing anyone wanted to talk about. It dominated the offseason, Tom Brady was suspended, then he wasn't, then he put together an MVP-like regular season. We haven't heard the last of it either.
Stephen Curry & the Warriors: Stephen Curry became a superstar in 2015 while leading the Warriors to their first title in 30 years. Golden State's championship was refreshing for so many reasons. It was a nice change of pace, and they're fun to watch. In the Finals, Curry one-upped LeBron. who didn't win that championship he promised Cleveland when he returned.
Mayweather/Pacquiao: Boxing's two biggest names finally got in the same ring. Of course, it would've been better if this fight had taken place five years ago. Because the biggest event in boxing history turned out to be a huge dud. Mayweather won and stayed unbeaten for his career, which he's hinted may end after one more fight.
Usain Bolt Is Usain Bolt: Once again, Usain Bolt rose to the occasion with an otherworldly performance at the World Championships. He wasn't favored in the 100. It didn't matter. Then he added gold medals in the 200 and 4x100 relay, his second straight World Championship triple to go along with his two Olympic triples. As it turns out, the only thing that can stop the GOAT is a segway. He got run over by a photographer riding one on his victory lap after the 200.
Jeff Gordon/Kobe Bryant Retirement Tours: Gordon announced his retirement first, and he almost ended his final season with a championship. The 2015 Sprint Cup season was more about Jeff Gordon than anything else. Which is only fitting, seeing as how much Gordon has meant to his sport. Ditto for Kobe Bryant. Who's on the shortlist of greatest players ever for one of the NBA's marquee franchises.
College Football Playoff: They sure hit a home run with this one, didn't they? In year one, the CFP proved to be everything people had hoped and then some. Under the BCS, there's no way Ohio State would've even been considered to play in the National Championship Game. They didn't just have a chance at the title, they went out and won it. The No. 4 seed in the four-team bracket, the Buckeyes upset Alabama and Oregon to become college football's first true National Champion.
A Wacky Baseball Season Ends With the Royals Winning the World Series: Where do I start about the 2015 baseball season? The Cubs. THE CUBS! emerged as a force to be reckoned with, Bryce Harper was otherworldly, the Astros were in first place for most of the year, and the Blue Jays returned to the playoffs for the first time in more than 20 years. But in the end, it was Kansas City, one of the most complete teams in the game, that turned back the clock and won an old-school World Series the old-fashioned way.
The Blackhawks Dynasty Rolls On: As that old saying goes, "The more things change, the more they stay the same." That was certainly the case in the NHL, as the Blackhawks claimed their third Stanley Cup in six years. That offseason stuff about Patrick Kane threatened to put a damper on Chicago's latest title, but those accusations proved unfounded and the Blackhawks picked up right where they left off to start this season.
Scandals Everywhere: FIFA President Sepp Blatter was reelected once again, only to resign when scrutiny arose regarding the selection of Qatar for the 2022 World Cup. The bribery charges led to more arrests than I can count, as well as suspensions for Blatter and UEFA President Michel Platini. Meanwhile, Russia's anti-doping policy was exposed as a complete joke. It was so nonexistent that the nation's entire track & field team is currently suspended from international competition, and they may have Olympic and World Championship medals going back years taken away because athletes that should've been suspended never were. The IAAF didn't get off scotch-free, either. The no-bid awarding of the 2021 World Championships to Eugene, Oregon raised plenty of eyebrows, especially with outgoing President Lamine Diack suspected of financial impropriety.
Beijing Wins 2022 Olympics: In the end, the Olympics no one wanted are headed to a very familiar place. The candidates dropped out one-by-one (for various reasons) until we were left with just Beijing and Almaty, Kazakhstan. And the IOC took the safe, familiar route, heading back to Beijing just 14 years after the 2008 the Summer Olympics, making it the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Games. Now it's on to the bidding for 2024, which had plenty of its own problems (Boston), but did end up with four good candidates.
Finally, a moment that doesn't make the list because of how memorable it was, but I'll never forget for very personal reasons...
Pan Am Games: There are too many memories that I'll take away from the Pan Am Games to list here. Rest assured, that Toronto 2015 will always have a very special place in my heart. The trip was unlike anything I've ever experienced before (and that includes the 2002 Olympics). It was everything I hoped it would be and more. For me, nothing else that happened in 2015 will compare to the Pan Am Games in Toronto.
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