We’re at the final 5 sports moments of the decade. You can recap the honorable mentions here and moments 6-10 here.
I want to keep this intro pretty short but I’d be remiss if I didn’t say that 2016 may have been the one of the greatest years in sports of all time.
5. Super Bowl LVIII
- Without a doubt, this was the ultimate “what if” game and “you had one job” moment. In one of the most exciting Super Bowls in recent memory, you had the Seattle Seahawks defending their Super Bowl XLIII championship vs the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIV. When it comes to the moments in the countdown, this has to be the biggest disappointment because Pete Carroll had one job! A simple run play to Marshawn Lynch would have made the Seahawks back-to-back champions. Instead, the Russell Wilson interception handed the Patriots their 4th Super Bowl victory.
4. Chicago Cubs Break the Curse of the Goat
There are very few things that I enjoy when it comes to Chicago Cubs baseball. Even the baseball fan in me can appreciate the breaking the curse of the goat thus ending a World Series drought lasting over a century. The 2016 Chicago Cubs battled the Cleveland Indians for seven games to break said curse. The Indians almost pulled it out when Rajai Davis hit a game-tying home run in the 8th inning. Throughout that and the rain delay that soon followed, the Chicago Cubs proceeded to end the curse in extra innings and fly the W.
3. Cavaliers Come Back Down 3-1 vs. the Golden State Warriors
The mountain of being down 3-1 is so hard to climb that it almost seems impossible to pick the underdog in any 7 game series. Lebron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, and the rest of the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers put that narrative to bed against the record-breaking 73-9 Golden State Warriors back in 2016. This man Lebron James had his entire legacy on the line and delivered for the city he grew up near. The defining moment is obviously his block on Andre Igudola turning into the Kyrie Irving dagger soon after. Mike Breen easily had the call of the decade.
2. Tiger Woods wins 2019 Masters
The moment every sports fan was waiting for since 2009. Once considered the most dominant athlete in any sport, Tiger Woods hit rock bottom after his personal life was exposed. After putting that behind him, scratching and clawing to get back to relevance in golf, the resurgence of Tiger Woods came full circle when be won the 2019 Masters. I’ll say it again: NO ONE BELIEVED THIS COULD EVER HAPPEN AGAIN. Not only was this rise back to the top of the mountain tough due to overcoming his personal mistakes and severe injuries, but the field had caught up to him, breeding players like Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, and Rickie Fowler. For me, this is quite possibly the best redemption story in sports history.
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1. The Kick Six in the 2013 Iron Bowl
Without a doubt, this was the most exhilarating finish of the decade. The 2013 Iron Bowl came down to a field goal where coach Nick Saban decided that his kicker could drain a 56 yarder to go on and play my Florida State Seminoles. No one expected returner Chris Davis to return the missed kick 108 yards to the house to win the game in dramatic walk-off fashion. The win vaulted the Auburn Tigers to the SEC championship game where they proceeded to win and go on to face the Seminoles in the last championship in the BCS era. The Tigers ended up losing so I’m not mad, but I’m sure Tiger nation isn’t too upset considering they overcame insurmountable odds in the 2013 Iron Bowl.
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