This past year was indeed one of the most magnificent years we've witnessed in our lifetimes in the world of sports. In each of the three major sports, we saw some of the most amazing things ever take place, and we also saw some of the most horrible things take place. It was a year of the good and bad, and the good was extra good, and the bad was extra bad.
Kicking off the new year, we all witnessed the game of the year on the first day of 2007: Oklahoma vs. Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. Everyone remembers the 'statue-of-liberty' play in overtime that allowed Boise State to take home the title 43-42, but few remember that the game was filled with dramatic comebacks and amazing plays, including four lead changes in the final two minutes of the game (including an un-timed overtime).
Things only began to get interesting from there. In basketball, we witnessed LeBron James transform from a young kid with lots of expectations into a divine figure in the NBA. The incredible 4th quarter and overtime performance in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals left our jaws dropping to the floor in disbelief. This was the good; the bad was something we all fear: referees fixing games. Tim Donaghy was discovered to have bet on basketball games including ones he refereed. One of the most atrocious displays of refereeing a game took place in Game 3 of the Suns-Spurs series where the Suns were legitimately screwed out of a chance to compete for a national championship.
In baseball, we witnessed historical moments including two comeback upsets by the Philadelphia Phillies and the Colorado Rockies, allowing them to advance to the playoffs. We observed the Texas Rangers putting up 30 points against the Baltimore Orioles, Jim Thome hitting his 500th career homerun as a walk-off homerun to win the game for his Chicago White Sox, and a truly amazing play by Washington Nationals second basemen Ronnie Belliard. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, search "Ronnie Belliard's flip play" in Google Videos. Absolutely amazing…) We also witnessed something we should have all been proud of, the crowning of a new homerun king. Unfortunately we did not all agree on this with the dark cloud of steroids hanging over Barry Bonds. Bonds was later indicted that year for perjury. The Mitchell Report left a bad taste in our mouths when it connected numerous high profile players to steroids and ruined the name of the greatest pitcher of the modern era in Roger Clemens.
In football, we once again witnessed historical moment after historical moment with the New England Patriots. The Patriots completed their perfect 16-0 season and while doing so, Tom Brady set a new record for most touchdown passes in a season and Randy Moss the most touchdown receptions in a season. Brett Favre jumped on the 'breaking records' bandwagon as well when he broke the record for most wins by a quarterback, most career touchdown passes, most career passing attempts, most career passing yards, and most career interceptions. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the most exciting show on the field, Michael Vick, was sentenced to jail during the prime of his career on dog fighting allegations.
The best of the best and the worst of the worst also applies to two certain cities in the world of sports. Boston somehow managed to make the Red Sox, Celtics, and Patriots dominant all in the same year. The Red Sox have already won the championship. The Patriots haven't lost a game all season, and the Celtics added enough superstars on the team to create a team that may break the record for most season wins by an NBA team. Even Boston College joined the fun when they were ranked as high as second in college football at one point. What Boston is to filet mignon, Miami is to Hamburger Helper. Miami was absolutely awful as the Dolphins managed to squeeze out one victory the entire season, the Florida Marlins once again failed to make the playoffs and gave up their two best players in the off-season, and most surprisingly, the Miami Heat have disappointed many and proved experts wrong who believed they would be legitimate title contenders. With superstars Dwayne Wade and Shaquille O'Neal, they are in last place of their division. Not to mention the University of Miami, who has fallen completely off the map in college football after being contenders for the championship season after season.
In 2007, there were plenty of terrible stories in the sports world and many deaths, including that of Washington Redskins FS Sean Taylor, Denver Broncos CB Darrent Williams and RB Damien Nash, legendary 49ers coach Bill Walsh, and let's not forgot the tragic day of April 16 when 33 students and teachers lost their lives on the campus of Virginia Tech. These losses will always be remembered, but so will the good times. The feel-good story of the Virginia Tech football team winning the ACC title this year and the Washington Redskins winning their last four games to barely advance to the playoffs have some sort of magic behind them. And that's exactly how this year in sports felt overall, magical. Do you need more proof? Just ask Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning, Minnesota Vikings RB Adrian Peterson, Tennessee Titans K Rob Bironas, American swimmer Michael Phelps, Swiss tennis player Roger Federer, American tennis players Venus and Serena Williams, golfers Zach Johnson, Angel Cabrera, and Padraig Harrington, competitive eater Joey Chestnut, or the Appalachian State, Stanford, Naval Academy, and D-III Trinity football teams.
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