Category: 2019

Top 10 of 2019: #1

by tjkgolfer, posted in 2019, Top 10
  1. Tiger Woods wins 2019 Masters.

In potentially the most iconic win of Tiger’s career, “final round red” has never been so fitting. As Woods walked off the 18th green moments after winning the 2019 Masters and capping one of the greatest comebacks in sports history, he flipped his putter to the ground. Seconds later, Woods lifted and hugged his son, Charlie, bringing back memories of the emotional embrace that a young Tiger and his father, Earl Woods, shared at Augusta after Tiger won his first Masters 22 years ago.

This past year was a major season, no pun intended, for Tiger Woods. Woods beat out Dustin Johnson, Xander Schauffele, and Brooks Koepka by one stroke to attain his fifth green jacket and card his 82nd PGA Tour win. Amidst Tiger’s final putt, an NBC Golf Channel announcer stated “A Return to Glory.” There is simply no other way to put it. In one of the most emotional finishes in tournament history, the 43-year-old Woods—playing like his young self in his 1997 win at Augusta National—came from behind to win the 83rd Masters Tournament by one stroke. Woods’ fifth Masters win moved him past Arnold Palmer, and puts him one behind Jack Nicklaus for the most green jackets in PGA history.

As a big Tiger Woods fan, this was without a doubt one of my favorite career highlights of him—one that I will never forget. Growing up in an era where I get to watch the greatest golfer to ever walk the greens win his fifth Master’s Tournament and get his 82nd win is an honor I will cherish forever. Every single PGA Tour player’s life has been, in some way, impacted for the better (or worse if you’re below Wood’s name on the leaderboard). From a young Rory McIlroy watching Tiger on his dad’s TV in Ireland to an accomplished Brooks Koepka praising Woods’ talented career, Tiger Woods will forever be an icon to the game of golf at every level.

Top 10 of 2019: #2

by wpfeiffer1, posted in 2019, Top 10

#2. Jose Altuve walk-off to win the ALCS

The night was going better than expected. In a bullpen-driven pitching outing the Astros had held the Yankees to just 2 runs through 9 1/3 innings in Game 6 of the 2019 ALCS. However, with one swing, the unstoppable DJ LeMahieu silenced 43,000 fans by launching a sharp line drive just over the right field fence. I had only witnessed a group of people that large go silent once before: 9th Inning, Game 5 of the 2005 NLCS, Cardinals vs. Astros. A hanging slider from Brad Lidge coupled with the MVP-caliber swing of Albert Pujols sent a shockwave throughout the entire city of Houston. Pujols connected for a towering 455 ft blast that cleared the train tracks at Minute Maid Park and paved the way for a Cardinals victory. Although, the Astros would win the series in Game 6, the long term damage had be done. 

14 years later when LeMahieu broke Astros’ spirits with his 9th inning shot, Houston fans experienced flashbacks to that fateful night against the Cards. However, if one man could turn the tides, it was the longest tenured Astro on the team, Jose Altuve. Debuting with the team 9 years ago, Altuve had since amassed 6 all star appearances, 3 AL batting titles, and a World Series victory. If the Astros wanted to put anyone up against the dominate Aroldis Chapman in the bottom of the 9th, I couldn’t think of anyone better than our 5 ft. 6 in. slugger. On Chapman’s 4th pitch of the at bat, Tuve turned on an 84 mph off speed pitch and launched it to left-center. I originally sank in my seat in disgust because it appeared to be a long fly out, but once I saw Brett Gardner turn toward the wall, I knew it was all over. The perennial savior of Houston had come through AGAIN. 

Video by Dodgers Highlights

I’m unsure if it was luck or fate that allowed me to be present at both of these landmark games, but one thing’s for sure, the legacy of Joss Altuve will remain in Houstonians’ hearts forever. 

Photo by Giphy

The Top 10 of 2019: #3

by emmaroderick20, posted in 2019, Top 10

3. U.S. Women’s National Team wins the World Cup

Video by Fox Soccer

Once every 4 years, Americans come together to partake in the viewership of the Women’s World Cup in which the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) attempts to bring home the gold medal. 2019 was no different. Filled with star talent such as Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and Alyssa Naeher, the USWNT once again put on a show for the Red, White and Blue. The Americans brought home the Gold medal by winning games against other power-house teams such as Spain, France, England, and The Netherlands. With the 2-0 win over The Netherlands in the final, featuring goals from Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle, the USWNT had won consecutive World Cups and captured their 4th overall win. With a swagger not seen since the days of “The U” and a confidence unrivaled by any in the tournament, the USWNT quickly captured the hearts of Americans. As the team currently holding the most World Cup titles, the USWNT have cemented themselves as the team to beat amongst the global elite.

Video by Fox Soccer

Top 10 of 2019: #4

by Jeremy Fernando, posted in 2019, Top 10

4. Rams vs. Saints blown call by officials in NFC Championship game.

Where were you when the referees didn’t throw their flags on one of the most blatant pass interference calls in NFL history during the 2019 NFC Championship game between the Saints and Rams? I, for one, was on my couch in College Station, TX watching Drew Brees lead the Saints offense down the field, and about ready to cash my Saints -3 and Saints NFC Champion tickets. Then, in a flash, a blown pass interference call forced the Saints to settle for a FG on the drive, leaving just enough time for Jared Goff to lead the Rams down the field to kick a FG of their own to force the game into overtime. 10 minutes later, Greg Zuerlein kicked a 57 yard FG in OT and the Rams were headed to Super Bowl 53.

Just how bad was the call? Well, just see for yourself.

Video by Fox

Analysts and fans around the country were up in arms over the ruling on the field. Saints head coach Sean Payton looked about ready to commit first-degree murder. And the Saints fans in the Super Dome looked like they were ready to storm the field in French Revolution style. In fact, there were several lawsuits that were filed against the NFL after the game. It was a call that would live in infamy.

Video by NFL
Video by WWLTV

The significance of the no call? First, obviously it cost the Saints the chance to play in Super Bowl 53. Secondly, NFL fans were  stripped of the opportunity to see a Brady v. Brees Super Bowl and instead were forced to sit in agony and watch one of the most boring Super Bowls in recent memory. Third and maybe most important to gamblers, the call cost bettors millions of dollars. Many had the Saints -3.5 and also had the Saints winning the NFC. It was a multi-million dollar blown call. One would think that after such an incredible mishap on one of the biggest stages in sports, the NFL would have found a substitute for officials. However, the 2019 NFL regular season has seen missed call after missed call from the men in stripes. Maybe a few more lawsuits from the fans down in New Orleans will help change that. A horrific blown call which cost the New Orleans Saints and Drew Brees a potential Super Bowl Ring is our 4th best sports moment of the year.

Video by TPS

Top 10 of 2019: #5

by Jeremy Fernando, posted in 2019, Top 10

5. The legend of Zion Williamson.

Zion Williamson. No player has captivated NCAA basketball quite like Zion in some time. From the marvelous dunks to the breathtaking athleticism that left even world-class announcers in shock, Zion Williamson took the collegiate basketball world by storm last year. From the very first tipoff to the season-ending loss against Michigan State, all eyes were on Zion. And luckily for the fans, he did not disappoint.

 The legend of Zion began when he was in high school as his highlight reel dunks went viral in a series of YouTube videos. While he was the 3rd highest recruit in his class at Duke, he was the center of attention the minute he stepped foot on campus. In his first game against perennial power Kentucky, Zion scored 28 points with a few memorable dunks. In the following game against Army, he scored 27 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and also blocked 6 shots. He became only the 2nd player in Duke history to record at least 25 points, 15 rebounds and 5 blocks in a game. He posted other memorable games against Wake Forest and Syracuse where he dropped 30 and 35 points respectively. Every night on the floor, Zion would make some remarkable play which would end up on SportsCenter the next morning. While his legend was growing, analysts were predicting he would be the 1st pick in the 2019 NBA draft.

Video by ESPN

On February 20, 2019, Duke was set to host the University of North Carolina in what is one of the biggest rivalries in all of sports. On average, a ticket to that game would be around a couple hundred bucks. However, on this occasion the average ticket sold on StubHub prior to the game was $4,670. The cheapest ticket was listed at $2,927.  The Super Bowl is widely regarded as the most prestigious championship in all of sports and is often one of the most expensive games to attend. However, the “Get In” price for Super Bowl 53, played 2 weeks prior, was $2,900. The reason for the outrageous prices? Two words: Zion Williamson. Fans from all over the nation were chomping at the bit to watch this athletic specimen. Even former President Barack Obama was in attendance. While there was plenty of buzz before the game, all the energy was zapped from the building within 36 seconds of tipoff. Zion was forced to leave the game after his foot ripped through his Nike shoe. Duke would go on to lose the game 88-72. Nike also felt the loss of Zion as their stock dropped by $1.1 billion the next day. The legend of Zion continued.

Video by ESPN

Zion was a pivotal part of Duke’s success and the team missed his presence while he was rehabbing the knee sprain he suffered in the UNC game. When Zion was on the court, the Blue Devils were 29-3 as opposed to 3-3 when he was hurt. He made his return to the team during the ACC tournament and promptly led the team to 3 straight wins and the conference championship, one of which was against UNC where he scored 31 points. The performance earned him ACC tournament MVP. Zion was such a wonder that when the NCAA tournament began, CBS devoted a camera called the “Zion Cam” specifically to follow him throughout the tournament. Although Duke entered the tournament with championship hopes, they were eliminated by Michigan State in the Elite 8. However, Zion continued to be a man among boys on the court as he averaged 27 points and 11.6 rebounds in the tournament.

Video by Duke Basketball

I am not sure we will ever see a player take over college basketball quite like the way Zion did in 2018-2019. There were countless times during the season that I would watch a Zion highlight and think to myself “how is that humanly possible?” An athletic specimen never before seen in college basketball, the legend of Zion Williamson was certainly a memorable moment in 2019.

Top 10 of 2019: #6

by colewest86, posted in 2019, Top 10

6. Kawhi Leonard’s Incredible Playoff Run

Coming in hot at #6 is Kawhi Leonard’s incredible postseason run with the Raptors that ultimately lead to an NBA championship. Now just to jog your memory, this 2019 Kawhi’s first season in Toronto. The year before Kawhi missed most of the season due to a mysterious quadricep injury, so many people did not know how well Kawhi would play in 2019 nearly missing almost a year of basketball. Well we got our answer for sure that postseason.

Kawhi lead the Toronto Raptors to become the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors went on to beat the #7 seed Orlando Magic 4-1.Next they beat the hyped up #3 seed Philadelphia 76ers in 7 games where Kawhi hit game-winning magical fade away shot at the buzzer like something you only see in NBA 2k.

Then, the Raptors went to play the #1 seed Milwaukee Bucks with the leagues MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo (aka the Greek Freak). The Raptors would beat them in 6 games behind Kawhi. The Raptors last battle would be against the #1 seed of the Western Conference, the Golden State Warriors. Even though, the Warriors were missing superstar Kevin Durant, this was still a Warriors team that had 3 championships, a two-time MVP, and the splash brothers. It turned out that the Warriors were no match for Kawhi as the Klaw dominated on offense and defense beating the Warriors in 6 games, and winning Finals MVP.

Kawhi brought Toronto their first NBA championship ever, did it dominant fashion, all while overthrowing the Warriors dynasty. Kawhi was so dominant, analysts started calling him “The Terminantor.” Leonard averaged 30.5 points, 9.11 rebounds, and 1.7 steals in the playoffs. NBA fans questioned if Kawhi would come back the same, and he definitely did not. He came back better proving he was a top-3 player in the NBA.

Top 10 of 2019: #7

by Jeremy Fernando, posted in 2019, Top 10

#7. Dirk Nowitzki Retiring from the NBA

Video by NBA

*This article was written by a contributor who wishes to remain anonymous.

“At forward in his 21st season, the greatest Dallas Maverick in franchise history, the tall baller from the G, number 41, Diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirk Nowitzki!!” echoed in the American Airlines Center on April 9, 2019 in what would be Nowitzki’s last home game. In typical Dirk fashion, he waited until after his last game in the house he built to let the fans know he was calling it quits. No farewell tour. No year long celebration like Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade and even baseball stars such as Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera. Even though many teams recognized the situation this past season like when Doc Rivers, coach of the Los Angeles Clippers, stopped the game to pay homage to to the legend, Dirk clearly never sought any special treatment. In his 21 seasons, Dirk was a professional who never sought unnecessary attention. It is because of this humility that I find it important to write this article. We must remember the retirement of the 2007 NBA MVP, the 2011 Finals MVP, the 14 time All-Star, and the 6th All-Time scorer in the history of the league.

When asked to discuss the top sports moments of 2019, Dirk Nowtizki retiring without a doubt must make the list. Not only did Dirk transform the game for big men shooters, he revolutionized the game for Europeans. Nowadays, it is not hard to find big men who can shoot such as Joel Embiid, Nikola Vucevic, Nikola Jokic, Karl Anthony-Towns, Kristaps Porzingis, and Anthony Davis. Kids growing up watching those stars today don’t see anything crazy about a seven-footer who can knock down the three. Yet, it was a rare skill in 1998 when Dirk was drafted out of Würzburg, Germany. No longer was a big man just a bully in the paint, it was now necessary to give them respect beyond the arc.

Video by Bleacher Report

Dirk was an example of the benefits that could come when drafting European talent. He created a serious interest for players in the EuroLeague and ironically paved the way for future Mavericks Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis. Without his incredible success, the respect to the European talent pool may not be there.

Dallas Mavericks Basketball GIF by NBA - Find & Share on GIPHY
Courtsey of Giphy

Lastly, Dirk did all of this with class and respect. Don’t get me wrong, he annoyed players. The fadeaway was tough to guard and Dirk knew how to sell the foul. He was also a bit of a liability on the defensive end of the court. But he never had a problem with a teammate. He was a likeable player and as a young kid from Germany, he handled becoming a celebrity in Dallas-Fort Worth well. He engaged with the community and most importantly, he remained loyal (tough to find and you may never find it again). He wanted to win with Dallas and towards the end of his career, Dirk routinely took pay cuts to try and get it done with the team who drafted him. As a kid myself born in 1996 and raised in Dallas, Dirk was a role model and I always found myself in the driveway trying to recreate his fade away. At a certain point, I even wanted him to leave the Mavericks to try and win 1 more. But he stayed. I can only hope the Mavericks provide their two big Europeans more support than Dirk had in his 21 seasons. As of right now, it looks like they have. 

Top 10 of 2019: #8

by Alec Murray, posted in 2019, Top 10

8. Liverpool’s improbable comeback over Barcelona

Photo by DW.com

Quickly before we dive into this one, since not everyone has a great idea of how European soccer competitions, specifically the Champions League, are structured, we’ll give a quick run-down. This is pretty important background information to why this moment made our top 10 list for 2019. Feel free to skip this next paragraph if you have a decent understanding of the Champions League.

The UEFA Champions League is a tournament that sets out to crown one club as the champion of European club soccer. The structure is similar to the FIFA World Cup where 32 of the best teams from all of Europe are drawn into 8 groups. Then each group plays a home-and-home round robin schedule, and the top 2 teams from each group advance to the knockout stages. Each knockout fixture is determined over two matches, one game at each club’s home stadium, with the scores from both matches being aggregated to determine the winner. If the aggregate score is tied, then the first tie-breaker used to determine a winner is away goals. Whichever team scored more goals in their opponent’s stadium advances. If that doesn’t solve it, then extra time, and potentially penalty kicks, are utilized. The Champions League is *the* premier tournament in club soccer, with the final each year drawing 2-3x the viewership of the Super Bowl.

On to Liverpool and Barcelona. These two giants of clubs came into their semifinal tie with 5 Champions League titles a piece. This fixture was potentially the biggest headliner of the entire tournament as both teams were loaded with talent and play in two of the most famous stadiums in Europe. Barcelona, along with Lionel Messi, also featured two former Liverpool stars in its lineup in Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho who were sold for and €82M and €145M respectively. Liverpool, meanwhile, were seeking to avenge their loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League final in the season prior.

Liverpool played about as well as any team could in the intimidating atmosphere that is Camp Nou in Barcelona, but found themselves 3-0 down when the final whistle blew on the first leg of the tie on April 30. An opening goal by Suarez, followed by two from Messi (including an unbelievable free kick) were the difference.

Heading back home, Liverpool would need to score at least 3 goals to force extra time, but if Barcelona were to grab an ever-valuable away goal, Liverpool would then need 5 to advance. This would be a reasonably difficult feat against just about any club, but needing to accomplish it against Barcelona without the services of two of their three attackers in Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah seemed impossible.Things got off to a favorable start though as Divock Origi tapped in a follow up after a great run from captain Jordan Henderson to make the score 1-0 at halftime. Midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum was subbed on at the start of the second half and had an immediate impact, scoring twice in quick succession to level the aggregate score by the 56th minute. Having climbed all the way back, the outcome would be decided in the last half hour of the game, plus extra time/penalties if needed. They would not be needed as it turned out. Some clever thinking by Liverpool right back Trent Alexander-Arnold on a corner kick will go down in history, as he took the corner quickly, and caught the Barcelona defense napping to find Origi alone in front of the net who guided the ball into the top corner. Leading 4-3 on aggregate in the 79th minute, Liverpool would grind out the final 10 minutes to complete one of the greatest comebacks in sports history.

The Reds would go on to defeat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in the Champions League final, collecting their 6th European title and first since 2005.

Top 10 of 2019: #9

by Jeremy Fernando, posted in 2019, Moments

9. Stephen F. Austin beats #1 Duke at Cameron Indoor.

On November 26, Stephen F. Austin, a small school in East Texas, did the improbable by knocking off #1 Duke 87-85 in overtime at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Over the past 3 years, SFA has become known as a potential bracket buster come March, however Duke had not lost a home game in 150 games. The Blue Devils came into the game as 28 point favorites.

The Lumberjacks were able to stifle Duke’s offense the entire game and were able to take away the Blue Devil’s home-court advantage. Duke led by 5 at the half, however the Lumberjacks were able to bounce back in the 2nd half to force overtime. It was in overtime where the Lumberjack magic came to life as mass chaos would ensue.

With 15 seconds left, Duke’s Tre Jones missed a jump shot but Wendell Moore snagged the offensive rebound. Moore kicked it back out to Jack White who passed it back to Jones. Jones drove to the lane however the Lumberjack forced him to make an errant pass. The ball kicked away and was grabbed by Lumberjack Gavin Kensmil who then passed it to Nathan Bain. In a frantic dash across the court, Bain laid the ball in at the buzzer in front of the Cameron Crazies to give the Lumberjacks the upset victory.

Video by ACC Digital Network

As the Lumberjacks went into a frenzy on the court, Cameron Indoor was silent. In the post-game press conference, SFA coach Kyle Keller said “I told our players, banners can’t beat us tonight. The players have to beat us.” Anytime Duke loses, Americans around the country can rejoice. However, there is call for extra celebration when a mid-major like SFA can knock off Coach K’s team on their home-court.

Top 10 of 2019: #10

by colewest86, posted in 2019, Top 10

10. Joe Burrow Mania

Coming in at #10 on sports moments of 2019 is Joe Burrow’s dominance in college football this season. Not only has his performance on the field been nothing short of spectacular, but he also has an incredible story to how he got to be the Heisman QB for the undefeated LSU Tigers.

Joe Burrow, the 3-star recruit out of Ohio, attended Ohio State University. It was there where he sat on the bench his first three seasons behind quarterbacks JT Barrett, and Cardale Jones. Burrow even got the nickname, “John Burrow,” out of mockery from his other teammates since JT’s first name was Joe. In his fourth year, Burrow lost the starting job to freshman, Dwayne Haskins. That is when Burrow transferred to LSU under Coach Orgeron. Burrow immediately became the starter and lead LSU to 10-3 and 13-0 records back to back years.

2019 was history in the making for quarterback Joe Burrow. Burrow lead to LSU Tigers to an undefeated season, and a #1 seed in the College Football Playoffs. He also won the Heisman trophy after being 15,000-1 odds for the award in the preseason. Burrow’s Heisman victory featured the largest margin of victor ever. Burrow also threw for 4,715 yards (ranked 2nd), 48 touchdowns (1st), and completed 77.9% of his passes (1st). In addition, Burrow won

  • Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Year Award
  • Maxwell Player of the Year Award
  • Walter Camp Player of the Year Award
  • AP All-American Quartback