It's been a great year for on the field sports this calendar year. For the past 365 days, we have been treated to some of the best action in the four major sports. And as 2011 comes to a close at 11:59 PM tomorrow, I decided to take a look back to what made this year special.
The year began with the end of the NFL season. In Super Bowl XLV, the Packers solidified their status as an elite NFL team with a thrilling victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, 31-25. Aaron Rodgers finally stepped out of the shadow of a former Green Bay quarterback (that never realized he's getting old) with 304 yards and three touchdowns. Tradgedy struck when the NFL was under lockout for 18 weeks with a lockout, but the smoke cleared and we were blessed with an exciting regular season. Hype was given to God's favorite player, Tim Tebow, and rookie Cam Newton amazed us all with his arm and legs. The 2012 year will begin with the final week of the regular season.
The NBA season ended with a thrilling finals match-up between the Miami Heat, shrouded with hype, and the Dallas Mavericks, who were written off by most in the first round. Dallas turned on the air conditioning on the Heat, winning their first championship in franchise history. Legendary coach Phil Jackson retired with a disappointing sweep of his Lakers in the conference semifinals. The NBA also had a lockout, spanning from July to November. But now they're back, finally beginning the 2011-12 season on Christmas Day.
The 2011 MLB season proved even baseball can be entertaining. Both the Red Sox and the Braves had late season collapses that led to them losing their Wild Card leads on the regular season's final day. One of those teams finding a postseason berth on the final day was the St Louis Cardinals, who reached the World Series, playing AL West Champions Texas Rangers. In a thrilling seven-game series, the Cardinals clinched their second championship in the last five years. Just after the series, manager Tony La Russa retired, and star Albert Pujols joined the Los Angeles Angels (of Anaheim).
I even taught myself how to watch hockey this year. The Boston Bruins captured their first Stanley Cup title since 1972 by beating the Vancouver Canucks in seven games. The city of Vancouver rioted following their teams' loss, after ending the regular season with the NHL's best record. The 2011-12 regular season began in October. (I'm so proud I was able to write a paragraph on hockey)
So as the last 30 or so hours of 2011 tick away, we should remember the good that happened in the sports world this year for many years to come. I'm just hoping 2012 brings even better memories in sports. Happy new year everyone.
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