Top sports moments of the decade
The past 10 years of sports have been filled with exciting historic moments. We have seen games change the way they are played and witnessed the new generation of sports superstars. As this decade comes to an end here are my top sports moments.
Patriots comeback 28-3 to Superbowl
Super Bowl LI featured the New England Patriots versus the Atlanta Falcons. In the games third quarter the underdog Atlanta Falcons had pulled ahead to a 28-3. Miraculously the Patriots were able to overcome this deficit, forcing the first ever overtime in the Super Bowl. This was the largest comeback in Super Bowl history.
Warriors blow a 3-1 lead
After winning 73 games in the 2016 regular season, the most in NBA history, the Golden State Warriors were slated to win it all as the reigning champs. The Warriors entered the finals versus the Cleveland Cavaliers and took a 3-1 series lead. The Cavaliers rallied and won three straight games to win the championship. That series was the only time in NBA history in which a team overcame a 3-1 deficit.
Cubs win world series
In 2016, after a 108 year championship drought, the Chicago Cubs finally won the World Series. The Cubs drought was very socially significant even being jokingly referenced in Back to the Future II. This historically significant event is definitely one of the top of the decade.
UMBC takes down Virginia
Throughout the history of the March Madness tournament the 1 seed 16 seed matchup was immortalized as the 16 seed had lost every single time. That all changed when the 16 seed UMBC Golden Retrievers faced the 1 seed Virginia Cavaliers. UMBC came into the game with something to prove and in an impressive 20 point domination. This was possibly the greatest upset in sports history, and definitely deserves a spot on this list.
Odell Beckham Jr.’s catch
In a 2014 Sunday Night matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. made one of the most iconic catches in NFL history. Despite a pass interference from a Cowboys defender Beckham managed to extend his arm backwards and catch the ball with only 3 fingers for a touchdown. This has been hailed as the greatest catch of all time and is most definitely one of the best of this decade.
American Pharoah triple crown
In 2015 the Thoroughbred race-horse American Pharoah became the 12th triple crown winner in history. This was the first triple crown win since 1978 and the one of the top moments in the horse racing world this decade.
Alex Honnold free solo’s El Capitan
In the world of rock climbing there is a subset of daring climbers who partake in free solo climbing. These climbers scale rock walls alone with no harness or other safety equipment.This essentially means that if these free solo climbers fall, they die. On June 3rd 2017, Alex Honnold made a free solo ascent of the 2900 freerider route on the El Capitan rock wall climbing with no equipment for 3 hours and 56 minutes. This is considered one of the greatest feats in rock climbing, and it was even produced into a documentary called “Free Solo.”
Auburn’s kick six
The 2013 Iron Bowl (the yearly college football game between intense rivals Alabama and Auburn) had one of the craziest endings in sports history. At the end of the game, the score was tied 28-28 with Alabama’s ball. Alabama had rallied to the 38 yard line allowing time for them to kick a 57 yard field goal to win the game. With time running out, Alabama attempted the field goal and it fell short. The ball was caught by Auburn’s Chris Davis to be returned for a touchdown. This has been hailed by many sports writers and fans alike as the single greatest moment in college football history by
Kipchoge runs marathon under 2 hours
Eliud Kipchoge is recognized by many as the best marathon runner of the modern era. He currently holds the marathon world record with a time of 2:01:39. Running a marathon in under 2 hours has been deemed nearly physically impossible by many experts on the field. This all changed on October 12, 2019 when Kipchoge ran the 26.2 miles in 1:59:40. Since this run was created specifically with the purpose of helping Kipchoge beat the record, it was not counted for the record but it is still one of the most impressive feats in running.