Underdog Story - How about the two MLB teams who played in the World Series. Both the Kansas City Royals and San Francisco Giants didn't even win their divisions. They both had to and survived the One game Wild Card. The Giants were heavy underdogs against the Nationals in the NLDS and defeated them. They also beat the Cardinals to advance to the World Series. The Royals ended a long playoff drought and had a great comeback in the wild card game against Oakland. The Royals then beat the Angels who had the AL's best record and then Orioles. The Royals were led by great pitching , timely hitting , and clutch defense. Ultimately the Giants won the World Series. Both teams were underdogs for most of the season.
Best Story line - Derek Jeter announced he would retire from baseball after the 2014 season ended. Jeter the Captain of the Yankees , played his entire career in New York. Jeter is one of the most
beloved Yankees to ever play for the team. Jeter certainly didn't have his best year from a statistical
point but still managed some magic. Jeter played in his last All Star Game and doubled in his first at bat. He then exited the game to a great tribute. Later that year Jeter would play shortstop for the final time at Yankee stadium. Jeter would hit a walk off single in his final home game. Jeter showed emotion we never saw before from him. The whole game was like a movie. In the final game of his career Derek Jeter would DH against the rival Red Sox. He singled in his last at bat before exiting to an amazing tribute. Jeter is sure to be a first ballot Hall of Famer. He had a story book career.
Biggest team change - Lebron James left the Miami Heat a team he won two NBA titles to return home to the team that drafted him , his home town Cavaliers. Lebron James announced he wanted to come home and win and help bring back the Cavs. The fans rejoiced like we have never seen before. He would return to his original number , number 23.
Best team Performance - The Seattle Seahawks finished the regular season at 13-3. They were led by one of the best defenses in NFL history. The Hawks were led on offense by Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch, but the defense led the team all year. When the playoffs started the Seahawks defeated Saints and then the 49ers. In the Super Bowl it was the leagues best defense against the Denver Broncos who had the best offense. Peyton Manning and the Broncos had no chance. The Seahawks won 43-8. Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas led one of the best defenses ever. Outside
linebacker Malcolm Smith was the MVP of the game. Smith had a interception off of Manning , which he returned for a touchdown and Percy Harvin returned a punt for a touchdown in the second half. The Broncos had no answers for the Seahawks defense and the game was not even close.
Best play- Is this even a question. From an athletic standpoint Odell Beckham made one of the best plays in NFL history. Many said it was the best. I would still say David Tyree had the best catch but Beckham's was incredible. Beckham had a one handed touchdown despite being interfered with. The play became a national phenomenon on Sunday Night Football against the rival Cowboys. Beckham became a star for the Giants in his rookie season ,catching 12 touchdowns in 10 games for the Giants.
Best Breakout Performance - How about the Rookie Class in Sports. Baseball and football dominated the rookie field. In baseball Jose Abreu and Jacob deGrom won the awards in the AL and NL. The Reds had Billy Hamilton a rookie outfielder who stole 56 bases. Masahiro Tanaka signed a huge contract with the Yankees and dominated with a 2.77 era. In the NFL we saw a lot of rookie talent but the most impressive was at the Wide receiver position. We saw Brandin Cooks , Davante Adams , Jarvis Landy , John Brown , Martavis Bryant , Jordan Matthews , and Sammy Watkins did some impressive things. However the most impressive rookies were Mike Evans and Odell Beckham who each closed out 2014 catching their 12th touchdowns.
Best Individual Perfromance - On October 19th , 2014 , Peyton Manning threw four touchdown passes against the 49ers. Manning finished the game with 318 yards , 4 touchdowns , and no picks. Peyton Manning hit Wes Welker with a touchdown for his 508th. This one tied Brett Favre for the all-time record. Later he would hot Demaryius Thomas for his 509th , the most ever by a Quarterback.
Best Game - Game 2 of the NLDS between the Giants and Nationals went 18 innings. It was the longest in Postseason history. The Giants won the game 2-1 on a Brandon Belt home run. The game lasted 6 hours and 23 minutes. Pablo Sandoval had a double to tie in the ninth inning. It would then go another nine. The pitching for both teams were incredible as there was just three runs in 18 innings. I can say I watched all 18 innings of this great MLB playoff game in the NLDS series.
No comments:
Post a Comment