The crowd on their feet. Fans cheering. Game clock winding down. Wait for it… BANG! Kyrie Irving hits a 3 over Steph Curry for the crucial Game 7 victory. Kris Jenkins of Villanova wins the National Title with a 3 against the University of North Carolina. The Chicago Cubs end a 108 World Series Title drought with a home run to make it 8-7. Wow. What a year for sports in 2016. Who knew that this past year would bring so many dramatic moments to the sports world and its fan? Safe to say, 2016 was definitely a good year for sports.

Coming in as the top sports moment of 2016 was the heroic defeat of the Cleveland Indians at the hands of the Chicago Cubs, ending the infamous 108-year curse without a title. 108. The number of stitches on a baseball. The number of meters between home plate and the left and right field corners on Wrigley Field, the home park of the Cubs.

“For me, a Cubs fan most of my adult life (I was an Oakland fan as a kid), this was the most important sports event of my adult life,” AP United States and European History teacher Mike Stephenson says about the historical win.

“…The greatest moment in sports this year. It broke the historic curse, and it was a very compelling series in which another team blew a 3-1 lead, ” Nicholas Hayes (11) said.

Coming in a close second place, many fans were left heartbroken and many overjoyed when the Cleveland Cavaliers came back down from 3-1 to win the NBA Finals Championship against the Golden State Warriors. Since the comeback, there have been many sports memes popping up all over the internet, using the “3-1” as a major idea. Before 2016, 0 out of 32 NBA teams have come back from down 3-1 in the NBA Finals. With this title, the Cavs made history. LeBron James, arguably one of the best professional basketball players, arrived in Cleveland in the offseason of 2014, hoping to bring a title to his home state of Ohio. And 2 years later, he has accomplished just that.

Now, a shift to NCAA Collegiate Basketball. In a much anticipated National Championship game between the underdog Villanova Wildcats and the powerhouse UNC Tarheels, tensions between the two sides boiled down to the very last seconds. Tied at 74, fans were erratic at the NRG Stadium in Houston. With the game clock winding down, Kris Jenkins got an open look and took it. A few seconds later, the stadium erupted in cheers, as Villanova won its second ever school title in history.

“Well, I think that an event like that is why people love college basketball even when they may

not be NBA fans. This type of Cinderella ending is what people dream of seeing even if they care nothing for either team,” said Stephenson.

In fourth place, is Peyton Manning and his Denver Broncos winning Super Bowl L (50). In another extremely hyped matchup between the Broncos and the Carolina Panthers, Manning and his squad defeated Cam Newton and his almost undefeated Panthers (15-1). Remarkably, this was Peyton Manning’s last game ever in the NFL, making it extra special.

“Peyton manning going out on a super bowl was amazing. I love to see legends get the most out of their career much less go out winning it all!” Micah Breckenridge (11) said.
Other notable moments in 2016 include all time NBA great Kobe Bryant’s 60 point performance in has last career game, Golden State’s historic record setting 73 wins in the regular season, Team USA’s dominance at the Rio Olympics (121 medals), American tennis player Serena Williams’ 22nd Grand Slam title, and a lot more. What are your thoughts on sports in 2016?