2-MINUTE DRILL
RANK & FILE A LINEUP OF SPORTS TIDBITS
FULL OF SURPRISES In a year filled with stunners, sports certainly went along for the ride. Let’s take a look at some of the games and events that left us aghast in 2016:
Not so Golden: The Warriors started the season with a 24game winning streak and finished 73-9, the greatest regular season in NBA history. But, in an astounding twist against Cleveland, the Warriors became the first team ever to blow a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals — dropping the last two games in Oakland, no less.
Cubs win: The Chicago Cubs didn’t win their first title, but it sure seemed like it. Baseball’s lovable losers were favored to finally break through after assembling a powerhouse team that led the majors with a 103-59 record. This being the Cubbies, of course, they had to make their first title since 1908 as difficult as possible. They fell behind, 3-1, to another Cleveland team, the Indians. Then, like the Cavaliers, Chicago rallied to win the last three games, including the final two on the road.
Foxy champions: If that seemed unbelievable, check out Leicester City, perhaps the most improbable champion in the history of any major sport. The Foxes began the season as a 5,000-to-1 longshot to claim England’s top soccer title, which seemed about right for a club that had been playing in the second division two years earlier and barely avoided relegation in 2015. But Leicester City, with a payroll that was spare change compared to the Premier League’s big spenders, romped to the first league title in its 132-year history — clinching with two weeks to spare.
Serena slips: Serena Williams was knocked off in the final of the Australian Open by Germany’s Angelique Kerber. After barely advancing past the opening round, the No. 7 seed took advantage of a rash of unforced errors by Williams to win, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.
Icing the English: Iceland, a country of roughly 300,000 people, didn’t figure to stand a chance against mighty England at the Euros, the most prestigious soccer prize outside the World Cup. But the team playing in its first major international tournament overcame an early deficit for a 2-1 victory. It was one of the most humiliating defeats in the history of English football, leading to the immediate resignation of manager Roy Hodgson.
Raiders turn the Spartans blue: Michigan State went into the NCAA men’s basketball tournament as a popular pick to go all the way. The Spartans didn’t even make it past their opening game. Middle Tennessee State, a No. 15 seed, shot 56% from the field and knocked down 11 three-pointers for a stunning 90-81 victory that gave the Blue Raiders one of the greatest upsets in the history of the Big Dance. It fit right in with the rest of 2016.