Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
A year no one wanted, but South Florida sports loved
Everyone knows 2020 was the kind of year to lock in a box, wrap in chains, cover with heavy rocks, drop into the deepest part of the ocean and hope it sleeps forever with the fishes.
But I feel ashamed. I can’t say that. The view of the South Florida sports scene was one to embrace — a year to run back again, if possible.
I know: It’s disturbing to say that in a year that was the pandemic pits. Do I need my temperature taken (for the thousandth time since March)? Should I talk about this with a family member? (I’ve talked so much to family members they’re not talking to me anymore.)
But just look at the South Florida sports scene in this god-awful 2020. It was unexpectedly grand — historically grand, even. It had everything but applause from a full house.
The Marlins were the feelgood story in baseball after
being 18 players down thanks to the pandemic and still making the playoffs (and winning a series) for the first time since 2003.
The Heat conquered the NBA bubble, surprised the basketball world and advanced to the never-promised land of the NBA Finals for the first time since LeBron James left.
The Panthers made the playoffs for the first time since 1996. OK, a watered-down playoffs due to the pandemic.
And they didn’t put up a fight in them. But come on — playoffs are playoffs.
Inter Miami CF, South Florida’s MLS expansion team, played well enough in its inaugural season to make another diluted playoff system. But they get first-year props for doing so.
The Dolphins’ story is still being written — but the only question is how much of a success it is. They went from five wins to 10 or 11. Their defense went from ranking deadlast 32nd to first. They’re on the brink of making the playoffs with a final game in Buffalo, while finishing the first phase of their rebuild.
The Hurricanes also can claim to taking a step forward to 8-3 despite collapsing against North Carolina and falling short in a comeback Tuesday against Oklahoma State.
Again: Can we order another round of 2020 in our sports world, please?
For the first time in years, you saw how this might work. Look at the progress. A year ago, none of our teams made the playoffs. Over the previous three years only the Heat made the playoffs once — and they were easy, first-round fodder.
So enjoy 2020 for what it gave. Revel in it — masked and socially distanced, of course.
The last time the Heat, Marlins, Panthers and Dolphins (if they do) made the playoffs was never. Heck, throw out the Dolphins’ ending. The Marlins, Panthers and Heat have never made the playoffs together.
It wasn’t just the results. It’s the outlooks. The Marlins are stacking up young pitchers like planes on the runway. The Dolphins are rebuilding with youth — 10 rookies started one game — who we’re still getting a handle on.
The Heat remain the gold standard for doing what no NBA team does: Win big without a top-10 draft pick. They did it the old-fashioned way; they were smarter than most teams in developing the likes of Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson … and harnessing Jimmy Butler, too.
“You’re in this business to be around people like this,’’ Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
Beyond the results, look at leading personalities. The Marlins’ Don Mattingly was voted manager of the year. The Heat’s Erik Spoelstra was named best coach, best motivator/manager and best in-game adjustor in a poll of NBA general managers.
The vote for Dolphins coach Brian Flores remains to come. But this team’s turnaround falls squarely on his work. Its success isn’t based on the playoffs — it’s based on getting the kids on the field and letting them grow.
Flores can end the Dolphins’ season like Mattingly framed the Marlins’ season.
“Hopefully this is the very beginning of it,’’ he said. “We know we’ve got a lot of young guys coming. The pitchers are young. We wanted to be build a culture that was a winning environment, that guys like playing in, that was fun.”
Our 2020 sports scene was fun. Weird but fun. Odd but fun. I’d like to run it back again, but first want to go take my temperature to make sure I’m OK.