The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Highlights from all fields — and all levels
They came from many sports, in many countries, with varying forms of pressure. But if there’s one parallel between all the entries on this list of sports plays of the year for 2016, it’s this: They were all unexpected, and all teeming with drama.
From the NBA Finals to the Rio Olympics, the Super Bowl to a smaller-division college playoff game, and whether they were offered up by global icons like LeBron James or relative unknowns like Kevin Rader, they were unforgettable.
Here, the plays of 2016:
Comeback putback
The scene: No timeouts, a big late lead having turned into a one-point deficit, and an entire arena in Minnesota screaming for you to fail. Somehow that brought out the best in Nneka Ogwumike of the Los Angeles Sparks. Her basket with 3.1 seconds left in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals gave the Sparks a 77-76 victory over the Lynx.
Catch it all
One of the last college football plays of 2016 provided one of the best plays. Kevin Rader somehow — even with a defender wrapped all over him — catches the winning pass from Hunter Wells, giving Youngstown State a win over Eastern Washington in the FCS semifinals. Rader was deemed to be in control of the ball, even while pinning it against the body of Eastern Washington linebacker Ketner Kupp.
Simone’s splash
Simone Manuel of the U.S. was trailing by 0.47 seconds halfway through the women’s 100-meter freestyle at the Olympics, and a half-second is quite a bit to make up in such a race against the world’s best. But she made it look easy with a frantic final 50 meters, and made history — she became the first African-American woman to win an individual swimming Olympic gold, tying Canada’s Penny Oleksiak for the win.
Strip, sack, score
Last season, but still this year — and still memorable. Denver’s Von Miller had two critical strip-sacks of Carolina’s Cam Newton in Super Bowl 50, the second one just about sealing the game. But the first one is the one that gave the Broncos a 10-0 lead. Malik Jackson pounced on this ball in the end zone, and Miller wound up winning Super Bowl MVP.
Nerves of steel
On the LPGA Tour, teens aren’t afraid of the moment. Lydia Ko, 19, and Brooke Henderson, 18, went to a playoff to decide the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. And on the first extra hole, Henderson knocked the approach within 3 feet, made the birdie putt and captured her first major title. “Like winning the Stanley Cup,” the budding Canadian star said.
Skate-off winner
They made it look so easy. Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby won the faceoff in overtime of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final against San Jose, played it back to Kris Letang, who found Conor Sheary — who fired the puck between the legs of oncoming defender Justin Braun and scored to give the Penguins a 2-1 win in the game and 2-0 lead in the series. The Penguins would take the Cup in six games.
For you, Jose
Dee Gordon of the Miami Marlins hit one home run in 2016. It was of the you-cannot-make-this-up variety — and it will forever live in Marlins lore. It was the first at-bat for the Marlins after the death of ace pitcher Jose Fernandez in a boating accident. Gordon, a lefty hitter, started on the right side of the plate as part of his Fernandez tribute. After moving back to the left side, he hit a ball farther than he ever has, while wearing a “Fernandez 16” jersey. Even some of the Mets were in tears.
Truly ‘golden’ goal
Imagine the pressure. Brazil, a soccer-crazed nation, is hosting the men’s goldmedal soccer match at the Olympics. The stadium is packed, and all the brilliant young star Neymar needs to do to clinch the perfect medal is make the final kick of a penalty-shot tiebreaking shootout. He found a spot to his right, started approaching the ball, stutter-stepped a bit and then finally delivered the kick. Germany goalie Timo Horn guessed wrong, the ball went into the net and Brazil roared in delight. Most of the crowd stayed in the stadium for an hour afterward, many weeping in joy.
For the title
Marcus Paige might have just hit one of the biggest shots in NCAA men’s basketball championship game history for North Carolina, a double-clutched, acrobatic-leg-kicking 3-pointer with 4.7 seconds left to pull the Tar Heels into a tie with Villanova. And then Kris Jenkins did him one better. Jenkins took a pass from Ryan Arcidiacono, leaped and let fly from well beyond the arc. “Bang,” Wildcats coach Jay Wright said softly to himself as the ball was in flight — and bang was right. Jenkins’ shot went in as time expired, and Villanova had just beaten the Tar Heels 77-74 for the national title.
The block
All due respect to Kyrie Irving’s 3-pointer, the Play of the Finals was offered by King James. LeBron James’ chase-down block of Andre Iguodala with 1:51 remaining in Game 7 of the NBA Finals — a shot that would have given Golden State the lead — wasn’t just the defining moment of 2016, but perhaps the defining moment of James’ Hall of Fame career as well. Golden State had a record-setting 73-win regular season, the series was tied 3-3, the total points in that series were tied at that moment 699-699. After that block, the Warriors wouldn’t score again.
Shane Doan reached two milestones in Friday’s 4-1 home loss to Toronto. The captain, 40, is a fan favorite and was showered with cowboy hats — he owns a ranch and loves riding horses — in the final minute of warmups in honor of becoming the 17th NHL player to reach 1,500 games. Then he was mobbed by teammates in the closing minute of the second period after scoring career goal No. 400.
Former NHL forward Steve Downie went on a lengthy Twitter rant Friday, taking aim at hockey commentator Don Cherry and the Coyotes. Downie criticized the culture of violence that he believes Cherry perpetuates through his “Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em” series of videos.