A Look Back at the Year That Was 2011
“The image that best defines the Year 2011″
While reflecting on the past year in sports I wondered what was the defining moment ON the field, a.k.a. something other than college coaches that can’t keep their grimy hands off kids. So it got me thinking….
Was it Marshawn Lynch, and the Seattle Seahawks beating the defending Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints in the Wild Card Round?
Was it Aaron Rodgers, the QB that nobody wanted, getting his team into the playoffs on the season’s final day, than running the table en route to a Super Bowl victory?
Was it Kemba Walker leading the UConn Huskies to four wins in four days to capture the Big East Tournament, then following that up with a magical run in winning NCAA Tournament?
Was it Butler doing the unthinkable and getting back to a second straight NCAA Title game?
Was it Virginia Commonwealth, the school everyone said didn’t belong in the Tournament, making it to the Final Four?
Was it the #8 seed Memphis Grizzlies, without their best player, knocking off #1 seed San Antonio Spurs in the First Round of the NBA Playoffs?
Was it the supposed washed up Dallas Mavericks with a player who couldn’t come through in the clutch, Dirk Nowitzki, beating the juggernaut Miami Heat in the NBA Finals?
Was it Japan knocking off soccer superpowers Germany, Sweden, and United States en route to winning the Women’s World Cup?
Was it the Tampa Bay Rays, who lost their best starting pitcher, closer, first baseman, and left fielder in the off-season, overcoming a 9 game deficit to the Boston Red Sox in September to win the AL Wild Card?
Was it the St. Louis Cardinals coming back from a 10.5 game deficit to the Atlanta Braves in late August to win the NL Wild Card, then go onto win the shock the baseball world and win the World Series?
Was it the Cincinnati Bengals, picked by many to be the worst team in the NFL, going into the final week of the season a win away from a playoff berth?
Was it Tim Tebow, the QB who can’t throw, taking over a 1-4 team and getting them into a win away from an AFC West Division Title?
In a year that was supposed to be dominated by “Dream Team’s” such as the Miami Heat, Boston Red Sox, and Philadelphia Eagles, it was the underdogs that were left for dead who stole the spotlight in the Year 2011. So if this past year taught us anything it’s until the clock strikes zero no lead is insurmountable.
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