The 2013 Year in Review: Part I - Wrestling and Sports...

One year. 12 months. 52 weeks. 365 days. 8,760 hours. 525,600 minutes. 31,536,000 seconds. It looks like a lot of time. However, looks can be deceiving as 2013 feels like it came and went in the blink of an eye. The only real difference between now and this time a year ago is that I’m writing about a brand new multitude of highlights, lowlights, rising stars, falling duds, glorious anthems, epic failures, and moments that will be forever associated with 2013.

2013 will go down in history as a year filled with controversy, angst, and unparalleled stress on humanity. For every heartwarming story of achievement and glory, a story caused outrage and disgust to overshadow the positive. For every story like five-year-old cancer survivor Miles Scott “saving” San Francisco under the guise of Batkid in November or celebrities like Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, and Blake Shelton giving back to the community through charitable donations and good deeds, there were egotistical rants from Kanye West or gross misconduct from people like Miley Cyrus stealing attention.

Our government – ineffective when functional – actually shut down at one point while Toronto mayor Rob Ford showed America that it is not all bad with his cocaine-fueled antics. People screamed about gun rights throughout the year while nothing really changed as mass shootings still occurred – namely at high schools in Nevada and outside of Denver and at the Washington Naval Yard in Washington DC. The Obama administration celebrates improving unemployment numbers without acknowledging the improvement coming not from new jobs but rather from people no longer filing for unemployment benefits. In addition, the never-ending debate about gay rights and marriage continued with little to no progress achieved.

Boston was in the hearts of the nation in the aftermath of a cowardly act of terrorism at the Boston Marathon. As Boston Strong became a national mantra, the Boston Bruins reached the Stanley Cup Finals and Boston Red Sox won the World Series in memory of those affected by the tragedy. A blackout may have delayed the game but Super Bowl XLVII still ended in epic fashion with the Baltimore Ravens holding the Lombardi Trophy over the San Francisco 49ers. Jimmie Johnson won his sixth NASCAR Cup Championship, Scott Dixon won his third IndyCar Series Championship, and Sebastian Vettel won his fourth Formula 1 Championship while the racing world said farewell to Mark Martin and Dario Franchitti.

TNA Wrestling and Ring of Honor Wrestling struggled while World Wrestling Entertainment continued to wallow in a top spot created by faded glory and nothing more. While Daniel Bryan’s star reached new heights, WWE Management continuously cut him off at the knees in a manner reeking of jealousy by the powers that be – namely Triple H – who are no longer in the spotlight. Of course, TNA dropped the ball themselves by holding on to Hulk Hogan way too long and then pushing Dixie Carter as their premiere heel while allowing majority of their roster – including AJ Styles – walk.

Taylor Swift remained a global phenomenon on both the country and pop charts while Florida Georgia Line exploded on the country charts with multiple number ones – including a Billboard record-setting performance with the song “Cruise.” Carrie Underwood topped the charts multiple times while also singing football fans into the Sunday night NBC matchup and introducing a new generation to the musical “The Sound of Music.” Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, and Blake Shelton led a movement in country music met by detractors while young acts like Kacey Musgraves and The Band Perry simply entertained millions. Justin Timberlake returned to the music world with an outstanding album and tour while rockers Imagine Dragons were all over radio and television advertisements with their hit “Radioactive.” Robin Thicke rode the success of “Blurred Lines” from a summer anthem into overplayed annoyance while Miley Cyrus allowed her “calculated acts of controversy” to overshadow wonderful new music. In addition, Justin Bieber remained popular in spite of himself, Kanye West's ego reached unparalleled levels, and Beyoncé survived a lip-synching scandal that would kill a lesser artist.

A science teacher-turned-crystal meth kingpin inspired America while zombies, throwbacks to the old school, unique (some would say modern) families, and musical reality television dominated the television landscape. The cinematic world saw the returns of the Man of Steel and Iron Man, the second chapter of The Hunger Games saga, Sandra Bullock in space, another installment in the Fast and Furious series, and tales of everything from racial injustice to charter profiles of quirky individuals capture the imagination of moviegoers.

The world said goodbye to many familiar faces in 2013. We lost one of the world’s most enduring figures of freedom in South African leader Nelson Mandela. Other popular political figures lost in 2013 include former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, former New York City mayor Ed Koch, former US Surgeon General C. Everett Coop, and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. The acting world mourned the passing of Paul Walker, James Gandolfini, Peter O’Toole, Jonathan Winters, Cory Monteith, Julie Harris, Annette Funicello, Lou Myers, Ed Lauter, Marcia Wallace, Ester Williams, Joan Fontaine, Jean Stapleton, Dennis Farina, Eileen Brennan, and famed film critic Roger Ebert. The music world lost the greatest voice in country music with the death of George Jones. Famed rock musician Lou Reed, country legend Ray Price, Patti Page, Patty Andrews, and troubled singer Mindy McCready also died. The sports world mourned the deaths of Lakers owner Jerry Buss, Jason Leffler, Dick Trickle, Stan Musial, Earl Weaver, Ken Norton, Tommy Morrison, Bum Phillips, Deacon Jones, Art Donovan, Jack Pardee, Bud Adams, and Pat Summerall. The wrestling world said farewell to William “Paul Bearer” Moody, Reid Flair, Maurice “Mad Dog” Vachon, Hector Garza, Matt Borne, and Jackie Fargo. In addition, the world lost well-known celebrities Dr. Joyce Brothers, famed psychic Sylvia Browne, journalist David Frost, and authors Tom Clancy and Elmore Leonard.

2013 was a year filled with triumph and tragedy, joy and pain, heartbreak and redemption, Royal Babies and Kimyes, and insanity that historians will look upon generations from now with bewilderment when questioning this year in humankind. The following edition of The Highlight Reel is my attempt to sum up the best and the worst of 2013. Here is the only year in review that matters (to me): The 2013 Highlight Reel Year in Review. It begins… now.

The Highlight Reel: 2013 Year in Review

WRESTLING

Match of the Year

4. Daniel Bryan defeated Antonio Cesaro – July 22 – In the second part of a gauntlet match on the July 22 edition of Monday Night RAW, Daniel Bryan and Antonio Cesaro provided WWE fans with a glimpse of what these two men can do inside a wrestling ring. For almost fourteen minutes, Cesaro returned to his glory days as Claudio Castagnoli and Bryan was Bryan Danielson as those two competed at a Ring of Honor wrestling show and not a WWE sports entertainment show. It was hard-hitting, competitive, and a beauty to witness. Bryan scored the win with a small package. However, the real winner was every fan who witnessed it.

3. Eddie Edwards defeated Taiji Ishimori – May 4 – At Border Wars, Eddie Edwards and GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion Taiji Ishimori did battle in a non-title match renewing their rivalry from Japan while also introducing Ishimori to a North American audience. For almost 20 minutes, Edwards and Ishimori beat the hell out of one another with stiff kicks and chops, brutal stomps, and high impact offense that thrilled the Toronto crowd. In the end, Edwards scored the victory and earned a future title match while Ishimori became a name North American fans will look for in the future after his star-making effort in defeat.

2. AJ Styles defeated Austin Aries – September 12 – AJ Styles and Austin Aries competed in a semifinal match of the Bound for Glory Series at the No Surrender edition of TNA Impact. After having a classic a month earlier, expectations were even higher for this battle. Styles and Aries lived up to expectations and then some. For almost 15 minutes, Styles and Aries competed in a fast-fasted, high impact battle with countless near falls between the two men. Ultimately, Styles won after a Styles Clash from the middle rope. While Styles later defeated Magnus to win the BFG Series, this match that left people talking at the end of the night and the end of the year.

1. TNA World Heavyweight Champion Jeff Hardy defeated Austin Aries and Bobby Roode in a Triple Threat Elimination Match – January 13 – The main event of the first TNA pay-per-view of 2013 provided the best wrestling match of the year when Jeff Hardy retained the TNA World title over both Austin Aries and Bobby Roode. The highly competitive triple threat match saw Aries and Roode show the tandem skills that would later guide them to the TNA Tag team Championships while Hardy’s resilience was never more on display than in this match. The ending sequence of this 20-minute match saw more near falls, submissions, and counters between all three men than some promotions show in a month. In the end, Hardy scored the deciding pin over Aries to retain the title in the finish to what was the best match of 2013.

Tag Team of the Year

4. Bad Influence – Last year’s winner for Tag Team of the Year is this year’s third runner-up after a year filled with minimal success and angles simply beneath their talent level. 2013 started greatly for Christopher Daniels as he earned a TNA World Heavyweight Championship match against Jeff Hardy on Impact with a PPV win over James Storm. Despite the loss against Hardy, Daniels appeared primed for a title run. Instead, Daniels and Kazarian returned to the tag ranks. Feuds with Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez, Austin Aries and Bobby Roode, and James Storm and Gunner over the TNA World Tag Team Championships occurred throughout the spring and summer with Bad influence never regaining the gold. A brief pairing with Bobby Roode to form the faction EGO aside, the final three months of 2013 for Bad Influence have involved a pointless feud with Eric Young and Joseph Park. Still, even with bad angles saddling them, Christopher Daniels and Kazarian offer some of the best promos and tag team in-ring work in the business today.

3. Dirty Heels – Despite only a short run as a tag team in 2013, Austin Aries and Bobby Roode make their mark on the TNA tag team landscape in a big way. Aries and Roode won the TNA World Tag team Championships from Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez on January 25 in England. Aries and Roode were champions for 76 days before losing the titles back to Guerrero and Hernandez. The duo remained a part of the tag team scene through June’s Slammiversary event before going their separate ways and entering the Bound for Glory Series. While only a short run together, Aries and Roode were involved in multiple terrific matches and did enough to show themselves as the best tag team in TNA in 2013.

2. The Shield – Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, two-thirds of The Shield, were easily the most dominant tag team in World Wrestling Entertainment in 2013. Upon debuting in late 2012 alongside their partner Dean Ambrose, The Shield captured the imaginations of WWE fans worldwide as the young trio attacked main event stars like John Cena, Randy Orton, Sheamus, and Big Show while building a tremendous amount of momentum. On May 19, Reigns and Rollins defeated Daniel Bryan and Kane for the WWE Tag Team Championships. Reigns and Rollins reigned supreme over a revitalized WWE tag team division throughout the summer and early fall before losing the titles to Cody Rhodes and Goldust in October. Despite not regaining the titles, Reigns and Rollins have remained a focal point of WWE television after the loss – a clear sign of their success as one of the elite tandems in the WWE.

1. ReDRagon – After joining forces because of a mutual hatred for Davey Richards in late 2012, Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly dominated the tag team scene in Ring of Honor in 2013 under the name ReDRagon. At the 11^th Anniversary Show on March 2, Fish and O’Reilly defeated the Briscoe Brothers to win the ROH World Tag Team Championships for the first time. Over the summer, they were a part of an excellent series of matches with the American Wolves and Forever Hooligans that ultimately saw ReDRagon lose the titles to Forever Hooligans on July 27 before regaining them from the American Wolves on August 17. Subsequent feuds with C and C Wrestle Factory and Outlaw, Inc. have seen Fish and O’Reilly victorious in terrific matches all over the country. With no reason for their union to end anytime soon, ReDRagon was the best tag team in wrestling in 2013 and has nothing but a bright future ahead of both men in 2014 too.

Diva / Knockout of the Year

4. ODB – ODB started 2013 as the referee of the Knockouts division in TNA. By July, ODB returned to the ranks of active competitors after disagreements with Gail Kim turned physical. ODB earned a championship match against then-champion Mickie James with a two-out-of-three-falls victory over Kim on August 29. ODB defeated James for the championship on Impact on September 12 to win her fourth TNA Knockouts Championship – her first title win since 2010. Despite losing the title a month later to Kim, ODB remains a top contender for the title and in the midst of career rejuvenation in 2013.

3. AJ Lee – AJ Lee continues to be one of the most divisive women in wrestling as fans either love or despise the top Diva in World Wrestling Entertainment. While I tend to hate Lee more times than not, there is no denying that AJ Lee had an outstanding 2013. In 2012, Lee was more of a focal point for the entire company – a position she did not deserve. As Lee’s time on television decreased, her role in the Divas division increased. In June, Lee won the WWE Divas Championship – a title she has yet to relinquish. While her backstage antics – starting a relationship with CM Punk when he was already in a relationship, creating a scene at Tribute to the Troops with NBC Sports host Michelle Beadle – have only earned her more critics, Lee’s in-ring work was definitely a step above the rest in the WWE in 2013. She gets this spot for her wrestling and nothing more.

2. Mickie James – At one point in 2013, I said there was no better performer – male or female – in the business than Mickie James was. That was how good James was during the summer of 2013. One of the most popular women in wrestling for years, Mickie James reinvented herself with an egotistical heel persona based on her musical endeavors outside of TNA in 2013. Breaming with self-confidence, James won her third TNA Knockouts Championship in May from Velvet Sky. James dominated the division until a real-life contract dispute led to James losing the title to ODB in September and subsequently departing from the company. While the end of her 2013 came prematurely, Mickie James’ year was still immensely better than the majority of her counterparts – both male and female.  

1. Gail Kim – 2013 was a career year for Gail Kim. The original TNA Knockout, Gail Kim started 2013 with a big win in a gauntlet match at Genesis. Her rivalry with Velvet Sky throughout the early months of the year led to multiple near wins against Sky. Her rivalry with Taryn Terrell revitalized Kim’s year while establishing Terrell as an in-ring competitor. Both women competed in Match of the Year candidates with their Last Knockout Standing match at Slammiversary and Ladder match at Impact. Kim’s subsequent rivalry with ODB led to Kim winning her third Knockouts Championship at Bound for Glory. Now aligned with Lei’D Tapa, Kim ends 2013 with a firm grip on the Knockouts Championship and at the top of the Knockouts division. Through in-ring success and matches second to none, Gail Kim was the premiere female in professional wrestling in 2013.

Wrestler of the Year

4. Adam Cole – 2013 saw Adam Cole evolve from a young man with tons of potential to one of the best professional wrestlers in the world. Cole entered 2013 as the ROH Television Champion. Despite losing the title to Matt Taven in early March, Cole quickly moved into the thick of the ROH World title picture. Teasing a heel turn for months, Cole finally completed the transformation on September 20 at Death Before Dishonor XI with cheap shots to Michael Elgin and Jay Briscoe after defeating Elgin to win the ROH World Heavyweight Championship in a tournament final. Since then, Cole’s persona is among the most entertaining in the business while his in-ring work is second to none. Cole ended 2013 with a win over both Elgin and Briscoe at Final Battle and looks poised to enter 2014 only improving on what was an outstanding 2013.

3. AJ Styles – Considering he was never more popular in 2013, AJ Styles should have been a lock for Wrestler of the Year. However, AJ Styles is the biggest victim of the same thing that affected all three of the top wrestlers in the world this year – poor booking. Styles started 2013 as a “lone wolf” in a company where people were either part of TNA or Aces and Eights. Styles returned to in-ring action in April with wins over James Storm, Christopher Daniels, and Kazarian. A brief feud with Kurt Angle led to a great series of matches in June between the two before Styles entered the Bound for Glory Series. During the series, Styles had two instant classics with Austin Aries while on the way to winning the series and earning a championship match at Bound for Glory. Real-life contract issues crept into the storylines and started a feud between Styles and TNA President Dixie Carter. On October 20, Styles defeated Bully Ray to win his fifth world championship in TNA. Styles immediately left the company with the title. Instead of playing off this in a way better than the WWE did with CM Punk in 2011, Styles returned at the December 5 taping to drop the title to Magnus in a TNA World Heavyweight Championship unification match before Styles left the company for good. TNA should have never let Styles go and should have used him better in the aftermath of his title win in October. Company errors are what limited Styles’ impact on the business in 2013 – a year when he was poised to be on top of the world.

2. Bully Ray – Normally a 42-year-old wrestler is nearing the end of his career. For Bully Ray, he is entering his prime. On March 10, Bully Ray defeated Jeff Hardy at Lockdown to win his first TNA World Heavyweight Championship. He also revealed himself as the President of Aces and Eights. Over the next seven months, Ray ran roughshod over TNA with his band of men until the angle lost steam. As it dragged on, members departed and Bully Ray looked weaker – despite being a world champion and a man at the peak of his career. Ray lost the world title for two weeks over the summer to Chris Sabin, but regained it for two more months until suffering a loss to AJ Styles at Bound for Glory in October. During his combined title reigns, Ray defeated Sting, Ken Anderson, Sabin, and Hardy in outstanding matches throughout the spring and summer. However, by the time the Aces and Eights angle ended, Ray’s year had a tarnish on it that he could not shake – even with outstanding promos and an intense rivalry with Ken Anderson to end the year. Poor booking aside, Bully Ray had a career year in 2013 – proving himself as a main event player, something his fans knew in 2002.

1. Daniel Bryan – There was no hotter superstar in World Wrestling Entertainment in 2013 than Daniel Bryan. Bryan performed at a level where even the most anti-sports entertainment, anti-WWE, wrestling fan still found hope for that company’s future. Bryan spent the first half of 2013 in the WWE Tag Team Championship hunt – teaming with Kane as part of Team Hell No and later teaming with Randy Orton as part of their mutual rivalry with The Shield. Once Bryan broke free of the tag team scene, a hot streak with wins over Orton, Sheamus, Christian, and others led Bryan to a WWE Championship match against John Cena at SummerSlam. Bryan won the title cleanly and appeared to have broken the glass ceiling in World Wrestling Entertainment. Instead, guest referee Triple H assaulted Bryan before Randy Orton cashed in his Money in the Bank contract. Bryan’s first WWE Championship reign lasted three minutes. Bryan defeated Orton for the title in September, only to have the title stripped from him 24 hours later. A loss to Orton for the vacant title in October later and Bryan then found himself in a mid-card feud with the Wyatt Family. Despite an undeniable connection with the audience – both PG Era fans and professional wrestling fans – WWE Management’s poor booking tarnished what should have been a meteoric rise to the top. With that said, Daniel Bryan still captured the imaginations of wrestling fans all over the world in 2013 in a way few have done before him. That is what makes Daniel Bryan the wrestler of the year for 2013.

SPORTS

Sports Story of the Year

4. Super Bowl Insanity – On February 3 in New Orleans, Louisiana, the Baltimore Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers to win Super Bowl XLVII. Despite being the biggest game of the year, the game itself seems to be the easiest forgotten part of a night filled with halftime spectaculars, a sibling rivalry, and an unexpected blackout that changed everything. Even before kickoff, fans and media alike labeled the game “The Harbowl” since John and Jim Harbaugh coach the Ravens and 49ers respectively. Finally, a pair of siblings gave America the Super Bowl match-up Peyton and Eli Manning never have. At halftime, Beyoncé provided America with a halftime show that left some in awe and others laughing at its ridiculousness. It did the internet come great memes. Early in the third quarter, Baltimore led 28-6 when the unthinkable happened. Darkness engulfed everything as a massive power outage occurred inside the Superdome. After a 34-minute delay, play resumed with San Francisco exploding for 17 unanswered points. Eventually, the Ravens held on and defeated the 49ers, 34-31, for their second Super Bowl victory. It was an insane night in New Orleans as the Super Bowl proved to be too much for the Superdome power grid to handle (or Roger Goodell called in a diversion to help the 49ers regain their composure, right Ray Lewis?) when the Super Bowl became the Blackout Bowl.

3. The Saga of Lennay Kekua – In late 2012, Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o led the Fighting Irish to a BCS National Championship Game against Alabama. While leading the Irish on the field, he was also an inspirational leader too after the loss of his girlfriend, Lennay Kekua, in an auto accident in September 2012. Alabama defeated Notre Dame to win the National title and everything seemed over. Then, sports website Deadspin dropped a bombshell on the sports world – Lennay Kekua never existed. While it remains a mystery as to why Te’o participated in this sham, the truth was Kekua was never real. Ronaiah Tuiasosopo was the man responsible for every social media account and every voicemail attached to Kekua. Te’o claimed innocence and portrayed himself as a victim of a “catfishing” hoax. While the truth behind Te’o’s involvement in the scandal remains a mystery, the fact that Notre Dame’s great inspirational leader of their national title runner-up in 2012 was a liar makes for one of the biggest stories – and jokes – of 2013.

2. So Many Drugs – Drugs played a huge role in sports in 2013. Baseball lived under the cloud of steroids and performance-enhancing drugs in 2013. Voters chose to elect nobody into the Baseball Hall of Fame because the majority of eligible players come from the steroids era that shamed the game. Multiple suspensions put a black eye on the game – especially the suspensions of three All-Stars: Nelson Cruz, Jhonny Peralta, Everth Cabrera for 50 games, and 2011 MVP Ryan Braun for 65 games. In addition, Major League Baseball suspended New York Yankees third basemen Alex Rodriguez for 211 games – a suspension never accomplishing anything thanks to appeals and the threats of lawsuits from A-Rod’s camp. Baseball was not alone in mixing drugs with sports in 2013. Lance Armstrong finally came clean in an interview with Oprah Winfrey in January, effectively ending his career and legacy as a champion bicyclist. Both the NFL and NBA saw player suspensions for abuse of PEDs (steroids, prescription medications) and substance abuse grow. In addition, Lamar Odom’s substance abuse issues only tarnished the legacy of the bets sixth man in the NBA in 2010-11. The drug culture surrounding sports continues to grow – and with that growth – cast an even darker shadow on a popular aspect of American life.

1. Terrorism at the Boston Marathon – On April 15 at 2:49PM, the 2013 Boston Marathon became the scene of a terrorist attack when two pressure cooker bombs went off. Chechen brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev committed the acts of terrorism. Three spectators – Krystle Campbell, 29; Lu Lingzi, 22; and Martin Richard, 8 – died while another 264 suffered injuries from the bombings. In the aftermath of the bombing, MIT police officer Sean Collier, 27, died after the Tsarnaev brothers ambushed and carjacked him. The city of Boston and its surrounding areas became the focus of a manhunt culminating four days later in Watertown, Massachusetts with the death of Tamerlan and arrest of Dzhokhar. This story helped put sports into perspective. The marathon meant nothing. Red Sox, Celtics, and Bruins games meant nothing. America wept for those harmed and cheered when authorities brought the cowardly perpetrators behind the acts of terrorism to justice. Life in America changed on April 15 forever. However, in true American fashion, we did not crumble or fold under the pressure. Instead, the real American heroes – the police, firefighters, EMTs – stepped up and helped those in need while bringing the criminals to justice. All of America became Boston Strong and we all found heroes – real heroes – in those who made sure the Tsarnaev reign of terror ended at Boston Marathon.

Sports Game / Event of the Year

4. Mark Hunt vs. Antonio Silva – December 7 – At UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Bigfoot, heavyweights Mark Hunt and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva gave fight fans one of the greatest fights in UFC history. Hunt and Silva battled back and forth for the full five rounds in a bloodbath rarely seen inside the octagon. In the end, the judges could not name a winner. While one judge scored the fight 48-47 in favor of Hunt, the other two judges scored the fight as a 47-47 draw. The fight ended in a majority draw and drew rave reviews from fight fans everywhere. Hunt-Silva was everything great about mixed martial arts.

3. The 97^th Indianapolis 500 – May 26 – While the IndyCar will never rival NASCAR in terms of popularity in America, there is still no bigger event in auto racing than the Indianapolis 500. Fans will remember the 97^th running of the Indianapolis 500 as one of the most competitive and most emotional events in the history of the event. Indianapolis native Ed Carpenter started from the pole and led a race-high 37 laps. Tony Kanaan, in his 11^th attempt, finally won the Indianapolis 500 after a daring late-race pass on then-leader Ryan Hunter-Reay with three laps to go. After Dario Franchitti crashed in turn two, Kanaan cruised to his first checkered flag at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was an amazing race. The average speed of the race – 187.433mph – made Kanaan’s victory the fastest in Indianapolis 500 history. Not only was it fast, the 68 lead changes among 14 drivers also made this the most competitive Indianapolis 500 in race history. It was an incredible race – an event that lived up to the hype, pageantry, and spectacle behind it.

2. #1 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. #4 Auburn Tigers – November 30 – Fans will look back at the 2013 edition of the Iron Bowl as one of the greatest finishes in college football history. With 32 seconds remaining in the game, Auburn tied the score at 28-28 after a 39-yard touchdown pass from Nick Marshall to Sammie Coates. Instead of going to overtime, Alabama marched down the field. With one second on the clock, Alabama kicker Adam Griffith came up short on a potential game-winning 57-yard field goal attempt. Auburn cornerback Chris Davis caught the missed field goal in the back of the end zone and returned the ball 109 yards to score the game-winning touchdown for the Tigers. Those 32 seconds are 32 seconds that will live forever in college football history and in sports history. The excitement in that finish is what makes sports so special.

1. Baltimore Ravens vs. Denver Broncos – January 12 – Known as the Mile High Miracle, the AFC Divisional Round game between the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens provided fans with one of the greatest football games in history. Played in Denver under frigid conditions, Peyton Manning and Joe Flacco led their respective teams into a shootout with both teams scoring on all sides of the ball. In the first 11 minutes of the game, both teams scored 28 combined points – including three return touchdowns – while exchanging the lead five times. Denver led 35-28 with a minute left in the fourth quarter when Baltimore scored a game-tying touchdown on a 70-yard touchdown pass from Flacco to receiver Jacoby Jones. After a full overtime period, Baltimore kicker Justin Tucker connected on a 47-yard game-winning field goal to send Baltimore to the AFC Championship Game. There was no more complete game in all of sports in 2013 than Broncos-Ravens in the AFC Playoffs.

Athlete of the Year

4. LeBron James – Despite having NBA leader David Stern in his back pocket and a media empire worshipping his every move, LeBron James did something in 2013 I never thought possible – he won. Not only did James win his second NBA Championship with the Miami Heat though, James won without allowing his foolish ego to cast a dark cloud over his victory. James showed up in the clutch situations he avoided early in his career and proved the doubters – myself included – wrong in their doubts of his abilities. James also earned his fourth league MVP honor for the 2012-2013 season along with his Finals MVP trophy and second of seven guaranteed titles. While I still do not like him, there is no way you cannot respect the abilities of LeBron James.

3. Jimmie Johnson – Jimmie Johnson is quietly creating a resume that will have him among the greatest drivers of all-time. In 2013, Jimmie Johnson started the season with his second Daytona 500 victory. Johnson also scored victories at Martinsville, Pocono, Daytona in July, and at Dover and Texas during the Chase for the Championship. In addition, Johnson won his record-setting fourth All-Star Race in Charlotte in May. His six-win season (66 for his career) was enough to help Johnson dominate the Cup Series in both the traditional sense and the Chase format as Johnson won his sixth Cup Series Championship. Like him or not, Jimmie Johnson is rewriting the history book every time he gets behind the wheel of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet.

2. Peyton Manning – Peyton Manning’s 2013 started in typical Peyton Manning fashion – one-and-done in the playoffs after a 38-35 double overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Still, even the most adamant of Peyton detractors cannot deny Manning’s unbelievable record-setting 2013 regular season. Manning shattered records while leading the Broncos to another 13-3 season and number one seed in the playoffs. Manning set league records for touchdown passes (55) and passing yards (5,477) in a single season while leading the Broncos to the most prolific offense in league history. In addition, Manning’s seven touchdown passes in one game – against Baltimore in the season opener – made him one of only seven men to accomplish the feat. While history tends to lean more towards another postseason disappointment, nobody can take anything away from Peyton Manning’s 2013 regular season – a season for the record books.

1. The Boston Red Sox – One year earlier, the Boston Red Sox were a joke in all of sports. Known for ineptitude and failure on a grand scale before the 2013 season, the Boston Red Sox played like the teams who won World Championships in 2004 and 2008 in 2013. The Red Sox won 28 more games in 2013 than 2012 while moving from last place to win the American League East with a 97-65 record. Throughout the season, the Red Sox played to honor those affected by the Boston Marathon bombing – with David Ortiz making this clear before a game on April 20 as he said, “This is our fucking city, and no one is going to dictate our freedom. Stay strong.” In addition to motivation (or sympathy) from fans in the aftermath of the terrorist attack, Boston also became a national phenomenon because of their team beards. Their facial hair became more recognizable than their late-inning heroics – something Boston lived on throughout the season. A notable comeback against Detroit in Game 2 of the ALCS seemed to propel the Red Sox as a team of destiny – destiny achieved when they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in six games to win the 2013 World Series. More of a team than a collection of individual superstars, the Boston Red Sox were the athletes of the year for 2013.


For Part II of the 2013 Year in Review, click here. For Part III of the 2013 Year in Review, click here.