2017 Top 10 Sports and Culture Stories of the Year

Sports always has fascinating stories and 2017 was no exception. Here are the top  sports and culture stories of the year in no particular order.

1) Zeke’s Suspension

Most pundits expected Ezekiel Elliott to win the Rookie of the Year award last year. He didn’t win. The award unexpectedly went to his teammate Dak Prescott. Still, it looked like the 2017 season would be a promising one for the superstar. Unfortunately, a domestic violence scandal resulted in a six game suspension, derailing his Sophomore campaign.

2) Lavar Ball

Lavar Ball splashed onto the scene in 2017. His bombastic, arrogant, and pompous style rubs many people the wrong way. He is the king of hyperbole, even claiming he could beat Michael Jordan in a one on one basketball game. Yet, he gets lots of PR. MJ even responded to him, saying he could beat him with one arm tied behind his back.

3) Jerry Jones Versus Roger Goodell

Jerry Jones was irate about the Ezekiel Elliott suspension. Taking away the Cowboys most explosive offensive playmaker derailed a promising season for America’s Team. Jerry Jones felt there wasn’t enough evidence to suspend Zeke. He reportedly said this to Roger Goodell, “I’m going to come after you.”

4) The Patriots Win Super Bowl 51

Super Bowl 51 is arguably the most epic Super Bowl in NFL History. The Patriots were losing 28-3, and they came back and won in overtime. That’s amazing, sensational, spectacular, and many other robust adjectives there isn’t room to list. The epic win also gives Tom Brady five Super Bowl wins, virtually cementing his place as the G.O.A.T (at the very least for QB’s).

5) Golden State Topples Cleveland

Golden State versus Cleveland is historical. Before the 2017 NBA Finals, no teams have ever met three times in a row in the NBA Finals. It was a hard fought match, but the addition of superstar Kevin Durant proved to be too much for the Cavaliers to handle.

6) Kyrie Irving Goes to Boston

The Kyrie Irving move makes the list because its unusual. The Cleveland Cavaliers made the finals three years in a row, and Kyrie wanted out. It’s not the Shaq and Kobe breakup, but it’s closer than you may think.

7) Houston Astros Win First Title

Before 2017, the Houston Astros never won a title in MLB history. They managed to win in 2017- the year when Houston was devastated by catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Harvey. It was a fairy tale ending to the season for the Astros.

8) Mayweather Defeats McGregor in Ten Rounds

The Mayweather fight got people talking. Some said Mayweather was too old, and others said that McGregor was too inexperienced. In the end, the latter theory stood the test of time. The fight was the second biggest PPV of all time.

9) Athletes Kneeling for the Flag

This issue was so big that President Trump made multiple tweets about it. Papa John (who was recently ousted) said the displays hurt his business.

10) Eli Manning Benched

Eli Manning’s streak of 210 games ended in an unusual fashion when he was benched for journeyman Geno Smith. The move was detested in New York, leading to the firing of the coach and GM.

11) Tiger Woods DUI

A picture is worth a thousand words, and Tiger’s DUI pictures showed a man who looked nonplussed and dazed. It’s a huge fall from grace for such a transcendent athlete.

12) The Knicks Fire Phil Jackson

New York is the center of the sports world. Phil Jackson had 11 championships as a coach, and he used to play for the Knicks. People thought Phil could work his Zen magic in New York, but in the end the fans wanted him to disappear.

13) Jemele Hill, ESPN and social media

If you had to crown someone sport media personality of the year, that title belongs to ESPN’s Jemele Hill. As host of “The Six” on SportsCenter, Hill and her co-host Michael Smith, showcase sports and culture from a black perspective which seemed to upset many long time, conservative – read white male – viewers. Hill’s commentary on the President Donald Trump, the NFL and kneeling caused her to make headlines and be suspended by ESPN brass for inappropriate social media commentary. She also caused the “world wide leader” to reassess their social media policy while dealing with the complex new landscape of digital media, sports partnerships and freedom of speech.

2017 had some amazing sports stories. Which of your favorites did we miss?