2016 was weird, man.

But it did give us a lot of material to work with to make these lists. We're counting down the best of music, film, sports, and other pop culture for 2016!

Take a look at these countdown lists below!

Pop Culture:
Why 2016 was the Most Absurd Year Ever

Music:
Top 25 Pop Songs of 2016
Top 10 Most Annoying Songs of 2016

Movies:
Top 10 Films of 2016 (COMING SOON!)
Top 10 Most Disappointing Films of 2016
Top 10 Performances of 2016 (COMING SOON!)

Sports:
Top 15 Sports Moments of 2016
Top 10 "Oh No!" Sports Moments in 2016
Top 10 Games of 2016
Top 50 Sports Plays of 2016

In anticipation of the release of the new musical film La La Land, in theatres December 9th, we are unveiling a three-list series looking at the best of musical theatre and film together!

Our lists can be found HERE:

You can also view our other recent lists on our home page HERE.

Happy Holidays to all!

It's December 2016, which means that the "Best of the Year" lists are right around the corner!

We've got some really good ones this year, as well as some new editions of old favorite lists from last year.

In addition, get prepared for some pretty big changes happening around the site... stay tuned...

​I would like to preface this article by pointing out that these are only my opinions. I’ve been trying to make sense and rationalize this entire election, basically looking at it for what it is from the point of view that is mine and mine alone.

I’ve tried my best to look at both sides of this, and this is me making the best judgment and best formulated opinions that I can. Take any, all, or none of it as you will.

Well friends, here we are. It’s November 10, 2016, two days removed from one of the craziest elections in the history of this country. I’ve had a few days to wallow in both sadness and deep thought, while doing the best job I can to support those who are in need of it.

The coming months will be very telling as to how much work we truly have to do as a nation. The campaigning was easy. Now that it’s over and the results are in, the great work must begin.

This is my state of mind two days removed from the election.


This is the reality we face.
The fact of the matter is this- we are not dreaming. Regardless how unfathomable it is, or how much we don’t want to accept it- barring anything that goes down between now and January 20th, Donald Trump will be the next president of this country. We did not expect it. It’s hard to swallow. However, it is the reality that we face right now. I don’t want to get too into exactly why or how Trump won, or why or how the Clinton campaign lost, but the numbers on the board indicate Donald Trump will be the 45th President of the United States.

A message for Trump supporters.
Here’s the thing. Yes, your candidate ended up winning. And I understand that you’re happy for him and the impending future of this country. I’m not going to knock you for voting for Mr. Trump, that’s your right as an American citizen- to vote for the candidate who you believe would improve the country the way you want to improve it. I can’t say I voted for him, so I’m not sure what your reasoning was- perhaps his proposed focus on economic change, or his proposed plan for tackling international threats- whatever it was, that’s all well and good from my end. But when I see people on social media talking about how they shouldn’t have to endure the reactions of people who supported Secretary Clinton in the aftermath of this election, I can only shake my head at the hypocrisy.

A picture that seems to keep circulating the internet reads “Right now, my liberal friends are saying worse things about Trump and his supporters than Trump has ever said about anyone.” And that bothers me.

You have to understand that these people that you know, many of whom I’m sure are women, minorities, or members of the LGBT community, are very scared right now at the road ahead. They are emotional, angry, and fucking terrified.

You have to understand that, while you may have voted for Trump based on certain views, there is another side to his campaign, and it is one that has projected the idea of misogyny, racism, and just overall hate and contempt. You have to understand that people have been given reason to fear that their rights that they have fought so hard to attain are about to be taken away in one swift movement. And, to be honest, I’m not sure that their reactions are worse than some of the things that Trump has said during his campaign.

I live in Massachusetts, which has traditionally been very good and progressive regarding states’ rights. I live in a part of the state where privilege exists for many people, white, black, male, female, gay, straight, etc. I think it’s been pretty good. But you have to understand that while you may not be affected wholly, there are other people who may not be so privileged that will be affected.

If your candidate won, that’s fine. I’m not going to argue you on who you voted for. All I’m asking is that you take a second to look at how some people on the other side feel before you jump to conclusions about your feelings being hurt. Put yourselves in their shoes for half a minute.

A message for certain Trump supporters.
Donald Trump’s win in this election is not reason to do whatever the fuck you want to other people. The law is still the law. Sexual assault didn’t just become okay overnight. Telling people who look different than you to get out of the country is still not cool. If you think for a second that you have your country back, you have done nothing but fuel the fire under a large group of people ready to show you that it’s not just your country- it’s theirs too.

A message for Clinton supporters.
It sucks. I know. It really, really sucks. To come this far for nothing is bad enough. But to have the presidency be awarded to someone who had said all the things he’s said, and done all the things he’s done, and to portray himself the way he has, and pull an upset victory over an extremely qualified long-time politician is devastating. I admit I had a hard time getting out of bed on Wednesday morning. I’ll admit it hasn’t sunk in yet for me either.

And you have just cause to feel afraid, or helpless, or alone. But, just like my Trump supporters above you, I need you guys to understand some things as well.

I know a lot of you are hurting right now. But I need you to understand that you are not alone in all of this. There are millions of people in this country and around the world that feel the exact same way you do. Just because one guy was elected president doesn’t mean that everyone is suddenly out to get you. You have strength in numbers. And Hillary did win the popular vote, so I think it’s safe to say that your numbers outweigh theirs.
There are people out there that you may not know. But they love you, and they have your back. People that may have more privilege to things will help those who are less privileged than they are.

You need to understand that the people who are around you will not let anything bad happen to you. If anyone tries to touch you or make you feel like nothing or take your rights away, they will have to go through the lines of us fighting with you and for you first.

I do not believe that people are innately bad people. Hatred and contempt comes from all different places in our lives, but I really think that deep down, we’re all good people. When it comes right down to it, I think human good will prevail in the end.

There are some other things I need you to understand as well (some of them may be a little hard to accept).
I do not believe that a vast majority of Donald Trump’s supporters voted for him because he said and did all of those sexist, racist, hateful things. I believe they voted for him because he represented one thing, and that was deviation from the norm.

They saw something in him that they think is going to change the country. I plead that you don’t get angry (or worse, violent) because they voted their conscience.

I need you to understand that many people in rural parts of the country don’t have a lot of money or jobs. They believe that Trump’s business background and focus on tax cuts, business tariffs, and his proposed investment in infrastructure will be some kind of guiding light. And perhaps it may not be what we’re used to hearing from politicians (which is why his promises came off as so egregious), but perhaps those that voted for him were tired of what they perceived as a slow-moving government that didn’t care about them. They wanted a candidate who says he won’t leave them behind and then actually doesn’t leave them behind. When it comes right down to it, they have their reasons for voting for him, and I’m not sure that all of them (maybe some, but definitely not all) are for the reasons you may think they voted for him.

Look at this statement Bernie Sanders released.

But above all of that, I need you to understand that all is not lost there either. Because if Trump doesn’t follow through on his promises, the people who supported him will turn on him, too.

A Message for Clinton supporters, Part 2: The fight begins now.
So, what happens now? Where do we go from here?

My opinion is to do something simple yet controversial: go about your daily lives. The opposite of fear is not acceptance in this case- it is normality. The only thing I ask (and this will tie into my next point) is that we all learn to love each other a little more.

What the “Trumpsters” want to see are those classified as the liberal elite crying, succumbing to fear and talking about moving out of the country (I’m paraphrasing Sorkin's letter to his daughter a tad, but you get the idea of where I’m going with this). What we need is to do the opposite.

So, cry. But after that, get up and be angry. Be passionate. Make art. Sing. Make music. Dance. Feel. Live. Inspire. Be inspired. But do not submit to fear and terror, because it’s not going to get us anywhere, especially when we have the power to fight this.

The midterm elections are only two years away. Invest in senators and congressmen and women. Just like Trump was able to flip the system, we can flip the system back.

Donate. Support. Protest (but please be safe and smart and don’t be violent with anyone or anything, please). Never stop making your voice heard, because we hear it and it does matter. It truly, truly does.

Trump might be different as president than he was during his campaign- or he might not.
Trump has based most of his campaign around the fact that he’s an outsider trying to bring down the system. But what happens when he’s actually inside the system? Starting today, Trump will begin to receive briefings at just about the same deep-level intelligence as President Obama receives. This means that his idea of what is happening both internationally and domestically could change. Might he have different opinions about Syria and Russia after these briefings than he did watching the news? Quite possibly. There is reason to believe that he might be a tad more moderate than we’ve come to believe during his campaign. We did see a gracious Donald Trump in his victory, and even saw glimpses of it during his address at the Republican Convention. Who knows if this Trump will emerge during his first term?

Then again, human nature suggests that at 70 years of living, one doesn’t just change one’s own personality in two months. We may very well get the same loud-mouthed, boisterous man that we’ve seen for the last year and a half. Paired with the prospects of his cabinet (among those being vetted are Rudy Giuliani, Chris Christie, and Newt Gingrich), we have reason to believe that we could get more of the same thing. Republican voters also want the same Trump we saw during the campaign- which could spell disaster for Trump among his approval ratings if he doesn’t carry that to the White House.

HOT TAKE ALERT: I sincerely hope that Donald Trump is able to do this job well and treat it with respect. I sincerely hope something within him is going to make him change and treat all those people he offended with dignity and respect. Because when it comes right down to it, we’re all on the boat with him. And if he crashes, so do we.

Then again, I didn’t vote for him, and I don’t like him.

So, that being said…

Andrew’s Over/Under for the length of Trump’s term as president: 6 months.
His involvement in his own organization gives us reason to be skeptical. I, for one, don’t believe that he and his family can go about separating business from politics.

Trump has also vowed to reverse many of President Obama’s policies. He does have the House and Senate at his disposal, but even if his fellow Republicans choose not to back him, the two words that President Obama has really made famous that Trump plans to exercise are: Executive Orders.

That’s all well and good. But what happens when you use too many Executive Orders? That might be called an abuse of power. And what happens when you abuse your power? Two words: Impeachment Hearings.

I give him six months before the first impeachable scandal/crime happens. Any takers?

Looking at 2020: Who’s next?
I could be wrong, but I think we may have seen the end of Hillary Clinton’s run as public servant. She has done a fantastic job serving this country; she should and will go down as one of the most important not just women, but people, in this country’s history.

But, for the Democrats, there needs to be some searching for a candidate for the 2020 election.

A shortlist:
​

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (MA)- she’s an anti-Wall Street crusader with a huge progressive following. She’s also a badass. However, not only would she be 71 years old in 2020, Massachusetts nominees have not had the best time in presidential elections (see Dukakis, Kerry, and Romney).

Sen. Chris Murphy (CT)- The senator made headlines with a 15-hour filibuster in support of firearm legislation back in June. Murphy is very popular in his home state of Connecticut, and he was also speculated to be a potential running mate for Clinton in 2016. 

​Sen. Cory Booker (NJ)- my personal favorite. He’s a fiery senator and former mayor of Newark who once saved a woman from a burning building. He’s got a reputation as a reformer, and was in consideration to be Clinton’s running mate this year.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (MN)- She may not have the resume that Hillary Clinton has at this moment in time, but Klobuchar is an extremely well-liked senator from Minnesota, who seemingly has a well-thought out plan for getting to the White House. She’s also extremely well liked in the state of Iowa, where she says she “feels at home.” Hmm.

Sen. Sherrod Brown (OH)- Brown has very progressive tendencies very similar to those of Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. He also lives in the crucial swing state of Ohio, which I’m sure Democrats will be anxious to make a campaign assault on come 2020.

​Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (NY)- When Hillary Clinton left the senate, Gillibrand replaced her as New York Junior Senator. Could she make a run at the Presidency in 2020?

I encourage you to also look up names like Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro, NY Governor Andrew Cuomo, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and Sen. Kamala Harris.

I have omitted names like Bernie Sanders (because of age- he’ll be 79 four years from now) and Michelle Obama, mostly because Michelle says that she has no interest in the job.

Don’t abolish the Electoral College- Reform it.
For those of you that don't know already, this is how the Electoral College works.

How ironic. The system that Donald Trump was complaining about being rigged ending up getting him elected.

Hillary Clinton may have lost the Electoral College, but she did succeed in winning the popular vote- something Democratic nominee Al Gore did in 2000, losing to George W. Bush. This is a huge accomplishment, signifying that more than half the voting population wanted Clinton to be president, not Trump. I keep seeing people on social media make moves to abolishing the Electoral College. I’m going to step out on a limb here and say that that is NOT what possible voting reform needs. A president cannot be decided merely by popular vote. If that were really the case, you’d have votes in New York City that weigh as much as votes in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Of course the candidate who can grab the most big cities would win the election. What bothers me about the Electoral College, and what I believe needs to be reformed, is this winner-take-all system that we’re used to.

In 2000, the race between Gore and Bush came down to Florida and its 25 (at the time, it’s 29 now) electoral votes. Bush ended up winning the state by 537 votes out of almost 6,000,000, but got the entire 25, winning the election.

I believe a system that takes into account the popular vote in each state would be more effective. This is sort of like the systems that Nebraska and Maine have in place, but instead of using drawn out districts (opening the door for parties to gerrymander and draw their own electoral lines), the electoral votes are split based on the ratio or percentage of the popular vote.

Ex: If there are 11 electoral votes in a state, with 7,000,000 votes cast, and Candidate A gets 5,000,000, while Candidate B gets 2,000,000, the votes would be split based on the ratio of votes. Candidate A would get 71% of those 11 electoral votes (7.81), while Candidate B would get the other 23% (3.19).

If there are an odd number of electoral votes in a given state, and there’s essentially a 50-50 tie, the candidate who wins the popular vote in that state outright would win that last electoral vote, essentially “winning” that state. It might also encourage more third party voting, since those candidates may end up with percentages of electoral votes. It requires a lot more math and more time than we’re used to, but hear me out.

This is just something to think about, but I hardly believe taking the step to not completely abolish, but instead reform the Electoral College would be an effective solution.
 
This country needs to find a way to come together, not divide the lines even further.
Can we promise to never have an election like this ever again?

I’ve been way more politically invested this year, I admit. But this was exhausting. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a campaign that was clogged with mudslinging, name-calling, and negative campaign ads. Good God.

I for one will be happy if I never see another campaign commercial as long as I live. Hopefully next time around we can get back to more civil debates about the issues, and less about personal attacks.

A final thought. I don’t know how this happened from four years ago (or maybe it’s blatantly obvious and I’m not looking into it all that much), but the lines between red and blue have divided people more than ever. If Clinton had been elected, Trump supporters I’m sure would have claimed it to be the beginning of the end of the world as well. Stephen Colbert, during his live election special on Showtime had an interesting statistic: “More than 4 in 10 Democrats and Republicans say the other party’s policies are so misguided that they pose a threat to the nation.” These two parties are terrified of one another. We need to change that.

That being said, the fact that Clinton and Trump splitting the popular vote and the Electoral College vote is fairly troubling. The fact that there was not one outright winner or loser in this election may very well deepen the divide in this country.

But this is America, where anything is possible.
​
A quick note about America: one of the best things about this country is that we’re all different, and that’s okay. It’s so great that we get to live in a country where all people from all walks of life should be accepted and accepting of each other’s differences. This country has been called the land of opportunity by many. It’s based on the idea of freedom, which, I think, means the freedom to look, speak, and think differently from other people. It also means that one should not be oppressed for being different. We really need to take a look at that in the coming months if we want to make some kind of difference.

Above all, this is not a country where hate it welcome. Love will always triumph over it, no matter what anyone does or says.

Hug each other a little tighter today.

Call your parents and friends (Don't text, call them). Tell them you love them.

Be patient with and good to one another.

Pray for peace.

That's my two cents, guys. Leave a comment if you feel so inclined.

The Chicago Cubs have been baseball’s lovable losers for a long, long time. They haven’t won a World Series since 1908. But with a win in game six of the NLCS on Saturday night, the Cubs advanced to the World Series, finally winning their first National League Pennant since 1945. 

The Cubbies retired the minimum number of batters (27) in a playoff game. The last team to accomplish this feat? The 1956 New York Yankees, when Don Larsen pitched a perfect game in Game 5 against the Brooklyn Dodgers. 

It appears, for the moment, that the Cubs have the stars aligned to finally win their first World Series in 108 years.

Opposing them are the Cleveland Indians, who themselves are seeking a World Series title for the first time since 1948. 

With injuries to their starting pitching, there were numerous question marks about the Indians’ chances in the postseason. They shut down the mighty Boston Red Sox and their juggernaut offense, sweeping them in the ALDS. They were projected to then get throttled by the Toronto Blue Jays, whom they beat handily in five games. Much of this is thanks to the managerial decisions of Terry Francona, who has been able to mix and match his bullpen in order to shut down opposing lineups. 

At this World Series, one of the two franchises will end a streak of despair that has been decades in the making. 

But, looking at this from the perspective of a Boston sports fan, what are those of us who seek a rooting interest left to do, now that the Red Sox have been eliminated?

Instinct says we should cheer for the Cubs, as their championship drought is the longest. They’re also sufferers of a dreaded “curse,” something Red Sox fans should be all too familiar with. Also, the Indians defeated the Sox in the ALDS with former players from their championship teams of years past. 

What more could we ask for as Boston sports fans than to have a hapless franchise suffering for a long period of time beat the team that knocked us out?

​Hot take alert: Boston sports fans should be rooting against the Cubs. You read that right.

Let’s put this in perspective and look at the two franchises who suffered for all those years.

Before 2004, there were 5 teams with championship droughts of 55 years or more. San Francisco hadn’t won since 1954, going 58 years before finally winning in 2010. The Chicago White Sox went 88 years before winning in 2005, their first since 1917. The Red Sox ended their 88 year drought in 2004 by winning their first championship since 1918 (the latter two have each won 2 more titles after their initial title win- the Giants in 2012 and 2014; the Red Sox in 2007 and 2013). 

As of 2016, we’ve got two clubs left to break their droughts. They happen to be playing each other in the World Series.

The Cubs haven’t raised a banner since 1908, 108 years ago. The Indians, of course, haven’t won since 1948, 68 years ago.

But this all ties back to the Red Sox. They are the original curse breakers. We did it first. 

We’re also extremely territorial of our “original curse breaker” status.

We suffered more over a long period of time. We had to overcome more notoriously successful and more talented rival teams. 

We suffered more devastating losses and bizarre endings that crushed our dreams.

And most importantly- we earned it because we deserved it more than anyone.

The Cubs may not have won for 108 years, but they also have sucked for a lot longer than we have. There are underdogs, and there are losers. The discrepancy between the two clubs is more than apparent.

For Boston fans, the Cubs do not deserve a World Series title because they haven’t earned it like we did.

​Our misery is more miserable than your misery, Chicago.

Let’s start with the curses themselves: the battle of Bambinos and Billy Goats.

The Curse of the Bambino is far more well known than that Curse of the Billy Goat. It is, for the most part, the (very) long term effects of what can happen when one player alters the futures of a franchise. The Curse of the Billy Goat is more like what happens when the rapper Lil B curses James Harden before the Rockets face the Warriors in the Western Conference Semifinals. 

Are we taking Chicago’s “curse” too seriously?

Since the Red Sox won the 1918 World Series (where they beat the Cubs), they’ve had 17 postseason appearances, which includes eight division titles and seven wild card births. The other two appearances came in 1946 and 1967, (there was no LCS at until 1969), when the Sox had the best record in the American League and went to the World Series. 

In those 17 playoff appearances, the Sox captured seven American League Pennants and three World Series titles. They were swept out of the playoffs only five times, while participating in 12 playoff series (ALDS, LCS, or World Series) that went all the way to winner-take-all elimination games.

The Cubs have made the playoffs only eight times since 1945, winning six division titles and two wild card births. In four of their eight appearances, they were swept out of the playoffs. Their only playoff series wins came in 2003 (NLDS), 2015 (NLDS), and 2016 (NLDS, NLCS).

The Red Sox were the lovable losers who were always just one rung short.

In 1984, the Cubs faced the San Diego Padres in the then-best of five NLCS. They went up two games to none in the series, only to drop the next three straight. San Diego went on to the World Series. 

The closest they got (before this year) was by beating the Braves three games to two in the 2003 NLDS, then going up three games to one on the Florida Marlins in the NLCS. We all know what happened next. 

Other than that, the Cubs have never made a sound in the playoffs before this year. 

The comparison is not close on the stats sheet.

Let’s take a trip through the history of the Red Sox suffering, shall we?

1946- The Red Sox win the American League by 12 games and are heavy favorites to win the World Series. In game seven, a base hit turns into a game-winner for St. Louis, as the “mad dash,” as it is now known by Enos Slaughter, paired with the delayed, highly controversial throw from Red Sox shortstop Johnny Pesky, seals the World Series for the Cardinals.

1967- The “Impossible Dream” year. After finishing a half game above last place in 1966, the Red Sox miraculously rebounded to win the American League on the final game of the season in 1967, thanks to the Cy Young-winning season by ace Jim Lonborg, and the MVP season of Carl Yastrzemski. The Red Sox rallied from down 3-1 in the series to force a game seven at Fenway Park, with Lonborg pitching on two day’s rest against the Cardinals ace Bob Gibson, but were ultimately defeated 7-2.

1975- Game six at Fenway Park. The Red Sox, having already battled back from being down three games to one at the hands of the Cincinnati Reds, found themselves in a 6-3 hole in the bottom of the 8th. Bernie Carbo came off the bench and crushed a 2-2 pitch to dead centerfield for a three-run home run, tying the game at 6, and sending it to extra innings. In the bottom of the 12th, Carlton Fisk hit one of the most dramatic home runs in baseball history, sending one down the left field line and off the foul pole. Fisk, hopping down the first base line, waved his arms, attempting to direct the ball to stay fair. It worked, and the Sox won the game and tied the series. With three prior days of rain delay, the Red Sox had both ace pitchers Luis Tiant and Bill Lee available to try to close out the series. The Red Sox began game seven in the lead, 3-0, but ended up losing 4-3. 


1986- Game 6 at Shea Stadium, Red Sox vs. Mets. The Sox made it to the World Series on the back of a dramatic late-inning home run by Dave Henderson, which ultimately sunk the California Angels. The Red Sox were one strike away from winning the World Series, which would be their first in 68 years. In a back and forth game, the Red Sox, after blowing a save in the bottom of the 9th, scored two more runs of their own in the top of the 10th, seemingly putting the game and the series away, up 5-3. The Mets were down to their last strike on two separate occasions, but managed three consecutive hits with two outs in the bottom of the 10th, cutting the Boston lead to 5-4. After pulling Calvin Schiraldi, Red Sox manager John McNamara went with former closer Bob Stanley to face Mookie Wilson. After a back-and-forth battle that kept the count at 2-2 for seven pitches, Stanley lost control of his next pitch, allowing the speedy Kevin Mitchell to score and tie the game at 5. Two pitches later, Wilson hit a slow roller down the first base line, which went through the legs of the first baseman Bill Buckner, allowing Ray Knight to score the winning run. The Mets would go on to win game seven at home the following night.


Why should the Cubs receive any kind of sympathy from Boston fans? The suffering the Red Sox have endured has been far worse.


But hey, at least we can blame the players on the field for our prior misfortune and not absurd happenings away from the game, right?


Take the selling of Babe Ruth, for instance. It is a prime example of the long term effects of giving a way a star player to a rival team. This is far less of a blatant “plague on both your houses” and more of an “oh shit, this has negatively impacted our franchise for an excrutiatingly long amount of time.”


Things originated differently on the North Side. Chicago tavern owner Billy Sianis brought a goat to the 1945 World Series and was kicked out because the smell of the animal was disturbing other fans, giving a verbal warning on his way out of Wrigley Field.


“Them Cubs, they ain’t gonna win no more,” he allegedly declared.


Give me a break. Oakland Raiders fans can blame the Tuck Rule game for them not winning the Super Bowl in 2001. They can’t use it as an excuse for sucking for the next 14 years.


Red Sox fans can blame poor managerial decisions and individual on-field events for each heartbreaking defeat. Cubs fans have to find scapegoats in the years they got relatively close.


We can talk about the decision to start Jim Lonborg in 1967 on two-days rest, where he clearly struggled. We can talk about the decision by John McNamara to take Roger Clemens out of game six in 1986, and his decision to leave Bill Buckner in the game. 


Or, we can talk about some poor guy who was doing what any fan would during a baseball game.

During game six of the 2003 NLCS, the fan that comes to mind is Steve Bartman, who interfered with a charging Moises Alou, who didn’t really have much of a chance of catching the foul ball in the first place. The player that is forgotten is Alex Gonzalez, who botched a potential double-play ground ball that would have closed out the inning, all but sending the Cubs to the World Series. Instead, the Marlins scored eight runs in the 8th and won the game.


Thirteen years later, Bartman still receives threats from fans who are completely oblivious to the fact that he is not responsible for losing the game. The players on the field are.


To rub even more salt in the would, the Cubs’ crosstown counterparts, the White Sox, won their first World Series in 88 years only two seasons later. But that’s less sad and more just unfortunate.


And, let’s be real, here. There is nothing romantic about this Cubs team we see before us in 2016. And it’s very easy to be romantic about baseball.


The Cubs had the best record in baseball in 2016, winning 103 games. The 2004 Red Sox were 10.5 games back of the Yankees in August 2004, but managed to close the gap to as few as 2.5 in almost three weeks, finishing only three games back, clinching a Wild Card spot. They won 98 games, which would be the third most in 2004 and the second most in 2016, but the New York Yankees were simply better.


The Cubs have no one in their division that is good on a consistent basis. I mean, sure, the Cardinals have traditionally been very good. But it’s nothing like the Red Sox have suffered at the hands of the Yankees. Just about every year, it has been the Yankees leading the division, and the Red Sox hanging on for dear life in the American League East.


The construction of the two teams could not be more different.


The 2004 Red Sox tearfully traded away one of their icons, shortstop Nomar Garciappara, in order to piece together a World Series team. Talk about romantic. The team was full of holes that ultimately found a way to cover each other’s weaknesses and win. They even called themselves “the Idiots.”


What have the Cubs done? They’ve essentially created a super-team, with four Cy-Young quality pitchers, an infield that started at all four positions in the All-Star Game, and an outfield bursting with talent. And they’ve done this with the same General Manager that helped the Red Sox break their curse in 2004- Theo Epstein- Another reason for Sox fans to be salty toward the Cubs. There’s a reason why many of the best players on the Cubs look familiar- they all used to play in Boston. Talk about a kick in the teeth.


If Epstein and the Cubs win this World Series, he will have punched his ticked into Cooperstown at the age of 42. He was 28 when the Red Sox won in 2004. Leaves a bitter taste in your mouth, doesn’t it, Boston fans?


But if you look up the word “magical” in the dictionary, you wouldn’t see a picture of this year’s Cubs, that’s for damn sure.


The Cubs advanced in the NLDS because the Giants bullpen completely fell apart. They beat the Dodgers because of Clayton Kershaw not being able to keep his cool during the playoffs. That’s not suffering.


And to top it off, the Cubs are actually favored to win the World Series. They’ve been the favorite ever since the season started? That’s never fun, to see the favored team win like everyone’s expecting them to.


If you want to be romantic about baseball, look no further than the 2004 American League Championship Series. Having been eliminated the year before by the Yankees on a game seven walk-off home run by Aaron Boone, the Red Sox returned to the ALCS against their rival squad, and quickly fell in a three-games-to-none hole. 


With postseason heroics from the likes of Dave Roberts, David Ortiz, Curt Schilling, and a host of others, the Red Sox became the first team ever to win a best of seven series when down three games to none, rattling off four consecutive wins against their bitter rivals. And to finish off the victory in Yankee Stadium where they were crushed yet again in 2003 was the icing on the cake.

One could even argue that Sox fans should stay out of watching this World Series altogether- because the Cleveland Indians are pretty much the same thing; a host of former Red Sox players (and one former manager) who have somehow captured that “lightning in a bottle” essence and ridden it all the way to the Fall Classic.

But, to be fair, the Indians are the better story in all of this. To be plagued by injury, and then essentially slaughter two teams that are offensive juggernauts and were projected to beat you is a remarkable achievement by itself, especially for a city that has traditionally sucked at everything, and is now competing for its second major sports championship in six months. It’s NC State-esque, circa 1983. It’s playoff magic. 

When it comes right down to it, both teams playing in the World Series are the Ghosts of Red Sox past. 

So, Cleveland and Chicago, you’re welcome.

The bitterness between the Boston fan and the Chicago should absolutely exist. There’s a sense of vitriol that exists in Boston fans toward their teams, even in moments of elation. 

Chicago fans could care less if their team wins- they’ve been doing it for the last 108 years. They don’t call Wrigley Field the “Friendly Confines” for nothing. Hell, people are already saying that the curse of the Billy Goat has been lifted even though the team hasn’t won the World Series yet. I mean, we were pumped when we pulled out that comeback against the Yankees in 2004, but at least we knew we had a job to finish.

When the Cubs and Indians take the field on Tuesday night in Cleveland, Boston fans have an interesting decision to make. History’s going to be made either way, it’s just a matter of which one you want to see win- or lose- most. 

One franchise will undoubtedly earn a well-fought a World Series title for their city. For those of us on the outside looking it, it’s just a matter of who the members of Red Sox Nation want to accept as their equals.

The World Series begins Tuesday, October 25th at 8pm on FOX.


Disclaimer: I would like to state my need to watch history happen. So I’ll be rooting against this hot take. Prediction: Chicago wins this series, 4-1.

At last, October is upon us! Aside from everything great about October that we all know and love (Halloween, pumpkins and their subsequent spiced lattes, and the sweet spot of FALL), this month brings us one of the most magical times of the year- the Major League Baseball Playoffs. 

Around the league, there seems to be a major theme in storylines regarding the 10 teams playing for a World Series title this year: Fairytales. We've got teams playing to break curses, teams looking for their first title, and even teams looking to solidify dynasties.

The Teams:

Chicago Cubs (103-58), NL Central Champions
Just about everyone in baseball is anxiously awaiting to see what the Chicago Cubs will bring to the table this October. The North Side's lovable losers- as we're all aware- haven't won a World Series since 1908 (108 years). In fact, they haven't even advanced to the World Series since 1945. With a stellar rotation featuring Jake Arrietta and Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, Jason Hammel and John Lackey (their entire rotation is in the top 20 for pitching in the National League), an MVP candidate in Kris Bryant, an All-Star Game starting infield, and a fantastic closer in Aroldis Chapman, the Cubs have the league's best record this year, as they were the only team to win over 100 games. All signs point to a return to the Fall Classic, and perhaps even a win for the city that's been hurting for so long without one.

Cleveland Indians (94-67), AL Central Champions
Next, we have the Cleveland Indians- the team with the second longest World Series drought, clocking in at 68 years (their last title was in 1948)- although they last made it to the World Series in 1994 and 1997. Manager Terry Francona has managed to keep this team above water for nearly six months, dealing with major injuries and setbacks along the way. While the rotation has a lot of question marks entering this month (Kluber almost back from injury but a few other starters on the shelf), Francona has been able to use his bullpen's arms to great effect, particularly that of trade deadline-acquisition Andrew Miller. Even though they're the American League's second seed, I consider this team to be a big underdog headed into Thursday's date with the Red Sox.

Boston Red Sox (93-69), AL East Champions
Speaking of the Red Sox- the boys from Boston scored another worst-to-first season this year, doing it once before in 2013 (where they won the World Series, you may remember). The Sox have much to be thankful for: they've got two incredible starters, between offseason pickup David Price and the should-be AL Cy Young winner Rick Porcello; they've got three players with over 30 home runs: Hanley Ramirez, the unexpected AL MVP candidate Mookie Betts, and the man who is having one of the most sensational final seasons of all time, David Ortiz, who leads the team with 38 homers. When this team gets rolling, it's an offensive juggernaut- scoring the most runs in the majors with 878, outscoring the next best team in baseball (Colorado) by 23, and the next best in the American League (Cleveland) by over 100. With an improved, but still- let's say enigmatic- rotation and bullpen, look for the Sox to make waves this postseason, as they try to win their fourth World Series in 12 years, and hopefully send Big Papi out on a high note.

Washington Nationals (95-67), NL East Champions
Next, we've got the Washington Nationals, my sleeper pick to win the World Series this year. The Nats won only one World Series title while they were the Senators, and never came close when they were the Montreal Expos. This year could change all that. With Max Scherzer leading the charge now that NL Cy Young candidate Stephen Strasberg is out due to injury, the Nationals bring to the table an under the radar, explosive offense that could prove troublesome for their NLDS opponent, the Los Angeles Dodgers, particularly in the form of offseason pickup Daniel Murphy, who hit home runs in six consecutive playoff games for the Mets last year, although he hasn't started since September 17th due to a butt injury. You've also got Bryce Harper, who is far and away one of the best all-around players in baseball. Don't let the big name Cubs and Red Sox draw your focus away from this underappreciated team this October.

Los Angeles Dodgers (91-71), NL West Champions
At the All-Star Break, the Los Angeles Dodgers were six games out of first place in the National League West. Here we are in the first weekend of October, where they won the division by four games over the San Francisco Giants, clinching in late September on a walk-off blast on Vin Scully's final game broadcasting from Dodger Stadium. Now that ace Clayton Kershaw is back from injury, the Dodgers can give it another solid run at a World Series championship. Their last title came in 1988, when they beat the A's, four games to one (see Gibson, Kirk). A player flying under the radar this year is Josh Reddick, who has a great ability to get hot when it matters most for a stretch of time. Given the fact that this team has been plagued with injuries, it's impressive that they've made it this far.

Texas Rangers (95-67), AL West Champions
Next, the Texas Rangers, who are also looking for their first World Series title, after posting back-to-back American League Pennants in 2010 and 2011. The Rangers have the one-two punch of Cole Hammels and Yu Darvish, who hasn't had a chance to show off in October yet. Second baseman Rougned Odor is one to watch, and players like Adrian Beltre, who has single-handedly put the entire team on his back with 32 homers and 104 RBIs. Take a look at reliever Matt Bush as well, if you want a feel-good story. Bush was the first overall pick at shortstop for the San Diego Padres back in 2004. Drinking problems forced him to take a hiatus from the game, and he was put in prison in 2012 due to multiple DUI's. Bush, entering his rookie season as a converted pitcher at the age of 30, has the ability to be lights out, striking out an average of one batter per inning this season. The Rangers are the American League's top seed. Don't be surprised if they win their first title this year, either.

San Francisco Giants (87-75) & New York Mets (87-75)
Now, we have the four Wild Card teams. The San Francisco Giants, while blowing that huge division lead to the Dodgers, have won every World Series that has taken place on an even-numbered year in this decade (2010, 2012, and 2014). They're in the playoffs again, with Madison Bumgarner looking to summon the one-man work horse that won the Giants the 2014 Series against Kansas City. Their opponents, the New York Mets, faced off against those same Royals in the World Series last year, ultimately losing in 5 games. This year's Mets team has one less Daniel Murphy and a few less pitchers, with stud Jacob DeGrom going down with injury. However, the team can still rally behind players like P Noah Syndergaard and OF Yoenis Cespedes. How fun would an NLCS rematch be if the Mets were to get through to the NLDS and face the Cubs?

Baltimore Orioles (89-73) & Toronto Blue Jays (89-73)
In the American League, we have two teams who came up just short in the AL East- the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays. These two franchises have represented the division the last two years in the ALCS. Toronto has a fantastic lineup, which features last year's AL MVP Josh Donaldson, the ever-popular Jose Bautista, catcher Russell Martin, the long ball hitting Edwin Encarnacion, and local Superman, outfielder Kevin Pillar. The Jays also feature Aaron Sanchez, who lead the American League in ERA this season with a solid 3.00. It should be mentioned that the Blue Jays also feature J.A. Happ and Marco Estrada, who also place in the top 15 in the American League in pitching. Their opponents, the Baltimore Orioles, live and die by the home run. Case and point: O's DH Mark Trumbo, who has hit a whopping 47 this season for the team, with teammate Chris Davis coming in with 32. It's also worth noting that their closer, Zach Britton, converted in every single save opportunity that he was presented with this season, with a 0.54 ERA this season. If Baltimore catches fire, watch out.

Now, the fun part. Here are my predictions for the 2016 Major League Baseball Postseason:

The Playoffs:

Wild Card Round:
AL- Baltimore Orioles at Toronto Blue Jays- Tuesday, October 4th @ 8:00pm (TBS)
Starters: Chris Tillman (BAL) vs. Marcus Stroman (TOR)

You live by the home run, you die by the home run. Stroman will be able to pick apart the Orioles' offense, and pitchers like Marcel Osuna will shut the O's down in the late innings. Tillman hasn't been the same since he's suffered all that shoulder inflammation and the Jays will jump all over it. Toronto moves on to Texas.
Winner: Toronto.

NL- San Francisco Giants at New York Mets- Wednesday, October 5th @ 8:00pm (ESPN)
Starters: Madison Bumgarner (SF) vs. Noah Syndergaard (NYM)

I really, really like this matchup. It will be a pitching duel if I've ever seen one. Bumgarner has had to pitch on the road before, beating the Pirates in Pittsburgh, and Syndergaard is still ready and willing as ever. I see a low scoring game, something like 2-1, with the Mets making a mistake in the late innings. Giants win this one, and rumblings begin to stir as the Giants could win their fourth World Series since 2010.
Winner: San Francisco.

Divisional Round:
​ALDS- Texas Rangers vs. Toronto Blue Jays- Begins Friday, October 7th (TBS)
Toronto leads season series, 4-3.

I don't really care what the season series is. What matters is that the Rangers are the most underrated team in the American League for these playoffs, and when they make quick work of the Blue Jays, everyone will see exactly what we're dealing with here. I say Toronto gets one back at home, but the Rangers finish them off relatively quickly.
Prediction: Texas wins series, 3-1.

ALDS- Cleveland Indians vs. Boston Red Sox- Begins Thursday, October 6th (TBS)
Boston leads season series, 4-2.

The Red Sox come out strong in this first round, and the Indians with their array of injuries, have a lot of trouble stopping them. Everyone will be surprised when Cory Kluber beats Rick Porcello in Cleveland in Game 1, but David Price, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Clay Buchholz will show solid outings, en route to a 3-1 series win for the Sox. With Cleveland's pitchers like Carrasco and Salazar injured, Boston should be able to lay on the hurt. Red Sox clinch at home. Ortiz has a clutch home run at some point this series.
Prediction: Boston wins series, 3-1.

NLDS- Chicago Cubs vs. San Francisco Giants- Begins Friday, October 7th (FS1)
Chicago leads season series, 4-3.

On paper, this series looks incredible. You've got the MadBum against the Bleacher Bums and their team, the Cubs. However, this is 2016, and it's literally just that. With Bumgarner out after pitching in the Wild Card game, the Giants will have to use other members of their rotation, which just isn't scary. The Cubs rotation, however, is quite scary. The Cubs throttle the Giants in game one at Wrigley Field and never look back, ending the Giants' hopes for a World Series title.
Prediction: Chicago wins series, 3-0.

NLDS- Washington Nationals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers- Begins Thursday, October 6th (FS1)
Los Angeles leads season series, 5-1.

We have the Dodgers, who have Clayton Kershaw, and the Nationals, who counter with Max Scherzer. After that, it's Rich Hill (LAD) against Tanner Roark (WAS), then Kento Maeda (LAD) vs. Gio Gonzalez (WAS). Unfortunately for the Nationals, the loss of Stephen Strasburg will prove fatal, as the team's injuries prevent the team from grinding against their NL West opponents, particularly taking into account the lack of play from Daniel Murphy and the loss of Wilson Ramos. It'll be close, but I think the Dodgers pull this one out.
Prediction: Los Angeles wins series, 3-2.


League Championship Series
ALCS- Boston Red Sox vs. Texas Rangers (TBS)
Season series tied, 3-3.

A precarious matchup, if I do say so myself. Can the Red Sox keep themselves from imploding against this Rangers team? Can the Rangers control this mighty Boston lineup? I think we'll get some brilliant pitching duels in this series, between Price, Porcello, Hammels and Darvish. It'll all be up to the rest of the pitching staffs to keep the series under control. One thing the Red Sox need to learn to get right before this series is to keep the bullpen locked down so as to secure any slim, late game leads. And with closer Craig Kimbrel effectively useless in non-save situations (but also in pretty much all situations, who are we kidding), they need to make sure that if they get a lead, they keep it. Texas' 36-11 record in one-run games is a league best. Boston is 20-24 in those games, the worst among all 10 playoff teams this year. This will be a season-defining moment for both franchises, although I think the Red Sox have more to lose here.
Prediction: Boston wins series, 4-3.

NLCS- Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (FOX)
Chicago leads season series, 4-3.

Chicago's pitching staff and lineup are just head and shoulders above the rest of the National League. They can and will attack you from both and offensive and pitching standpoint. After Kershaw, who is still nursing and injury, the Dodgers have some pretty capable pitchers, but the Cubs rotation and bullpen is just too strong. Even if Arietta's performance has dropped off, Hendricks and Lester lead the NL in ERA, and John Lackey is a postseason-tested veteran. Conspiracy theorists rejoice- the Cubs are sweeping their way to a World Series.
Prediction: Chicago wins series, 4-0. 

2016 World Series
Boston Red Sox vs. Chicago Cubs (FOX)
Teams did not play each other this season.

Well, baseball purists, here ya go. Your World Series dream matchup. Think about it. Doesn't the thought of this series make you salivate? We've got the original curse-breakers, the Red Sox, who, since breaking the Curse of the Bambino back in 2004, have won two more World Series titles, and are looking for their fourth in 12 years, against the Chicago Cubs, a franchise not exactly familiar with postseason success, because their entire existence has been wrought with misery, disappointment, and bad karma. They are looking for their first World Series championship in 108 years, after capturing their first League Pennant in 71 years. This will be a series that all who watched will remember forever. Both clubs are ingrained with the lifeblood of Theo Epstein, who guided the Red Sox to their World Series win in 2004. I predict a seven game slugfest, featuring incredible pitching performances and offensive showcases. When it comes down to it, I believe the Cubs are the all-around better team. They're good and deep enough to make a playoff run of this length. They're young, scrappy, and hungry, and they're not throwing away their shot. That's not to say that I don't think that 108 years of Billy Goats and Bartmans will come back to haunt them. The Red Sox are a lot better offensively. But as I've said from the beginning, their instability at the pitching position will be their doom. In a baseball season full of surprises, only one can prevail. Either the city of Chicago wins, Theo Epstein becomes the greatest general manager of all time, and every goat in Illinois can be put to rest, or the city of Boston wins, and David Ortiz gets to walk to Cooperstown with a fourth ring on his hand, an exclamation point at the end of an illustrious career. Which feel good story do you prefer? The Cubs win this one, sparking the greatest celebration in not just the history of sports, but the history of America. The world, even.
Prediction: Chicago wins series, 4-2.

Who's your pick to win the World Series? Leave a comment down below.

The NFL season begins on Thursday with a Super Bowl rematch, as the defending champion Denver Broncos take on the Carolina Panthers. This past offseason saw the departure of legends, the arrival of new faces, and the suspension of a certain goat. As this year has already shown outside of the sports world, 2016 promises to be a season of surprises.

From start to finish, here are my predictions for the NFL season's standings and projected winners, as well as 10 bold statements for the upcoming season.

Regular Season:
(z- first round bye and home-field advantage; y- first round bye; x- division winner; w- wild card)

AFC East:
z- New England Patriots- 14-2
Miami Dolphins- 9-7
New York Jets- 7-9
Buffalo Bills- 6-10

AFC North:
y- Pittsburgh Steelers- 12-4
Cincinnati Bengals- 9-7
Baltimore Ravens- 8-8
Cleveland Browns- 2-14

AFC South:
x- Houston Texans- 11-5
w- Indianapolis Colts- 10-6
Jacksonville Jaguars- 9-7
Tennessee Titans- 4-12

AFC West:
x- Oakland Raiders- 10-6
w- Kansas City Chiefs- 10-6
Denver Broncos- 9-7
San Diego 3-13

NFC East:
x- Dallas Cowboys- 10-6
Washington Redskins- 9-7
New York Giants- 9-7
Philadelphia Eagles- 5-11

NFC North:
z- Green Bay Packers- 13-3
Chicago Bears- 9-7
Minnesota Vikings- 6-10
Detroit 4-13

NFC South:
x- Carolina Panthers- 12-4
w- New Orleans Saints 10-6
Atlanta Falcons- 9-7
Tampa Bay Buccaneers- 6-10

NFC West:
y- Arizona Cardinals- 12-4
w- Seattle Seahawks- 12-4
Los Angeles Rams-  8-8
San Francisco 49ers- 5-11

Playoffs:
AFC Wild Card:
3 Kansas City vs. 6 Indianapolis
KC 31, IND 24

4 Oakland vs 5 Houston
OAK 23, HOU 17 (OT)

NFC Wild Card:
3 Carolina vs 6 New Orleans
CAR 42, NO 21

4 Dallas vs 5 Seattle
SEA 28, DAL 10


AFC Divisional Round:
1 New England vs 4 Houston
NE 34, HOU 17

2 Pittsburgh vs 3 Kansas City
PIT 17, KC 14

NFC Divisional Round:
1 Green Bay vs 5 Seattle
GB 32, SEA 24

2 Arizona vs 3 Carolina
ARI 42, CAR 27


AFC Championship:
1 New England vs 2 Pittsburgh
NE 47, PIT 26

NFC Championship:
1 Green Bay vs 2 Arizona
ARI 28, GB 21


Super Bowl LI:
New England vs. Arizona
NE 31, ARI 14


And, of course, no NFL season prediction list would be complete without a little fun. Here are 10 extremely bold predictions for the upcoming season!

(Editor's note- not all of these predictions fall in line with my standings predictions, I know, shut up.)

10 Bold Predictions for the 2016 NFL Season:

1. Cardinals RB David Johnson will win the rushing title. 
The Arizona Cardinals are poised to make a run at their first-ever Super Bowl title, having made it to the NFC title game last year and being blown out by the Carolina Panthers. The team returns again with one of the league's most explosive offenses, including Carson Palmer (who isn't getting any younger), Larry Fitzgerald (ditto), Michael Floyd and John Brown. Lost in the array of weapons that Palmer has to throw to is the running game, which, in the last few years, has been muddled through various RBs such as Andre Ellington and Chris Johnson. The Cardinals schedule features 9 teams that finished last year in the bottom half of the league in rushing defense, including two games with San Francisco (29), and Los Angeles (21). I expect this year to be David Johnson's year, as he rushes for more than 1,500 yards this season, finishing as the league's leading rusher.  


2. Antonio Brown will break the single-season receiving record. 
My reasoning is simple- there's no one who can stop him. Ben Roethlisberger has a grand total of three targets to throw to. He's got Darrius Hayward-Bey, who's mediocre at best, Markus Wheaton, who's a viable deep threat and not much else, and Antonio Brown. And yet, he led the league in receiving in 2014, while coming up 40 yards short of doing it again last year. Expect Brown to top Calvin Johnson's single season receiving record of 1,964 yards. The Steelers get a depleted Bengals defense twice, the Ravens twice, and the Browns twice, as well as the entire NFC east and AFC East. No problem. In fact, I'll go one step further with this prediction- Antonio Brown will also be the NFL's 2016 MVP based on his output this year. 


3. The Oakland Raiders will win the AFC West. 
The Raiders have dramatically improved in the last 2 seasons, with newcomer QB Derek Carr and WR Amari Cooper forming a threatening one-two punch on the offensive side of the ball. This isn't even taking into account the arrival of Khalil Mack, who had a field day got most of last season sacking opposing quarterbacks. I anticipate the Raiders to win 11 games this year. Most of this is due in part to their intra-division opponents, who, while definitely not getting worst, have certainly not going any better. Denver is now without Peyton Manning and a couple key defensive players. Kansas City could miss it's best pass rusher in Justin Houston, and San Diego is in full-on rebuilding mode. The stars are aligning for the Raiders to make the playoffs for the first time since 2002. Also, the last time the Raiders won the AFC West, they went on to play in the Super Bowl.

4. The Denver Broncos will miss the playoffs. 
The departure of Peyton Manning has left the Denver Broncos' offense in shambles. This season, the defending champs will start rookie Trevor Siemian at QB. I think it's safe to say that, on paper, Trevor Siemian is a big step down from future-first-ballot-Hall-of-Famer Peyton Manning. It's not all bad on offense for the defending champs, though. They're got a potential 1,000-yard rusher in CJ Anderson, and still have WR threats like Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. But, much like last season, the Broncos strength must come from their defense, which lost Danny Trevaithan and Malik Jackson this offseason. However, I don't believe the handsomely-paid Von Miller and his stupid glasses won't be enough to get the Broncos into the playoffs. They will lose games against opponents like Carolina, New England, Kansas City, Houston, Atlanta, New Orleans, Indianapolis, and Oakland. 9-7's not good enough to get into the playoffs in this league. Just another in a long list of defending champs to miss the playoffs the following season. 


5. The NFL's new rules will make the game only more frustrating to watch (and they'll still have no idea what constitutes a catch and what doesn't). 
The NFL has done a masterful job at frustrating all of us with its stupid rule changes in an attempt to make the game both more competitive and safer at the same time. The one-year trial on moving extra point tries back to the 15-yard line is now a permanent thing. A new rule this year involves moving the touchback line to the 25-yard instead of the 20, which the league believes will increase the amount of touchbacks and reduce injury. To me, this solves nothing, considering that moving the kickoff line to the 35 has made kick returns essentially non-existent, this is rule change is one more step toward eliminating kickoffs altogether, which means eliminating one of the most exciting things in football- the kick return for a touchdown. With fewer kick returns, it makes the game a touch less exciting to watch- and a little more frustrating. The NFL will also still have no explanation for what makes a catch and what does not. A major play with a catch possession rule will end up deciding a game, and while the NFL may deliberate the issue of the referee's decision, they will ultimately look the other way.

Sub-prediction- Josh Norman will be the first victim of the new Unsportsmanlike Conduct-Ejection rule. Two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and you're out. 


6. Andy Dalton will lose his starting job to A.J. McCarron. 
The Bengals haven't won a playoff game since 1991 (spoiler- that's not going to change this season), no thanks in part to Andy Dalton. Dalton even injured his hand last season, opening the door for then-rookie A.J. McCarron to take his spot. McCarron actually fared pretty well, almost beating the Denver Broncos in overtime, which would have all but knocked them out of playoff contention. I believe Dalton's play will suffer again this season, as well as the reappearance of the nagging hand injury, leading McCarron to begin starting games for the Bengals as early as week 7 (after they get throttled by the Patriots in Foxboro the week prior). The Bengals will recover under McCarron, ultimately finishing second in the AFC North and earning a wild card spot, where they will lose to the Houston Texans. Just because there's a change at QB doesn't mean the playoff drought will end. 


7. Tony Romo is about to get Bledsoe'd.
Like Tom Brady before him, Cowboys rookie QB Dak Prescott will start in place of the injured veteran Tony Romo (not that Dak Prescott is the next Tom Brady, but you know what I mean). And, like Brady before him, Prescott will take over permanently as the starter. Let's be serious here. Are Jerry Jones and Jason Garrett so infatuated with Tony Romo that, no matter what happens or how well Prescott fares, the golden boy is going to return as soon as his back has healed up? (Actually, thinking about it, they are that infatuated with him...) Romo is only as good as the players around him like Dez Bryant and newcomer Ezekiel Elliot, as well as a freakishly talented offensive line that includes consistent Pro-Bowler Zach Martin. Other than that, he's an injury prone quarterback who's been on the shelf for more than half of both this season and last season. He also can't seem to win playoff games. Prescott will inject the new blood the Cowboys desperately need, leading them to a 7-3 record atop the NFC East before Tony Romo is should be cleared to return. If the Cowboys have any common sense at all (AT ALL), they'll stick with Prescott for the remainder of the season, as I predict the Cowboys will win the NFC East of Prescott plays the full 16 games. 


8. The Cleveland Browns will go 0-16 this year. 
I would really love for this one to happen, although, whenever I'm confident in ANYthing sports related, it typically backfires in the first hour. The Browns will lose every single football game they play this season. I mean, they're already listed as underdogs in every game this year. The addition of Robert Griffin III will do nothing for the Browns, as the injury prone QB will either get hurt or lose his starting job to Brian Hoyer (yeesh). Last season, the three Browns wins came against teams with draft picks 6, 7, and 8 (Baltimore, Tennessee, and San Francisco, respectively) in the 2016 Draft. Two of those wins came with Johnny Manziel under center, who is no longer on the team. Also, it delights me so to know that Cleveland fans will be so high off the success of the Cavs and Indians that they'll plummet into despair when the Brownies lose every game this season. At least LeBron signed for a couple more years, right? An interesting matchup for the Browns comes on Christmas Eve against the Chargers, who are also in rebuild mode. 


9. The Jacksonville Jaguars will be in the playoff hunt (until week 17).
Blake Bortles is a capable quarterback. He's also got good weapons like Allen Hearns, Allen Robinson, and TJ Yeldon. The AFC South will be one of the most competitive divisions in the league this year, mark my words. The next steps for the Jags must come on defense. This is all, of course, banking on bounce-back seasons from Davon House and Jared Odrick. Expect the Jaguars to notch a few important wins against Indianapolis (a surprise win at that), and against Houston (another surprise win), on their way to a 9-6 record going into week 17, needing a win and some help to get into the final wild card spot. They will, ultimately, lose to Indianapolis, knocking them out of the playoff race altogether. Keep an eye out for this Jacksonville squad, though. 


10. The New England Patriots will not lose a game that Tom Brady starts. 
Gillette Stadium already has a giant banner hanging on its lighthouse. Countdown clocks on sports networks around the country have begun to tick. Tom Brady's suspension has begun, and it's only a matter of time before it's over. And when it's over, there will be hell to pay. This "Gronk You" tour will be much sweeter than last season, as Brady is actually serving his suspension this time around. There will also be more to play for, as the Patriots, even without Tom Brady, are far and away the best team in the AFC, and possibly the entire league. After Jimmy Garoppolo starts the first four games, which I anticipate him losing at least one of- look at Arizona in week 1, that's a scary defensive unit, Brady will return against the Cleveland Browns with - dare I say it- improved offensive weapons to use. Assuming everyone can remain healthy, the Patriots will finish the season on at least a 12-game winning streak, where they will blow out opponents by an average of 20 points or more the rest of the way, on their way to a victory in Super Bowl LI.

Which team will come out of nowhere this season? Am I right? Why am I wrong? Leave a comment down below!

The Olympic Games are an event that bring together nations from all over the world, and pits them against one another in competitions of sport to determine which nation is superior to all other nations (spoiler: it’s AMERICA).

But really. The Olympics are great because of what they do best- they demonstrate international unity over anything else. Because the Olympics in Rio are technically over, let’s take a look at why, when the Olympics happen, the world is the overall winner. Here are the top 15 International Olympic Moments.

This is part two of a two-part list series, where we took a look at the 15 best American Olympic moments (that list can be found here).

(SG- Summer Games; WG- Winter Games)

Honorable Mentions:

The Korbut Flip (1972 SG, Munich)

Long before the days of the Magnificent Sevens and the Fierce Fives and Final Fives, the Russians dominated women’s gymnastics. One such gymnast was Olga Korbut. This move right here should top every top 10 sports plays list for the rest of time. Surprisingly, Korbut only won a silver medal for this routine, but the Soviets did take home the gold for the team all-around.

Disclaimer: the move is actually now illegal in gymnastics because of the risk involved.


Andy Murray avenges his loss at Wimbledon on home soil (2012 SG, London)

At the All-England Club in July, native son Andy Murray took a miraculous run to the Wimbledon men’s singles final, where he became the first British man to do so since 1938. He would lose in four sets to Roger Federer, winning the first set but losing the next three. Then were the Olympics, which were also held in London the following month of August. Just like Federer before him, Murray had to overcome world #1 Novak Djokovic, but did so in straight sets. Federer defeated Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro to reach the final as well, setting up the stage for a rematch of the Wimbledon final. On the same grass that he lost the Wimbledon final, Murray defeated Federer in straight sets to win the gold medal for his country. In a highly emotional moment for England’s favorite son, Andy Murray delivered, making for a pretty cool Olympic moment out of the shadows of despair.


The world mourns for Nodar Kumaritashvili (2010 WG, Vancouver)

​On the day of the opening ceremony for the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, tragedy struck the sports world. During a practice run at the Whistler Sliding Center, Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, only 21 years of age, died after losing control of his sled on the penultimate turn, and striking an unprotected steel support beam. He was only the seventh athlete to have lost their life during Olympic demonstration. International reaction was one of shock and awe. The Georgian team contemplated not marching in the opening ceremonies, and potentially pulling out of the Olympics altogether. Eventually, the Georgians decided to compete in the name of their fallen comrade. In an emotional entrance during the parade of nations, the Georgian team sported armbands to commemorate Kumaritashvili’s life. A moment of silence was held at BC Place, and flags at Olympic venues (Olympic and Canadian alike) were flown at half-staff.


The Refugee Team marches at Opening Ceremonies (2016 SG, Rio de Janeiro)

Throughout the years, a number of athletes from around the world have flown under the Olympic flag. There’s the Independent Olympic Athletes team, the Mixed Team (athletes from numerous countries, like the UK and USA… random, right?), and the Unified Team (made up of former Soviet satellites during 1992). In 2016, however, a new addition to the group of athletes flying under the five rings reached a new level of awesome. Comprised of ten athletes from all around the world, the IOC established the first even Refugee Olympic Team. The team consisted of six men, and four women, competing in three sports: track & field, judo, and swimming. While the team has not yet reached a medal round of any kind, the fact that the IOC has decided to recognize athletes that are refugees is a pretty special thing.


The Top 15:

15. The Games Come Home; Athens hosts Summer Games (2004 SG, Athens)

​Athens, Greece hosted the inaugural modern Olympics in 1896, and did not host another for over a hundred years. As the Centennial Olympic games came about in 1996, many thought that Athens would get the bid for the 100th anniversary (of course, that honor went to Atlanta, Georgia).When the 2004 bids came along, however, Athens was finally awarded the bid. The opening ceremony was something special to behold. In a presentation steeped in legacy, passion, emotion, appreciation for ancestry, and (obviously) athleticism, Athens brought the games they originated into the 21st century, boasting state-of-the-art technology that not many had ever seen before in an opening ceremony. The games had finally come back to where it all began.

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14. The Jamaican bobsled team is actually a thing (1988 WG, Calgary)

​We’ve all seen the movie Cool Runnings, right? If you haven’t, you’re a terrible person, go watch it. Go watch it right. Now. Real talk, the inspiration for the film came from the Jamaican bobsled team who competed at the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary. Keep in mind these were actual bobsledders, not failed would-be Olympic sprinters. As a team from a tropical nation competing in a winter sport, naturally, many were skeptical about their participation. Eventually, the Jamaican bobsledders won over the hearts of many-a naysayer. Just like in the film (although not on the same run), the Jamaicans crashed their four-man sled and did not finish. However, this was only the beginning for the Jamaicans. After a poor showing in 1992, the team finished 14th in the four-man event at the 1994 Games in Lillehammer, Norway, besting Russia, Australia, France, and the United States. Most recently, the Jamaicans qualified for the two-man bobsled at the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia. You could say they’re superstars of the bobsled world, showing the world that the cold sports aren’t just reserved for those who have the capabilities. Disney gets all the good stories, don’t they?


13. The Hermanator rides again (1998 WG, Nagano)

Austrian skier Herman Maier competed in the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, Japan, where he won two gold medals, one in the Super-G, the other in the giant slalom. A few days before, in the downhill race, Maier was involved in a scary-looking crash, in which he flipped over a few times, and meeting two layers of B-netting. In 2001, six months before the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City, Maier was involved in a motorcycle accident, when a car met his bike head on. Many thought his racing career was over, as doctors almost amputated one of his legs. Maier underwent major reconstructive surgery, and ultimately made a comeback in 2003. In 2006, he raced at in the same two events in which he medaled in Nagano, winning a silver and a bronze, respectively. Due to his seemingly indestructible nature, Maier was given the nickname “The Herminator.”


12. Beijing re-defines the opening ceremony (2008 SG, Beijing)

We see Opening Ceremonies at the Olympics and think “wow, that’s a lot of crazy lighting and costumes, I’m so excited for the Olympics!” We also think: “remember the Beijing Opening ceremony? That was crazy!” It is clear that the bar has been set for all Olympic Opening ceremonies to come. Directed by Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou, the opening ceremony featured 2008 Fou drummers pounding on bronze drums, which lit up to form both Arabic and Mandarin numbers that counted down the start of the games. What followed was a dazzling spectacle reflecting on China’s past, from ancient dynasties to the Silk Road, to China’s “glorious era,” including its flourishing economy and space exploration programs, to a showing of the nation’s dream for harmony among the peoples and nations of the world. This Opening Ceremony was so good, even Steven Spielberg called it “arguably the grandest spectacle of the new millennium.” The American Film Institute even called it one of the “Eight Moments of Significance” for 2008. Watch and see what I’m talking about.


11. Australians upset Americans on home soil (2000 SG, Sydney)

The 4 x 100 meter freestyle relay was first brought to the Olympics for men in 1984 (before then it had been exclusive to women). And for four straight Summer Olympics, the United States had won every single time. They survived close races here and there (three in a row against the Soviet Union, Unified Team, and Russia- but they’re all the same really so who’s counting), but always emerged victorious. That all changed at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. This time, it was the host Aussies who proved victorious against the previously-undefeated Americans. With Australia holding its lead through the first three legs of the race, American Gary Hall, Jr. passed Australia’s anchor, the legendary Ian Thorpe, with only 50m left to swim. Thorpe, however, was able to recover, and squeak ahead of the American, touching the wall only .19 seconds ahead of Hall. The Australians finished the race in a world record time of 3:13.67, shocking the favored Americans and lighting a fire under the home crowd. For the first time, the Americans proved vulnerable in the pool, and the Australians gave their country something to rally behind.


10. Abebe Bikila don’t need no damn shoes (1960 SG, Rome)

​Russia’s doping scandal prior to the 2016 Games in Rio is just one of many cases of athletes using performance-enhancing drugs to gain that edge over their competition. Especially in the age of the Internet and the 24-hour news cycle, every piece of success athletes attain is magnified to the degree of speculating whether or not PEDs were used. Enter Abebe Bikila, an Ethiopian marathoner who competed in the 1960 Summer Games in Rome. Bikila is a prime example of an athlete using zero performance-enhancement. Bikila won the men’s marathon running barefoot. That’s right, barefoot. As in no Nikes or PF Flyers helping him along the way. Running the way man was intended to run. He was originally sponsored was Adidas, but could not find shoes that fit him, hence running the race barefoot. He and Moroccan Rhadi Ben Abdesselam stayed about even until the last 500m, when Bikila sprinted to the finish line, finishing 26 seconds head of his Moroccan rival. No performance enhancement necessary. In 1964, Bikila again ran the marathon, this time wearing shoes. He won a gold medal in the event, setting a new world record, and beating the silver medalist by upwards of four minutes. Any PED use there? You decide.


9. Hicham El-Guerrouj’s run to redemption (2004 SG, Athens)

Hicham El-Guerrouj is now considered one of the finest middle-distance runners of all time, but his road to success did not come easy. Take, for example, his participation in the 1500m, where he was expected to challenge and potentially defeat three-time world champion Noureddine Morceli of Algeria. As he challenged for the lead, he fell with 400m remaining, finishing 12th. In 2000, El-Guerrouj again challenged for gold in the 1500m, only to be overtaken again by Kenyan Noah Ngeny, who had trained with El-Guerrouj as a pace maker. By the time 2004’s Games in Athens came around, El-Guerrouj was 29 years old, and entering the decline of his racing career. Again, El-Guerrouj participated in the 1500m. Due to a slow start to begin the 2004 season, most attention was drawn off El-Guerrouj and onto the 2000 bronze medalist, Frenchman Bernard Lagat, who ran the fastest 1500m of the year. In a thrilling race, the two ran nip and tuck around the track, trading positions 1 and 2 throughout the race. In the final few strides, however, El-Guerrouj pulled ahead of Lagat, and secured himself his first gold in the 1500m. Later in the games, El-Guerrouj also won the 5000m, becoming the first man in nearly 80 years to accomplish such a feat. For an Olympic career that spans three games and only has three medals attached, the story of Hicham El-Guerrouj is a celebration of the Olympic spirit- never giving up in the face of adversity. 


8. Eric Liddell inspires Chariots of Fire (1924 SG, Paris)

​We all know the scene. We all know the music. Men in white track suits running on a beach in slow-motion, with glorious 80s piano-ballad music in the background. There’s actually a pretty scandalous backstory to the events that inspired Chariots of Fire. At the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, Eric Liddell was heavily favored to win the 100m. There was one problem- Liddell was a devout Christian, and the qualifying heats were on a Sunday. Naturally, Liddell needed to make a decision: run the race in defiance of his beliefs, or remove himself from the competition. Liddell chose the latter, and did not compete in the event his was most dominant in. Instead, Liddell chose to run in the 400m, which previously he was only modestly successful in. However, Liddell managed to secure himself a gold medal. The 100m was instead run by Harold Abrahams (whom you also may remember from the film). Abrahams, a Jew, was running to overcome prejudices against athletes of his religion. The two men exhibited bravery to the highest degree at the 1924 games in Paris, making for one hell of a story to put to film.


7. Eric the Eel comes up short in a big way (2000 SG, Sydney)

When one hears the phrase “elite Olympic swimmers,” no one really thinks of Equatorial Guinea (a country in Western Africa- see, you don’t think of it so often, that I had to just tell you where it’s located. Thank you, Andrew. You’re welcome, reader). And for the 100m freestyle race at the 2000 Games in Sydney, that was mostly true. For the Sydney Games, the IOC held a wildcard draw designed to encourage developing nations without proper training to compete. Remember the name Eric Moussambani, or Eric the Eel, for short. Moussambani, one of two Equatoguinean swimmers (the other on the women’s side) entered a qualifying heat against Karim Bare of Niger, and Farkhod Oripov of Tajikistan. The two dove into the water early, prompting a disqualification due to a no false-start rule. Moussambani would swim the heat unopposed. Eric had never seen an Olympic sized pool before. He took up swimming 8 months before the games, and practiced in both a pond and a 12m pool at a hotel he stayed at. However, Eric dove in and began the swim down and back. Fighting drowning, and evidently struggling to stay above the water, Moussambani finished his heat with a final time of 1:52.72, 50 seconds slower than the next best competitor, and even outside the best times of the 200m (it was a new Equatoguinean record, though). However, the Sydney crowd embraced Moussambani, giving him some of the loudest cheers ever heard for a non-native athlete at the Olympics. Obviously, Moussambani did not qualify for a semifinal, coming in 71st (and last, if you don’t count the three swimmers who earn DQs). Eric the Eel kept swimming, however, getting his personal best time to under 57 seconds, and later becoming the coach of the Equatorial Guinea swim team.



6. Sid the Kid’s Golden Goal (2010 SG, Vancouver)

Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby has had expectations on him the size of Canada ever since he entered the NHL at the age of 18. And he’s lived up to his expectations for the most part, winning the Pens two Stanley Cup Championships, as well as two Hart Trophies, a Conn Smythe, and five all-star selections. One thing he did not have before 2010 was an Olympic gold medal, having been left off the 2006 Canadian squad (although it didn’t matter, they didn’t medal anyways). When February 2010 came around, many felt that Crosby’s luck in the NHL was beginning to run thin, as he entered a slump in late 2009. There may have even been rumors of a Crosby trade or demotion from team captain. When Canada entered the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, Crosby was poised to make an international impression and break out of the slump. While he did score the game winner in a shootout in a second-round game against Switzerland, Sid the Kid went pointless in the next two games. Then came the gold medal game at Rogers Arena against the United States. The Americans fought back from a 2-0 deficit to tie the game with 25 seconds left on a goal by Zach Parise, sending it into overtime. At the 7:40 mark of overtime, Crosby came through for his country, knocking a wrist shot past Ryan Miller to win the gold for Canada. This re-invigorated Crosby’s season, as he ended up finishing tied for second in points at the end of the NHL season. But what really mattered was Crosby’s showing that he could still be the hero that Canada deserved.



5. Lawrence Lemieux saves opponents from drowning (1988 SG, Seoul)

​No one pays attention to sailing at the Olympics, it’s a known fact. I had forgotten sailing was even an Olympic sport for a while. But in the most unlikely of places, the most incredible stories and most heroic actions can be found. Canadian Lawrence Lemieux competed at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, finishing off the podium in the Star Class. At the 1988 Games in Seoul, Lemieux competed in the Finn Class (a single-handed, or one man, sailboat). During a run at Busan (the main sailing site for the games), the Finn and 470 (two man) classes were competing at their respective sides. Lemieux was running second during this run, which, if the results held through the rest of the races, would be enough to earn him a place in the medal round. During the race, however, the wind suddenly picked up to 35 knots. Over at the 470 course, two sailors from Singapore saw their vessel capsize, throwing the two from the boat and injuring them. About halfway through his run, Lemieux spotted the two men in distress, and made the decision to veer off course and help the two men onto his boat, where he waited for a patrol boat to fetch the two Singaporeans and bring them back to shore. When Lemieux finally re-entered his race, he finished in 21st. Due to his exceptional heroism and sacrifice in the name of humanity, the board of International Yacht Racing determined that due to Lemieux’s selflessness and bravery, they would reinstate his second-place finish. Lemieux would finish 11th overall in the class, ultimately failing to make the medal round. He would become only the second athlete to be awarded the Pierre de Coubertin Medal for exceptional sportsmanship. 


4. Cathy Freeman wins gold and the hearts of the world (2000 SG, Sydney)

Cathy Freeman carried the hopes and dreams of a nation on her shoulders at the 2000 Games in Sydney. Freeman, an Australian Aboriginal, was given the honor of lighting the Olympic Flame at the Opening Ceremony, and ran in the 400m a week later, where she was the home favorite to win the title. She was expected to be challenge by France’s Marie-Jose Perec, but Perec left the games due to personal issues. With the hope of a nation resting on her performance in the race, Freeman took her mark, sporting a green, yellow, and silver full body suit (representing the colors of her country), but sporting red, yellow, and black track shoes (representing her Aboriginal heritage). Freeman won the Olympic title in a time of just over 49 seconds, to a highly emphatic response to the hometown fans. She took a victory lap, carrying both the Australian and Aboriginal flags, before falling to her knees in tears. This was an emotional moment for Australians and the world over, as many had seen Freeman’s victory as the reconciliation of black and white uniting together in hope, spirit, and sport. 



3. Usain Bolt's thunderous performance (2008 SG, Beijing)

There’s no question about it, especially after his performance in Rio; Usain Bolt is the fastest man alive. And with a last name like “Bolt,” wouldn’t you think so? Bolt entered Beijing for the 2008 Summer Olympics as the favorite to win the 100m, the crowning of the fastest runners alive. Having already set a world record in the 100m at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan, Bolt entered Beijing with a mind to win both the 100m and 200m. Though various pundits claimed a lack of experience would work against him, Bolt prove the naysayers wrong. Lazy athletes don’t run a 9.69 world-record time in the 100m final of the Olympics. And the best part is this: Bolt doesn’t even run the full 100 meters full out. He runs about 90 meters, and then pulls up celebrating for the last 10. Also, his shoe was untied. With Michael Johnson in the crowd for the 200m (and believing Bolt would win, but would not break his world record), Bolt smashed the world record with a new best time of 19.30, .02 seconds faster than Johnson in 1996. Bolt would go on to anchor the Jamaican team in the 4 x 100m relay, earning himself three gold medals. He would do all three again in both London in 2012 and Rio in 2016, winning all of them, retiring from Olympic competition undefeated.



2. Derek Redmond’s father helps him cross the finish line (1992 SG, Barcelona)

No one likes to see an athlete get hurt. No one likes to see people visibly struggle with pain in athletic competitions. What makes us feel good, however, is love in the face of pain. British sprinter Derek Redmond entered the 400m in Barcelona, Spain for the 1992 Summer Olympics. He looked to be in pretty good form, posting the fastest overall time of the first round, and winning his quarterfinal race. In the semi-final, however, things did not go well for Redmond, as a miraculous run for glory was cut short. About 150 meters into his semifinal, Redmond tore his hamstring, causing him to collapse to the ground, writhing in pain, crushing his Olympic dream. With stretchers and medical support teams on their way to Redmond, he waved them away, knowing he would be disqualified if he received any help. Redmond got back up and hobbled toward the finish, but only got so far before falling again. He got back up and began to hobble again. With medical teams closing in, Redmond found himself suddenly supported by a familiar arm- his father Jim, who had stormed past security to reach his son. Derek, in tears, clung to his father as they both made their way down the track. The two received a standing ovation for the display of support and emotion as Derek and Jim finally crossed the finish line, with the former collapsing into the arms of medical teams. Though Redmond technically did get disqualified for helping, this moment remains one of the most powerful in the history of the games. Watch the video and try not to cry.


​1. Nadia Comaneci's Perfect 10 (1976 SG, Montreal)

Perfection is something people strive for, but don’t always attain. It’s even harder on the Olympic stage, where everything an athlete does (at least in a competition where points and rankings are based on judgement) is picked apart by judges. In 1976 at the Summer Games in Montreal, 14-year old Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci proved that perfect is just a word. During the artistic all-around, gymnasts from Germany and the Soviet Union were posting extremely high scores, some as high as 9.9 out of 10. On the uneven bars, Nadia blew them all out of the water, posting the first perfect 10 in the history of the Olympics. It was so rare, the scoreboard, which only showed three digits due to the highly unlikely event of a gymnast posting a perfect 10. The scoreboard showed a “1.00” after Nadia’s flawless uneven bar routine, but everyone in the arena knew they had seen perfection. And just for kicks, Nadia did another uneven bar routine in the optional round, where she scored another perfect 10. She concluded her uneven bar rounds with two more perfect 10s, and even put another one up on the balance beam. Overall, Nadia won the individual all-around, as well as gold medals on the balance beam and uneven bars. In a showing of Olympic excellence, Nadia Comaneci left a legacy on the nation of Romania, inspiring girls to become gymnasts and compete at very high levels for years to come. After Olga Korbut, the next name on the list of female gymnasts that take the sport to the next level must be Nadia. Even though gymnastics scores are not based on a scale of 10 anymore, it is clear that, sliding scale or not, everyone inside the Montreal Forum that night was witness to perfection.


What's your favorite Olympic moment from outside the U.S.? Leave a comment down below.

Ah, the Olympic Games. The one time every other year where the world becomes obsessed with sports they never usually care about. 

But really. We're so lucky to have live in a country that's so steeped in Olympic history. And now that we're just about halfway through the games of the XXXI Olympiad in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, let's take a look at just how awesome our country is at doing the Olympic thing. 

This is a two-part list series, where I'm taking a look at the best American Olympic moments, followed by the best Olympic moments from around the rest of the world. 

(SG- Summer Games; WG- Winter Games. Just in case you were curious).

​Honorable Mentions:

Dara Torres still has game; wins silver at age 41 (2008 SG, Beijing)

​Already a decorated Olympic medalist, with a silver in 1976 and two golds at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles, Greg Louganis was poised to repeat his success on both the 3m springboard and the 10m platform at the 1988 games in Seoul. On a preliminary attempt on the springboard, however, Louganis, suffered a concussion when his head connected with the diving board on the way into the pool. Instead of bowing out, Louganis, like a champ, continued to compete, and ended up earning the highest single score of the qualifying round with his second dive. He won the gold medal in that same event by a margin of 25 points, using the same dive on which he nearly split his head open.

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The Fierce Five- U.S. Women Conquer in London (2012 SG, London)

​After modest showings in 2004 and 2008, with Carly Patterson and Nastia Liukin winning individual all-around golds, the United States women’s gymnastics team showed up to the games sporting a group of remarkable young women known as the “Fierce Five,” poised to become only the second American team ever to win the team all-around event. It featured McKayla Maroney, who placed second on the individual vault event (inspiring the ever-popular “McKayla is not impressed” meme), Aly Raisman, whose inspiring floor routine earned her an individual gold, and one Gabby Douglas, who became the third consecutive American to win the individual all-around gold. With performances by these three women, as well as the likes of Jordan Wieber and Kyla Ross, the team showed the unstoppable prowess of American women in the gymnastics arena.

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Rulon Gardner defeats Aleksandr Karelin (2000 SG, Sydney)

​Much like another American upset that I’ll get to later on the list, Rulon Gardner came into the Sydney Olympics as a massive underdog against the rest of the field. He had never been an NCAA Champion or a World Medalist of any kind. Miraculously, he made it all the way to the gold-medal match for 130kg-class Greco-Roman wrestling, something an American had never medaled in before.  His opponent, Russian Aleksandr Karelin, had not lost a match in 13 years of international competition, and had not surrendered a point in nearly a decade. Still, in a shocking upset, Gardner was able to defeat the mighty Russian by a score of 1-0, winning the gold medal.


The Top 15:

15. U.S. Women's National Team is golden in extra time (2004 SG, Athens)

​There’s nothing better than winning a game in overtime. Well, how about winning a gold medal on a goal in overtime? That’s exactly what happened at the 2004 Summer Games in Athens, when the United States took on Brazil in the final of the women’s football tournament. With the score tied at 1 goal each at the end of regulation, the two football superpowers took the game into extra time. In the 122nd minute, and only 8 minutes remaining until impending penalty kicks, American Abby Wambach (one of the most legendary American female footballers ever, who was only 24 at the time) knocked in a header off a corner kick from Kristine Lilly, giving the Americans a 2-1 advantage. The Americans would close out the Brazilians to win their second gold medal in 8 years.

14. The "Dream Team" dominates the rest of the world (1992 SG, Barcelona)

​Originally, the Olympic games were meant to bring together the best amateurs in the world of sports; that is, professionals were not to be found in the sports the Olympics have to offer. By the 1992 Summer Games in Barcelona, Spain, that had all changed. For the first time, the NBA’s best were sent to Barcelona to compete for a gold medal- and that meant, for the first time, the NBA’s best Americans were going to compete against the rest of the world. Let’s take a second to list off the number of Hall of Famers on this team. David Robinson. Patrick Ewing. Larry Bird. Scottie Pippen. Michael Jordan. Clyde Drexler. Karl Malone. John Stockton. Chris Mullin. Charles Barkley. Magic Johnson. With the exception of Christian Laettner of Duke, the only collegiate player on the team, that’s EVERYONE. Everyone else on the team is a Hall of Famer. Experts call it the greatest basketball team ever assembled. Then there’s the Olympic results. The Americans never scored fewer than 100 points in a game, and defeated all of their opponents by 30 points or more. They finished with a dominant 117-85 win over Croatia in the Gold Medal game.


13. Eric Heiden wins five speed skating gold medals (1980 WG, Lake Placid)

Located outside of the Lake Placid Ice Arena is the Olympic Skating Rink. Not your traditional speed skating arena, the oval is located on a frozen-over section of the track at Lake Placid High School. It’s also outside, where the bitter winds and cold can freeze skaters in their tracks. The conditions did not affect Eric Heiden, however, who tore up the track during the 1980 Games, in the shadow of what was going on inside the hockey rink. In each of the men’s individual events, Heiden not only won a gold medal, but set an Olympic record in each one. That’s five gold medals, one in the 500m, 1000m, 1500m, 5000m, and 10000m. Heiden also set a new World Record on the 10000m, with a time of 14:28.13. In spite of the cold, Heiden was red hot for the Americans. 


12. Dan Jansen wins gold in the name of his sister (1994 WG, Lillehammer)

On the day of the 500m speed skating event in 1988, Dan Jansen was notified that his sister Jean was dying of Leukemia. A few hours later, he was notified of her death. He went on to compete in the 500m race later that day, but ended up falling in the first turn. He also began the 1000m race under record-breaking speed, but ended up falling once again. Upon returning to the 1992 Winter Games in Albertville, France, Jansen again Jansen was the favorite to win both the 500 and 1000m races. He finished 4th and 26th, respectively. Finally, two years later in Lillehammer, Norway, Jansen pulled through, winning the gold in the 1000m. Jansen dedicated the win to his sister, and was chosen by his fellow Olympians to hoist the U.S. flag at the closing ceremonies, in recognition of his perseverance through six years of athletic despair and overcoming a painful emotional loss.


11. Michael Johnson smashes two world records (1996 SG, Atlanta)

​The 200m and 400m races are two very different things. The 200m is far more sprint-based, while the 400m requires a steady balance of stamina control and knowing when to push at just the right time. While many sprinters compete in all kinds of events of varying lengths, no athlete had ever won both events at the same Olympics. At the Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia in 1996, Johnson did just that. First was the 400m, which Johnson easily won with a world record time of 43.49 seconds. A few days later, Johnson did it again, smashing the existing 200m world record by four tenths of a second. This record would stand until a runner named Usain Bolt would break it in 2009 (Johnson’s 400m record was broken at the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro by Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa). During the races, Johnson sported a pair of custom gold Nike sneakers, earning him the nickname “the man with the golden shoes.”


10. Mary Lou Retton becomes first American to win all-around gold (1984 SG, Los Angeles)

Before 1984, no American had ever won the all-around gold medal in artistic gymnastics. At the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles, California, 16-year old Mary Lou Retton became the first. With two events remaining in the competition, and trailing the event favorite, Romanian Ecaterina Szabo by .15 points, Retton scored perfect 10s on both the vault and floor exercises, with the latter coming in dramatic fashion, considering she had undergone an operation to repair an injured knee five weeks prior to the games. Retton earned the victory over Szabo by .05 points, earning “America’s Sweetheart” a gold medal- the first gymnast outside of Eastern Europe to ever do so.


9. Ali lights the flame (1996 SG, Atlanta)

​During the 1996 Opening Ceremony, there was a large amount of speculation as to who was going to light the torch. The 1996 Games were incredibly important; not just for the United States as host nation, but for the Olympics as a whole, as the 1996 Games celebrated the 100-year anniversary of the first Modern Olympic games. After the participating nations made their way around into Centennial Olympic Stadium, the Olympic Torch made its way into the stadium, first being passed to hometown Atlantan Evander Holyfield, whom many thought would be the one to light the torch. However, swimmer Janet Evens’ lap around the stadium finished with a pass to one of the greatest sportsmen to ever live- Muhammad Ali. Ali, shaking due to the effects of Parkinson’s disease, lit a mechanical torch, which traveled along a wire to a cauldron atop the stadium. The fact that the torch lighter was kept a secret was dramatic enough, but to have it be Muhammad Ali (who received a replacement gold medal for his success at the 1960 Rome Olympics) is even more emotional. The emotion is clear in Ali’s eyes, making his lighting of the torch one of the most poignant and dramatic images of the 1996 Summer Games.


8. Carl Lewis matches Jesse Owens (1984 SG, Los Angeles)

​Carl Lewis’s track and field record is not to be messed with. He is a four-time Olympian, competing in the 1984, 1988, 1992 and 1996 Summer Games, winning at least one gold medal at each (and a total of 10 medals overall). At his first Olympics in 1984 in Los Angeles, Lewis was entered in four events, having a strong possibility of winning each one, thereby emulating the legendary Jesse Owens and winning four individual gold medals at a single Olympics. First was the 100m dash, which he won handily by running a 9.99, .2 seconds faster than the second place finisher. Second was the long jump. Lewis’s first jump was 8.52m (28 feet), and would easily be enough to win the event. Though he was encouraged to keep jumping in an attempt to break Bob Beamon’s 29’ 2 ¼” jump, Lewis held off, fearing that pushing himself too hard might wear him out from winning his final two events (he did end up winning the long jump event). In the 200m, Lewis set a new Olympic record, winning in a time of 19.8 seconds. Finally, he anchored the 4x100m relay team, where the United States set a new world record of 37.83 seconds, with Lewis racing the best 100m of his life. With his four golds, Lewis solidified himself as one of the fastest men alive, and equaled one of America’s Olympic legends. 

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7. The Black Power salute (1968 SG, Mexico City)

​With a time of 19.83 seconds, Tommie Smith set a new world record in the 200m final, winning a gold medal. John Carlos, who finished with a time of 20.1 seconds, ended up with a bronze medal. But the times and standings were not important at the Games in Mexico City in 1968. In a daring act of political protest, Smith and Carlos, standing on the medal podium without shoes (instead, wearing black socks), bowed their heads, and raised a black-gloved fist into the air during the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner, in solidarity with the Black Freedom Movement in the United States. Both Smith and Carlos were booed from the podium, expelled by the IOC from the Olympics, and heavily criticized at home (with both men and their families receiving death threats). While the move was highly controversial, however, Smith and Carlos exhibited immense bravery by demonstrating an imbalance of both human rights and racial justice, doing so on the world’s largest stage for sport. In 2008, despite the backlash from the gesture, Smith and Carlos were given the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage at the ESPY Awards. For a brief moment on the world stage, two men dared to look into the eyes of the powerful, and, as solid as a clenched fist, declare their pride in being not only American, but an American athlete of color. A truly defining Olympic moment if ever there was one.


6. Florence Griffith-Joyner becomes the world's fastest woman (1988 SG, Seoul)

Flo-Jo was an unknown in 1988. Now, we all know her as the woman whose records seemingly cannot be touched. Before the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1988, Joyner had not exactly been the most prominent competitor, with her personal best in the 100m being a 10.89 into the wind. At the trials, however, that all changed. Joyner broke the world record for the 100m by nearly a quarter of a second. She backed up the win with three equally strong races at the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul, South Korea, setting an Olympic record at 10.62 seconds. In the 200m, Flo-Jo was even more dominant. The 200m world record, set originally by East German Marita Koch in 1979, was 21.71 seconds; the previous Olympic record, set by American Valerie Brisco-Hooks at the Los Angeles Games in 1984, was 21.81 seconds. In the quarterfinals alone, Joyner shattered the Olympic record, posting a 21.76. In the semifinals, she shattered the world record by nearly .2 seconds, with a 21.56. Finally, in the finals, Joyner took home a gold medal, breaking her own world record in the process by running a 21.34. In less than three days, both the Olympic and world records had been completely shattered. Florence Griffith-Joyner had run the 100m and 200m faster than any woman in history. The best part? No one has come close to touching Flo-Jo’s marks in almost 30 years.


5. Kerri Strug's gold-winning vault on a broken ankle (1996 SG, Atlanta)

The scene is the Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. The event is the women’s gymnastics team all-around, an event that had been dominated by Russian and Romanian teams for decades- and never won by the Americans. The “Magnificent Seven” as they were called, were in a tight spot, trailing the Russian team by a very slim margin heading into the final day of team competition. After all but one rotation, however, things were beginning to look the Americans’ way, as they held a commanding .897-point lead over the Russians with one event remaining: the Russians were on the floor, and the Americans were on the vault. Theoretically, the Russians could clinch the gold, but only if the Americans were to suffer a colossal collapse. Four of the Americans stuck their landings, but did not do so cleanly. To make matters worse, Dominique Morceau fell on both vault attempts. Strug was the last to vault for the Americans. On her first attempt she under-rotated, severely damaging her left ankle (she was awarded a 9.1 for the vault itself). Since the final Russian to perform on the floor (Roza Galieva) would go after Kerri’s second vault, Strug needed to land her second vault cleanly in order to secure the gold medal. After limping back to the start line, Strug miraculously stuck her landing on what appeared to be one foot. She immediately collapsed to the mat in pain, but she had done what her team and country needed her to do- secure the first team all-around gold medal for the United States. The image of coach Bela Karolyi carrying Strug to the podium is one of the most touching images in American Olympic history.


4. Mark Spitz wins seven gold medals (1972 SG, Munich)

​The 1972 Summer Games in Munich, West Germany are steeped in controversy and sadness. What gets lost among all the politics of the games, and is often forgotten, is one of the single greatest performances in the history of the modern Olympics. In 1968, Spitz brashly predicted that he would win six gold medals, one more than the current record of 5 at the time, held by American shooter Willis A. Lee at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium. Spitz only won two team events in Mexico City, along with winning a silver and a bronze. Poised to better his results in 1972, Spitz entered seven different events in Munich. In one of the most impressive swimming exposition of all time, Spitz won all seven of the events he entered- a record seven gold medals at one Olympics. To make it even sweeter, Spitz set world records in all of those events. In true Olympian fashion, Spitz dominated his competition, even though his races were very close to one another time-wise. On one day, he set a world record in the 100m butterfly, then, an hour later helped his team set a world record in the 4x200m freestyle relay. Spitz’s record would remain for 36 years. What is unfortunate is that Spitz’s success gets lost in the shadow of the tragedies outside of the Olympics, which, as a Jewish-American athlete, prevented him from staying in Munich for the duration of the games, as he left shortly after completing his tremendous run of success.


3. Michael Phelps wins eight gold medals (2008 SG, Beijing)

​Just like Spitz before him, Michael Phelps was a standout athlete, already having competed in two Olympics prior, winning eight medals in Athens in 2004, six of them gold. Also like Spitz before him, Phelps was poised to overcome greatness before him, and best his predecessor’s record of seven gold medals at a single Olympics, by winning eight. The road did not come easy, though. First was the 400m individual medley, which Phelps won in a world-record time of 3:29.24. Second was the 4x100m freestyle relay, in which the Americans were underdogs to France. Phelps set an American record for his 100m leg, but it was teammate Jason Lezak, the anchor of the team, who made up half a body length on French swimmer Alain Bernard, to win Phelps his second gold by .08 seconds, and set a world record in the process. 

​He then won the 200m freestyle in world record time. The next day, he pulled a Mark Spitz, competing in two finals in one day: first the 200m butterfly (1:52.03, world record), and, less than an hour later (sound familiar?), swam the first leg of the 4x200m freestyle relay (which his team won in a world record time of 6:58.56- breaking the previous record by four seconds). His sixth medal came in the 200m individual medley, which was a world record time of 1:54.23. The seventh medal may have been the most difficult: the 100m butterfly. Phelps defeated Serbian Milorad Cavic by .01 seconds to set a new Olympic record (leaving Spitz’s record of WR’s equaled but not broken), and obtain a seventh gold medal. 

The following night, Phelps swam for Olympic history, with team USA winning the 4x100m medley relay, in (once again) world record time. While his Olympic swimming career may now be over, Michael Phelps’ indelible image remains: 25 Olympic medals, 23 of them gold, 8 of them during one week in Beijing in 2008.


2. Jesse Owens embarrasses Hitler in Berlin (1936 SG, Berlin)

​When Berlin was selected to host the 1936 Summer Olympics, the year was 1931. Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party did not rise to power until 1933. When it did, however, the IOC was hesitant to keep the games in Berlin. A prominent Nazi newspaper was steadfast in its belief that Jews and Blacks would not be allowed to compete in the games, although that position was retracted due to an impending boycott from a number of nations. Still, though, when the games opened in 1936, it was evident that Hitler saw the Olympics as a perfect opportunity to promote both his government and his ideas of racial supremacy. There was one athlete, however, who continued to poke a hole in his side- a black man named Jesse Owens. Owens singlehandedly crushed Hitler’s myth of Aryan supremacy, winning four gold medals: the 100m, 200m (where he set a new Olympic record), the long jump, and participating in the 4x100m relay, in which the US set a new world record for the event. Germany may have received the most medals at the 1936 games, but for one athlete to embarrass a man who wanted to distinguish the power of his country singlehandedly is quite the achievement in itself. There is speculation whether or not Hitler shook Owens’ hand after the fact. But Jesse Owens is proof that, black or white, German or American, the best pure sportsman emerges victorious.


1. The "Miracle on Ice," United States defeats Soviet Union. (1980 WG, Lake Placid)

​It all began with this notion that “nobody beats the Soviet Union in hockey.” And, for the most part, that was true. The Soviets had won the gold medal in hockey at every Olympics since 1960. Many of their players had been training and playing together on the same squad for 15 years, and some even longer than that. The USA hockey team that entered the games in Lake Placid, New York, was made up of college students and amateurs, none of whom really knew each other all that well. In short, no one was giving them a chance. Before the games, the Americans barely managed to stay afloat in international play, tying a terrible Norway team in Oslo, and getting routed by the Soviets at Madison Square Garden. And yet, Herb Brooks’ squad never seemed to give up. In the Olympics, the United States did not lose a game in pool play. Their first game of the medal round, however, was against the Soviet Union, who also went undefeated in pool play. The Soviets, as heavy favorites, were obviously shocked when Mark Johnson’s goal beat the horn at the end of the first period, tying the game at 2 apiece. At the end of two periods, it was 3-2, Soviets. In the third period, the Americans got some much needed defense from goaltender Jim Craig, who stopped 36 of 39 shots in the game. Mark Johnson’s second goal of the game tied the score at three, and Mike Eruzione’s goal with 10 minutes to play gave the Americans a shocking 4-3 lead. The Soviets, clearly being outhustled by the United States, gave it all they had, but Jim Craig stood on his head to take away every scoring chance. It remains one of the biggest upsets in all of sports: USA 4, USSR 3. What most people forget, though, is that the Americans still needed one more victory to win the gold medal. They would get it- a 4-2 victory over Finland- and go on to receive the gold medal in front of their home crowd. Go and listen to Al Michaels’ call of the last ten minutes of the game, from the Eruzione goal onward. Perfection. There aren’t many sporting events that one may call special- hell, you typically don’t see the United States being the underdogs in any kind of sporting event anymore. But for a nation longing for some kind of victory against the backdrop of the looming Cold War, the victory over the Soviet Union was proof that sometimes, miracles do happen.


Did we miss any out? What was your favorite American Olympic moment? Leave a comment down below.

​Happy Independence Day, everyone!

What’s more American than our national anthem, am I right? While (for some reason) The Star Spangled Banner is sung at just about every sporting event, there are a few that stand out from the crowd as particularly spine-tingling. Some are more unique than others in their make up, while some are chilling just because of certain circumstances. Here are ten of the best renditions of The Star Spangled Banner.

‘Murcuh.

Oh Clay. Clay, Clay, Clay. I wanted to have confidence in you. You were one of my favorite players for so long. Even the last two seasons you showed that you can be dominant. Going on streaks that show that you can be an Ace. But you have the mind of a scared tee-ball player nervous to face his dad throw underhand to him. In the 17 games Buchholz has played he is 3-8 with a 5.90 ERA (One of those wins being a 1 inning relief performance in extra innings). Plain and simple- the Red Sox need to get rid of Clay Buchholz. I don’t care what they get in return, if it’s underwhelming prospects, a major league bum, or even a cardboard cutout of Nolan Ryan. Buchholz and Boston will never work. Fans dread whenever he is on the hill and with a fragile mind like his it is clearly affecting him. Maybe he can be great somewhere else. I really hope he is, but he has been in Boston for far too long. Maybe a change of scenery will be good for both of us… Clay, it’s not you, it’s us. 
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The Red Sox have been hurting as of late, which could be a reason to the recent struggles they have had. Brock Holt has just been activated from the DL and he will definitely help the Red Sox outfield. The Red Sox currently have 7 MLB level players on the DL, like pitcher Brandon Workman, and outfielders Chris Young and Blake Swihart. Maybe the Red Sox just need to get healthy and the winning will return! 
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The bats of the Red Sox have gone quiet since the start of June, then out of nowhere the Sox snap back into true form and rip the cover off the ball. However, it’s been too sporadic, and it doesn’t happen as often as it used to. They need to return to the success they had at the beginning of the season. Do I expect them to score 10 runs every single game? NO! But with such a stacked line up the Red Sox should never be shutout or held to one run! Even if Chris Sale is pitching! They need to hit because if the Red Sox can’t win with pitching. If they don’t hit, they don’t win. Simple. 
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Hartford, Connecticut has a new baseball team, everyone. Apparently the New Britain Rock Cats weren't good enough for the Colorado Rockies farm system, and they decided to move a little down Route 9 and rename themselves the Hartford Yard Goats. The Yard Goats. Literally the strangest, least fear-instilling team name in sports. 

Well... not exactly. In celebration of the Yard Goats' impending home opener, whenever that may be, we're taking a look at 50 of the weirdest, most bizarre team names in sports. 

This list includes everything from high school to the pros, ranging across many different sports. The only criteria (especially for high school and colleges) is: if the team name is official as represented by a governing body (you'd be surprised what's not official), and if they play a sport, the name qualifies.

Also, this is my first list in, like, four months! It's good to be back!

Honorable Mentions:

Akron Zips (NCAA, Division I)

This animal to the right is Zippy the Kangaroo. But that's not why the Zips are called the Zips. In the 1920s, the University of Akron held a contest to determine a new mascot. The name "Zips" was created in reference to Zippers, an overshoe made at the time by the BF Goodrich Company. To date, the Zips men's soccer team is quite successful, making NCAA tournament appearances 17 times in the last 22 years, winning the National Championship in 2010.

Arkansas School for the Deaf Leopards (High School, Arkansas)

No bio for this one. It’s not even all that weird or unusual. It’s just a matter of a well placed mascot and it’s ridiculously awesome and I love it.

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (Nippon Pro Baseball)

So, at first glance, this team looks like it’s called the Ham Fighters, which would be incredible. However, it’s not to be. Nippon-Ham is actually a metro region of Japan, making this team the fighters. A lot more lame; a team called the Ham Fighters would have been amazing.

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Rhode Island School of Design Nads (Unsanctioned)

Okay, so I kind of cheated here a little bit. RISD is what it says it is- an art school- and one of the most prestigious in the entire country. And like their prestige, their team name and mascot are among the best, if not the best in this entire list. RISD plays no sanctioned sports, however, only club sports, which is why they’re technically out of contention. The name “Nads” is ridiculously funny. It’s even better to know that the school’s club basketball team is known as the Balls. And then the mascot. His name is Scrotie. RISD’s mascot is a penis. Look it up. You’re welcome.

50. Utah Jazz (NBA)

We begin in Salt Lake City. Oh, the Utah Jazz, a horribly out of place team name. Originally, the Jazz were from New Orleans, and aptly named the New Orleans Jazz, which makes a lot more sense. However, in 1979 the NBA decided they wanted a team in Salt Lake City, and the Jazz picked up and moved, without ever bothering to change the name. With only two conference titles since their inception in 1974, perhaps a change in name might do this club some good.

49. Evansville Purple Aces (NCAA, Division I)

The University of Evansville Purple Aces are members of the Missouri Valley Conference, with 14 varsity teams, and a basketball squad with exactly 5 NCAA Tournament Appearances (the most recent coming in 1999, where they lost by 21 points to Kansas in the first round).What I don’t understand is, why do the Aces have to be Purple? It’s kind of unnecessary, don’t you think?

48.  Toledo Mud Hens (Minor League Baseball)

The Mud Hens are the AAA affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. You will find on this list that many team owners decide to try to spice up their team names, especially if it is an animal. You will also find that it will blow up in their faces. There’s not much that’s threatening about the name “Mud Hens,” much less “Mud Anything.” However, the tie in to the native American coots (the actual “mud hens”) that roam the swamps around Toledo is a nice reference. Look at it this way: it could be worse. When the club was founded in 1896, they were known as the Toledo Swamp Angels. Yuck.
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47. Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (NCAA, Division I)

The logo doesn’t show it, but it’s all in the name, is it not? The Warriors are a fairly basic team name, to say the least. But throwing a little Hawaiian rainbow in there really represents the culture on the island of Oahu. The Rainbow Warriors don’t really have much to offer athletically, having only 26 bowl appearances since 1935, and 5 NCAA Tournament appearances.

46. New Braunfels (TX) Unicorns (High School)

Located in central Texas, the New Braunfels High School Unicorns boast a fairly respectable school athletic history, with a gratuitous amount of team tennis titles. Props to this little public school for their team name, their mascot (Buford the Unicorn) and an amazing motto: “Unicorn Pride is Justified.” Unicorns may not be real, but we believe in you guys.
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45. Stetson Hatters (NCAA, Division I-AA)
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Stetson University’s (located about 35 miles northeast or Orlando, Florida) sports teams are called the Hatters- as in Mad Hatters. Hey, at least they aren’t called the Jabberwocks. This is a school with a moderately satisfying team name, but a detestable team logo. Come up with something a little more colorful and more Louis Carroll-y, Stetson! I guess I can’t really judge, both Jacob deGrom and Corey Kluber both went to school here.
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44. Brevard County Manatees (Minor League Baseball)

These adorable creatures are the class A-Advanced affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. What’s weird about this one is, before even the nickname, is the location of the team. You don’t see many of these broad-area-covering location names, like the New England Patriots or the Golden State Warriors. The team plays in Vera, Florida (the eastern part of the state, about halfway down). Finally, the nickname. I actually can’t get over how adorable the logo is, so I’ll give props to the team for having a sea cow as its mascot, something you don’t see every day.
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​43. Youngstown State Penguins (NCAA, Division I)

The Penguins really go all in on the arctic theme, even though they play in Ohio. Their stadium is even called the “Ice Palace.” Believe it or not, lots of cool things came out of Youngstown State. Players like Ron Jaworski, Cliff Stoudt,  current MSU coach Mike Dantoni, and former Ohio State great Jim Tressel, who led the Penguins to four NCAA FCS championships in the late 80s and 90s. Also, little known fact, the penalty flag originated at Youngstown State. 

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42. Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Minor League Baseball)

Originally this team was an honorable mention on this list. IronPigs is a semi-tough, fairly intimidating nickname, and their parent club, the Philadelphia Phillies are a respectable franchise with a long history. The team name even comes from a nickname for steel workers, for which the Lehigh Valley is well known. Then, I did a little research and found some of the Iron Pigs’ uniforms. The team has a bacon-inspired uniform. Bacon. Inspired. On the hat is not the main logo seen here, but an animated strip of bacon in the team’s colors. The uniform sports the name “Pigs” in classic baseball script, with the underline as- you guessed it- a strip of bacon. One may call it bizarre, I call it awesome.
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41. Poca Dots (High School, West Virginia)

Oh COME on. The Poca Dots? Really? REALLY? This definitely wasn’t planned insanely well, wasn’t it? Reportedly, the Dot mascot came about in 1928, when the Poca football team was playing during a bad storm, when one reporter exclaimed that the players looked like a bunch of red Polka Dots running around on the field. The name stuck. It’s become so popular, in fact, that ESPN and others have constantly referred to the Dots as being one of the country’s best mascots. It’s certainly a fantastic nickname, but is it the weirdest?
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​40. University of California- Irvine Anteaters (NCAA Division I)

That’s… that’s an interesting choice of animal, Irvine. The Anteaters stake their claim to fame in volleyball, which has won four National Championships, and water polo, where they’ve won three titles. Their baseball team has been on a journey since their inception in 1970. The team won two College World Series titles, but was eliminated from the athletic program due to budget cuts in 1992. The program was revived in the early 2000s, where the team would reach as high as the #1 team in the nation during the new century. Since then, the team has made two CWS appearances, in 2007 and 2014.
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39. St. Bonaventure Bonnies (NCAA, Division I)
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The St. Bonaventure Bonnies. Could you be any more creative with your nickname, guys? The Bonnies, located in Alleghany, New York, once had a bad run in with a former mascot, known as the Bona Fanatic. The student body distaste with the mascot got so bad that the man in the costume was actually assaulted by students at games. For a change of pace, the university went with a much more mundane Bona Wolf. The Bonnies’ main success comes in the form of their basketball team, which has been to the NCAA tournament a number of times. 
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38. Muhlenberg Mules (NCAA, Division III)

Again, more team mascots taking a syllable out of their name and making it their nickname. The Muhlenberg Mules. How original.




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37. Fort Wayne Tincaps (Minor League Baseball)

The Tincaps are the class-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. These iron-clad apple mascots are inspired by Johnny Appleseed, who spent his final days in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and is buried in the city as well. The TinCaps won the Midwest League Championship in 2009. 
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36. Bellows Free Academy Bobwhites (High School, Vermont)

This high school in St. Albans, Vermont goes by the team name the Bobwhites, although there is dispute as to what exactly a bobwhite is. Some claim that it was the school’s first athletic director, the aptly named Bob White. Others claim that it is inspired by the Northern Bobwhite, a quail-like bird native to the United States and Mexico. Either way, the name “Bobwhites” is weird and doesn’t exactly instill fear into the hearts of many opposing teams.
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35. Saint Louis Billikens (NCAA, Division I)

The Billikens have a strong basketball record, having won the Atlantic-10 division four times in the last five years. The name, however, is not as strong, being based from a child’s charm doll that was popular in the early 1900s. The name stuck, apparently. Thankfully Saint Louis updated their logo recently (I’m not saying it’s any better than what it was, they just updated it).

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 34. Columbia College Fighting Koalas (NAIA)

I thought Koalas just slept all the time! Apparently they enjoy fighting from time to time on the campus of Columbia College, located in Columbia, South Carolina. If all the mascots on this list were pitted against each other in a steel cage match, the Fighting Koalas would definitely be my sleeper pick to win.
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33. Lansing Lugnuts (Minor League Baseball)

This machinery-inspired team is the class A-affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. There’s not really anything intimidating about a Lugnut, but the team’s got some interesting traditions. Yearly, an exhibition game takes place between the Lugnuts and the Michigan State baseball team takes place, known as the “Crosstown Showdown presented by Auto-Owners.” The Lugnuts also have their own theme song (in true Toronto Blue Jays fashion), which is lovingly danced along to by their oversized mascot, Big Lug.
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32.  Northwest Space Pioneers (High School, Indiana)

This one is just excessive. This school in Indianapolis is one of five making up the regions of the greater Indy area, but it has, by far, the strangest team name. The Space Pioneers get their name from the then-starting U.S. manned space program. Unfortunately, it is not the only space-themed team on this list.



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31. Sol C. Johnson Atom Smashers (High School, Georgia)

We’re only at number 31 here? These are really beginning to get absurd. I’m just going to leave this one here. The Atom Smashers. Come ON.




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30.Asheville Tourists (Minor League Baseball)

You will learn exactly how ridiculous the Colorado Rockies farm club team names are. These AA-affiliates of said MLB club is peculiar because they’re one of those teams that has their own name in the “home” slot on your typical baseball scoreboard. Keep in mind, in the “home” slot, it says “Tourists,” not “Asheville.” So on a baseball scoreboard, we have the “Visitors” against the “Tourists.” Why not just be the Visitors and confuse everyone in the stands?
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29. TCU Horned Frogs (NCAA, Division I)

Kooky mascot or not, the Horned Frogs are nothing to laugh at athletically. The football team has consistently been ranked in the top five in recent years, and placed in numerous BCS games. The new logo isn’t all that bad, either.
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28. Webster Gorloks (NCAA, Division III)

When I was in middle school, we used to have a mascot called the Gorlok, who was etched on one of the walls, where I believe it remains today. Webster University chose to remain with this mythical creature and use it for their sports teams. 

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27. Punahou Buffanblu (High School, Hawaii)

I… I just don’t really have an answer for this one. This is a high school in Hawaii… and I guess the Buffanblu is a play on the phrase “Buff and Blue.” It’s really random. That’s about all I got.



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26. Virginia Tech Hokies (NCAA, Division I)
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Ah, finally, a team that people have heard of! We’ve all really come to accept the fact that the Hokies are the Hokies, with no qualms about the issue. Apparently the whole idea comes from a name change (from Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College to Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute, thereby known as “V.P.I.”) and a school cheer, which incorporated the new name of the school. The name “Hokie” is completely made up, according to the dude who wrote the spirit cheer. Could be worse. They could still be called the Fighting Gobblers.

25. Watersmeet Nimrods (High School, Michigan)

Hehe… Nimrods. Seriously though, the high school, found on the Minnesota border, on the upper peninsula of Michigan takes its name from Nimrod, the king of Shimar, present in the book of Genesis. He’s a symbol of power, and also Noah’s great-grandson. Pretty cool, once you explain it. Still though. Nimrods.
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24. Modesto Nuts (Minor League Baseball)

Another Colorado Rockies affiliate (the Nuts are the class A-advanced affiliate) with a bizarre name. The Nuts are so called because of the vast array of nuts that grow in Modesto, California. Before 2005, the Nuts were under the affiliation of the Oakland Athletics, and were aptly named along with their parent franchise. But they had to change their affiliation, and as a result, their name. To the Nuts. Go nuts, Nuts.
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23. Hartford Yard Goats (Minor League Baseball)

These horrendously named farmyard animals are the AA-affiliate of the- guess who- Colorado Rockies! The team moved from nearby New Britain (where they were the much-more-appropriately named Rock Cats) to downtown Hartford, where the name Yard Goats beat out names like Hedgehogs, Praying Mantis, and Whirlybirds (I’m laughing as I write this). They’ve got a theme song. Look it up- it’s hysterical. They’ve got two mascots, a green goat named Chompers and a blue one named Chew Chew. Apparently a “Yard Goat” is a nickname for a train engine, hence Chew Chew (a play on “choo-choo”). I’m still skeptical. Eat it up!
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22. Frankfort Hot Dogs (High School, Indiana)

So, disclaimer. The Frankfort Hot Dogs aren’t actually hot dogs. They’re wiener dogs, which, while adorable, still doesn’t help the fact that they are called the hot dogs. 
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21. Mount Pleasant Kilties (High School, Rhode Island)

I really love this one. It’s just a fantastic mascot. The Kilties. As in, one who wears a kilt. The logo to the right isn’t an official one, but I love it. Good on you, Mount Pleasant, for having possibly the most bold (and by bold, I mean badass) mascot on this list.


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20. South Dakota School of Mines and Technology HardRockers (NCAA, Division II)
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This is another one of those “a-HA!” team names. And it’s glorious. The HardRockers don’t have much to offer athletically, with their football team’s record being 361-469-35 all time. But still, an amazing nickname for a school no one knew existed.


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19. Avon Old Farms Winged Beavers (High School, Connecticut)

This… this just doesn’t make much sense really. Why are the beavers winged? Why would they ever need to fly? They’re semi-aquatic creatures who build dams on rivers for a living. Regardless, this Connecticut boarding school has churned out hockey players like Brian Leetch, Jonathan Quick, and Nick Bonino, to its credit. 
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18. Mars Area Fighting Planets (High School, Pennsylvania)
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 Something tells me we wouldn’t want to see two actual planets fighting, but I do get the concept. The Fighting Planets are most notable for their swim team, which has been one of the finest in the state of Pennsylvania for a good amount of time. Their 2012 squad finished second in the state, with only five members on the team. Their 2014 team was even better- breaking every team record but one.
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17. Presbyterian Blue Hose (NCAA, Division I-AA)

By far the strangest clothing-related item on this list, the Blue Hose got their name from the socks worn by the football team in the early 1900s. We’ve also got their mascot, Scotty the Scotsman, who doesn’t really have anything to do with wearing blue hose. To date, their most notable alumni is Justin Bethel, a safety for the Arizona Cardinals.
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16. Blooming Prairie Awesome Blossoms (High School, Minnesota)

Now this is a nickname. It’s equal parts bizarre and incredible. Not to mention the mascot looks like some kind of vegetable ready for a fight (we’ll get to that in a minute). This tiny high school in southern Minnesota boasts only about 350 students, but they’ve got a pretty good football team, which won their conference championship in 2010.
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15. Cairo Syrupmakers (High School, Georgia)

So apparently, good syrup comes from Georgia, too! The Syrupmakers get their name from the famous production of cane syrup throughout the 20th century (no relation to Karo Syrup, though). Cairo (pronounced (KAY-roh) is literally nicknamed “syrup city.” The high school’s mascot reflects that of a syrup farmer (so, think Purdue Boilermakers or Nebraska Cornhuskers). The school’s football team won the Georgia state championship in 2008 after an undefeated season.
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14. Chattanooga Central Purple Pounders (High School, Tennessee)

In the pantheon of cartoonish names, the Purple Pounders sounds a lot like some kind of furry, purple creature that you don’t want to mess with. This team used to be called the Purple Warriors (which is a lot more lame), but during a successful 1930s season, the Warriors “pounded” their opponents, and the name was changed.  Not gonna lie, though. They have a great logo.
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13. University of Arkansas at Monitcello Boll Weevils (NCAA, Division II)

The Boll Weevil, a small beetle that feeds on cotton plans, is responsible for diversifying the southern U.S.’s economy, due to an infestation that led to the discovery of more cost-effective ways to reduce pesticide use and still cut down the boll weevil population. There’s even a monument dedicated to them in Alabama. It’s also the mascot name for the University of Arkansas at Monticello. So there’s that. 
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12. Centralia Orphans (High School, Illinois)

This one is near and dear to my heart, being a theatre student. The Orphans are so called due to yet another announcer christening them with a name. During a state basketball tournament, the school was low on funds and was forced to wear non-matching red uniforms from a random pile of clothes. The announcers noted that the Centralia team looked like a bunch of orphans. The name stuck. And it gets better. The name of all the women’s teams? The Annies.
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11. Akron Rubberducks (Minor League Baseball)

Rubber duckie, you’re the one; you make baseball lots of fun! There’s nothing intimidating about a rubber duck playing baseball. This Minor League team, the AA-affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, gets its inspiration from Akron’s involvement in the rubber industry (the city is home to companies like Goodyear and Firestone). The Rubberducks’ stadium, Canal Park, is also home to one of the best menus in baseball. Meet the “Three Dog Night.” That’s a hot dog inside a bratwurst inside a kielbasa.
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10. Hoopeston Area Cornjerkers (High School, Illinois)

Hoopeston, Illinois is known as the “Sweet Corn Capital of the World.” And their name reflects that passion. To me, the Cornjerkers almost feel like a second-hand version of the Cornhuskers, complete with a humanoid ear of corn as a mascot, who is apparently trying to get his mits on way too many sports at the same time. Fear the Ear!



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9. Camas Papermakers (High School, Washington)

Forget everything you know about Syrupmakers and Boilermakers. These are the least badass- the Camas Papermakers. This team was inspired by the team’s founding industry- thanks to the Georgia Pacific paper mill in town. While Camas High School, located in southwestern Washington State, is not the only high school to have the nickname “Papermakers” for their sports teams, they are the only one to feature a humanized paper roller machine, named the Mean Machine, as their mascot.
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​8. Montgomery Biscuits (Minor League Baseball)

Thank you, Tampa Bay Rays, for this incredible gem. These AA-affiliates also boast some ridiculous mascots. We have Big Mo, an orange beast who loves to eat biscuits, Monty, the anthropomorphic buttermilk biscuit, who appears on the cap and main logo of the team (and star of the documentary “The Story of Monty the Biscuit”- I’m not joking), and Miss Gravy, Duchess of Pork, a miniature pot bellied pig. Truly, truly amazing. Only in Alabama. Roll tide. 
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7. Kaukauna Galloping Ghosts (High School, Wisconsin)

Again, there are zero reasons why this object should have an action attached to it. Ghosts are just not known for their galloping. According to the school, there are two explanations for the nickname. One came from a Halloween football game in which the team wore all white and trampled over their opponents, a la Galloping Ghosts; the other came from a new football coach’s approach to training the speedy running back core to play like the great Red Grange (whose nickname was the Galloping Ghost).
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6. Jordan Beetdiggers (High School, Utah)

This nickname isn’t really threatening to anyone who isn’t a beet. The name comes from the vast fields surrounding the area of the school where sugar beet fields were plentiful. Classes were even cancelled (until the 1950s) for two weeks in October so students could help with the harvest. Their mascot is Digger Dan. 

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5. UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs (NCAA, Division III)

You may or may not have caught John Travolta’s Banana Slugs t-shirt in Pulp Fiction. Who knew they were a real team? The Banana Slugs came about in 1974 from the UCSC soccer team, who were the first to use the nickname. Just when you thought Boll Weevils were bad enough, now we’ve got the Slugs. 
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4. Freeburg Midgets (High School, Illinois)

Quite possibly the most politically incorrect name on this list comes out of Freeburg, Illinois. The Midgets, whose nickname came from yet another announcer, remarking at how impressive the basketball team was, even though they were all much shorter than their opponents, has come under fire from associations like Little People for America, petitioning them to change their name. For a long time, the Freeburg High School mascot was Marty the Midget. Marty has been decommissioned since the 1960s.
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3. Thailand Tobacco Monopoly FC (Thai Division 1 League)

Talk about out of the blue with this one- the Thailand Tobacco Monopoly FC. Sounds oddly suspicious of product placement (perhaps we should ask the New York Red Bulls what they think). Now officially known as TTM Customs FC, the team was relegated to the lowest level within the Thailand Football League in 2015. They have decided to sit out for the 2016 season. But still, this team must be loaded, seeing as they own all the tobacco in Thailand.
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2. St. Louis College of Pharmacy Eutectic (NAIA)
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Eutectic. We’ve been through Iron Pigs, Yard Goats, Flying Beavers, Blue Hose, and Banana Slugs, and now Eutectic. We’re really getting obscure now. According to various definitions that were very difficult to understand, eutectic is defined as the point where two solids combine to form a liquid. Apparently, they play sports at medical school as well. The STLCOP women’s track team made the national championship as a team, the first time an entire team has done something like that on any level of competition. The basketball team played at an indoor arena affectionately called “The Pillbox,” which was torn down during the spring semester in 2014.  

1. Scottsdale Community College Fighting Artichokes (NJCAA)

The Scottsdale Community College Fighting Artichokes actually play in a sanctioned sports league, the National Junior College Athletic Association, and boast 7 sports, including football, basketball, and baseball. But really, a fighting artichoke? Think about it for a minute. These people will have to tell their kids that they were fighting artichokes in college. Not Tigers, Warriors, or Eagles. Fighting. Artichokes. Your mascot was Artie the Artichoke. Shame corner.
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But really, I give props to the school for being crazy about their team. Their logo is incredible, as is their merchandise for the school. Go check out their website and you’ll see what I’m talking about. I may or may not be ordering myself a t-shirt from these people sooner rather than later. Go Chokes!

Did I miss any out? Was your high school or college team name awesome or basic? Leave a comment down below!

Super Bowl 50 is just around the corner- an event NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has called “an important game for us as a league.” He has vowed to make Super Bowl 50 “spectacular,” which may be a tad difficult to live up to, given the excitement of last years Super Bowl, the caliber of the two teams in this year’s game (with one seemingly poised to blow out the other), and the caliber of the last three halftime shows, which featured extraordinary performances from Beyonce, Bruno Mars, and Katy Perry, respectively. This year’s show is certainly shaping up to be something interesting, however, as Coldplay, the show's headliner, will be accompanied by Beyonce and Mars, who are both performing in their second halftime shows in the last 4 years. It’s really anybody’s guess how this halftime show will shape up. How will it compare with the last 49 halftime shows, though? Today we take a look at the top 10 halftime shows to ever grace the 50 yard line at the NFL's biggest game of the year.

Honorable Mentions

Katy Perry, Lenny Kravitz, & Missy Elliot- Super Bowl XLIX (2015)
Setlist: "Roar," "Dark Horse," "I Kissed a Girl," "Teenage Dream," "California Gurls," "Get Ur Freak On"/"Work It," "Lose Control," "Firework."

The most recent halftime show performance, Katy Perry had a lot to live up to: Beyoncé and Bruno Mars. However, the pop diva came to play, entering on a GIANT FREAKING LION PUPPET to her powerful single "Roar." Her unexpected duet with Lenny Kravitz on "I Kissed a Girl" worked to perfection, as that may have been the most underrated song in the set. And then there was Missy Elliot. If you're wondering where she's been all this time, we've found her. But for all that, for all the pageantry and dancing and puppets, what is this halftime show remembered for? Left Shark.

​Shania Twain, No Doubt, & Sting- Super Bowl XXXVII (2003)
Setlist: "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!," "Up!" "Just a Girl," "Message in a Bottle."

I really, really wanted the Oakland Raiders to win this game. So I was crushed when the score ended up being a 48-21 beating at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The halftime show wasn't half bad, though. When Shania began her lip-synced set with "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" I was sure we were in for a snooze-fest. I was almost asleep when she decided to sing "Up!" However, Gwen Stefani and No Doubt brought the crowd in San Diego to its feet, and Sting followed up with one of my personal favorites, "Message in a Bottle," which he and Stefani sang together to close the set. Pretty solid show, no?


Diana Ross- Super Bowl XXX (1996)
Setlist: "Stop In The Name of Love," "You Keep Me Hangin' On," "Baby Love," "You Can't Hurry Love," "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" "Chain Reaction," "Reach Out and Touch  (Somebody's Hand)," "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "I Will Survive," "Take Me Higher."

The queen from the Supremes at the Super Bowl gave rousing live renditions of some of her greatest hits out in Arizona in 1996. The most important thing about this halftime show, however, is how Ms. Ross left in a helicopter. Like, a helicopter flew into Sun Devil Stadium, landed, Diana got in it and it flew away. HOMEGIRL LEFT IN A FREAKIN' HELICOPTER.

The Rolling Stones- Super Bowl XL (2006)
Setlist: "Start Me Up," "Rough Justice," "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction."

Give Mick Jagger credit- the 60-plus-year-old (at the time) can still rock like it's 1965. On a massive tongue-shaped set, the Jagger and the Stones powered their way into Detroit's Ford Field, and gave strut-worthy renditions of three of their best. Given, this was only two-years removed from "Nipple-Gate" (which I will get to shortly), so ABC had to air this one on a five-second tape delay, and removed a part of "Start Me Up," that may or may not have been deemed too "controversial for national television."

The Top 10:

10. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band- Super Bowl XLIII (2009)
Setlist: "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out," "Born To Run," "Working on a Dream," "Glory Days."

So, full disclosure- I've never been the biggest fan of The Boss. I always feel like his songs sound the same, and I'm not a fan of his voice. But there's no denying he's been a relevant music figure for the last 40 years, still producing new work, even today. In this Super Bowl halftime show, Springsteen manages to effectively combine both the classics and newer songs into one kickass set. With his concerts typically running at lengths of sometimes up to three hours, the effect is still there even after only two and a half minutes of "Working on a Dream." No doubt a great performer with a legendary career, with a halftime show to match.


9. Janet Jackson, P Diddy, Nelly, Kid Rock & Justin Timberlake- Super Bowl XXXVIII (2004)
Setlist: "All For You," Diddy," "Hot in Herre," "Mo Money Mo Problems," "Bawitdaba," "Cowboy," "Rhythm Nation," "Rock Your Body."

Who knew that Nelly, P Diddy, and Kid Rock performed in this halftime show too? Say what you want about this halftime show and its controversies. People will be talking about the phrase "wardrobe malfunction" until the end of time. But, MTV did a really great job putting together this halftime show. The hits just kept on coming, one after the other, from Janet's "All For You," to Nelly's "Hot in Herre," to Diddy's "Mo Money Mo Problems," even to JT's "Rock Your Body." It's a really solid halftime show (not to mention an amazing game surrounding it), in hindsight. It's just really a shame that people only remember the last two seconds.


8. The Who- Super Bowl XLIV (2010)
Setlist: "Pinball Wizard," "Baba O'Riley," "See Me, Feel Me," "Won't Get Fooled Again."

There is nothing better than seeing rockers who still got it rock an arena full of football fans. The Who is no exception, as they performed during halftime of Super Bowl XLIV between the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints. Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey performed a stunning- both audibly and visually- medley of the band's best songs, including "Pinball Wizard," "Baba O'Riley," and "Won't Get Fooled Again." Also, for the first time since Super Bowl XXXIV (whose halftime show is terrible...), there were no paid-to-cheer-and-dance-with-their-hands-in-the-air fans surrounding the stage. I think it would have taken away from the glorious spectacle that was the concert. And that stage though....


7. Michael Jackson- Super Bowl XXVII (1993)
Setlist: "Jam," "Billie Jean," "Black or White," "We Are the World," "Heal the World."

Gone were the days of the marching bands. Gone were the days of Motown cover groups. Gone were the days of showtunes during football games. Gone were the Elvis impersonators doing card tricks (I'm not kidding. Super Bowl XXIII. Elvis Presto. Look it up.). This was the Super Bowl. This was Michael Jackson- the king of pop. MJ (the first to be solely featured in the halftime show) pops up out of the stage, and just stands there in one of his "Dangerous" poses while the fans at the Rose Bowl applauded for over two minutes. He flips his hair. Another thirty seconds of applause. Then came the show itself, which was pure spectacle. This halftime show was, to that point, the most watched in history, and the first where the Super Bowl viewership figures actually increased during halftime. It was Super Bowl XXVII's halftime show that the NFL made a deliberate effort to sign the top tier talents of the day- which gives us a lot of the Super Bowl halftime shows we see today.


6. Prince- Super Bowl XLI (2007)
Setlist: "We Will Rock You," "Let's Go Crazy," "Baby, I'm a Star," "Proud Mary," "All Along the Watchtower," "Best of You," "Purple Rain."

Again, not the biggest fan of Prince either. I don't really... get him, I suppose. However, this show was killer. In the rain down in Miami, Prince put on a show to remember. I think it may very well be the only halftime show that features a singer-guitarist who can actually shred on it. The Artist Formerly Known As started out with the hits, then broke out into an array of fantastic covers, which included the likes of Jimi Hendrix and the Foo Fighters. Keep in mind, this was still only three years removed from "Nipplegate," so it was an odd choice for the NFL to go with Prince here, given the sexual nature of many of his performances. Do we care, really? Not at all. This show was bomb.


5. Aerosmith, Nsync, Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige, & Nelly- Super Bowl XXXV (2001)
Setlist: "Bye Bye Bye," "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing," "It's Gonna Be Me," "Jaded," "Walk This Way." 

Once again, another solid outing by MTV productions, who put this show together, complete with a pre-recorded skit from Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler, and Chris Rock. This halftime show came when bubblegum pop was at its peak, hence the appearances of Nsync and Britney. However, the inclusion of Aerosmith, Nelly, and Mary J. Blige tied the show together, in a true collaboration of rock and pop. Nsync began the show with the iconic "Bye Bye Bye," with Steven Tyler following up with a stirring "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing." Nsync countered with "It's Gonna Be Me," to which Aerosmith responded with their new single, "Jaded." To finish, all of the acts got together to perform a star-studded version of "Walk This Way." This one had just about everything you could want in a multi-star show. Well played, MTV. Well played.

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​4. Paul McCartney- Super Bowl XXXIX (2005)
Setlist: "Drive My Car," "Get Back," "Live and Let Die," "Hey Jude."

This was the year the NFL was nervous. We are one year removed from Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction, and MTV has been permanently axed after producing that show. The NFL went with Sir Paul McCartney for this halftime show down in Jacksonville, and the former Beatles bassist did not disappoint. Delivering standards of the Beatles and his own, McCartney brought a needed easiness and a break from controversy to the Super Bowl. His last number, "Hey Jude," featured a massive audience card stunt, in which 78,000 people were on their feet dancing and singing along to the iconic chorus. A pretty cool sight to say the least.


3. Bruno Mars & Red Hot Chili Peppers- Super Bowl XLVIII (2014)
Setlist: "Locked Out Of Heaven," "Treasure," "Runaway Baby," "Give It Away," "Just the Way You Are."

It's February in New Jersey. The Seahawks are holding a 22-0 lead over the Broncos at halftime. It is understandable if many Denver Broncos fans headed for the exits and missed this one, although they missed one hell of a show. Bruno Mars, fresh of a new album, followed up Beyoncé's legendary show with one of his own, bringing a halftime show filled with fun and excitement to the cold New Jersey night. What began with a sizzling drum solo by Mars' twin brother (yes, he's got a twin brother) turned into a concert that was part James Brown, part Elvis, and part Michael Jackson, with some Four Seasons thrown in for good measure. Mars' dance moves, vocals, and energy were infectious, and bringing out the Red Hot Chili Peppers only upped the excitement. Finally, the show ended with an emotional "Just the Way You Are," which featured pre-recorded messages to home from various U.S. Military personnel. A show filled with so many emotions, I think Bruno Mars followed up his predecessor just fine.


2. Beyoncé- Super Bowl XLVII (2013)
Setlist: "Countdown"/"Run The World (Girls)"/"Love On Top," "Crazy in Love," "End of Time," "Baby Boy," "Bootylicious," "Independent Women Part 1," "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)," "Halo,"

THIS was a halftime show. The stage was in the shape of Beyoncé's face. There was a silhouette of her that was on fire. Destiny's Child was there. This halftime show had it all. In an adrenaline-packed, emotionally charged performance, Beyoncé took everyone in the Louisiana Superdome and punched them in the face. With a performance of "Crazy in Love," whose energy has never been matched, Queen Bey tore the roof off the place. And that was just the first number. After Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams from Destiny's Child joined the Queen onstage, the three got back to business where they had left off in the early 2000s, performing "Bootylicious," "Independent Women Part 1," and "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)." To top it off, Beyoncé finished with an emotional, deeply personal rendition of "Halo." Need I remind you that this halftime show was so spectacular, the power at the Superdome went out for 34 minutes during the game. The Beyoncé halftime show is the one of the most tweeted-about event of all time, and for good reason. Did I mention she's playing at the Super Bowl again this year? God save the Queen.


1. U2- Super Bowl XXXVI (2002)
Setlist: "Beautiful Day," "MLK," "Where The Streets Have No Name."

In the first Super Bowl after the September 11th attacks, U2 came into the Louisiana Superdome and performed one of the most moving tributes to America and the victims of 9/11 ever. The Irish rockers, fresh off a new album and subsequent world tour, opened with their brand new single "Beautiful Day," with Bono entering through the crowd. The band followed up with the poingant lullaby "MLK." As the second number began, the names of the victims of the 9/11 attacks scrolled upward on a massive black curtain. Finally, the band concluded with "Where The Streets Have No Name," where Bono altered a few of the lyrics to evoke hopefullness and peace, throwing in a few allusions to the city of New Orleans itself (not to mention softly uttering the words to Psalm 51 during the intro of the song). A truly wonderful moment for a nation still in immense pain. The ending of the show is the absolute best- Bono opening up his jacket to reveal a stars-and-stripes inner lining. Chills and tears. The best halftime show in the last 49 years of the Super Bowl.


What Super Bowl halftime shows were your favorite? Leave a comment down below.

I had a dream last night that I missed the game today.

I had a dream that last night, that the Patriots ended up defeating the Broncos, 35-24, and would move on to Super Bowl 50 out in Santa Clara. 

Of course, this was a dream. And, in reality, the Patriots are not moving on to the Super Bowl in 2 weeks time. So as I put away my Tom Brady jersey for the next 8 months, and have the NFC Championship game in the background, it's time to reflect on the fine piece of football I just witnessed.

So the Broncos controlled a lot of the first half of the game. Peyton Manning came out slinging the ball all over the field, which the Patriots were just not prepared for. The Patriots had too much faith in their offense, and weren't able to move the ball effectively on their opening drive. Denver got the ball and quickly went to work. 7-0, Denver early.

If it weren't for the Patriots defense (and a few lucky breaks), this game might have been 31-9 at halftime. Peyton Manning's failed lateral ended up as points for the Patriots, however, Stephen Gostkowski missed the extra point. 7-6, Denver. 

Peyton Manning goes back to work and shreds the Patriots on third down (Denver was 6-17 on third down. Not spectacular, but better than the Patriots, who were only 2 for 15). Just like that, a quarterback with only one touchdown pass at home all season suddenly has 2 in the AFC title game. 14-6, Denver. The teams exchange field goals, and it's 17-9 at halftime.

One more time trading field goals, and we sit at 20-12 with 2 minutes to play. The Patriots come down to the 1, end up with the touchdown, but don't get the 2-point conversion to tie the game with 12 seconds to play. 20-18, Denver. Peyton Manning goes on to his 4th Super Bowl, his second as a Denver Bronco.

So, things to take away from this game:

1. Patriots MVP: The entire defensive unit.
Without various defensive stops for New England, this game wouldn't have been close. Actually, the game really wasn't as close as the score indicated, but the defense gave New England hope. Time and time again, the Patriots stopped the Broncos on third down. Given, they still converted four more times than the Patriots did, but still. The game, at least on the scoreboard, was never out of reach for New England, Denver was never able to get more than 8 points ahead. In the fourth quarter alone, the defense gave the offense multiple chances to tie the game. First around the 10 minute mark, then again at the 5:30 (or so) mark, then again at the 2-minute warning, when Amendola's punt put the Patriots in position at the fifty-yard line. If the phrase "Defense wins championships" held true at any time, it definitely held true in this game for the Patriots.

2. Broncos MVP: Von Miller.
So there was just no way to stop Von Miller today, plain and simple. The guy was everywhere. He had 2.5 sacks, an interception, and was just there on multiple attempts to stop the Patriots (and I think he might have even been there on the 2-point conversion- not that I'm going to sit through it again) on critical third down situations. The offensive line looked like shit on the right side, with Marcus Cannon getting beat by Miller on almost every pass play. New England really missed Nate Solder in this game, who was gone for the year with a torn bicep. But even if you were going to switch lineman assignments, and have Cannon switch with Sebastian Vollmer on the other side, DeMarcus Ware would have beaten Cannon on every play, and we'd have blind side hits on #12 left and right. Offensive line issues aside, hats off to Von Miller today. He came to play, and New England was just too overwhelmed and undermanned to handle him.

3. Julian Edelman being on the field does not equal automatic production.
Let's be clear on this. Yes, the Patriots were able to beat the Chiefs in the annual "Tomato Can Game," as Dan Shaughnessy calls it. Kansas City had played almost NOBODY in their 10-game win streak. The two teams they beat that were good down the stretch were Pittsburgh (who had no Ben Roethlisberger), and Denver (the game where Manning threw 5 picks). Other than that, it was Detroit, San Diego, Oakland, Buffalo, Baltimore, and Cleveland. So when Brady comes out in the Divisional game and throws short ball after short ball to Edelman, that doesn't mean that the offense is suddenly back. What it comes down to, and we saw this in the game today, is the play of the offensive line, which was in shambles against Ware and Miller. Brady took too many hits today, and wasn't able to get the ball to his receivers, who were also masterfully covered by Wade Phillips' secondary. I mean sure, the Broncos had some key players go down late like Wolfe and TJ Ward, giving a little bit of leeway for Brady to throw, but the majority of the game was won by Denver up at the line of scrimmage. Edelman had 7 catches for 53 yards in this game. Against Kansas City, he had 10 catches for 100 yards. It doesn't matter if Julian Edelman is back, and the offense was flying high again. One player can't do it all.

4. You cannot blame Stephen Gostkowski for this loss.
I mean, you absolutely can blame Stephen Gostkowski for this loss. The extra point was literally the difference in this game. Everyone who was livid at the new extra point rule obviously didn't live in New England, as Gostkowski hadn't missed an extra point since 2006. But the new rule eventually came back to haunt the Patriots, as the potential game-tying field goal sailed wide right. However, I think of the Seattle-Minnesota game and Blair Walsh's missed field goal. You can't blame the kicker for this shit, especially when he accounted for ALL of your team's points. Gostkowski kept the Patriots in this game, scoring 6 of the 18 points in this game. If he doesn't hit the field goal to make it 17-12, this game is over when CJ Anderson bursts through the line for a gain of 30, and McManus puts it through to make it 20-9 with 10 minutes to go (or worse, Manning throws his 3rd touchdown of the game, which would have made it 24-9). I don't blame Gostkowski for this loss. Kicking field goals ain't easy, and no one's perfect. Also, he got us that win over the Giants, so I give him a free pass on this one. He's still the best kicker in football. Everyone has a screwup moment, it's just unfortunate that this one came in the AFC Championship. 

5. Bill Belichick actually could have used his kicker TWICE in the 4th and won the game.
Fourth and 1 from the Denver 16. 20-12. If Belichick sends Gostkowski onto the field for a 33 yard field goal (Gostkowski's not missing two of those in one game), it's 20-15. He could have even done it AGAIN when it was 4th and 6 at the Denver 14. 20-18. Instead, Belichick opts to go for it twice, and gets stuffed both times. In both instances, New England stopped Denver for a 3-and-out: as in THREE plays. On BOTH drives. The game could have easily been won, 21-20.

6. Can we blame the two losses at the end of the year for this loss NOW?
I think we can. You decided to rest up and play for health instead of playoff seeding and look where it got you- a seat on the couch on February 7th. You had to win ONE game out of your last two. You had to win THREE games, basically out of your last SIX, and you couldn't. The loss at Miami is unforgivable, in hindsight. The Dolphins didn't want to win that game. If you win any of those four games (at Denver- which I understand the loss to, Philadelphia- another unforgivable loss, New York- which I understand the loss to, and Miami- *shakes head in disgust*), the AFC title game is in New England, and you might be going back to the Super Bowl. But you're not. I really hope Bill decides to think a little differently next year if he's in this position.

7. This is Peyton Manning's last season in Denver.
And, if he wins the Super Bowl (which I highly doubt), it will be his last season in the NFL. If the San Diego Chargers hadn't freaked out when Manning came in the game in week 17, perhaps we would have a different story, and the AFC Title Game would have been in New England. But they didn't, and it wasn't. Say what you want about Brock Osweiler, the kid's good, and the Denver offensive system really works for him. Peyton Manning's age is a liability. He looked pretty good today, but who's to say that he won't show up next season and do the same thing all over again? I don't think the Broncos are too interested in having that happen to him and their team again. I think Manning will be back for at least one more year, but it will be with another team.

8. What do the Patriots need to do this offseason?
Really take a look at your damn offensive line, that's what. Find a way to protect your quarterback, that's what. Get some new offensive weapons, that's what. Best case scenario: the Patriots will go out and get Calvin Johnson, who has made it evident that he doesn't want any part of being in Detroit anymore. Also, this is Anquan Boldin's final year in San Francisco. This was Brandon LaFell's last game in a Patriot uniform. And you think they're gonna rely on the deep ball to Keyshawn Martin? Keep dreaming. They're going to be looking to get better on the offensive line, which was PITIFUL today, and for much of the season. Brady's getting older and you need to protect him better. They had a chance to get Russell Okung from Seattle, and I was surprised it didn't go through. Additionally, they're going to lose both LaGarrette Blount and Stephen Jackson. Look for the Patriots to find some new running backs in this year's draft. 

9. The Super Bowl is going to be a blowout.
Sorry, guys. The NFC Champion is going to blow out the Denver Broncos. Sure, the Denver defense is good, but the offense really sucks something else. If Carolina's in the Super Bowl, and they get rolling early, see ya later. If it's Arizona, they can wear you down on offense and defense. Peyton Manning doesn't have a prayer in this game. It might be "close" on the scoreboard, but the NFC Champion is going to roll over the AFC Champion. Or maybe I'm just bitter. Hopefully the former. 

10. Final Takeaway: The better team won today.
I mean, it's simple, but it's true. Could the Patriots have won this game? Absolutely. Does it sting the the Broncos won? Absolutely it does. But the better team won today, guys. There were no bogus, game-deciding calls. With the exception of the missed extra point, the game came right down to the wire, right down to a game-tying two-point conversion- so there were no "oh, THAT'S where the game was lost" plays in the second or third quarters. The Patriots looked so bad on offense because the Broncos looked so damn good on defense. You can't win if you don't score points. You can't score points if you can't move the ball. You can't move the ball if the other team's defense is down your quarterback's throat and his targets are covered all the time. Sure, things might have been easier for New England if they decided to be smarter about certain things, like deciding what to do on 4th down. But overall, I think the Broncos came in for this game ready to face the animal that was the Patriots. They wanted it more, and they played better. The Patriots' weaknesses were laid out for you clear as day in this game: Poor offensive line play, which resulted in lots and lots of defensive pressure on Tom Brady, plus an inability to run the ball effectively; and not allowing Brady's quick receivers to get open. With no real deep threat, and having two or three guys on Gronk, all you really need to do is cover Edelman and Amendola, which Talib and Harris did a great job of today. Put pressure on Tom Brady, and the game is won. That's all there is. Better luck next year, boys.

I'm not happy. I'm just not happy with the way things went down in week 17 of the NFL season. I mean sure, I won my fantasy league, but at the end of the day, it's really just a fake game, in a fake league, full of people I don't even know, that I joined on a while, for no prize or money (because my other league- the one that actually counted- I had the best record and lost in the first round, thanks to 46 points put up by one Cam Newton). So I'm upset. The Patriots played about as well on Sunday as the Bruins did in the Winter Classic. All they had to do was win ONE game. And they lost. For the second time. In a row. For the second time this season (Is this what fans of normal NFL teams go through?). Denver's favorite son came off the bench and led his team to victory, as well as home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. This is the same group that, three weeks ago, had lost something like three in a row and were on pace to miss the playoffs altogether. Now, with Manning back and the Patriots spiraling out of control... I'm not happy.

That said, there are a few things to look forward to this NFL postseason. We get to see a Pittsburgh Steelers team that just squeaked into the playoffs (thank you Rex Ryan- even when he's not coaching them, he's helping the Jets miss the playoffs), but I believe will be very dangerous down the stretch. We'll get to see a Kansas City Chiefs team play, a team that many think could be very dangerous. Also on the AFC side are the Cincinnati Bengals, who may be getting their star QB back. On the NFC side, we've got teams like Seattle. Seattle is dangerous, maybe not in the same way they were last season, but still a very real threat. We've got teams like Minnesota and Green Bay, who are coming off an epic NFC North division showdown, eager to prove their worth against Seattle and an upstart Washington team, respectively, who is somewhat of a dark horse heading into these playoffs. Finally, there's Arizona and Carolina- two very, very good football teams. 

So what of the Patriots and Broncos, anyway? I've been trying to rationalize the results of Sunday and the playoff implications surrounding them. So the Patriots need to win to clinch the #1 seed in the AFC, thus sealing home field advantage throughout the playoffs. If New England loses, all Denver needs to do is beat San Diego at home to clinch the #1 seed and home field, bumping New England to #2. 

New England goes with a more conservative approach, with the typically passing-potent Tom Brady only throwing the ball five times in the first half. I'm under the impression that in order to win this game, New England was trying to establish the run (which they failed miserably at), and beat the Dolphins in one half (which they also failed miserably at).With no Julian Edelman and a limited Danny Amendola, Brady had no quickness in his wide receiver corps, and with a struggling offensive line, had to use tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Scott Chandler to pass block whenever he took shots down the field to Brandon LaFell and Keyshawn Martin- which were far and few in between. It also doesn't help the fact that Stephen Gostkowski missed a field goal that would have made it 6-3 New England, and may have also made it 20-13 Miami with 2 minutes to go (giving Brady a chance to tie the game) instead of 20-10 and the game being all but over. The Patriots keep blaming these losses on injuries. That might work, if it didn't look so obvious that they wanted to lose this game. 

So New England loses. All Brock Osweiler and the Denver Broncos need to do is win at home against San Diego. And for the first 10 minutes, it looked like it was going to be all Denver, with Osweiler hitting Demariyus Thomas for a 72-yard touchdown pass on the second play from scrimmage. However, San Deigo held fast, holding Denver only to a touchdown and putting up 6 points of their own, while forcing six Denver turnovers. San Diego took a 13-7 lead in the third quarter- until Gary Kubiak took Osweiler out, replacing him with some unknown backup, a five-time NFL MVP named Peyton Manning. From there it was all but over. San Diego made it interesting, but Denver's run game, with the addition of Manning being able to read defenses and change plays the line sunk the Chargers. This all comes with the simple fact that the Chargers had a total of 7 points off turnovers. SEVEN. They had almost as many turnovers as points converted off of those turnovers. The league's #1 defense sure didn't look like the league's #1 defense (given, San Diego's offensive line is shot) giving up 20 points to the Chargers, but COME ON. Seven points is inexcusable, especially when you have SIX forced turnovers, five in the first half. 

So Denver wins, they clinch the #1 seed, New England gets bumped to #2. I reiterate- I'm upset.

So, I guess we should get to the main point of the article- the playoffs. Some interesting matchups on Wild Card weekend.

Wild Card Weekend (Saturday, 1/9 & Sunday, 1/10):

Saturday:
#5 Kansas City Chiefs (11-5) at #4 Houston Texans (9-7)- 4:35 p.m. (ESPN/ABC)

Houston plays in a terrible division, the AFC South. Sure, they had a hot streak about two thirds of the way through the season, but they were playing teams like the Jets, Titans, Colts, Jaguars, and Saints, and their quarterback is also Brian Hoyer. Kansas City's offensive line is too good for Houston's defensive line (J.J. Watt can't do everything), and they'll not only clear the way for the running game, but be able to block for Alex Smith (who can also scramble out of the pocket if need be). Houston will make it interesting (at least on the scoreboard), but this one will be all Kansas City, who will win their first playoff game since 1993.

Prediction: Kansas City 27, Houston 17.

#6 Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6) at #3 Cincinnati Bengals (12-4)- 8:15 p.m. (CBS)

Pittsburgh is a dangerous team. Cincinnati, at this point, doesn't have a quarterback. Cincy also hasn't won a playoff game since 1990, and has lost in the Wild Card round of each of the last four seasons. Even without RB DeAngelo Williams, Ben Roethlisberger looks like the best QB in the AFC, and he and Antonio Brown will destroy you. Andy Dalton plays, but is pushed to return too early and is very close to ineffective. Pittsburgh goes on the road, looking for vengeance against their AFC North opponents and takes care of business.

Prediction: Pittsburgh 31, Cincinnati 23.

Sunday:
#6 Seattle Seahawks (10-6) at #3 Minnesota Vikings (10-6)- 1:05 p.m. (NBC)

When I first saw that the Packers could have this spot as the #3 seed, I thought about what a great matchup that would be: Russell Wilson returns to Lambeau Field and seeks vengeance against an ailing Packers team that beat him in week two. However, Seattle instead gets to deal with the frigid cold of TCF Bank Stadium in Minnesota. While no one is exactly afraid of Seattle's defense anymore, all they really need to do is stop Adrian Peterson, as Teddy Bridgewater isn't capable enough to pick apart the remains of the Legion of Boom. Russell Wilson is going to throw bombs to Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett. All day, baby, all day. Seattle rolls and moves on to Carolina.

Prediction: Seattle 38, Minnesota 14.

#5 Green Bay Packers (10-6) at #4 Washington Redskins (9-7)- 4:40 p.m. (FOX)

Green Bay is ailing. Washington also comes from a terrible division, the NFC North. They're basically here because every other team in that division wet the bed. This is the game I care least about, actually. Washington's been playing really good football lately, and the Packers have not, losing their last two. Green Bay just barely squeaks by in this one.

Prediction: Green Bay 30, Washington 24 (OT).


Divisional Weekend (Saturday, 1/16 & Sunday 1/17):

Saturday:
#5 Kansas City Chiefs (11-5) at #2 New England Patriots (12-4)- 4:35 p.m. (CBS)

This game could go one of two ways here. Either the Patriots come back with all of their players healthy from injury and destroy the Chiefs, or the Chiefs will be ready for the Patriots, overpowering them and taking it to them at home. I want to be safe here and say that the Patriots were playing more for health's sake than for seeding on Sunday against Miami. But the supposed injury to Tom Brady is something to worry about. People say that the AFC is still New England's to lose; I think it was lost about two weeks ago against the Jets. New England loses their third game in a row for the first time since 2002. 

Prediction: Kansas City 35, New England 33.

#5 Green Bay Packers (10-6) at #2 Arizona Cardinals (13-3)- 8:15 p.m. (NBC)

Arizona has had a chance to rest up, while Green Bay is still reeling from the overtime bout with Washington. Carson Palmer's got too many weapons for Green Bay to handle, and the Arizona defense is too good, even without Tyrann Mathieu. Honey badger don't care about Aaron Rodgers. Arizona goes to the NFC Championship game for the first time since 2008.

Prediction: Arizona 41, Green Bay 27.


Sunday:
#6 Seattle Seahawks (10-6) at #1 Carolina Panthers (15-1)- 1:05 p.m. (FOX)

By far, the most interesting matchup in the postseason thus far. Carolina won in Seattle in week six earlier this year. Seattle was a different team then than they are now, of course, but I don't think that should change. The presence of a cornerback who can actually cover receivers (I speak of course, of Carolina's Josh Norman) will benefit Carolina greatly, as the Panthers can use a variety of defensive packages to both cover the Seattle receivers, and contain Russell Wilson, who is the best QB in the NFC right now. Wilson will need to play a really good football game against a very tough, healthy Carolina defense. Panthers dab their way to the NFC title game.

Prediction: Carolina 31, Seattle 27.


#6 Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6) at #1 Denver Broncos (12-4)- 4:40 p.m. (CBS)

I take it back- this is the most interesting matchup in the postseason. I think Kubiak goes with Peyton Manning to start this game, and Denver begins to chug along on all cyllinders- their offensive unit can be a juggernaut when it gets going, since Manning's got 15 million targets and two incredible running backs in Hillman and Anderson. However, if Pittsburgh can get to Manning and/or force a turnover or two, the game will swing the other way. I think the Broncos have backed themselves into a corner with this quarterback situation- one might be too old and volatile, the other is too young and inexperienced. I give the edge to Pittsburgh in this one.

Prediction: Pittsburgh 38, Denver 20.


Championship Sunday (1/24)

AFC Championship:
#6 Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6) at #5 Kansas City Chiefs (11-5)- 3:35 p.m. (CBS)

Who knew. The two teams were fighting for a playoff spot at the end of the season will now be fighting it out for a chance to go to the Super Bowl. I think crowd noise will be a factor here. Arrowheads Stadium is loud, and the Kansas City faithful want another championship run for their city (as they come across the parking lot from Kaufmann Stadium where the Royals just won the World Series). Kansas City started the season at 1-5, and has won its last 10 heading into the playoffs. This is not the team you want to mess with. If DeAngelo Williams is indeed out, that could spell trouble for the Pittsburgh run game, leaving Ben Roethlisberger to have to throw the ball a lot. The Chiefs defense can figure out how to stop Antonio Brown and Markus Wheaton. Kansas City goes to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1970.

Prediction: Kansas City 24, Pittsburgh 17.

NFC Championship:
#2 Arizona Cardinals (13-3) at #1 Carolina Panthers (15-1)- 6:40 p.m. (FOX)

It all comes down to this- the two best teams in the NFC, and possibly the NFL. Arizona and Carolina have not faced each other this regular season, so neither has had any experience other than game film. The two teams are just about even on both sides of the ball, with two MVP-candidate QBs in Carson Palmer and Cam Newton, as well as the defensive side of the ball. When you don't know any of the guys' names on defense, and they're 15-1 and 13-3, you have to assume they're pretty good. Very much like cornerbacks. I think Darrelle Revis is so good because you never hear about him during games- because the opposing QBs are always afraid  to throw in his direction. However, I give the edge to Arizona in this game. They got decimated at home against Seattle, but then were playing merely for health instead of seeing. Carson Palmer likes to spread the field out and throw to his many, many wide out options. On top of that, Arizona's David Johnson has become a folk hero in his own right. It'll be either a shootout or a defensive struggle. I'm opting for the former.

Prediction: Arizona 45, Carolina 41.


Super Bowl 50: Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, CA- Sunday, 2/7

#2 Arizona Cardinals (13-3) vs. #5 Kansas City Chiefs (11-5)- 6:30 p.m. (CBS)

The biggest Super Bowl in history, represented by two franchises that, ten years ago, nobody thought would be here. In this matchup here, I have to go with Arizona. The Cards' defense is too good for any of the weapons that Alex Smith can throw to. Alex Smith, Charcandrick West, Jeremy Maclin and Travis Kelce in the Super Bowl? Come on. The road warrior, the 36-year-old Carson Palmer, picks apart the Chiefs defense to win his first Super Bowl and MVP award.

Prediction: Arizona 38, Kansas City 17.​

For what looks like will be my last list I'll be able to post in the actual year 2015, I thought I'd save the biggest post for last. My ultimate creation- the top 50 sports plays from 2015. There are some really talented athletes out there. Humans are just awesome in general. This is the best of what they had to offer in the world of sport this year. Let's get to it.


Honorable Mentions:

November 1: World Series Game 5- Royals baserunning in ninth leads to a tie game, later a series win over Mets- Kansas City vs. N.Y. Mets

Less of a top play and more of just good baseball, the Royals rallied for two runs in the top of the ninth to tie game 5 using effective baserunning by Eric Hosmer. They would score 5 runs in the 12th inning to win their first World Series since 1985.


​
September 12: Deshone Kizer finds Will Fuller late to put away Virginia- Notre Dame vs. Virginia

Notre Dame's starting QB Malik Zaire goes down and out for the season after breaking his ankle in this game against Virginia. Redshirt freshman Deshone Kizer comes in and holds of the Cavaliers, and ends the game with this. Talk about making an entrance.


​
November 8: Lance Stephenson's alley-oop to DeAndre Jordan- Houston vs. LA Clippers

More from DeAndre in a little bit. But give credit where credit is due. That pass by Lance Stephenson, though....


​February 24: Karri Ramo robs JT Miller with spectacular save- Calgary vs. NY Rangers

You had an open net, JT. Aaaaaaaand, it's gone. Go-go-Gadget Glove Save!


August 27: Carlos Torres kicks comebacker, David Murphy completes putout- NY Mets vs. Philadelphia

This one seriously requires all the luck in the world. To be able to kick a screaming low line drive like Torres does, then to be in the perfect position the way David Murphy was, then to complete the throw to first base... just watch this. 


The Top 50:


50. September 12: David Ortiz hits career home run #500- Boston vs. Tampa Bay

A legendary exclamation point on the end of a brilliant career. Keep on swingin', Big Papi.


49. May 9: Albany lacrosse goalie Blaze Riordan runs the field, splits the D, scores- UAlbany vs. Cornell

There are a number of factors that make this play amazing. The first is that Riordan's a big boy, and look at the guy move! The second is that he's a goaltender, so stuff like this never happens in lacrosse. Third, the splitting of the two Cornell players. It's just funny the way he leaves them in his dust. Finally, the shot that beats the buzzer. Like, come on. Lax is ridiculous like that, as is this play.


48. January 9: Travis Booker beats the shot clock with a circus-style tip in- Utah vs. Oklahoma City

Another shot that requires 39 different kinds of luck. This one just makes you laugh, it's so silly.


47. May 23: Ducks score 3 times in 37 seconds to take lead over Hawks- Western Conference Finals, Game 4, Chicago vs. Anaheim

Can't tell if lazy defense by the Blackhawks... or just impressive offense by the Ducks... the Blackhawks won this game, by the way.

​
46. September 26: Aaron Green lifts TCU over Texas Tech with touchdown catch off deflection- TCU vs. Texas Tech

If Green doesn't make this catch on 4th down, Texas Tech wins, and TCU's #3 ranking is done for. Things this video doesn't show: Texas Tech's crazy lateral play that almost went the distance to win the game. A fine game-winning TD from one of the best college football games this season.


45. September 20: Bartolo Colon flips ball behind the back, isn't really 42- NY Mets vs. Miami 

The best part of this video is at about 0:08, when the announcers realized that they just saw a 42-year old man who is still pitching at a major league level defy the laws of aging. Bartolo Colon is literally timeless.


44. October 10: Alex Ovechkin dekes John Moore out of his skates, scores- Washington vs. New Jersey

Let's be honest here. This is Alex Ovechkin doing Alex Ovechkin-type things, which is nothing new whenever one views a Washington Capitals game. Poor John Moore, he never saw it coming.


43. November 7: St. Thomas College's no-look pass for 2-point conversion- St. Thomas vs. Carleton

I wonder how many times these guys practiced this before they got it right. Carleton was actually leading this game, 3-0, before St. Thomas scored this touchdown/conversion. They wound up losing, however, 80-3.


​42. May 16: Garry Hill's gravity-defying grab- Brookland vs. Star City (Arkansas)

This here is high school baseball, the Arkansas Class 4A semifinal. Star City centerfielder Garry Hill goes back after a long fly ball- what he does next is instant awesome.


41. January 9: Michal Neuvirth reaches across the crease to rob Brett Connolly- Nashville vs. Tampa Bay

When you can fake out even the guy who sounds the goal horn, you know you've done something right. Michal Neuvirth's save of the year candidate on Brett Connolly, everyone.


40. May 14: Tristan Thompson makes circus style layup while falling- Eastern Conference Semifinals, Game 6, Cleveland vs. Chicago

The landing looks like it might have hurt a little bit- watch Tristan Thompson get the dish from Matthew Dellavedova, go up, maintain his focus and concentration, and fall to the floor as his layup rolls in.


39. September 26: Mike Trout takes a home run away from Jesus Monteiro, makes it look easy- LA Angels vs. Seattle

I mean, the guy's an American League MVP and a four-time All-Star, so what else do you expect from Mike Trout? But this? This is just rude. Although, to the fielder's credit, the wall at Angel Stadium isn't that high...


38. January 13: Julian Kislin's crazy passing skills lead to goal- Freehold Township vs. Middletown North (N.J.)

If you took Alex Ovechkin, Patrick Kane, Sydney Crosby, and Pavel Datsyuk on a good day, and rolled them all up into one, you might just get what Julian Kislin does to his opponents in this high school hockey game. Have a day, kid.


37. April 26: Alex Gordon flies into stands to make catch, takes fan with him- Kansas City vs. Chicago White Sox

The dive and catch into the stands is impressive, yes. But what really steals the show for me here is the contact made between Gordon and the White Sox fan in the black jacket. It's like a running back meeting a linebacker on a goal-line stand. Advantage on this one goes to the running back.


36. December 9: Kevin Garnett still has game, dunks on Blake Griffin, draws technical- Minnesota vs. LA Clippers

The guy's 39 and still making posters, and he's making posters over other guys who love to dunk. This might be a young man's game, but sometimes the youngin's need to respect their elders, especially when they can still do this. 


35. August 19: Juan Perez makes basket catch over the wall to rob a home run- San Francisco vs. St. Louis

This one is just plain old disrespectful. To go up on the wall and rob a home run is one thing, but to make a basket catch? Please. Juan Perez makes this look easy. 


34. August 11: Neymar scores beautiful spinning goal- Barcelona vs. Villareal

This goal by Neymar is just pure artistry, pure genius. And it's kinda funny, really. Pop. Spin. Shoot. GOOOOOOL.


33. September 7: Braxton Miller's spin move leaves Virginia Tech in the dust- Ohio State vs. Virginia Tech

This right here is some video game stuff... like, Braxton Miller pressed the B button on Virginia Tech. Without any effort at all, Miller was absolutely gone. With a spin like that, he deserved to score.


32. April 21: Tom Wilson steamrolls Lubomir Visnovsky- Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, Game 4, Washington vs. NY Islanders

It was at this point that Lubomir Visnovsky knew... something was definitely wrong here. Given, there was a charging penalty on Wilson for this hit, it was still really pretty to watch anyways. 


31. July 6- Ryan Smith makes spectacular flipping catch- Saskatchewan vs. Toronto

Canada has football too, you guys. That's right, we're talking the CFL here. That's Ryan Smith of the Saskatchewan Roughriders going up high and basically flipping in the air to bring down the ball against that defensive back for the Toronto Argonauts. Great country, great catch, great reactions from the kids, great football.


30. May 9: Paul Pierce calls "game," hits buzzer-beater over three defenders- Eastern Conference Semifinals, Game 3, Washington vs. Atlanta

The Atlanta Hawks couldn't handle "the truth." With time winding down, and the Wizards with the ball, Paul Pierce single-handedly won the game for Washington, holding onto the ball for at least seven seconds, then going up over three Atlanta defenders to bury the jumper at the buzzer. When asked in a post game interview if he "called bank," Pierce responded calmly, "I called game."


29. September 4: Mac Bignell crushes a Fort Lewis receiver- Montana State vs. Fort Lewis

Jadeveon Clowney, anyone? Even with all the padding, this one had to hurt. The plays seems innocent at first; a simple swing pass out to the right side... and then Bignell makes it all go south for the poor guy.


28. January 3: Jerian Grant climbs the ladder, defies gravity on huge dunk- Notre Dame vs. Georgia Tech

"Where was the defense?" "Where was the gravity?" Jerian Grant's monster dunk over a Georgia Tech defender was the first big play of 2015. The All-American point guard gets so much air on this dunk, it literally looks like there's an actual ladder underneath him. Like... how?


27. September 5: Tanner Mangum's hail mary finds Mitch Matthews to beat Nebraska- BYU vs. Nebraska

This play is one of a few hail mary's on this list, and for all of them, I wonder what went wrong for Nebraska here. At least have one guy in front, and have at least one guy behind the receiver. That way, you can, I don't know, deflect the ball somehow. It's still a great play- and what's even more amazing is that Mangum threw another hail mary the very next week to beat Boise State.


26. July 28: Omar Infante and Alcides Escobar combine for incredible put out- Kansas City vs. Cleveland

This is some grade-A defense right here, based on just pure skill alone. I personally love the fact that it's all this effort just to nab the runner headed to first place- no double play or anything. It's a testament to how much of a team that Royals squad was on their World Series quest.


25. March 19: RJ Hunter hits deep 3 to sink Baylor, dad falls off stool- NCAA Tournament Second Round, Baylor vs. Georgia State

Baylor was in my Final Four, and this was the second game of the first day... so I was a little angry when RJ Hunter hit this shot. In hindsight, it's pretty awesome. The shot is from 35 feet, and it's for a 14-seed to knock out a 3-seed in the first round. And the icing on the cake is Hunter's father, Ron, falling off his stool (he tore his achilles celebrating the team's tournament birth) as the shot fell. This play is everything that March Madness is about.


24. April 10: Andrelton Simmons breaks sound barrier with throw to nab runner- Atlanta vs. NY Mets

This is one of those Derek Jeter-esque plays. To grab a grounder from short left field, jump, and still get the guy is ridiculous. Additional props go to Freddie Freeman, the first baseman, for that split. This is the second time in as many seasons that Simmons has made a play like this to get the same hitter, Mets catcher Travis d'Arnaud.


23. March 21: Steph Curry breaks Chris Paul's ankles, part 1- Golden State vs. LA Clippers

So, technically, this play is actually second chronologically in the pantheon of Steph Curry-Chris Paul interactions (the second is coming up on this list). Two things about this play stood out as amazing to me (definitely a non-basketball person): the first being Curry dribbling behind his back to get Paul to bite and then bite the floor, and the second being reaction of the Warrior bench. 


22. August 15: Three Nationals combine for wild defensive out, Washington vs. San Francisco

Plain and simple- this play should not have happened. Nats 1B Clint Robinson has to be in just the right position to deflect the ball up in the air, where 2B Anthony Rendon has to time his jump perfectly and be in perfect position to snag the ball with a bare hand, who fires it to basically nowhere, where P Felipe Rivero just happened to be in just the right spot where he is completely outstretched to make the out. If any of these elements are off, even by an inch, Brandon Crawford is safe at first.


21. January 10: Julian Edelman throws touchdown pass to Danny Amendola- AFC Divisional Round, New England vs. Baltimore

For context, Julian Edelman was a former quarterback when he played in college at Kent State. The Pats have even used this double-pass play before, where it worked on the Indianapolis Colts. This one brought the Patriots back to tie the game, as they had come back for the second time from down 14. 


20. June 24: Josh Donaldson dives into the stands to make the catch- Baltimore vs. Tampa Bay

The announcer makes a comparison between Donaldson and Derek Jeter, who also famously ended up in the stands in a game against the Red Sox. The difference between Donaldson and Jeter is this: Jeter didn't catch the ball in the stands- he caught it about 10 feet from the stands and his momentum carried him (and perhaps a bit of embellishment did as well) into the crowd. Donaldson dove into the stands and caught the damn ball in the stands. Also, this was to keep Marco Estrada's perfect game alive in the 8th inning. The edge between the AL MVP and the Captain goes to Donaldson here. And yes, there are 19 plays left that are more amazing than this one.


19. December 3: "The Miracle in Motown:" Aaron Rodgers ends game with walk-off hail mary- Green Bay vs. Detroit

I didn't watch this game, and I'm mad at myself for it. I saw a Facebook post that read "A live look in at the Green Bay Packers" with a picture of the Titanic sinking- it was 20-0 at halftime. All of a sudden, about an hour later, I get a notification from ESPN saying Aaron Rodgers had won the game with a 60+ yard hail mary. And sure enough, that was the case. The Packers had come from 20 points down to beat their division rivals with this gem. As for the Lions- put someone in FRONT of the receiver.


18. November 28: Mike Thomas does his best Odell Beckham, Jr. impression- Southern Mississippi vs. Louisiana Tech

You have to get at least one foot down in college, so flying body parts on this play make it all the more fun to watch. The one handed grab by Thomas here put Southern Miss up 21-3; they'd go on to win, 58-24. Thomas's hands might not be as sticky as OBJ's, but it sure is one hell of an athletic grab.


17. September 25: Mookie Betts goes over the wall to rob Chris Davis, ends game- Boston vs. Baltmore

Earlier in the season, Mookie Betts caught a ball that took him over the wall, but was called a home run as the ball popped out of his glove (#MookieCaughtIt), giving the White Sox a bizarre homer. This time around, Betts (and the ball) stayed in the park, as he robs Chris Davis of a home run, and sealed Rich Hill's 7-0 shut out win over the Orioles. (Also spotted: Steve the bullpen cop.)


16. February 1: Jermaine Kearse makes crazy bobble catch to put the Seahawks in position to win- Super Bowl XLIX, New England vs. Seattle

Had it not been for another play, this would have been the storybook ending the Seahawks needed to put away Super Bowl XLIX. Malcolm Butler tips the ball in the air, but Kearse is able to maintain a focus on it and bring it down at the 5. It's another "He did what??" moment. I guarantee you, every Patriots fan that night had horrible flashbacks at this very moment (see Tyree, David). Regardless, one of the best plays from one of the most intense Super Bowls ever.


15. August 31: Kevin Kiermeier robs Manny Machado of a home run- Tampa Bay vs. Baltimore

Full extension right here. That would have taken my arm out of its socket. How do you feel about this, Chris Archer?


14. June 3: Alex Killorn makes no-look, tip in goal to open the series- Stanley Cup Final, Game 1, Tampa Bay vs. Chicago

I think it's safe to say Alex Killorn has some really good hand-eye coordination. The Bolts' center redirects a deflected shot by Anton Stralman, and bats it out of mid-air past Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford. Doc Emrick's reaction is vintage, too.


13. November 30: Ravens block Browns' potential game-winning FG, return it for game-winning touchdown- Baltimore vs. Cleveland

Ah, the Kick-Six. After Ravens QB Matt Schaub had thrown his third interception of the night, the Browns only needed to go something like 15 yards to give their kicker Travis Coons a chance at a game-winning field goal. Coons kick was blocked, and Ravens DB Will Hill returned it the rest of the way, giving Baltimore a stunning 33-27 win on Monday Night Football. This is, far and away, one of the most Browns things to ever happen.


12. December 9: DeAndre Jordan posterizes Greg Monroe

This will be your NBA 2015-16 dunk of the year, I'm calling it. DeAndre shows no mercy when he's up that high. I can't come up with too many words to describe this- I'm just in awe.


11. July 5: Carli Lloyd scores third goal of a hat trick- from midfield- FIFA Women's World Cup Final, United States vs. Japan

The first two were great, but now you're just toying with the Japanese team now, Carli Lloyd. This was the fastest hat trick ever scored in a World Cup match- at only the 16th minute. This game was better off being USA 1776, Japan 0.


10. October 16: Michigan mishandles punt, Michigan State returns it for touchdown to win- #12 Michigan vs. #7 Michigan State

I felt so bad for Michigan and its fans on this play. This is one of those "You had ONE job" moments. All Michigan has to do is hang onto the ball, or punt it away if they really wanted. They fumble. MSU picks it up and returns it for the game-winning touchdown. Poor Blake O'Neill. And to boot, Michigan State's got a chance to play for a National Championship on New Year's Eve. 


9. February 3: Carter Hutton spins around and makes incredible paddle save- Nashville vs. Toronto

Kick saves and glove saves are nice, but paddle saves are the absolute best. Having to swing around a piece of wood that is easily detachable from your body (especially when it's a bigger piece of wood than other players have) and swat a puck out of mid-air without even looking at it is an achievement, to say the least. You'll need to watch this a few times to fathom what you see.


8. August 6: Kevin Pillar is Superman, robs Miguel Sano of extra bases- Toronto vs. Minnesota

Somewhere, Jim Edmonds is smiling. Sano drives one to deep right center, but Pillar lays out for a spectacular catch. The best camera angle of this play is from far away, where Pillar looks so small compared to the huge walls at the Rogers Centre. More from Pillar in a second. 

7. September 21: Chad Kelly finds Quincy Adeboyjo (somehow) for touchdown- #15 Ole Miss vs. #2 Alabama

Another play that should not have happened. The botched snap, the desperation throw, the tip and the catch are all absurd. Alabama would get the last laugh, though, getting the 43-37 win. 


6. February 1: Malcolm Butler picks off Russell Wilson to seal Super Bowl victory- Super Bowl XLIX, New England vs. Seattle

This never gets old. Butler was the cornerback who tipped the ball up in the air when covering Jermaine Kearse, only to have Kearse catch it on the rebound, a great play in its own right, which should have sealed victory for the Seahawks. Down 28-24, instead of running the ball from the 1 yard line, Seattle coach Pete Carroll decided to call a Russell Wilson pass play, which was subsequently intercepted by Butler with only 20 seconds remaining. It will be remembered long after Patriots and football fans alike die. By the same token, the Kearse catch should have been the movie ending for the Seahawks. The Butler interception is the harsh reality that your heart can be ripped out of your chest, just seconds after it was ready to explode with happiness.


5. March 8: Steph Curry breaks Chris Paul's (and the Clippers) collective ankles, part 2- Golden State vs. LA Clippers

Crossing over one guy is one thing. But four?? Steph Curry makes it happen, and makes it look so easy. The fall away jumper at the end is the icing on the cake. Also, check out Steve Kerr's reaction to this piece of artistry. It's amazing how far this guy has come along, and how much more exciting he's making the game of basketball.


4. April 16: Kevin Pillar enjoys parkour, robs Tim Beckham of a home run- Toronto vs. Tampa Bay

Jumping at the wall is one thing. Being able to get a foothold on it and climb it is another. Kevin Pillar does just that, as he just barely reaches over and snags Tim Beckham's sure home run on Jackie Robinson day. Lots of good things happened for the Toronto Blue Jays this year, that's for sure.


3. November 29: Odell Beckham Jr, "The One-Handed Catch, Part 2"- NY Giants vs. Washington

Another year, another spectacular catch by the sensation out of LSU. Odell Beckham Jr. somehow makes a ridiculous one-handed grab, almost a year to the day he made his first one that propelled him to super-stardom.  The first one involved Beckham diving backwards to make the grab, this time he's diving forwards to make the grab. Somehow, this one seems almost more impossible than the first one.


2. November 1: Miami uses 8-lateral kick return to score touchdown to beat Duke- Miami vs. #22 Duke

Lateral. Lateral. Lateral. Lateral. Lateral. Lateral. Lateral. Lateral. Easy as 1-2-3. After Duke scored on a 1-yard rush from Thomas Sirk (and a two-point conversion) with 6 seconds to play, all the Blue Devils needed to do was squib the ball on the kickoff and tackle whichever Miami Hurricane was holding it. Easier said than done, as Miami returned the ball up to their own 40, then lateraled their way back to their own goal line, and then ran it down the field to score the game-winning touchdown. Miami was actually up by 12 with 5 minutes to go before Duke scored 15 unanswered points. 


1. October 16: Francis Owusu makes catch pinned to defender's back- #15 Stanford vs. #18 UCLA

Taking the top spot on this list is something that, as far as we know, originated in Alabama in 2005, when Tyrone Prothro made a catch pinned against a Southern Miss defender's back. Stanford's version involves a little more razzle-dazzle... like, say, a double reverse pass from Kevin Hogan. A tad underthrown, I might admit, but Francis Owusu makes this play possible by wrapping up the player covering him and catching the ball, pinned to the defender's back. To make a catch like this, having another guy in your face, while not being able to see the ball and maintain possession of it is utterly incredible. A big tip of the hat to you, Francis Owusu.


What did I miss? What do you think should be included on this list? Leave a comment if you so desire. Have a happy and peaceful New Year, everyone!

2015 was a damn good- and at points bizarre- year for sports. From the awesome to the crazy, I'm counting down the top 10 moments in sports from 2015. The moments can be really great; from a team winning a championship or a single person reaching a career or lifetime achievement; really shocking- such as a scandal or other event that shook the sports world; or just downright stupid and funny- such as... well, you'll find out. Let's begin, yes?

First, a few honorable mentions:


Honorable Mentions:

September 12- David Ortiz hits career home run #500

David Ortiz has, far and away, become the greatest clutch hitter in the history of that franchise. From the two clutch hits in the 2004 ALCS to lift the Sox over the Yankees, to the grand slam in game 2 of the 2013 ALCS that turned momentum for the Red Sox against the Tigers, to his World Series MVP that same year, Big Papi has done it all since coming to Boston in 2003. Ortiz's final quest, it seems, was reaching the career plateau of 500 home runs, a feat he accomplished on a two-home run night. Ortiz tagged Rays pitcher Matt Moore twice, hitting #499 in the first inning to deep right, and then again in the fifth inning to nearly the same spot. At the end of the 2015 campaign, Ortiz said he would hang it up after the 2016 season. With so many accolades to his credit, David Ortiz will long live in New England baseball lore.


​January 1- Jameis Winston fumbles away the Rose Bowl

All it took was one backwards pass, and the rest was history. The undefeated Florida State Seminoles, the defending National Champions, faced off against the 12-1, 3rd-seeded Oregon Ducks in the first ever College Football Playoff Semifinal. Oregon looked to be in control for most of the game, as many experts thought they would be. However, in the third quarter, with Florida State just past midfield, Noles QB Jameis Winston, winner of the Heisman Trophy the year before, dropped back to pass and was instantly surrounded by Oregon defenders. Winston panicked, scrambled backwards, and tried to wind up and throw the ball away, only to have the ball slip out of his hands, which was scooped up by the Ducks and returned for a touchdown. This was the last exorcism of Winston's rollercoaster career before entrance in to the NFL draft, although both Winston and Ducks QB Marcus Mariota (who went 2nd overall, just after Winston) would meet in the first game of the NFL season later that year. Oh, and the score? Oregon throttled Florida State, 59-20.


November 29- Kobe Bryant announces his retirement

While it did not come as a shock to some, most couldn't fathom the reality that they were about to face: an NBA without Kobe Bryant. Kobe had been struggling for a majority of the 2015-16 season, posting what seemed like career-low numbers left and right. Everything came to a head on November 29, when the Lakers superstar announced that this season would be his last. Unlike a traditional press conference, Bryant announced his retirement online, with a heartfelt poem submitted to the Players' Tribune. The poem, entitled "Dear Basketball," details Kobe's deep love for the game of basketball, but reveals the sad but inevitable truth that all good things must come to an end. "I fell in love with you," writes Bryant about the game he so loved, but acknowledged: "I'm ready to let you go./ I want you to know now/So we can savor every moment we have left together." This man was a legend. A 17-time all-star, an NBA MVP, and a five-time NBA champion. He will be missed.


​October 15- Jose Bautista crushes home run, does bat flip to end all bat flips

The scene was the Rodgers Centre in Toronto, for the decisive game 5 of the American League Division Series, which pitted the Texas Rangers, eager to make good on their last two failed attempts at a World Series title, and the Toronto Blue Jays, who hadn't made the playoffs since 1993. With the game tied 3-3 in the bottom of the 7th, and runners at first and third, Jose Bautista stepped into the box and delivered one of the most dramatic home runs ever in franchise history, crushing one into the upper deck of the Rodgers Centre. The place exploded- as was to be expected when your team goes up by three runs in an elimination game. However, while the home run was exciting, it was Bautista's bat flip after the fact that made headlines. Bautista confidently threw the bat up into the air after hitting the cover off the ball in what he was sure was a home run. Just the pure energy and electricity put into the event made this moment really fun, and pretty damn cool to watch. A really nice moment for the Blue Jays and the city of Toronto.


The Top 10:


10: October 18- Colts execute worst play in the history of football

This was the first time the two teams had met since the AFC Championship the year before, a game which sparked the whole Deflategate controversy. Naturally, everyone thought the Colts would be ready for the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots, and the Colts even led the game at halftime, 14-13. New England would jump out to a 27-21 lead in the 3rd quarter, however, and the Colts knew they were in trouble. Then this (see the shit storm above) happened. On a 4th and 2, the Colts decided to punt, then tried to go into some weird formation, leaving only Griff Whalen on the line of scrimmage to snap the ball to Colt Anderson. I think the Colts were trying to get the Patriots to either jump offsides or call a time out... I think? Instead, Whalen snapped the ball, and was wrapped up for a loss, and the Colts got flagged for an illegal formation penalty. The Patriots proved in this game that some they don't even have to beat some teams, because those teams like the Colts have already psyched themselves into losing. I watch the replay and I just... I just... (face palm).


9. May 27- FIFA, Sepp Blatter involved in bribery scandal

Was anyone else wondering why the World Cup was given to a nation like Qatar? John Oliver's right, there is no earthly reason why the World Cup should ever be held in Qatar. Well, it would appear that something fishy was up. On May 27, seven FIFA officials were arrested at a Swiss hotel, on an investigation by the FBI and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division, and fourteen were later indicted on charges of wire fraud, racketeering, and money laundering. The FIFA execs were preparing to attend a FIFA Congress, where their current President, Sepp Blatter, was expected to be reelected for a fifth consecutive term. Various findings included a $10 million bribe paid to FIFA to select South Africa as the host country for the 2010 World Cup. Following more investigation, Blatter was hit with an eight year ban from all football-related activities and a $50,000 fine. Blatter has since "resigned" from office (although he says he's "put his office back in the hands of the FIFA congress"). As for subsequent World Cups, it was reported that FIFA officials accepted bribes of more than $1.5 million for Qatar to host the tournament in 2022. Sources say that if there is sufficient evidence of bribery, Qatar will be stripped of the bid, although no concrete official word has been given. 


8. December 11- Golden State Warriors set new NBA mark by starting 24-0

What a year it has been for these Golden State Warriors. First they win an NBA Championship in June, knocking off Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Then they start the season 24-0. On November 27, with a win over the LA Lakers, Golden State set a new NBA record with the best start to a season, winning their first 16 games. On December 11, the Warriors and MVP Stephen Curry, still undefeated at 23-0, traveled to Boston to face the Celtics, a team that has been on the rise, but seems to pull out all the stops for big time games. In a game that could have gone both ways at either time, the Celtics, eager to end the Warriors' undefeated streak, pushed the champs into double overtime before Golden State finally pulled away, 124-119. Boston had two chances to win, in fact, both at the end of regulation: Isaiah Thomas' shot was blocked by Shaun Livingston, and Kelly Olynyk's jumper at the buzzer was wide. However, the Warriors, even without Klay Thompson due to an ankle injury, and Steph Curry playing one of his worst games from the field this season (shooting 9 of 27 from the field, a 33% average, although he was 6 of 13 from downtown and 14 of 14 from the line), kept their streak alive. Coincidentally, Golden State would lose its very next game to Milwaukee. However, that's been the only blemish on their record this season, as they stand a tall 29-1.


7. January 11- Ohio State wins the first College Football Playoff Championship

Everybody loves brackets, am I right? When the NCAA announced that college football would be expanding its playoff system to include a four-team playoff, fans rejoiced. I mean, if Division II has been able to do it for years, why can't Division I? With the new system, it cuts out the annoying committee to decide a #1 and #2 seed. With the CFP, a deserving #4 ranked team could win a national title. Such was the case for the inaugural championship, as 4th-ranked Ohio State would upset #2 Oregon in the first CFP National Championship. The Buckeyes, coming off an upset of #1 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl (a CFP semifinal), put up 42 points on the Pac-12 Champion Ducks, who throttled #3 Florida State in the Rose Bowl. The Ohio State win simply proved the system worked, and with the next playoff right around the corner, the fans are definitely in store for something special for years to come. Now if only the NCAA could get rid of those damn bowl games. I mean really, who gets excited for the Belk Bowl? Really?


6. April 29- Orioles and White Sox play game in empty Camden Yards

I'm not gonna lie. This one was weird. As a sports fan who is used to being surrounded by throngs of screaming spectators whenever I attend a game live, I can't even imagine what this must have been like for the players. The game on April 29th at Camden Yards was surreal in that way. Due to the protests going on in Baltimore as a result of the arrest and subsequent death of Freddie Gray,  the city was put on lockdown, the time of the contest was moved from 7:05pm to 2:05pm, and no fans were allowed inside the ballpark for the game between the Orioles and White Sox. As a result, with the exception of those gathered outside the fence to watch what they could, things were quiet. Announcers had to keep their voices down (see Orioles announcer Gary Thorne doing his best Masters analyst impression) as gloves popped and baseballs exploded off bats. The Orioles would win the game, 8-2, and go on to play a three-game series with the Rays in Tampa, but would play as the home team due to the state of emergency in Baltimore. The game was a little bit of a reality check, and it demonstrates that sports, while they can be a healing mechanism, can also fall victim to the horrifying events that have been so present in our world these past few years.


5. May 11 - September 3- Tom Brady and the Deflategate scandal

Hehe... Tom Brady said "balls." Being from New England, this entire story pissed me the hell off. After the Patriots 45-7 thrashing of the Colts during the AFC Championship Game on January 18, a report surfaced that 11 of the 12 balls used by the Patriots in the game had been under inflated, which caused an eruption of controversy, because, well... they're the Patriots. Then the Patriots won the Super Bowl, which, of course, lit a fire under the asses of all the haters. Then May 27th rolled around, and things got interesting. A 243-page report filed by Manhattan lawyer Ted Wells was submitted, with the main finding being: "It is 'more probable than not' that Tom Brady was 'at least generally aware' of the PSI level of footballs during the AFC Championship Game." As a result, the NFL came down hard on Brady and the Pats, suspending Brady for 4 games, handing the team a $1 million fine (twice the fine the Saints had for deliberately targeting players), and a loss of two first-round draft picks. Then came the backlash. Brady hired a crack team of attorneys and took the NFL to court during the month of August. Deflategate finally (finally) came to an end on September 3, a week before the NFL season began, when Judge Richard Berman threw out the suspension, due to a lack of due process on Tom Brady. Go into details with it if you want (I won't, because coverage of the whole thing was rammed down my throat for five months) to find out more. Just know that the NFL's got some problems with how it handles things like this.


​4. May 2- The lead up and letdown of Mayweather vs. Pacquiao

It was the fight we had wanted for years, but never thought it would come to fruition. Billed as "The Fight of the Century," Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao finally faced off at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 2nd, after 7 long years of speculation and planning, with negotiations finally being successful in February. Revenue for the fight surpassed all expectations, as pay-per-view buys totaled 4.6 million, generating over $410 million. The two emerged aggressive, but the energy slowed down significantly, as Mayweather chose a tactical, more defensive approach, and Pacquiao, try as he might, failed to land punches on his opponent. Pac-Man also re-injured his shoulder in the 4th round, something he had agitated a month before the fight, but disclosed that it had healed. Overall, while fans got their money's worth, with both fighters slugging out a very close match over the course of twelve full rounds, many fans thought the fight was a let down due to the conservative approach of both fighters. There was a lot more hugging than boxing fans were used to, I suppose. Additionally, many thought the fight should have gone Pacquiao's way, even though Mayweather was awarded the victory by a very close unanimous decision among the judges. "Better Never Than Late," or a true "Fight of the Century?" You decide.


3. November 15- Holly Holm knocks out Ronda Rousey at UFC 193

It is only very recently that mixed martial arts has found its way into the spotlight. With the dawn of UFC and fighters like Anderson Silva, Randy Couture, and today's stars like Conor McGregor and Jose Aldo, the momentum for Dana White's creation has grown immensely. One such fighter is Ronda Rousey, who has become one of the most dominant (and I mean dominant) fighters in the sport, male or female. Rousey, the former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion, began her career undefeated, winning her first twelve fights, eleven of them coming in the first round (eight of them coming within the first minute via knockout). November 15th at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Australia, saw Rousey's reign of dominance come to an end at the hands (or feet, as the knockout shows) of Holly Holm. Rousey was heavily favored to win the fight, but was battered and bloodied by the end of the first round. Holm took advantage in the second round, knocking the champion out with a vicious kick to the side of the head. This right here, friends, is the greatest upset of the 2015 sports year.


2. July 5- U.S. Women decimate Japan to win World Cup, avenge loss from 2011

Losing sucks. It's no secret, especially when you're a sports fan of a team from America. We don't like to lose. 2011, for that reason, was a heartbreak year for the U.S. Women National Soccer Team, who played Japan in the FIFA Women's World Cup Final to a 2-2 draw at the end of additional extra time, only to be beaten on penalty kicks. The Americans had a score to settle with the Japanese, and they got their chance at BC Place in Vancouver the day after the 4th of July. In short, Japan had a chance to win this game... right before the opening whistle. The game was over in less than 16 minutes, as the Americans scored four times, three of them coming from Carli Lloyd, the fastest hat trick in World Cup history. It was a sweet, sweet victory for the U.S, who didn't take kindly to coming so far only to miss the gold by that much four years ago. If you're like me, and weren't really all that excited about the game (and ended up missing the first four goals due to apathy and crappy internet), support your country more. It doesn't look like the men have a chance at winning the World Cup any time soon, but the women's team is damn good. America, fuck yeah. 


1. June 16- American Pharaoh becomes first horse in 37 years to win the Triple Crown

Being a horse racing fan who wasn't alive before 1978 was hard. And, as I'm one of them, watching horses try and fail to win the Triple Crown was hard (yes, fragile 10-year old me cried when Smarty Jones got upset by Birdstone in 2004). First it was Smarty Jones. Then it was Big Brown. Last year, it was California Chrome. This year, it was American Pharaoh. The three-year old was the favorite for the Kentucky Derby, which it won, the closest of all three races it ran in. Then, in the slop at Pimlico, American Pharaoh took home the win in the Preakness Stakes. And three weeks later, the frustration for so many horses was over, and the trifecta was finally complete- a wire-to-wire victory by 5 and 1/2 lengths in the Belmont Stakes. After so many years of disappointments from other horses, American Pharaoh, who would also go on to be the first horse to win the Thoroughbred Horse Racing "Grand Slam" by winning the 2015 Breeders' Cup, finally evaporated the Triple Crown drought. Winning the Belmont was also a pretty cool moment for jockey Victor Espinoza, who also rode California Chrome to wins in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness before losing in the Belmont one year earlier. A historic moment for sports in 2015 indeed.


More Best of 2015 lists to come soon!  

These were the pulse-pounding, nail biting games that kept us on the edge of our seats for their entirety. These are the best games of the 2015 sports calendar year. The following list was put together based on these criteria: the importance of the game at hand and its subsequent outcomes, and the intensity and craziness factor of the content of the games themselves.

A few honorable mentions before we begin:

Honorable Mentions:

December 5- Big 10 Championship Game, #5 Michigan State vs. #4 Iowa

#4 Iowa came into the game with a 12-0 record, and was considered by many at the midway point of the season to be a shoe in for a college football playoff spot. Standing in their way, however, was #5 Michigan State, seeking their 2nd Big 10 title in three seasons. The game was nip and tuck for the first three quarters, until Hawkeye QB C.J. Beathard found Tevaun Smith for an 85-yard touchdown. However, with 33 seconds to go, Michigan State freshman LJ Scott punched the ball in from the 1-yard line to give Michigan State the 16-13 victory. The Spartans would go on to be the #3 seed, and face off against the #2 seeded Alabama Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff Semifinal.


January 18- NFC Championship Game, Seattle Seahawks vs. Green Bay Packers

A game that looked like a sure victory for the Green Bay Packers suddenly became anything but. The Packers looked real good for a majority of the game, taking it to the defending Super Bowl Champions, leading 16-0 at halftime, and 19-7 with three minutes to go in the game. With 5 minutes to play, Seahawks QB Russell Wilson threw his 4th interception of the game, and it looked like the Seahawks chances to repeat were dashed. However, the Packers decided to play conservatively and run the ball, giving Seattle another chance, which they did convert on with RB Marshawn Lynch punching the ball in to make it 19-14. The Seahawks would recover the onside kick and score a touchdown and a 2-point conversion to make it 22-19 with only 1:25 left. The Packers would drive and kick a game-tying field goal as time expired on regulation, but in overtime, the Seahawks would win on a 35-yard touchdown pass from Wilson to Jermaine Kearse, and go on to play in Super Bowl XLIX.


October 3- #6 Notre Dame vs. #12 Clemson

Give Notre Dame one more shot at this game, and I think they would have beaten Clemson. Both teams came in undefeated (ND at 4-0, Clemson at 3-0), but things would go Clemson's way early, as they built up a 21-3 lead on the Fighting Irish heading into the 4th quarter, which became 24-9 with only 11 minutes to play. However, Notre Dame's QB Deshone Kizer orchestrated a massive comeback attempt, the first on a 3-yard touchdown run, and another on a 1-yard pass to Torii Hunter, Jr. with only 7 seconds left to make it 24-22 Clemson. Unfortunately for Notre Dame, they would miss the two-point conversion (their second of the day), and the Clemson Tigers would hang on for the victory. Clemson is currently the #1 team in the country, facing off against #4 Oklahoma the CFB Playoffs. Notre Dame would make its way to #8 and face #7 Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl.


The Top 10:

10. November 15- New England Patriots vs. New York Giants

As the NFL regular season draws to a close, this was one of the most intense matches of the year. The Patriots were unbeaten at 8-0, but had not beaten the New York Giants since 2007; since then, the Giants had beaten them 3 times, twice in the Super Bowl. The game was back and forth, with the Patriots eventually falling behind by 10 midway through the 3rd quarter. The Patriots eventually pulled ahead, 24-23, on a 75-yard pass from Tom Brady to Rob Gronkowski. With 6 minutes to play, Brady brought the Patriots down to the Giants 1-yard line, where a touchdown would seemingly put the game away. Instead, Brady was intercepted, and the Giants moved down the field and seemingly scored the go-ahead touchdown with 2 minutes to play, instead, officials concurred that Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. had not maintained possession of the ball, and the Giants settled for a field goal. Brady was almost intercepted one more time which would have put the game away; instead officials ruled that the Giants defender also dropped the ball. The Patriots would continue the drive, with kicker Steven Gostkowski hitting a 54-yard field goal with 1 second to play to preserve the Patriots' 9-0 record, with a 27-26 win.


9. May 10- The Players' Championship, Final Round

This was quite possibly one of the most intense final rounds of a golf tournament ever played. With a stacked leaderboard including Sergio Garcia, who had won the event at TPC Sawgrass the year before, it came down to three men: Garcia, Kevin Kisner, who was with Garcia in the final group, and Rickie Fowler, who had trailed by 5 shots with only 6 holes to play. Fowler would play his last 6 holes at 6-under par (birdie, par, birdie, eagle, birdie, birdie) to tie with Kisner and Garcia at 12-under par. Garcia, in that final group, would make a 44-foot putt on #17 to remain tied with Kisner for the lead. The three men would go to a three-hole playoff of 16, 17, and 18 to decide the winner, with Garcia eventually being eliminated after missing a birdie putt on 17 and bogeying 18. Kisner and Fowler would play sudden death on 17, with Fowler landing his ball 5 feet from the pin and making birdie. Kisner would miss his birdie putt, thus giving Rickie Fowler his second PGA Tour win.


8. August 27- Little League World Series, U.S. Semifinal, Texas vs. California

When talking about sports, the Little League World Series often gets overlooked. However, ESPN decided to really step up the coverage this year, with most, if not all games this summer being broadcast. The United States semifinal pitted Pearland, Texas against Bonita, California, two teams that had met before in the second round of the U.S. bracket, lost, and reconvened a few days later. Texas led 4-3 after the first inning, but California, fueled by a 2-run home run by Jake Baptista, scored 3 to make it 6-4. California would later tie the game with an RBI single in the 4th and a home run in the 5th, and the game would head to extra innings. Finally, the tie was broken by California in the top of the 8th, as Baptista came through again with an RBI single to give California a 7-6 lead. In the bottom of the 8th, however (shown in the video above), Texas's Ben Gottfried tied the game with a solo homer, and Caleb Lowe followed up with a walk off 2-run shot win it. Texas, however, would go on to lose the U.S. Championship to Pennsylvania, 3-2.


7. September 26- #3 TCU vs. Texas Tech

Ever hear about those college football games where the top-5 school plays an unranked school and you think: "hmm... I think they could actually win that game," and that game turns out to be crazy intense and back and forth all day? This was that game. 3rd-ranked TCU faced off against Texas Tech, in a game that featured 11 lead changes, an improbable game-winning touchdown, and an almost impossible game ending. With Texas Tech leading 52-48, TCU moved down the field for one last drive. The Horned Frogs found themselves with a 4th and goal from the Texas Tech 4 yard line with only 30 seconds left. TCU QB Trevone Boykin threw a pass to John Doctson in the back of the end zone, which sailed too high and tipped off the receiver's hands. However, the tip was just enough for TCU receiver Aaron Green to haul it in for the score, putting TCU up, 55-52 with 23 seconds to play. Texas Tech, however, on the ensuing drive, managed to get the ball to only midfield. With no time left, Tech tried to lateral their way to the end zone, and they managed to get the ball down to the TCU 10 yard line before being run out of bounds, and the Horned Frogs held on for a well-deserved victory, to stay #3 at 4-0.


6. October 27- World Series, Game 1, Kansas City Royals vs. New York Mets

Game 1 of the World Series tied the record for the longest World Series game ever. In a wild, 14-inning slugfest, the Royals willed their way to a 5-4 win over the New York Mets. On the very first pitch from Mets starter Matt Harvey, Alcedes Escobar hit an inside-the-park home run to put the Royals on the board first. In the middle of the 4th inning, the game was interrupted by a power outage that blacked out Fox's telecast for a short time. With the Mets up 4-3 in the 8th inning, and Jeurys Familia in the game, I, for one, thought the game was over for Kansas City. Little did I know that Alex Gordon would come up with a dramatic, game-tying home run in the bottom of the 9th. The game wore on until almost 1:00 a.m, when, in the 14th inning, a sacrifice fly from Royals 1B Eric Hosmer just barely beat Mets CF Curtis Granderson's throw home, sealing the deal for Kansas City. The Royals would go on to win the Series in 5 games, their first since 1985.


5. June 16- The Belmont Stakes

I should include the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes on this list, but I chose the Belmont Stakes simply because it was the most glorious for American Pharaoh. The horse, driven by jockey Victor Espinoza, who had driven California Chrome to a heartbreaking second-place finish in last year's Belmont (one leg from a Triple Crown), became the first horse since 1978 to win the Derby, Preakness, and Belmont in consecutive tries. American Pharaoh took the race, even after a rocky start, wire to wire. All you really need to do here is watch the race replay, and let the electricity fill your body.


4. May 13- Stanley Cup Playoffs, Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 7, New York Rangers vs. Washington Capitals

The Caps built up a 3-1 lead on the defending Eastern Conference champions before losing the next two games. In a pivotal game seven, Alex Ovechkin essentially guaranteed a game 7 win for Washington, and, at least for the moment, appeared to make good on his promise by opening up the scoring in the first period. From there, it was mostly a game of defense, as both goaltenders combined for 72 saves on 75 shots. The Rangers tied the game in the second on a beautiful power play goal from Kevin Hayes. Both Washington's Braden Holtby and New York's Henrik Lundqvist took control of the game from there, as both turned away shot after shot in the third, sending the game to overtime. Finally, in the first overtime period, New York's Derek Stepan delivered the series-winning goal on a beautifully-drawn up faceoff play. Just a hard-fought game on all fronts by both teams, and a prime example of why playoff hockey is the best kind of hockey.


3. March 28- NCAA Men's Tournament, Midwest Regional Final, Kentucky vs. Notre Dame

Notre Dame, just as a rule, has a history of being grossly overrated and blowing it in big time games. The Fighting Irish's run to the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament in March, however, was no fluke. When the draw was announced that Notre Dame would be playing in the same bracket as the unbeaten Kentucky Wildcats, many felt that it was destiny that the two would meet for a chance to go to the Final Four. The game was nip-and-tuck, as the Irish kept the Wildcats at bay, leading for most of the first half. However, as time expired in the first half, Trey Lyles knocked in Andrew Harrison's layup to tie the game at 31 at the midway point. Notre Dame came out swinging in the second half, leading by as many as 6 points with a little over 6:00 to play, but Kentucky clawed its way back into the game, with Aaron Harrison hitting a long three with three minutes left to put Kentucky back up, 64-61. Notre Dame answered right back 90 seconds later, down 64-63, with a deep three from Jerian Grant to go up, 66-64. Kentucky's Karl-Anthony Towns evened the score at 66-66 with a quick bucket with 1:13 to go. The Wildcats would get the ball back after a Notre Dame shot clock violation, and Aaron Harrison took advantage of a Demetrius Jackson blocking foul, converting on the free throws to make it 68-66. Notre Dame had last possession, but a last-gas heave from Grant from the corner was well off, and Kentucky remained undefeated, and moved on to the Final Four. In a game that lived up to the hype, these were two teams with something to prove, and did not disappoint the fans.


2. July 5- FIFA Women's World Cup Final, United States vs. Japan

This game was over in the first 15 minutes. A note to the rest of the world- Do not even attempt to mess with the United States national any team on Independence Day weekend. Four years ago, the US Women's National team lost a heartbreaker to the Japanese in the World Cup final, as Japan broke a 2-2 tie in penalty kicks, converting on 3 to the 1 scored by American Abby Wambach. Well, the American women came to play against the Japanese, and came out swinging. In just the 3rd minute, Carli Lloyd put one in the back of the net, the fastest goal ever in a World Cup final. Lloyd would score again, this one coming three minutes later on another corner kick. In the 14th minute, Lauren Holiday scored on a mishandled header by Japanese defender Azusa Iwashumizu, putting the U.S. up, 3-0. Two minutes later, Lloyd scored her third goal of the match, this time from almost midfield, as the U.S. went up 4-0, showing an unstoppable wave of hunger and determination to win this match. Japan got lucky on a few shots, one of them being a fluke own goal, but the Americans showed firm resolve, putting Japan away, 5-2. This was the third World Cup title for the United States, and it was the ending of a highly successful career for Abby Wambach, who was playing in her final USWNT game.


1. February 1- Super Bowl XLIX, New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks

Greatest. Super Bowl. Ever. Leading up to Super Bowl XLIX, Las Vegas set the odds for this game at a toss up; the most evenly matched Super Bowl ever. Coming off the strangest prelude to a Super Bowl ever, Tom Brady, amid all the deflate-gate controversy, led his New England Patriots to a 4th Super Bowl title. Standing in their way: the resolute but dangerous defending champion Seattle Seahawks. The game was pretty even in the first half. Brady threw an interception but also threw for two touchdowns. Seattle's QB Russell Wilson had a touchdown pass of his own to Chris Matthews, who had come out of basically nowhere for this game (and was basically never seen again after it) at the very end of the second quarter, and the game was tied 14-14 at the break. In the third quarter, however, it was all Seattle, as the Seahawks wore down the Patriots defense, highlighted by the rushing attack of Marshawn Lynch, who averaged 4.3 yards per carry in the game, and a 3-yard touchdown pass from Wilson to Doug Baldwin. The Seahawks led by 10 heading into the 4th. However, Brady, calm and collected as ever, orchestrated two fantastic drives, throwing a touchdown pass to Danny Amendola with 7:55 left to play, and another one to Julian Edelman with 2:02 left to play, to go up 28-24. Seattle, however, as you'd expect, wasn't done yet. In the blink of an eye Seattle was down near the New England goal line, highlighted by a long pass from Wilson to Lynch, and then a pass to Jermaine Kearse, which was batted up in the air and then caught, reminiscent of two plays the New York Giants used to beat New England in 2008 and 2012. However, it was New England CB Malcolm Butler who got the last laugh, as Wilson's pass attempt from the New England 1 was intercepted, essentially winning the game for the Patriots. While Pete Carroll's play calling and Tom Brady's role in deflate-gate remained in question for weeks to come, this game will go down in history as the best of the year, as well as one of the best of all time.


Which sports games did you enjoy this year? Let me know in the comments section down below. More countdowns to come before the year is out!

These ear worm tracks get stuck in your head until they kill you from the inside. 2015 was a great year for music, but it also had its fair share of songs that you wish the radio would just stop playing. Today I'm counting down the top 10 most annoying songs from this past year. 

I'd like to point out that this list is (obviously) not the end all, be all, I'm just one guy, and I know that one man's most annoying list is another's top 10 favorites list. I'm not saying these songs are bad, they're just annoying. Once again, if I've omitted (or included) one of your favorites, I can only apologize. Without further ado, one with the list! Beginning, of course, with some honorable, or in this case, dishonorable mentions.


(Dis)honorable Mentions:

"Fun," Pitbull feat. Chris Brown

When I first heard about this song, it was Pitbull on a radio commercial telling people to "have F-U-N. Fun (Pitbull tongue roll)," and I said: "no, Pitbull. I will do no such thing." These two together, who are, no doubt super stars in the hip-hop world, don't make the track any better. The Men-at-Work-esque musical interlude seems real out of place for a Pitbull track. I can think of many other different ways to have fun that don't involve listening to this song.


"Focus," Ariana Grande

I really like Ariana, she's great. She can sing, for one thing. But this song is just "Problem" in a minor key. It's got the same set up: Retro-style opening, followed by empowering "individuality" lyrics from Grande, followed by a pre-chorus that builds up to Ariana belting a super high note, which leads into a chorus that includes the title of the song, spoken or whispered by someone who's not Ariana. The one saving grace of this song is the horn section in the middle. I'm not fooled by this one, Ariana.

​"Bitch Better Have My Money," Rihanna

Go ahead, say it one more time. "Bitch better have my money." We get it. Rihanna's gotta get that money. I'll give you $20 to keep this song off the radio for a little while. I don't really see anything else to this song other than an excuse for Rihanna to pose as some kind of a hitman. The parrot-like melody to this track is obnoxious. The music video's fairly entertaining though. 


​"Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)," Silento

Full disclosure: I really like this song. Watching people whip and nae nae is the best thing ever. But this is another one of those songs similar to Soulja Boy Tell Em's "Crank That Soulja Boy." What's the purpose of cramming a bunch of dance moves into a three-and-a-half minute song? This is a one-hit wonder if I ever saw one. There's even a reference to Soulja Boy in the damn song! I'm just thankful that he Silento doesn't include his name in all his song titles. 


The Top 10:

10. "Dear Future Husband," Meghan Trainor

With the release of this song and another to be mentioned on this list, I understand what Meghan Trainor was trying to do with "All About That Bass," which she did succeed at, to some extent. From a song that was about empowerment and body positivity to this song, I'm just not buying it. Literally every song this girl puts out is an Amy Winehouse ripoff. Convince your producers to let you try something new, Meghan.


9. "Love Me Like You Do," Ellie Goulding

For some reason, this song skeezes me out a lot. Maybe it's because I know it's from Fifty Shades of Gray and the message of the song could be what the main character in the film is thinking, which just makes me uneasy. On top of that, "Love Me Like You Do," I found to be super overplayed this year. The contents of the film for which it was written and the feeling of the song don't mix well for me. While it did reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, I could only take people obsessing over it for so long. 


8. "I Really Like You," Carly Rae Jepsen

Sigh. How Carly Rae Jepsen ever got Tom Hanks to participate in the making of this music video, I will never understand. Also, I was okay with "Call Me Maybe." It was fun, and it was silly, and that was okay. This one, where she says "really" about six times in the course of one line of the chorus it a bit much. There's nothing about this song that's fun, it just kinda screams to me "I remember hearing that Carly went broke so this song was definitely put out there to make her a little bit of money."


7. "Lean On," Major Lazer & DJ Snake feat. MØ

I don't really know how it started, these middle-eastern/Indian-inspired horn riffs in place of hooks of songs. But this one is just plain dumb. These are the same two guys who put together "Bubble Butt" and "Turn Down For What" (even though Lil Jon made that one what it was). The lyrically-void section in the center of the song, punctuated by "somebody to Lean On," will burrow its way into your skill and make you want to shoot the radio every time this song comes on.


6. "Lips are Moving," Meghan Trainor

Nope. Nope, nope, nope. Again, this song doesn't really have a point, and as a result, does nothing for me. Hearing this song reminds me how much I despised "All About That Bass." Once again, it's another Amy Winehouse ripoff song. Now, while not every song needs to rip out your guts and expose your soul, I'm not the biggest fan of this tune making its way through my car's speakers. Also, I'm really wishing that Trainor will find away to break away from the "rap-speak-sing-monotone" thing she has going on in most of her songs. I'm sure she's got a lot of talent, but I don't feel like she's using it in quite the right places.


5. "Where Are Ü Now," Skrillex & Diplo feat. Justin Bieber

Another two-DJ collaboration, another hook featuring no vocals and an annoying signature musical melody, another annoying song. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm actually pretty impressed with the Biebs' new stuff (see: "Sorry," "What Do You Mean," and "Love Yourself), but this one is just lazy. I didn't even know that Skrillex and Diplo were still relevant, to be quite honest. But what really grinds my gears about this song is its hook. I'm not really even sure what to make of it, but it's just freakin' annoying. This one deserves a radio station change.


​4. "Somebody," Natalie La Rose feat. Jeremih

Nobody samples Whitney Houston and gets away with it. Also, I just really hated Jeremih's song "Don't Tell 'Em" from last year. But of course, like the Pitbulls and Soulja Boys before him, Jeremih insists on dragging the song that made him relevant along with him into this Natalie La Rose ear worm. Why am I even kidding myself. Jeremih is literally the only problem I have with this entire song. Having him here just really irks me. And it irks me so much that he singlehandedly put this song at #4.


3. "Marvin Gaye," Charlie Puth feat. Meghan Trainor

This song infuriates me more than the previous one did. Oh, Charlie. You did so well with Wiz Khalifa, but you had to go ahead and collaborate with Meghan Trainor for this piece of garbage (can you tell how much I dislike Meghan Trainor yet?). This song is just so lazily written. It's too easy to take one of the most famous songs ever written by one of the most legendary artists ever written and try to put your own teen-pop spin on it to make it popular again. "Let's Marvin Gaye and get it on?" Please. If I told you to "Van Halen and jump" off a bridge, would you do it? Also, "To Marvin Gaye" isn't even a verb. It's really just a tad disrespectful to use the Marvin's song in this way, and for your efforts (or lack thereof), it's earned you the 3rd spot on this list.


2. "Fight Song," Rachel Platten

If I have to hear the phrase "Like a small boat on the ocean/setting big waves into motion" one more time, I'm gonna rip my eyes out. I'm curious to know what this song is written about and why it was written. What exactly is Rachel Platten fighting about? And why does she feel the need to use so many songwriting and wordplay cliches to reach the top of her personal mountain? Everything about this song annoys me. I'm sure Rachel Platten is a nice girl, but she could do much better. Silver medal of shame. Next.


1. "Worth It," Fifth Harmony feat. Kid Ink

I read a Youtube comment on this video that compared Fifth Harmony to the Spice Girls. The only comparison I can draw between the two groups is that they're made up of five women. That's about it. The Spice Girls revolutionized the pop industry. Without them, Fifth Harmony probably wouldn't exist (except for Simon Cowell probably. If he made One Direction, I'm sure he would have made Fifth Harmony). Did the girls call up Jason Derulo and ask him who his saxophone player was for "Talk Dirty?" Because that's what that riff in the hook sounds like. I don't know who came up with the idea of using Middle Eastern/Indian-inspired horn riffs like that, but this one will worm its way into your brain and literally devour it until you're dead. There is nothing interesting about this song, there is nothing special about this song. Go ahead, play it one more time. I dare you.


Which songs from 2015 drove you nuts? Leave a comment if you so desire. Here's to 2016 and a bunch more countdowns to come!!

From singles that revolutionized the phrase "party song" to huge albums pushing artists in new directions, 2015 was another huge year for music. To christen this site with its first countdown list, I'm counting down the top 25 pop songs of 2015. This list is something of my own opinion (obviously), which takes into consideration the amount of  Top 40 radio airtime the song received, the song's position and length of time on various music charts, and, honestly (because all criticism is subjective like that), whether or not I enjoyed listening to the song. 

I originally had something like 30 or 35 songs for the list, so in order to include as many as I could, I threw in a few honorable mentions just, because.

​Honorable mentions:

"Fourfiveseconds," Rihanna feat. Kanye West & Paul McCartney

An interesting combination of ingredients makes for a delicious musical soup. I'm not usually one for Rihanna, but the blend of voices between hers, Kanye's and Paul McCartney's is something extraordinary, given the strange combination of musicians.

"Bad Girls," MKTO

From the makers of the infectious "Classic," MKTO came out with this slightly less catchy song earlier this year. It's sexy, it's got that vintage R&B sound (Those horns, though...), and it's just plain fun.

"Renegades," X Ambassadors

I keep hearing this song in Jeep commercials, and it's grown on me, especially in the last few months as I was putting the finishing touches on this list. "Renegades" just makes you want to go out on a rainy day and explore. The lyrics speak about empowerment despite adversity, which, despite its grayer musical layout, gives the tune a really cool depth when the two are paired together.

"Want To Want Me," Jason Derulo

This song off Derulo's newest album, Everything Is 4 just screams "fun." The song reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, and hit the top of the UK charts, where it remained there for four consecutive weeks. I'm one of those people who associates songs with certain colors, and I see "Want To Want Me," as a bright, sky blue. It's one of those "roll down the windows on the highway and sing" songs.

"Style," Taylor Swift

2015 was a huge year for Taylor Swift, as her 1989 album sold over 1 million copies during its first week of release, and has sold 5.5 million copies in 2015 alone. There's a few more T-Swift songs coming up later in the countdown, but "Style," brings an 80s pop sound to the table, with an enticing hook, and lyrics more mature than we've seen with Swift's earlier tracks. 

"Sugar," Maroon 5

With Adam Levine being everywhere it seems nowadays, I wonder why the band hasn't put his name above its title yet. "Sugar," from the band's V album provides less grit than songs like "Animal," but the Levine falsetto isn't as annoying here as it is in songs like "Feelings." "Sugar" was released in January and reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

​
The Top 25:
 
25. "Drag Me Down," One Direction

Confession: I've secretly always really liked One Direction, five members or not. Their songs are catchy and infectious, but what more could you ask for when looking for music that you like to listen to? "Drag Me Down," is another one of those. While I was skeptical about the track at first, the guitar riffs paired with the catchy hook is fantastic. Why the four of them are dressed as American astronauts in the music video is completely beyond me, though.

​
24. "On My Mind," Ellie Goulding

"Love Me Like You Do," off the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack makes me uncomfortable for some reason. "On My Mind," which I just discovered around Thanksgiving, has the opposite effect. The track is very radio-friendly, with its quirky, fast moving, but simple and creative lyrics and unique backing instrumentation, and I think it's one of the best songs Goulding has released thus far in her career. "On My Mind," was a top-10 hit in the UK, and has thus far reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100. An interesting thing to note: could this be an answer piece to Ed Sheeran's "Don't"?

​
23. "Budapest," George Ezra

"Budapest" is gloriously simple. George Ezra's voice is simply gorgeous. This indie rock track from Ezra's album Wanted on Voyage, while released in Italy in late 2013, was released in the US in October 2014, and reached peak air time on American top 40 radio in mid-2015. The song uses very few chords on guitar, (as they were some of the only ones Ezra knew while writing it), and has an extremely hummable melody. As Ezra commented about "Budapest," it was his first failed  attempt at writing a love song, which is something that really resonates with me, both as a person and a musician. 

​
​22. "Hotline Bling," Drake

I shouldn't like this song. I didn't when it was first released, and I think that was because of the music video and various Vine clips of Drake dancing. The video was directed by someone named Director X, who I'm pretty is either Drake or a five-year old. It just doesn't really have anything to offer me, and I think people are going to look back on this video in the same way we look back on 80s pop music: "Wait... we liked this?? Why??" So disregard the video and Drake's horrendous dancing. The song, however, is pretty damn good. Not that "cell phones" are a thing anymore, but we're all suddenly fans of the horribly-unmelodic phrase "you used to call me on my cell phone" again. Trivial, yes. But we can't. Get it. Out. Of our. Heads. And what exactly is a "hotline bling," anyways? It's one of those songs where you don't give a shit about the meaning, look the other way and enjoy thoroughly. Listen to it alone when you're driving in the car. You'll get it.

​
21. "Honey, I'm Good.," Andy Grammer

If you're wondering where Andy Grammar has been for all those years (and I assume you weren't), we found him. "Honey, I'm Good." which, for some reason has punctuation in the title, has a very country feel about it. Likable and singable, this song from Grammer's second studio effort Magazines or Novels is pretty straightforward: Andy's in a club, sees a hot girl and says "LOL JK I can't, I have someone at home." Cute, right? Another of those "roll-down-the-windows-on-a-hot-day-and-blast-the-music" songs.

​
​20. "Hello," Adele

Ah, Adele, you've done it again. She's back in the land of the living and given us another soul-stirring piano ballad with one hell of a hook. Though  Adele's new album, 25 hasn't been out long, but it's already the best-selling album of 2015, selling over 3.3 million copies in its first week. The leading single, "Hello," was Adele's return to civilization, a statement entrance chock-full of emotion, signature backing vocals, and riffs upon riffs upon riffs. Had 25 been released earlier in the year, "Hello" might be higher on this list. But the fact that it's entering its 8th week at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 isn't hurting it, either.

​
19. "G.D.F.R.," Flo Rida feat. Sage the Gemini & Lookas

At the start of last year's NBA season, this song by Flo Rida (who was also apparently MIA before this song came out) was a part of many a-commercial. I mean, that horn part during the hook? SO good. The additional verses by Sage and Lookas only make this song better.

​
18. "Cheerleader," OMI

So apparently the original of this song is from 2012. Who knew? 2015's Felix Jaehn remix of "Cheerleader" features a faster tempo, a dash of autotune, and some added orchestrations from the original reggae track. The song's about finding that one person that you can count on as your "cheerleader," a feel-good track that almost anyone can relate to. "Cheerleader" reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 this past summer.

​
17. "Ex's & Oh's," Elle King

When I first heard this song, I could have sworn that it was Gin Wigmore. After further investigation, I learned the "Ex's & Oh's" was by Elle King, who I later also learned was the daughter of actor Rob Schneider. The song, which was originally huge on most rock charts, features a driving beat the remains the pulse of the song while King's catchy vocals complete the track. The song was the only the second song since 1996 by a solo female to reach the top of the Alternative Songs chart (the first being Lorde's "Royals" in 2013), and it received two Grammy nominations, for Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song.

​
16. "Stitches," Shawn Mendes

From the opening acoustic guitar notes to the memorable hook, "Stitches" is everything Shawn Mendes could have hoped for this song from his debut album Handwritten. The chorus gets stuck in your head so easily, as Mendes dotes on lost love, and how the lack of it in his life has left him broken. Both danceable and heart breaking, "Stitches" has it all. The song peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Also, check out the acoustic version of this song featuring Mendes and Hailee Steinfeld.

​
​15. "Someone New," Hozier

Forget "Take Me To Church;" ​this is your new favorite Hozier song. The song's a lot brighter than the aforementioned "Church," featuring a catchy hook in a major key, lyrics about being able to be honest with oneself and loving many people in different ways, and greater range of vocals from Hozier. However, the real hero of this song is the chord selections on guitar, which range from simple to delightfully complex. The blues-y chords are very John Mayer-sounding in that respect. Just listen to it and you'll fall in love with it.

​
14. "Bright," Echosmith

First "Cool Kids," and now "Bright." I like Echosmith a lot, I enjoy their sound, I enjoy their instrumentation, and I enjoy their lyrics. After I saw The Fault in Our Stars last year (and remembered how to cry), I heard OAR's song "Peace," and "Bright" reminds me a lot of the former. It's a song about cute, adorable, love! What more could your inner teenage girl want? I'm also a big fan of the opening lines of the hook and its metaphors regarding stars and constellations and all that. Good stuff. 

​
13. "The Wolf," Mumford & Sons

At last! The long awaited return of Mumford & Sons! I'm a huge fan of their Wilder Mind album, which sees the band move away from their neo-folk sound that made them famous, and embracing their electric instruments, resulting in a more alternative sound. "The Wolf" is a driving alt-rock number, and the music video, which shows the band at a music festival, perfectly reflects the spirit of the song. It's one of those songs like The Killers' "Mr. Brightside," in that it makes you wanna stand at the foot of the stage at Bonaroo and jump up and down to every beat of the song. Ya done good, Mumford. Keep on keepin' on.

​
​12. "Bad Blood," Taylor Swift feat. Kendrick Lamar

The second of three Taylor Swift songs on this post, "Bad Blood," is the most defiant from the style that built Taylor's career. With a deep, pulsing bass and a guest appearance from Kendrick Lamar (and apparently tons of celebrities in the music video), "Bad Blood," is an unreal friendship-breakup smash. I'd also like to point out that, while I traditionally have not been a fan of rap, nor have I been a fan of rap remixes of songs, the Kendrick version of "Bad Blood" is far superior than the Taylor-only version. The verses are stronger and have more bite, and the instrumentation is MUCH better. With the version not featuring Kendrick, Taylor's verses lack any kind of complexity, and it's just plain annoying.

​
11. "Talking Body," Tove Lo

Tove Lo's "Habits (Stay High)" peaked at #3 on the Billboard charts, the highest for a Swedish artist since Ace of Base's "The Sign." Personally, I'm way more of a fan of "Talking Body" than of "Habits." Maybe that's just because I'm a fan of the thrill of the physical part of a relationship, and not vomiting in my own bathtub. Regardless, the electro-pop sound of "Talking Body" is fantastic, and the hook that pulls the whole thing together, anchored by Tove Lo's melodic "if you love me ri-i-ight..." is divine and instantly memorable. I "can't get this one off my mind, ooooh," as it were.


​10. "Lay Me Down," Sam Smith feat. John Legend

You'll notice that this version of "Lay Me Down" is not the version that features solely Smith from ​In the Lonely Hour. Instead, I've chosen this version, which was released in March for Red Nose Day, a British charity telethon event founded in 1985 by comedians Richard Curtis and Larry Henry to support those affected by famine in Ethiopia. This version surpasses the original due to the lack of additional instrumentation, and the addition of one John Legend, who is the featured pianist for the track. Plain and simple, the harmonies Legend and Smith create together will make you cry. Legend adds a certain soulfulness to the song, and, while the song's meaning when it only features Smith (in that version of the music video, anyway) is about mourning the loss of a lover, the two Grammy-winning artists together give this version of "Lay Me Down" a hopefulness. It's oddly perfect for the event it was created for.


9. "Cool for the Summer," Demi Lovato

This song is so easy describe, I can do it in one word: Hot. "Cool for the Summer," very much like the season Demi is referring to, is hot, steamy, and all those other words that you're thinking of. The glaringly obvious undertones to Demi's experiences with another woman are, well, awesome. Let's not forget that Lovato got her start on the Disney Channel, so it's nice to see someone finally break the mold, and not in the whole Miley Cyrus way, where she rammed it down our throats. I for one am a huge fan of Demi's new outlook (Go check out "Confident."). There are really so many lyrics that make this song great (and hot), like when Lovato references cherries being bitten into, having two people of the same body type, and even whispering the simple "don't tell your mother." And I've never heard anyone slide so hard between notes during a chorus like that either. Yas, Demi. 


​8. "Believe," Mumford & Sons

Marcus Mumford and his band are back and better than ever. Many people were a little skeptical about the band's change from a folk-rock sound into an alt-rock sound. "Believe," the first single from their most recent album Wilder Mind, has a mystical quality about it for the first two minutes, and then explodes into an array of pounding drums and wailing electric guitar. However, it still contains that wondrous, awe-inspiring feeling that Mumford & Sons are known for. While it doesn't have an official music video, watch that audio track video above. It's just someone on a motorcycle with a mounted camera riding around London, but it's mesmerizing. It's good to have you back, boys.


7. "Uma Thurman," Fall Out Boy

Yes. That would be a sample from the television show "The Munsters" included in Fall Out Boy's newest smash, "Uma Thurman." The song is clearly Pulp Fiction inspired, what with all the coke sniffing, surfer guitar riffs (reminiscent of that epic final scene), and references to Uma Thurman and what not. I appreciate how far Fall Out Boy has come musically, beginning as a punk rock band, gradually including deeper bass sounds applicable to most of the music found on today's top 40 radio, but still managing to keep that unmistakable sound, confusing lyrics and all. "Uma Thurman" is just an all around great song. So get up and dance to it. Now.


6. "Blank Space," Taylor Swift

"Nice to meet you, where you been" indeed. "Blank Space," the second single from Taylor's 1989 (the first being "Shake It Off") further immerses the- finally- pop star into the sound we've all been craving. This song was really the first one that made me really care and believe what Taylor was talking about. She understands that she's done all this crap with men in the past (a.k.a. writing #1 hits about men that broke her heart- although one has to make money somehow, am I right?), but is still putting herself out there and attempting to go at it again. If "Shake It Off" was the prologue to this chapter of Taylor's career, "Blank Space" is the perfect genuine first few pagers of the book.


5. "See You Again," Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth

Everything about The Fast and The Furious franchise (aside from the first movie) annoyed the crap out of me. They went from racing cars to jumping out of planes, and then somehow The Rock got involved. However, the events leading up to Furious 7 and the release of "See You Again," is simply heartbreaking. The track is the perfect homage to the late Paul Walker, who really made the franchise what it is. The soft and haunting hook from Charlie Puth, combined with the meaningful lyrics (while not aggressively overbearing) from Wiz Khalifa is a magical blend of sound. It gets me thinking about the people outside of my family who really mean a lot to me, and how that group of people becomes your second family. I'm pulling for this song to win an Oscar, because it deserves it. 


​4. "Can't Feel My Face," The Weeknd

Is this song about cocaine? Yeah, probably. Does it really matter, because the song is incredible? No. The Weeknd's first #1 single channels a little Michael Jackson, between the vocals, the memorable hook, and the uptempo, all-in, jam out sound. It's this amazing slice of neo disco, with some 80's synth and 2010's R&B/hip-hop sound. One critic called it "retro-modern disco-funk," which I think is a perfect way to sum it up. It'll be interesting to see if The Weeknd can keep up his success as we enter 2016.


3. "Thinking Out Loud," Ed Sheeran

Say what you want about this song: It's annoying, it's overplayed, it's stupid, it's corny. I think it's the best love song of the year, simplistic as it is. It's just so genuine and so damn cute. Not to mention Ed singing his little heart out for whoever it may be. "Take me into your loving arms/kiss me under the light of a thousand stars." Awwwww. The guitar solo is absolutely fantastic (and I'm a sucker for a well-placed guitar solo), and it's a crime that it has been cut from many radio versions of this song. Also, look at the music video! Ed's lost a lot of weight from his + album, and he spends most of the video dancing. I'm so proud of him. But really, you can bash this song all you want. I think it's great, and it receives the bronze medal spot on this list for being so effectively cute and mushy.


​2. "Shut Up and Dance," Walk The Moon

Taking the silver medal on this list is the catchy, bouncy, happy-go-lucky smash hit from the first album by Walk the Moon. For this song to not reach #1 on the Billboard charts is an absolute travesty. It's a dance hit, but it's got so much rock and roll infused in it, which is great. The heavy power chords on the guitar, combined with the up-tempo nature of the song, paired with the fun lyrics and vocals of lead singer Nick Petriccia make the song a full out yacht-rock song (Yes, I said yacht-rock). The song reminds me so much of summer, but it's really a track that can be enjoyed all year round, without hesitation. I think we'll look back on this song years from now, and still be able to shut up and dance to it.


1. "Uptown Funk," Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars

Oh come on, how could it be any other song? "Uptown Funk," in my humble opinion of blogger and list maker, has reached the upper echelon of one of the best party/dance songs of all time. Let me give you a little bit of background as to how popular this song was this year. I studied abroad in England at the beginning of the year, in January. It was the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 when I left in the first week of the New Year. It was the #1 song in the UK for about half the time I was there. I returned in early March to the U.S. "Uptown Funk" was STILL the #1 song on the Billboard charts. Bruno Mars' lyrics and vocals are unmistakable, and the intro is so memorable. But the two real heroes of the song are the horns and bass, especially in the final portion of the song (Skip to 4:08 in the video, where there's an amazing section not included in the radio single). When I first heard it at the end of the 2014 (when it wasn't receiving much airtime, thus it being included in the 2015 list), it sounded like any other 80s song I had heard before. Now that I've had a chance to really learn to love this song, it's become one of my favorites, to be sure. Uptown has funked me up, and I love it.


If I missed one of your favorites, I can only apologize. Maybe I'll get it on the next one. But just so I know, which songs do you think were the best from 2015? Leave a comment if you so desire. Happy New Year everyone!