A Decade in Review: Sports

By Peyton Schultze

Deshaun Watson’s last second touchdown to Hunter Renfrow carried Clemson to a 2017 National Championship in a college football classic between the Tigers and the Alabama Crimson Tide (via Niner Noise).

The 2010’s were a decade full of stunning plays, unreal performances, and plenty of controversy in the sports world, consistently shocking fans at every turn.

New records, broken curses, and tons of mind-blowing moments in clutch situations defined sports over the past decade, advancing even more into the limelight in a day and age filled with up-to-the-minute news and updates with the popularity of social media.

With that being said, it is exciting to think about what the next ten years will look like in the sports world. After all, who knows what the next decade will offer up? But instead of looking toward an unknown future, let's look back at some of the finest moments in American sports history from our past ten years. Here’s our full decade in review of some of the best sports moments of the 2010’s.

NBA

LeBron James’ game-saving block in the final seconds of the 2016 NBA Finals helped secure the first championship in franchise history for the Cleveland Cavaliers (via CavsNation.com).

In a decade controlled by dynasties such as the Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors, the 2010’s helped revolutionize and change game of basketball for years to come.

In what may go down as one of the greatest decades in NBA history, the league certainly evolved right before our eyes. The three-point revolution changed the way teams attack on the offensive end. Super teams controlled the decade, led by some phenomenal performances in clutch situations. And unlikely heroes stepped up in career-defining moments.

LeBron James and the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers own the decade’s most memorable moment, highlighted by James’ late-game block and Kyrie Irving’s clutch three to finally put the Cavs on top. But while the Cavs may have the most memorable moment in the 2016 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors, there were certainly some other spectacular scenes that helped shape this decade of basketball.

Who could ever forget Ray Allen’s series-saving three-pointer back in the 2013 Finals against the Spurs? Or that time when a little-known player from Harvard took the basketball world by storm, giving some hope to Madison Square Garden for the first time in years. Or even when Mavericks’ legend Dirk Nowitzki found his career moment in the 2011 Finals, topping the heavily favored Miami Heat in a massive upset. And of course, who could ever forget Kobe Bryant’s final game, dropping 60 on the playoff hopeful Utah Jazz in one of the most storybook endings in sports history.

Lastly, the NBA finally became the professional league of freedom and mobility in the 2010’s, where players could join any team in the league at the own leisure. Highlighted by the massive decisions by LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, and others, the league became the most dramatic and pressure-filled sports league in the world, filled with plenty of debates and controversies over legacies and several players’ places in NBA history.

The decade started with the Lakers closing out the Celtics in one of the most dramatic Game 7’s in recent memory, and is now ending with the start of a new season after the most interesting offseason in the league’s history. With so many new stars on the horizon and so many teams in the playoff conversation yearly, what will the next decade offer up?

NFL

Malcolm Butler’s interception in the finals seconds of Super Bowl XLIX against the Seattle Seahawks reignited the Patriot dynasty and changed the course of NFL history forever (via New York Post).

The 2010’s saw more of the same from the NFL: more exciting moments and some of the best players in NFL history performing at a high level.

The decade largely revolved around Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, and the New England Patriots, tearing through the league with three Super Bowl titles. However, new threats such as the Seattle Seahawks and their Legion of Boom emerged, with several random winners on sensational playoff runs such as the Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens, and Philadelphia Eagles. In addition, in a golden age of quarterbacking, the league truly witnessed some of the greatest signal callers in history put together some ridiculous season. Led by Hall of Fame talents such as Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton, Ben Roethlisberger, and Russell Wilson, the 2010’s were truly a great time to watch some of the best to ever do it under center.

Another interesting part of the decade revolved around the further expansion of sports betting and fantasy sports. With popular one-day sites such as DraftKings and FanDuel coming into the light, fans were able to become even more engaged with games they would not normally care about. Don’t care about the Patriots but love Tom Brady’s matchup over the weekend against the Jets? Set up a lineup involving the star quarterback and tune into the game to see how he does. This type of fan interest further expanded with the booming industry of fantasy football and the upbeat NFL Red Zone channel under DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket, showing fans all the live scoring plays as they happen. The game never seemed so interesting all day long, bringing new excitement to fans of the league.

Yet the decade also was defined by controversy. From the kneeling protests led by 49ers’ star quarterback Colin Kaepernick to the lack of clarification of many calls to cases of domestic violence off-the-field, the league was often swarmed in mass amounts of scrutiny and doubt. However, with fan interest at an all-time high and plenty of marquee players to watch every Sunday, the league remains as relevant as ever in American society. Every week gives an opportunity to witness something great, keeping fans in their chairs every weekend during the season.

Now, as the league heads into the next decade of marquee football, we’ll see a whole other fresh group of players come into the limelight. With superstars on the rise such as Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Odell Beckham Jr., Michael Thomas, Christian McCaffrey, Nick Bosa, Dak Prescott, Dalvin Cook, and Deshaun Watson, the NFL has a bright future in front of them. As the decade comes to a close, hope lies on the other side in the NFL.

MLB

Single handedly making his case for the Hall of Fame after one of the best postseason performances of all-time, Giants’ pitcher Madison Bumgarner became a postseason legend during San Francisco’s dynasty (via Bleacher Report).

Helping move past the steroid era and into a new age full of bright young superstars, the 2010’s also saw rapid evolution in Major League Baseball.

As some of the other professional sports leagues in the country started to bring in more viewers and attract a larger audience, the MLB was forced to step up and make the game more interesting. Recovering from the harsh side effects of the steroid era, the 2010’s helped clean up baseball’s overall reputation and bring in plenty of young fans as the decade moved along. With a variety of dominant teams stepping up over the course of the decade, baseball remained prominent in the 2010’s with plenty of excitement.

On-field replay reviews, drastic shifts, and a brand-new analytical movement also came into effect during the decade, bringing the game into a new digital age full of technological advancements. In addition, minor additions such as pitch clocks and restrictions on slides helped clean up the speed of the game, helping to keep fans engaged over the course of the long 162 game season.

But what really defined this decade of baseball were some of the most magical World Series moments of all-time. The Cubs, for one, broke their 100+ year old curse and finally captured a world title. The Dodgers and Astros competed in a seven game thriller in a series for the ages. The Red Sox continued their dominance since breaking their curse, capturing two more titles in the process. David Freese’s late heroics in Game 6 saved the day for the Cardinals back in 2011 against the Rangers, with a game-tying triple and a game-winning walk off home run in extras. And of course, 2014 showcased one of the best postseason pitching performances ever from Giants’ lefty Madison Bumgarner, who carried the Giants to their third title of the decade.

If there’s one thing that this decade of baseball showed, it is that you can still never predict what may happen in baseball. As the league heads into a new era of baseball with superstar talents such as Mike Trout, Christian Yelich, Cody Bellinger, and others, the game still remains the most unpredictable sport in America, which is a great sign heading into the 2020’s.

NHL

In winning his first and only Stanley Cup, Alexander Ovechkin sealed his place in NHL history as one of the best players to have ever taken the ice (via HybridTechCar.com).

Just like baseball, hockey slowly changed over the decade with a new wave of analytics. With an increased focus on attacking offensively and getting the puck on net, the 2010’s saw much more scoring and offensive movement than ever before. With so many intense rivalries and plenty of controversy in the NHL on the ice, the 2010’s were another great decade for several teams who ended up raising Lord Stanley’s Cup.

Even though there was some scattered winners throughout the decade, the 2010’s will be remembered for the three mini dynasties of the Los Angeles Kings, Chicago Blackhawks, and Pittsburgh Penguins. With more than two Stanley Cups for each of the franchises, these three teams were the headline grabbers among the league. For the Kings, two miraculous playoff runs led by goalie Jonathan Quick helped secure the first two championships in franchise history. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks were consistently a playoff threat with a spectacular cast of core players, winning three Cups to add to their illustrious history. Lastly, Sidney Crosby’s Penguins remained the powerhouse threat in the Eastern Conference, raising the Stanley Cup two times and consistently ranking as a threat to win it all year in and year out.

Even though those three teams dominated the decade, it is not to say that there were other relevant storylines around the league. One of these was the superb 2017-2018 season, one of the best in recent memory, in which the league saw the first-year expansion team Las Vegas Golden Knights make a ridiculous run toward the Stanley Cup Final. However, the Knights’ fate was sealed when matched up with the Capitals, which resulted in Alexander Ovechkin finally lifting the trophy for the first time in his career. Other key moments happened in a seven game classic between the Bruins and Blues in 2019, as well as a nail-biting finish between the Bruins and Canucks way back at the beginning of the decade in 2011. With plenty of great playoff moments over the decade adding even more elements to the lore of the NHL playoffs, fans can only hope that we’ll see even more chaos in the next ten years.

Now, as hockey heads into a new era of scoring filled with young superstars such as Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews, the future looks as bright as ever. In the middle of an already eventful start to the season, the NHL should be as interesting as ever to watch in the next segment of the ongoing pursuit of the Stanley Cup.

College Football

The 2013 Iron Bowl between Alabama and Auburn had one of the best finishes in college football history, with the infamous “Kick Six” sealing the deal for the Tigers to enter the National Championship Game in the final year of the BCS era (via The Blade).

Perhaps no sport in America underwent more significant change over the course of the decade than college football. In ditching the former BCS era format for the ever-so-controversial four team College Football Playoff, the sport became a media giant in terms of watch-ability and rooting interest.

One of college football’s main headlines was the improved play of quarterbacking throughout the collegiate level. From raw freshmen to polished seniors, the 2010’s saw plenty of superstar quarterbacks rise in college to become household names. From Cam Newton at Auburn to Johnny Manziel at Texas A&M, and from Marcus Mariota at Oregon to Deshaun Watson at Clemson, quarterback play never looked so promising for future NFL prospects. With enhanced offensive playcalling that slowly sent the spread offense all throughout the country, teams leaned more and more on the passing game as the decade moved along, giving hope to a promising crop of quarterbacks ready to enter the NFL.

However, it wasn’t just the quarterbacks who took center stage to make a few big plays for their teams. For example, current and future NFL superstars such as Jalen Ramsey of Florida State, Aaron Donald of Pittsburgh, Amari Cooper of Alabama, Odell Beckham Jr. of LSU, Chase Young of Ohio State, Christian McCaffrey of Stanford, and Derrick Henry of Alabama will also be remembered for their time in college, flashing some star qualities that caught the attention of the nation’s football fans. With the college football awards such as the Heisman Trophy still being labeled as one of the most prestigious honors in sports, it will be interesting to see how the next generation of college football develops and changes the game even more in the 2020’s.

Yet what this decade of college football will likely be remembered for is the dominance of the programs at the top in the form of Clemson and Alabama. With top notch recruiting classes pouring in year after year, college football saw plenty of the Tigers and Crimson Tide on the sport’s largest stage. Squaring Nick Saban and Dabo Swinney off four times in the College Football Playoff format helped boost the interest of the new playoff situation, as both programs pulled off two national championships against one another in some of the best college football games in recent memory. Adding this ongoing rivalry to a surplus of star players and miracle moments (such as the 2013 Iron Bowl) in the sport had college football thriving at a new all-time high, with fans now calling for an expanded playoff.

College football still remains one of the most treasured sports in America due to pure unpredictability and rich history. With programs constantly adapting to the times based on how other teams are winning, it will be a true joy to see which teams step up over the next decade and become the next college football powerhouse.

Others (Boxing, UFC, Soccer, College Basketball, Olympics)

In the summer of 2019, the United States Women’s National Soccer Team dominated their competition on their way to a win at the FIFA World Cup in France (via NJ.com).

Boxing may not have had a spectacular decade due to plenty of controversy surrounding its athletes, but the sport did witness some awesome performances from boxers such as Floyd Mayweather Jr., Andy Ruiz Jr., and Canelo Alvarez. Outside of Mayweather’s uncanny ability to win at all costs with a perfect undefeated record, the sport took a step back over the course of the decade and will be looking to recover in the 2020’s. Elsewhere in the fighting sports, this was the decade where the UFC really broke out in a notable way. Led by entertaining fighters with plenty of personality such as Jon Jones, Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Ronda Rousey, Cris Cyborg and Nate Diaz, Dana White’s UFC truly became one of the most interesting sports in America with plenty of room for growth. Although the UFC is still evolving and has not reached its full potential in terms of audience size, the future of the sport is certainly bright with so many big-name fighters willing to get into the octagon so often.

College basketball also saw plenty of action over the course of the decade, with even more achievements from some of the top programs in the country. Duke, Kentucky, Villanova, and Connecticut ruled the decade in the sport, led by continued success from some of the best coaches in the sport’s history such as John Calipari and Mike Krzyzewski. With the usual March Madness in the NCAA tournament, the decade was also home to one of the biggest upsets in sports history when #16 UMBC upsets #1 Virginia in the first round of the 2018 tournament. In addition to this, the sport also saw some impressive players capture the basketball world’s attention with unreal performances. Players such as Zion Williamson, Lonzo Ball, Anthony Davis, Kemba Walker, and Karl Anthony-Towns really shined throughout the decade as potential NBA superstars, helping to further grow the sport to a national audience.

One sport that had a surprisingly prolific decade was soccer in the United States. led by two Women’s World Cup victories. With female soccer players such as Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe, and Alex Morgan becoming household names overnight and inspiring a nation, women’s soccer gained a massive amount of popularity due to their immense success. Elsewhere, the MLS became a much more popular sport to watch in the country following the expansion of several teams such as Orlando City and LAFC. One of the sport’s greatest moments of the decade also came when global superstar Zlatan Ibrahimović signed with the LA Galaxy and scored two ridiculous goals in his first game with the team, taking the league by storm with his flashy scoring and almost-laughable amounts of confidence.

With that being said, the decade also housed five total Olympic Games (three Winter, two Summer), with plenty of entertaining competitions and brand-new sports stars taking over world news. Among the five locations (Vancouver, London, Sochi, Rio, Pyeongchang) with dominant performances from athletes such as Chloe Kim, Simone Biles, Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, and others, the Olympic Games have never been more interesting and entertaining to watch in the age of media and technology.