Sports can come to represent a lot of different things. At their worst, sports can be cruel, unfair, and unforgiving, causing you to question your loyalties with a broken heart. At their best, they can absolutely save lives and make you respect the idea of 'higher purpose' through the beauty in their moments. The range is wide, and in the scope of just one year we are able to see just how special sports can come to be.
2016 was filled with moments of beauty in sports. Here are five of the best moments from the year in no particular order. Enjoy, and happy valentine's day.
DEE GORDON'S MAGICAL LEADOFF HR
“I ain’t never hit a ball that far, even in BP,” said Gordon, who finished with a season-high four hits. “I told the boys, ‘If you all don’t believe in God, you better start.’ For that to happen today, we had some help.”
The above quote given by Dee Gordon following his leadoff homerun is truly goosebump inducing stuff when you take into account the situation in which it occurred.
Just literal seconds after honoring Jose Fernandez, the Marlins pitcher who tragically passed away in a boating accident mid-season, Gordon stepped to the plate to lead off the game. His homerun came at a time when both he and the city needed it.
CUBS FAN DRIVES 650 MILES TO LISTEN TO CUBS WIN WORLD SERIES WITH HIS FATHER
In North Carolina, a man listened to the final out of the Cubs 2017 World Series victory somewhere he had promised to be many years ago. Right by the side of his father.
Keeping a promise he made to his father, this man drove 650 miles on the night of Game 7 just to sit in an empty graveyard with his late father. The audio of the game cutting through the midnight air, he sat and heard the World Series victory with those who could be there to see it.
LEICESTER CITY WIN THE PREMIER LEAGUE
The Cleveland Browns at their absolute worst were 500/1 odds to win the Super Bowl this season. Now think about the fact that Leicester City came into the 2015/16 season as 5,000/1 long shots to capture the Premier League title, and did so by a whopping 10 point margin.
This video shows a small group of Leicester fans who sobbed after the final whistle that secured their first Premier League title.
LEBRON JAMES WINS THE NBA FINALS FOR CLEVELAND
Love him or hate him, LeBron made good on his promise to the city of Cleveland this year when he secured their first ever NBA championship with a monster performance in game 7 in Golden State. He had to defeat the greatest regular season team in NBA history on their own court, and broke down in an emotional mess after the victory.
CRAIG SAGER'S INSPIRATIONAL SPEECH
The word 'inspirational' is often tossed around and attached to videos or speeches that don't quite 'inspire' anything. When Craig Sager spoke at the ESPY Awards last year, the moment was as inspiring as they come.
Craig passed away this year, and his speech will continue to live on as proof that fighting for what you see true and keeping a loving mindset are what matter in life.
**BONUS - Muhammed Ali Speech**
Muhammed Ali passed away during 2016, so this speech is not technically a 'moment' that happened and therefor could not be included in the list.
But in the current world we live in, it is important to recognize what people like Muhammed Ali truly stood for, and not just watch him dodge punches in the ring on youtube. This video discusses his decision to become a Muslim, and the power we have to control our lives.
Hope everyone has a great Valentine's Day, and if you want to chime in or discuss feel free to tweet us @FoxSportsRadio or @mikeyfowler18. Thanks all, nice to meet you!