2019 Sports Stories That Mattered to Me…

2019 Sports Stories That Mattered to Me…

Our annual “Sports Stories That Mattered to Me…” is a little later than normal, but it is worth the wait. If you are new to our annual collaboration, each writer that chooses to participate picks one story from the year that mattered to them. It can be anything they want to write, from their favorite team winning a championship to a local sports story that they wish to draw attention to.

If you wish to see the articles from year’s past, you can check them out here.

To jump to a particular article, use the links below:

1. “Canadian Content” by Kyle Senra
2. “Catching Lightning in a Bottle…Again” by Geoff Lambert 
3. “FC Cincinnati MLS Home Opener vs Portland” by Troy Breisch
4. “An Ode to 41” by Mattew Garrett
5. “From the Biggest Upset in Sports History to Champion” by Tom Hardy
6. “Joe Louis Arena, More Than Just a Sports Arena” by Chris Robin
7. “Ed Reed making the NFL Hall of Fame” by Ryan Cearfoss
8. “Life, Love and Boxing” by R.L. Woodson 

2019 Sports Story – Canadian Content by Kyle Senra

In sports, a moment can define a nation. For the country of Canada, there were several moments that defined in 2019.

A sporting event makes a true impact when people who are not normally fans are tuning in. That is what the Toronto Raptors were able to accomplish on their way to earning the franchise’s first NBA title. For instance, a good friend of mine never watches sports, except for maybe the Olympics. Even he witnessed both Game 5 and Game 6 as the Raptors looked to clinch the 1st NBA Championship for Canada’s only team.

The beauty of the Raptors playoff run was that there were many moments that are forever imprinted on the nation. For starters, there was the buzzer-beater shot by Kawhi Leonard in Game 7 of Round 2. This allowed the Raptors to get past the Philadelphia 76ers by a score of 92-90. The shot even bounced on the rim several times before dropping in, as if the situation was not dramatic enough. Several Canadian media markets have dubbed this the Play of the Year and rightfully so.

That 2nd Round series was actually the closest the Raptors came to getting eliminated. They won both the Eastern Conference Finals and the NBA Finals 4-2. In Round 3, they took down the Milwaukee Bucks, the team with the best record during the 2019 season. They were led by league-MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo yet the Raptors won 4 straight after going down 2-0 early in the series. In the NBA Finals, they dethroned the reigning back-to-back champion Golden State Warriors. The clinching 6th game was a statement from one of the longest-serving Raptors. Kyle Lowry made shot-after-shot early in the contest on way to a 26-point 10-assist game, both of which led the team. With that, the Raptors won 114-110 and completed their mission of bringing an NBA title to Canada.

Yet, basketball was not the only sport upon which Canadians made their mark. Brooke Henderson won two tournaments on the LPGA tour. It was her 4th consecutive year with multiple tournament victories. By capturing the 2019 Meijer LPGA Classic in June, Henderson got her 9th career title. While that may not mean much on the global market, 9 titles is the all-time career record for a Canadian golfer. What is even more amazing is that Henderson was 21-years old when she broke the all-time mark. With a presumably lengthy career in front of her, Henderson has the opportunity to further extend that record for years to come.

Henderson was not the only Canadian female to profoundly impact the sports world in 2019. It was a breakout year for 19-year-old Bianca Andreescu. The teenage tennis player won her first WTA title at the Indian Wells Open in March. Unfortunately, during her very next event, Andreescu suffered a shoulder injury that kept her from playing until August. This could have killed her momentum, but she persevered.

Andreescu returned, fully healthy, in time to play in her home country. At the 2019 Canadian Open, Andreescu was not only healthy but dominant on route to her second title of the season. But the best was yet to come in her following event. Andreescu reached the U.S. Open final where she faced one of the greatest athletes, let alone tennis players, of all-time. Going against Serena Williams, Andreescu needed to be at her best. The one dominant element to her game is her power, especially on her service. Williams put up a great fight, but Andreescu overwhelmed her and won in straight sets. With the victory, she became the first Canadian to win a tennis Grand Slam singles title.

After the U.S. Open Andreescu was elevated to #4 WTA ranking, the highest ever for a Canadian. The year ended with Andreescu winning the Lou Marsh Trophy annually awarded to Canada’s top athlete. Earning one of the nation’s highest distinctions at such a young age, makes one wonder what heights she may reach during her career.

For both Bianca Andreescu and Brooke Henderson to accomplish this much in their young careers is quite outstanding. Both have won some very important tournaments in their respective sports. For Andreescu it was a tennis Grand Slam title at the age of 19, while Henderson was victorious in a Major golf tournament when she was 18 years old, back in 2016. Both athletes are significant in their sports and have captured the hearts of Canadians. Andreescu and Henderson also made their marks on women’s sports at the highest level. 2019 can be marked as the year when they became legends on the course and on the court.

1. “Canadian Content” by Kyle Senra
2. “Catching Lightning in a Bottle…Again” by Geoff Lambert 
3. “FC Cincinnati MLS Home Opener vs Portland” by Troy Breisch
4. “An Ode to 41” by Mattew Garrett
5. “From the Biggest Upset in Sports History to Champion” by Tom Hardy
6. “Joe Louis Arena, More Than Just a Sports Arena” by Chris Robin
7. “Ed Reed making the NFL Hall of Fame” by Ryan Cearfoss
8. “Life, Love and Boxing” by R.L. Woodson 

Catching Lightning in a Bottle…Again by Geoff Lambert 

The clock has started in New Orleans. Counting down the time they have to win a championship with the consensus No. 1 overall player. They traded their best player to L.A. and have to figure out a way to build around their new superstar to bring home their first NBA Championship trophy. Or, risk losing him to another more attractive market in a few years.

They failed. Miserably.

That clock started in June 2012 when the then New Orleans Hornets drafted consensus No. 1 overall player, Anthony Davis. They had already traded away their incumbent superstar, Chris Paul, to the L.A. Clippers and now had to find a way to build around Anthony Davis to win a championship. The closest they came to that goal was a 4-to-1 second-round exit to the Golden State Warriors.

Second chances don’t come around often in the world of sports, but when they do, it would be wise to learn from your mistakes. The New Orleans Pelicans have that second chance. They once again traded away their best player to L.A., Anthony Davis, but this time it was to the Lakers. They once again landed the No. 1 overall spot in the NBA Draft. And, they once again drafted a player that many believe will become a transcended force and franchise player for years to come.

Zion Williamson.

The clock has started ticking once again. The Anthony Davis trade brought a more substantial return than did the trade for Chris Paul seven years ago, and there is more room for optimism with and ownership team in place, something they did not have in 2012. Also adding to the optimism is the hiring of Executive President of Basketball Operations, Blake Griffin — who is credited with building the 2016 NBA Champion Cleveland Cavaliers.

Unfortunately, for Pelican fans like myself, we have to wait a little longer than we expected to see our new star on the court, but there has already been a shift in the culture of this team. No, we are not looked at as contenders for 2020, and no, we may not even make the playoffs this season, but for the first time, for as long as I can remember, I feel there is a direction. We have assets that can either compliment Williamson when he returns to the floor or can be used as trade bait as we approach the trade deadline. If things go according to the plan, the Pelicans should be a playoff team by next season and a championship contender the season after.

Speaking for all Pelicans’ fans out there, I hope that in seven years I’m not writing another article on the failure to capitalize on the gift that has been given to Pels for the second time.

1. “Canadian Content” by Kyle Senra
2. “Catching Lightning in a Bottle…Again” by Geoff Lambert 
3. “FC Cincinnati MLS Home Opener vs Portland” by Troy Breisch
4. “An Ode to 41” by Mattew Garrett
5. “From the Biggest Upset in Sports History to Champion” by Tom Hardy
6. “Joe Louis Arena, More Than Just a Sports Arena” by Chris Robin
7. “Ed Reed making the NFL Hall of Fame” by Ryan Cearfoss
8. “Life, Love and Boxing” by R.L. Woodson 

FC Cincinnati MLS Home Opener vs Portland by Troy Breisch

Yes, this is an article about soccer so if that’s not your cup of tea, now is your chance to click onto the next story. However, I promise you that you will be missing out on a great experience.

March 17th, 2019 was undoubtedly, outside of the Eagles Super Bowl LII victory, the best sporting event I have ever witnessed in my 20 years on this planet. It had drama, an amazing atmosphere, a perfect build-up to the game, everything you want in a professional match. I can remember everything about that day to a “T”, it truly was something so special, so beautiful to witness first hand. That day wasn’t my first FC Cincinnati match but it was my first FC Cincinnati experience.

Leading up to matchday, I knew I wanted to be more involved in the culture that surrounded the soccer club. I had season tickets the year before in the general admission section and it always left me wanting more when I attended their games. I wanted to sit in The Bailey, which is the main supporters’ section where the majority of the day-one, die-hard fans preside and are on their feet for 90 minutes plus yelling and singing. So, I made the easiest decision of my life when my ticket representative from the club called me during one of my chemistry lectures and I told him that’s where I wanted to be for their inaugural season in Major League Soccer. I also joined the largest supporters group associated with FC Cincinnati, called, The Pride. Joining them has made every matchday so much better than I could have ever anticipated.

Back to that famous day.

I met the rest of the supporter’s group at a bar called Top Cats on the edge of the University of Cincinnati’s campus, which is our typical meeting spot. From there, we would meet with another SG and march to the stadium, usually getting there roughly an hour before kickoff. When I tell you the march to the stadium that day was massive, I mean it was MASSIVE. I’m talking thousands upon thousands of people marching from a bar, across multiple streets, through campus, and into the stadium, singing and yelling at the top of our lungs the whole way there.

Eventually, after all of that, the game kicked off in front of 32,250 anxious fans ready to finally see top tier professional soccer make its footprints in Cincinnati. While I was at the game in the heart of it all, my parents were back home watching it on FS1. They told me after the game how they couldn’t believe how loud it was for the entire match, a true testament to how far soccer has come in the United States and the city of Cincinnati. It didn’t take long either for our first real eruption either, 14 minutes to be precise. That’s when FCC scored their first home goal off of a free-kick that found our captain, Kendall Waston’s, head and into the back of the net. That eruption was nothing short of pure ecstasy and I get goosebumps every time I think about it to this day. It put us on notice to the rest of the league that day, just to let them know that Cincinnati had arrived.

FC Cincinnati would go on to win the home opener 3-0 after goals in the 61st and 63rd minute, courtesy of an Allan Cruz backheel from six yards out and a tap-in at the back post from Mathieu Deplange to cap off a truly amazing day for everyone in attendance. Everyone has those moments in their life where they can only explain it to other people as “you just had to be there to understand.” This was one of those times. I can talk about it nonstop, show you pictures and highlights of the game, all of that, but you had to be there to get the full experience. The smile on my face after watching them score and seeing everyone around me break out in pure jubilance was something out of a movie it felt like.

This day was FC Cincinnati’s first win in MLS and there wouldn’t be more following that, but that day was truly something beautiful that I had the privilege to watch unfold. Without a doubt, March 17th in Cincinnati, Ohio was the best sports day of 2019 for myself and many others from the 513.

Highlights of the match:

Extended:

1. “Canadian Content” by Kyle Senra
2. “Catching Lightning in a Bottle…Again” by Geoff Lambert 
3. “FC Cincinnati MLS Home Opener vs Portland” by Troy Breisch
4. “An Ode to 41” by Mattew Garrett
5. “From the Biggest Upset in Sports History to Champion” by Tom Hardy
6. “Joe Louis Arena, More Than Just a Sports Arena” by Chris Robin
7. “Ed Reed making the NFL Hall of Fame” by Ryan Cearfoss
8. “Life, Love and Boxing” by R.L. Woodson 

An Ode to 41 by Mattew Garrett

I never thought this day would come. That’s stupid, I know because it was inevitable but it’s still surreal. It is one of the hardest things to have to admit.

Dirk Nowitzki has retired. 

After 21 seasons dawning Maverick blue “Dirty” is calling it a career. A career that has first-ballot Hall of Famer written all over it.

• NBA Champion
• NBA Finals MVP
• League MVP
• 14x All-Star
• 12x All-NBA
• 6th in all-time scoring
• 5th all-time in defensive rebounds (this one is shocking, I know)
• 2nd all-time in NBA Finals free throw percentage
• One of three players to have 30,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, 3,000 assists, 1,000 steals, and 1,000 blocks.
• One of seven players to be a member of the 50-40-90 club.
• Creator of the second most unstoppable shot in NBA history after the sky-hook (I know this isn’t a stat but name a more unguardable shot, I dare you.)

The list is endless but with all those accomplishments it’s also important to recognize Dirk’s failures because that’s an important part of this story as well.

• Blowing a 2-0 lead in the 2006 Finals to the Miami Heat
• The first 1 seed to lose to an 8 seed. Those “Believe” Warriors were pretty dope in hindsight, though.
• The time he let David West tap his face and did nothing about it.
• The whole “soft” label.
• His beef with Dwayne Wade that was beautifully profiled by Bleacher Report.

I’ll have to admit, I’m a lot more emotional about this than I thought I would be. Yes, he’s been one of my favorite players for 14 years but it’s so much deeper than that.

Allow me to explain.

June 6, 2001

Game 1 of the NBA finals. The Sixers are in LA and the general narrative is that Philadelphia doesn’t have much of a shot at winning the title.

I was 12 at the time, just starting to get interested in basketball and Iverson was the headliner.

(I know this is about Dirk but it will all tie-in. You have my word.)

I grew up and still live in. Virginia. Anyone from the Old Dominion knows that Allen Iverson is the greatest player ever. That’s it, end of story. If you’re from VA and AI isn’t in your top five then you’re the fuzz; those are the rules. Sorry.

As a kid, I had the sneakers, a personalized Sixers jersey, du-rag, finger band, elbow pad, posters, and everything else that had an Iverson logo. He was transcendent here, an idol. Every last one of us went outside and mastered (as well as we could) the crossover. Every last one of us had cornrows and baggy clothes. Every last one of us turned into mini Answers.

Iverson introduced me to basketball in a way I never experienced. The flash, the attitude, the skill, the heart. It was everything I aspired to be.

***Let the record show that I had none of those attributes on the court. I was quite sorry, tbh.

Oh yeah, he also gave Ty Lue THE BUSINESS and one of the greatest moments of disrespect in sports history.

October 2001-December 2004

A lot has happened to me between the 2001 Finals and this point. Iverson was still my favorite player but T-MAC had made his introduction to superstardom complete by winning his first scoring title and taking the Magic to the second round of the playoffs. Adidas released the T-MAC 1, one of my favorite sneakers ever in case you’re wondering, and I got them three sizes too big just to say I had a pair. Before the 2004 season, Tracy was traded to the Rockets.

It’s really a shame that injuries derailed his career. Tracy was a supernova and would be considered a top-5 player if he remained healthy.

Seriously, that’s how great he was.

December 12, 2004

Remember when I said I’d get to the Dirk part? Well…we’re here.

The 03-04 season wasn’t kind to Dirk and the offseason wasn’t pleasant, either. His numbers dropped due to gaining 20 pounds of muscle for his transition to center. He still earned an all-star spot and made the playoffs but it was easy to see he’d lost some agility.

Oh yeah, his best friend and point guard, Steve Nash, decided to leave Dallas and sign with the Suns.

The Mavericks were officially his team.

His response the following year?

Career-high in scoring, his first All-NBA first-team selection, finishing third in MVP voting, and a night that I’ll remember forever.

I was at home watching the TNT Thursday night games. Nothing out of the ordinary, just waiting for the game to start so I can watch McGrady play.

His opponent that night?

Dirk Nowitzki, that’s who.

I talk in hyperbole, a lot, but let me say this was one of the greatest games I had ever seen. T-MAC and Dirk exchanged baskets like hippies at farmer’s markets. My bedtime was nearing but I begged my father to extend it until the game was over. He agreed as long as I got up in the morning on the first call, he didn’t want to have to say my name twice.

Deal.

I got up on time the next morning, in case you were wondering.

When the final horn sounded Dirk came out on top with 53 points and the victory.

I was mesmerized. I’d never seen a big man score like that. The shooting stroke, the arsenal of moves. And, if we’re being transparent, I’d never seen a white man play like that. Fascinating, I know.

It also went a little further.

You see, at this time during my life I thought I could actually play basketball in a competitive league. I was short and slow but man could ya boy stroke it from three. I had a post-game, being that I was rather large, but I really enjoyed firing threes.

That’s the night this journey began.

October 2005-May 2007 

The next two seasons Dirk entered the spotlight and became a bonafide superstar. During the 05-06 season, he led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals and this is where the story gets murky.

You see, the Mavs had a 2-0 lead over the Heat and were in complete control of Game 3. Teams that take a 3-0 lead usually win the series; all they had to do was protect at 15 point lead.

LOL ABOUT THAT

Dallas blew the lead and lost by two. They would go on to lose the next three games and lose the finals 4-2. The narrative started to shift. Dirk went from being a budding superstar to a soft European who couldn’t win when it mattered.

That label would stick for the next half-decade.

I hate “conspiracy guy” but while we’re here let me say that I am in the camp of the refs gave Miami the 2006 Finals. Dwayne Wade shot more free throws than the entire Mavericks squad. That’s a hill I will gladly die on. Luckily, Dirk gets his revenge but that’s later, so hold tight a little while longer.

During the 06-07 season, we saw the Mavericks respond from their Finals meltdown by posting the best record in the NBA and Dirk finally winning league MVP. They were primed to return to the finals and redeem themselves from a year earlier.

LOL ABOUT THAT

The Mavericks became the first number one seed in NBA history to lose to an eight seed in a best-of-seven series. The “soft European” label was now a scarlet letter on Nowitzki forever.

Those “believe” Golden State Warriors were a fun team, though. Full disclosure.

What was happening on my end? High school.

I never had a hard time during that point in my life. Everything was going just fine outside of Dirk breaking my heart two years in a row and having to listen to my friends drag him while praising Kobe.

His fans are the worst, ugh.

August, 2007-May 2009

Lots of highs and lows throughout this time.

I was in college and boy did I learn a lot of life lessons the hardest way a person could learn a life lesson. That sentence is a run-on but I really need for you to understand how things fell apart and how quickly things can change.

I had everything a college kid could want. Great job making good money, great friends, good grades, the works. As the young people say; I was living my best life.

And then, I wasn’t.

The problem with early success is that failure is usually around the corner waiting to smack you like a thirsty Lucille on a fall evening in a post-apocalyptic world.

And smack me it did.

My focus shifted to things that really didn’t matter and as a consequence, I lost that great job, THE MONEY, and those grades fell off a cliff; never to be seen again. I was at my lowest.

I had hit rock bottom.

The same could be said for Dirk and the Mavs. His numbers were great but they never made it past the second round of the playoffs. Great regular seasons would bloom into disappointing playoff exits and that “soft” label grew bigger and bigger.

June 2009-August 2009

I’ve always struggled with my weight; it’s something that’s always been hard to handle for me. In the latter years of high school (2006-2007) I would go to McDonald’s after football practice and order my “pre-dinner.”

Two double cheeseburgers

A large fry

Two apple pies

A large sweet tea

I would then go home and eat dinner-dinner.

I’m no nutritionist but I can say, with confidence, that I was consuming enough calories for two days. I played defensive tackle so I justified those terrible habits by saying I needed to be that size in order to do my job.

That excuse worked until I went to college and kept those same habits going.

Here’s the thing; I was addicted to food. Some of the best memories in my life revolve around the dinner table and I just wanted to feel that all the time. It was a way for me to cope with issues I didn’t want to deal with.

Whew, this just got realllllyyy personal. I trust you, though. Especially if you’re still reading.

That brings us back to the summer of 2009. Remember that rock bottom from a month ago? Well, I was still there. I was angry at myself, the world, even the 16-year old I worked with that wouldn’t shut up about his stupid truck.

We get it, you put some big tires on it and like to drive up mountains. Great TED Talk.

Anyway.

I was tired. Tired of life and I was really tired of being overweight so I decided to do something about it.

You guessed it: DIET AND EXERCISE!

Those first couple of weeks were hard. I’m talking about The Oregon Trail level of difficulty. One day I was on the verge of giving up and something popped into my head that has stuck with me for years.

“Dirk doesn’t quit.” 

From then on that was the rallying cry.

Can’t do five more push-ups? “Dirk doesn’t quit.” 

Can’t run that last lap? “Dirk doesn’t quit.” 

Can’t do one more box jump? “Dirk doesn’t quit.” 

It was the phrase that pushed me past the limit and because of that I lost 35 pounds and was able to do things I didn’t know I could do.

The fandom for Dirk grew stronger that summer. The determination he had shown over his career had inspired me. No matter how many playoff blunders he had there was always that drive to come back for more. That settled with me in a way I didn’t realize until my back was against the wall.

I completely understand if you’re reading this and say that it’s weird because…it is weird. A 20-something “channeling” an athlete that he’s never met for motivation is strange from the outside looking in. Full disclosure: it’s weird looking inside, too.

But I think that’s the beauty of sports. Athletes lay it all on the line in front of us every single night. How can we not relate to those stories? Right? RIGHT?

April 2011-June 12, 2011

Things…had started looking up.

I finally got my life together. I was lean, my grades were getting better, and I was prepping for the real world.

Oh yeah, Dirk also tore through the playoffs and won his first championship.

Those playoffs….man, I get goosebumps thinking about it. That was peak, Dirk. All those years of playoff blunders had blossomed to one of the greatest playoff runs we’ve ever seen.

• 27.7 PPG
• 8.1 TRB
• 2.5 AST
• Beating the Heatles
• Finals MVP

I’ve never had more fun by myself in my entire life.

You see: I don’t like going to sports bars when my team is playing. Especially if everything is on the line. I prefer to stay at home, sitting in the dark biting my nails until the final whistle blew.

It was…surreal. After years of watching the MAVS struggle it had finally happened. The chills will never go away.

I talked sooooo much shit that night. My best twitter moment of the decade.

So, it’s time to wrap this thing up. I mean we’re over 2,100 words. That’s a heavy ask for reading-wise.

I’ll close with this:

Thank you.

Thank you for giving a teenager confidence to keep pushing.

Thank you for giving us everything and not shying about the obstacles you faced.

Thank you for a HOF career.

Thank you for shutting up Kobe and LeBron fans in one postseason.

Thank you for ushering in a new era of basketball.

Thank you for everything, 41.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4-oqJc_Q_A 

1. “Canadian Content” by Kyle Senra
2. “Catching Lightning in a Bottle…Again” by Geoff Lambert 
3. “FC Cincinnati MLS Home Opener vs Portland” by Troy Breisch
4. “An Ode to 41” by Mattew Garrett
5. “From the Biggest Upset in Sports History to Champion” by Tom Hardy
6. “Joe Louis Arena, More Than Just a Sports Arena” by Chris Robin
7. “Ed Reed making the NFL Hall of Fame” by Ryan Cearfoss
8. “Life, Love and Boxing” by R.L. Woodson 

From the Biggest Upset in Sports History to Champion by Tom Hardy

I never believed in teams of destiny. That is until the University of Virginia men’s basketball team won the National Championship after becoming the first team to lose to a 16th seed in the NCAA tournament. Here is their story.

Tony Bennet was hired in 2009 and slowly built the Cavs into ACC Champions, but suffered heart-wrenching losses in the Tournament. A two-point loss to Michigan State in the 2013-2014 season, and a six-point loss to Syracuse during the 2015-2016 season (after holding a double-digit lead throughout most of the game).

The 2017-2018 season was going to be different. We rolled through the regular season with only two losses: an early loss to West Virginia in December and a one-point loss to Virginia Tech in ACC play two months later. Dominated the ACC tournament and earned the number one overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. The only blip was ACC sixth man of the year DeAndre Hunter broke his wrist during the ACC tournament. Virginia still had Devon Hall, Kyle Guy, and Ty Jerome to carry the offense. The opening round game against Maryland-Baltimore County (MBC) started off slow with the halftime score of twenty-one all. I’m thinking no big deal the shots will start to fall and the defense will continue shutting them down. Around the 17 min mark, I started to panic; MBC was up eight and the Cavs offense had only scored three points in the second half.

The wheels officially fell off at the 15 min mark with MBC up fourteen. MBC would eventually win by twenty becoming the first 16th seed to upset a 1 seed. Depression would soon sit in. I was in a state of shock; how could a team this good lose by twenty to a school nobody ever heard of? I was completely embarrassed. Watching those replays all offseason was brutal.

The following year Duke signed the three guys that would go in the top ten in the NBA draft (Zion Williamson, RJ Barret, and Cam Reddish), North Carolina would have three guys get drafted in the first round (Colby White, Cam Johnson and Nassir Little). Virginia, on the other hand, kept the same core from the previous season. The Cavs were undefeated until playing at Duke in mid-January. The Cavs would win the ACC regular season and again earn a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament

In the first round game Gardner Webb, (16th seed) had a six-point lead at halftime. Doubt started to creep in my mind has last year’s first-round game was fresh in my mind. The Cavs would roll in the second half putting those doubts to bed. Tony Bennet would make one change that would have a profound effect on the rest of the tournament: he subbed out lumbering center Jack Salt and played backup point guard Kihei Clark. This would allow Virginia to space out the floor, play smaller and have five offensive threats out on the court. This was a big change has Salt started every game for the Cavs up until that point. Virginia beat Oklahoma in the second round pretty comfortably to make to the sweet sixteen.

Back to back three-pointers by Kihei Clark and Ty Jerome at the five min mark put the Cavs ahead for good against Oregon in the sweet sixteen game. In the elite eight against Purdue, Virginia ran into a red-hot Carson Edwards. Edwards would finish the game with 42 points including a huge three at the one min mark to put Purdue up two, a free throw would stretch the lead to three with sixteen seconds left. Then lady luck would be on the Cavs side; Jerome almost traveled to start the possession, got fouled, made the first one, intentionally missed the second one, Mamadi Diakite tipped it out past half court, Clark had enough poise to dribble to half court and make a cross-court pass to Kiakite to tie the game. The entire sequence was unbelievable. In overtime, the Cavs would pull away.

The last five min to the game and OT can be found here.

In the Final Four against Auburn Virginia had a ten-point lead with five min to play. With Virginia’s defense, this game was essentially over. Nope, Auburn made an eleven point run to take a two-point lead. The lead swelled to four with seven seconds to play. Jerome hit a clutch three to pull within one, a made free throw ion the other end gave the Tigers a two-point lead. Virginia ran a play for Kyle Guy corner three, he missed…….wait he was fouled!!! Guy calmly stepped to the line, made the first, made the second, made the THIRD! CAVS WIN! on to the championship game

In the Championship game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders Virginia would build a nine-point lead in the second half, but couldn’t put the Red Raiders away. Texas Tech would claw back into the game taking a one-point lead with thirty-five seconds left, after a couple of made free throws Texas Tech had a three-point lead with twenty-two seconds left on the clock. Hunter hit a clutch three to tie the game. Reserve forward Braxton Key blocked Jarrett Culver potential game-winning shot. Virginia would go on a 15-4 run late in OT and win the National Championship game completing the greatest story in the history of College Basketball.

1. “Canadian Content” by Kyle Senra
2. “Catching Lightning in a Bottle…Again” by Geoff Lambert 
3. “FC Cincinnati MLS Home Opener vs Portland” by Troy Breisch
4. “An Ode to 41” by Mattew Garrett
5. “From the Biggest Upset in Sports History to Champion” by Tom Hardy
6. “Joe Louis Arena, More Than Just a Sports Arena” by Chris Robin
7. “Ed Reed making the NFL Hall of Fame” by Ryan Cearfoss
8. “Life, Love and Boxing” by R.L. Woodson 

Joe Louis Arena, More Than Just a Sports Arena by Chris Robin

Life, Love and Boxing by R.L. Woodson 

I’ve covered or written about boxing since 2016, starting here at GF2 before branching out to multiple sites including a spinoff of GF2 in Bite Down Boxing. Prior to 2019, I’d traveled to several fights, and along with those I wrote about from home, I wasn’t aware of any boxing-related deaths.

In 2019 several fighters lost their lives to the sport many of them loved. I’m aware of three fighters, and I actually watched two of the fights in person – over a span of three months.

On July 19 at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland Maxim Dadashev fought one of the bravest fights I’ve covered before his corner stopped the fight in the 11th round. Dadashev, 28 and unbeaten at the time, collapsed while walking back to his dressing room. The medical staff carried him out on a gurney, and while watching the main event ESPN notified media members that Dadashev lost consciousness in the ambulance. The next update included “emergency surgery to reduce brain swelling.” He passed away within a few days.

October 11 in Chicago, Illinois I took a “test” picture of Patrick Day as he stood on the official scale, surrounded by members of his team, to make sure they were at the 154-pound limit for their fight with 2016 Olympian Charles Conwell. This was before the weigh-in started, and Day was excited about his opportunity to face and defeat the undefeated Ohioan – to reignite his career after being handed his second loss in June. After both men made weight they shook hands in an awesome display of sportsmanship and class.

The following night Conwell, the favorite, gradually seized control of the 10-round bout. Day stood his ground, he fought on after a knockdown, he stayed “in the pocket” to challenge Conwell, but in the 10th Conwell went for a stoppage win. He landed a big shot that sent Day retreating across the ring – a sequence we see routinely in boxing – and then Conwell tracked him down with a left hand that dropped Day.

The emergency medical team responded immediately. Conwell cut his celebration short. The EMTs rushed the unconscious Day to the nearby Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Despite being a hospital renowned for its neurological care, Day passed away four days later.

In both instances, I drove back to Ohio, from Maryland and Illinois, and spent a great deal of the trip in quiet moments pondering the full scope of these tragedies. Dadashev’s wife tried to rush over from Russia in hopes of being beside her husband as he recovered from his injuries.

I replayed standing in the hotel lobby 10 feet away from Day as he laughed and discussed ordinary young people things with several fighters who traveled from New York to support him. I didn’t talk to Day out of respect for him because I honestly made the trip to support and cover Conwell – a fighter I’d interviewed multiple times. As I awaited positive news in the days after Day sustained his injury, I learned that I missed out on the opportunity to talk to a beloved fighter and an outstanding young man. Day was a college graduate, he came from an accomplished set of parents, and he loved boxing from a unique and genuine perspective.

I watched a YouTube video of the pre-fight press conference of Day’s speech. He blew away the room with his remarks. He thanked the promoters, acknowledged the main event fighters, and he sincerely expressed what the opportunity to face Conwell meant for him as a man and as a fighter with aspirations of still becoming a world champion.

I realized that if I was going to continue to write about boxing and engage fighters for content, that whatever I did with their stories I needed to discuss their “fight” with the utmost respect, class, and full understanding of what boxing requires of its men and women.

Conwell never responded to my text messages after we both returned to Ohio. He used Instagram to inform the boxing world of his decision to return to the sport after spending weeks in solitude. Understand, this is a 22-year old man who devoted years of his youth to represent the U.S. at the games in Rio in 2016. He very likely didn’t have a “Plan B” for his future. February 8 I’ll probably head back to the Chicagoland area for Conwell’s next fight, and afterward I’ll continue to be a positive voice for a sport with no real losers. And hopefully, in 2020 all parties will put their best effort forward concerning the well-being of fighters.

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5. “From the Biggest Upset in Sports History to Champion” by Tom Hardy
6. “Joe Louis Arena, More Than Just a Sports Arena” by Chris Robin
7. “Ed Reed making the NFL Hall of Fame” by Ryan Cearfoss
8. “Life, Love and Boxing” by R.L. Woodson 

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