This is the beginning of our 2013 end of the year lists for sports. I know we will do one for MLB, CFB, CBB, NBA, PGA and NFL. I probably will do a top 20 list of overall moments and if we get real frisky, maybe top 20 figures in sports giving away our first annual Tapper of the Year or something dumb like that. Also as always, these are my lists and I can imagine you have a different one, cool story.
10. Josh Freeman drama - Remember this happened earlier this football season? People were thinking Greg Schiano was going to get fired because of it, and everyone went to Freeman's aid thinking he had every right to be mad. Both sides overdid it to the extreme with leaks coming from all corners of the Tampa Bay organization. Once Tampa Bay released Freeman, they became a better football team, and people seemed to rally around Schiano again. Buccaneers are currently 4-3 since their 0-8 start with Freeman being around for much of it. Was he the problem? We will likely never know the answer.9. Atlanta and Houston goes from first to worst - Both the Falcons and Texans are model franchises for why NFL is filled with parity. Kansas City too for that matter. But I think Atlanta and Houston's struggles are much more drastic. Both teams made the playoffs in consecutive years, Falcons in the last four out of the five. Honestly, I could see Houston bouncing back with a couple additions on their defense, and a new quarterback (Hello Jay Cutler or Teddy Bridgewater) plus their division is not good besides Indianapolis for the short-term. Atlanta is in big trouble with a horrible defense, a retiring tight end and a ton of money tied up at one position plus NFC South is loaded including Tampa Bay who have many more pieces than Atlanta.
8. Colin Kaepernick hits the big stage - I do not know why Green Bay decides to pull this shit, but they do with young quarterbacks in the playoffs. Kaepernick had a great game against the Packers to lead San Francisco into the NFC Championship game and then the Super Bowl. Even though I am a Packer fan, I could not have been more impressed with how easy it looked for Kaepernick for the entire game. It looked like his moment to the big stage and truly, it probably ensure him endorsement deals that very night. People starting to make assumptions Kaep would be one of the best in the league, and he struggled mightily to begin the year as he was without Michael Crabtree and others throughout it. He seems much better in the last month, but we will see whether Green Bay-San Francisco is the start of it all, or just an aberration.
7. Johnathan Martin/Richie Incognito saga - Honestly, this would have been higher on my list if it imploded Miami's season, but they have a chance to make the playoffs in the final week of the season thus making it just a story between these two men versus their entire team. I have no idea if this story will ever be more than a player felt like he was picked on while the supposed bully felt like it was two friends just giving each other shit with Richie being the guy whom takes it too far more often than not. I am curious to see what Miami does with Martin as he is still under team control, and I can almost guarantee someone gives Incognito a job again.
6. Robert Griffin hurts knee again; hits the sophomore slump - I think we will always remember Robert Griffin III's knee injury because he led Washington back from 3-6 record on an incredible run only to rip up his knee. A lot like Kaepernick in the following week, everyone believed Griffin III would be a part of the next generation. Instead, Mike Shanahan and Washington rushed him back from injury leading to an awful Redskins season as well as criticism for Griffin III grew rapidly. I have no idea how Mike Shanahan kept his job for the entire season, but here we are. RGIII's microscope will continue to be big until he starts winning again. Media is a cruel world, and it will be curious if anything changes. They need to get deeper as a team and a defense.
5. Peyton Manning... Another divisional round home loss, breaks records - Whirlwind year for Peyton Manning. He came back in 2012 leading Denver to the number one seed in the AFC and then a home playoff overtime loss against Baltimore in what was the game of the year. Manning made his presence in his second year with Denver breaking the touchdown record and is 266 yards away from breaking the passing record. We did make mention earlier in the week on how Manning's numbers are a little easier to obtain given today's rules yet he still needs to get there with consistently big performances almost every time Manning went out there this season. He will be the Most Valuable Player for 2013. Denver is not a great team, but there are not many good teams this season either. It might be the year for Manning to get his second ring.
4. Baltimore Ravens win the Super Bowl amid a blackout - I think I remember this football game more for the blackout, and how Baltimore thought the whole thing was a conspiracy to make the game closer when really Baltimore should have blown out San Francisco rather than nearly Exorcism puking all over their shoes in the third quarter. The game was over at halftime, but San Francisco came back to nearly tie in the fourth quarter at 31 but they missed a two-point conversion. My assumption is people will always remember it for the blackout rather than it being a pretty solid football game. This was also one of the most chippy Super Bowls I can remember in quite some time which is appreciated and need more of it.
3. Aaron Hernandez arrested for murder - With more information coming out about this case, it is still crazy one of the biggest players on one of the most public teams was arrested for murder. When the news first broke my assumption was one of Hernandez's good friends made the murder and somehow he became an accessory to it yet that did not end up being the case as Hernandez would be charged with murder. We would soon find out more and more information about Aaron Hernandez's life as well as watch people connected to the case die off with three people dying since Hernandez's arrest. This will be a great movie when we find out all the details about what happens with him. I do not think we will have all the answers until early 2015.
2. Player's safety concerns reaches an all-time high - This year featured a year where the NFL settled a concussion lawsuit and more times than not, people are cringing with big hits instead of reacting like it is the best thing since Napster. Every time a player goes down with what looks like a head injury more times than not, it is indeed a concussion. Wes Welker had two in three weeks. Jermichael Finley might never play football again. Additionally, there are many people writing columns, blog posts and talking about how they will not let their son or future son play football. I do not really know where this is going yet. I feel like it can go many ways, and we have not seen all of them just yet. I do think the more we try to protect players from concussions, the better it will get in years to come.
1. Aaron Rodgers breaks his collarbone - Easily, the biggest story in the state of Wisconsin for the last couple of months. It is at a 'Derrick Rose' stage where people are waiting and wishing he will come back only to get disappointed. I have no idea where this is headed for the Packers quarterback. I feel like if Green Bay had Dan Marino, Jim Kelly instead of Brett Favre, Rodgers would not be insecure about having to explain this is not his fault he is sitting out with a broken bone injury. It is kind of a shame. Rodgers' collarbone and Braun's PED stuff being number one kind of sums things up for Wisconsin fans in 2013.
Charlie.
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