The Year in Sports

Apologies for the lack in updates lately, but I figured I had to at least get in an obligatory year end review entry.

We began the year with the end of the McNabb era in Eagles green.  After the Eagles were destroyed in Dallas twice in a row, the latter knockin them out of the playoffs, the writing was on the wall that Donovan would not be back.  Donovan would be traded Easter night to the Redskins, in a huge "Really?" moment.  However, we've seen that move has turned out great for the Birds and terrible for both McNabb and the Redskins. 

We were then treated with a solid Super Bowl between the Saints and Colts.  It was great seeing the underdog Saints win the game, and one could make the argument that New Orleans' Super Bowl victory is the biggest story of 2010.  It was enough for Drew BREEEEEEES to win the Sportsman of the Year from SI.

Skip ahead a couple of months to March Madness.  As always, one of the best sporting events of the year, and this year was particularly great, at least from a JCKevo point of view.  The final between Duke and Butler was one of the best championship games I've ever seen in any sport, and it came down to Gordon Hayward's last desperate heave which looked good all the way, and was thisclose to giving me a heart attack.  However, Duke prevailed, Coack K was deemed ruler of the world, and order was restored in the universe.

A few unexciting months, with a typical NFL draft, start of the MLB season, Tiger returning to the Masters, the NBA and NHL playoffs (I had to think long and hard about who won the NBA title and Stanley Cup last year).

The Phillies did not look good for much of the summer.  The lineup went through a slump which seemed to last for eternity, the starting pitching was below average behind Roy Halladay, and the playoffs almost seemed out of reach when the Phils were trailing the Braves by 8 games.  But things turned around, the offense was hot into the Fall, Roy Oswalt was acquired and he was dominant, Cole Hamels turned it on, and the Phils were deemed as the odds on favorites going into the playoffs.

Then the slump reared its ugly head again.  The Phils managed to sweep the Reds mostly due to amazing pitching and a bit of luck, but there would be no such luck against the Giants in the NLCS.  The Giants went on to win the World Series, and the Phillies were left wondering what the heck went wrong.  This team was more talented than the 2008 champions, but things just didn't go right.  We were left to wonder what would happen in the off-season.

We also had the World Cup over the Summer, the only month every 4 years in which more than 5% of the country cares about soccer.  We got a decent showing out of the US, although losing to Ghana is still a disappointment, and a good final between Spain and the Netherlands.  Once again, the question was asked if the World Cup would help soccer take off in America, and once again, the answer was no.

Time for football season, and the start of the Kevin Kolb era in Philadelphia.  Unfortunately, the Kevin Kolb era lasted as long as it look me to type this sentence.  Kolb was knocked out in the Eagles first game against the Packers, and Michael Vick entered the game.  I've said a few things about this topic before, so I want to take this opportunity to clear up a few things:

1. I will admit I was wrong about Vick not being able to become a different QB.  He is different than his Atlanta days, and he is better.

2. I will NOT admit I was wrong to not hop on the bandwagon after one half of football.  People gave up on Kolb way too quickly, and that was my main problem with the whole thing.

3. I'm still not crazy about Vick as a person, nor do I think I have to be to root for him as the QB of my favorite football team.  I will leave it at that for now.

4. I do realize I said if Vick led the Eagles to a Super Bowl, I would run down Broad Street wearing nothing but a Vick jersey.  Oh boy.

So the Eagles are 10-4 and seem to be in the driver's seat for the NFC East title. 

However, the Eagles season has almost been overshadowed by the Phillies off-season.  We got the inevitable news first, that Jayson Werth would not be back.  However, I don't think anyone expected Werth to go to the Nationals, and not for the obscene amount of money he received.  Have fun in Washington Jayson.

Then we got the news that came out of no where.  There were some rumblings after the season that the Phillies wanted to get Cliff Lee, but it looked like it would be impossible money wise.  Then we heard about a "mystery team" that was in the Lee race along with the Yankees and Rangers.  And then in a whirlwind couple of hours, we learned the mystery team was the Phillies, that they were a possibility, that they were now the favorite, and that they had officially signed Cliff Lee.  The Phillies now have what many people are calling the best rotation ever: Halladay, Lee, Oswalt, Hamels.  And while other people are trying any way possible to nitpick the deal, how the Phillies will have no money and their window of opportunity is small, I'm looking forward to what might be the most dominant pitching staff ever assembled.

So now we look forward to next year.  Duke is undefeated and #1 in the country, the Eagles are headed to the playoffs, and the Phillies will be the prohibitive favorite heading into the baseball season.  Could we possibly have a trifecta of Kevo championships next season?  2010 was good, 2011 has the potential to be incredible.