Top sports stories of 2011
Packers win the Super Bowl as a six seed
The Green Bay Packers were expected to compete for the NFC North division title in the 2010/11 season, but many were overlooking them when Brett Farve decided he was going to play one more season for the Minnesota Vikings. This team went through a lot of adversity. Five starters on defense missed most of the regular season and all of the playoffs, along with two top offensive players, running back Ryan Grant and tight end Jermichael Finley. The Packers had to win their final two games of the regular season just to make the playoffs, before winning three road games and defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. It was Green Bay's fourth Super Bowl title and quarterback Aaron Rogers was named Super Bowl MVP. After starting this season 11-0 their win streak is now at 17 games.
The Miami Heat
Much like the NCAA's Michigan Wolverines of the early 1990s and their "Fab 5," the Miami Heat and their "Big 3" were expected to dominate the NBA with anything less than a championship being considered a fail. In the 2010 off-season, the Heat signed arguably the three biggest names on the free agent market: Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. These three players took a lot of criticism from analysts, fans and players for agreeing to play for the same team. For the most part, those who were not Miami fans were cheering for this team to lose. Early season struggles had this team holding a 9-8 record and it looked like their lack of depth would prevent them from being the great team they were made out to be. After a playersonly meeting, the team went on a 12-game win streak and ended up finishing the regular season in second place in the east with a record of 59-24. They ran through the first three rounds of the playoffs, winning four games to one over Philadelphia, Boston and Chicago. They went on to lose four games to two in the Finals to Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Maveriks, making Lebron have to wait at least one more season for his first championship.
Texas Rangers' Game six collapse
Something the Texas Rangers will never forget is how close they were to winning the 2011 World Series. In the ninth inning, the Rangers had a two run lead with two outs and two strikes to Cardinals batter David Freese. Freese managed to tie the game on a triple that sent the game to extra innings. St. Louis' celebration was short lived after Josh Hamilton gave Texas the lead back with a two-run homer in the 10th inning. The Rangers had St. Louis down to their final strike once again, with two outs and two strikes, Lance Berkman hit a game-tying single, keeping the Cardinals alive. Freese would be the hero once again, hitting a walk off home run in the bottom of the 11th. The Cardinals would then go on to win game seven 6-2, capturing their 11th World Series title.
Jets return to Winnipeg
After 15 long seasons for Winnipeg hockey fans, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed on May 31 that rumours were true and the Atlanta Thrashers would relocate to Winnipeg for the 2011 season. The price was reported at $170 million, made by True North Sports and Entertainment. The team played its first game at home against the Montreal Canadiens on October 9.
Sidney Crosby's concussion
On January 1, in the fourth edition of the NHL Winter Classic, David Steckel of the Washington Capitals blindsided NHL superstar Sidney Crosby. In Crosby's next game on January 5 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, he suffered yet another hit to the head, this one delivered by Victor Hedman. After these two hits, he experienced several concussion symptoms that ended his season. There was ongoing coverage of Crosby's progress throughout the year and many wondered if he would be the next Eric Lindros and never be the same. Crosby has so far silenced his critics. As of November 29, Crosby had two goals and seven assists in just four games since returning from the injury.