2010 was a big year in sports.
It was a year in which many teams and athletes had the greatest moments in their lifetime or history. The fans of the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco Giants finally got to celebrate a title after decades of disappointing seasons and sad endings. Michael Vick had one of the best comeback seasons ever for an athlete after spending nearly two years in jail.
Yet, 2010 also marked a time of others who would drop into the doldrums of obscurity. There was Gilbert Arenas and his playful, gun-slinger antics that got him suspended for most of the 2009-10 NBA season. Ben Roethlisberger dealing with another sexual assault investigation that got him suspended for the first four games of the 2010 season.
Although both players hit the lowest points in their careers, neither one of them fell further from the cliff than Tiger Woods. 2010 was a year of saving and reshaping his image, dodging questions of his personal life and his wife divorcing him. What makes matters worse is that he couldn’t even manage a win in an event during the season.
Despite the down points for those athletes, they can luckily look forward to making 2011 a year of moving forward and descending back to greatness. Arenas gets a new start on one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference with the Orlando Magic. Roethlisberger will be leading his Pittsburg Steelers into the post season once again. Now that his personal life appears stable, Woods appears on par for a Vick-like bounce back year.
Aside from those intriguing 2011 storylines, this year looks to be a step up from 2010 due to its brimming potential. With so many possibilities already developing and new legends to be made at anytime, the public will have to remain on its toes for what the year has in store.
Here are some stories that have promise to shine brightly in 2011:
1) Can Tiger Woods Really Turn Things Around?
As discussed before, Woods had one of the biggest falls ever in the history of sports. Known for his ability to harness pressure and attention into a ball of fire that he unleashes on the courses for eagles and birdies, the legendary golfer finally illustrated one characteristic that we never seen before: he’s human.
The former number one ranked golfer can be optimistic about one thought though; while he did drop tremendously during the 2010 season, he really has no where to go but up in 2011. One win at an event will stamp 2011 as a more successful year than the previous one. Yet, in order to return back to having that invincible aura that he once carried around for years, he’ll have to win numerous events and majors this season.
With his personal life calming down, if he can regain his focus and ability on his game, Woods should be able to get back on course to make a run at Nicklaus’s major record.
2) Can The 2011 Atlanta Falcons Be The 2010 New Orleans Saints?
When “Who Dat” nation celebrated their Super Bowl title in 2010, it allowed a ray of hope for other franchises that have never been able to hoist the championship trophy.
This year could mark the birth of another first time winner.
If there was any team that could pull of a 2010 New Orleans Saints-type run in 2011, it would be the Atlanta Falcons. A team that has never won a Super Bowl since joining the NFL in 1966, this year’s team will have the number one seed in the NFC and have a team prime to end their Super Bowl-less drought.
Of course, to get there, they will need to get through the usual suspects who have reached the promise land lately. Recent champions, such as the New England Patriots, Pittsburg Steelers, Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints, are all back to make another go of it. Not to mention the usual playoff attendees, like the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers and New York Jets, are all hoping to reclaim riches that were synonymous with their franchise’s past.
Potential is in the corner for the Falcons; the only question will be if they can take the punches, and still be the last man standing.
3) Will We See A Miami Heat vs Los Angeles Lakers Final?
If there was a Christmas wish list of what each person in the world wanted, everyo e will most likely list seeing a match up between the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers for the NBA finals.
There is absolutely no doubt that this would be the hottest ticket in years to acquire, even hotter than any of the recent finals with the Lakers and Celtics. According to an article by Sports Illustrated, the Christmas day matchup between both franchises got the highest rated NBA regular season game since 2004.
What does this mean? The public wants more of this rivalry.
Not only would the public want it, but the NBA is holding their breath until their face turns blue in hopes of getting such a fairy tale matchup. A Lebron James vs Kobe Bryant matchup for the title would have the greatest storyline in the league’s history. Can James finally reach historical significance that he so desperately needs with an NBA championship on his resume? Or, will Bryant stop him to reach his second three peat to even himself with the god of basketball Michael Jordan?
4) Does Four Dominant Starting Pitchers Equal A World Series Title?
Already sporting a formidable trio with Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels, the Philadelphia Phillies felt this was the year they would bounce back from a 2009 World Series loss to win the title in 2010.
Too bad the San Francisco Giants had to go and play the spoiler role in the 2010 NLCS.
Despite the loss, the Phillies appeared to be early contenders for the 2011 season after the loss because of their powerful lineup and the trio kept intact. So it came with an even bigger shock when the Phillies snuck up behind the Yankees and Rangers to snag one of the most coveted free agent pitchers this off-season: Cliff Lee.
Now with the big lefty atop the rotation next to Halladay, Oswalt, and Hamels, Philadelphia looks stronger than ever and have a rotation that’s quietly gaining the reputation as one of the greatest starting pitching rotations in history. They will have challenges before them with the likes of the improved Boston Red Sox, the always pricey roster of the New York Yankees, and the San Francisco Giants going for a repeat.
Even with all those teams ready to take them on, the Phillies new addition could be the final part of the equation that equals a title.
It’s hard to say what exactly will be the biggest story of 2011. It could be any one of the four possibilities in the discussion, or even the proverbial story-out-of-nowhere that always erupts in sports each year. With so many options and opportunities for major headlines, the only way to be aware of what’s to come is to watch and observe the new year.
No matter what, 2011 will undoubtedly follow 2010 in one distinct fashion; it will be a year in which anything can happen in sports.
Sports In 2011 – A New Year With New Possibilities
