The decade is coming to a close, and it has left us with unforgettable moments in sports. Here, I do a countdown of what I think were the top moments in the decade. I was unbiased in choosing which events made the list, and where they placed. This basically means I didn’t favor one team over another. 

#10 – 1st Time Champs (2018, 2019) 

Both the Washington Capitals and St. Louis Blues won their first Stanley Cup in the decade. The Caps celebrated by posting pictures on Instagram with it and players taking it around to different places. The Blues are not going to that extent, but made all of St. Louis’ streets filled with fans during their championship parade. 

The Eagles stunned the NFL world by winning their first Lombardi Trophy in team history after topping the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 52. Nick Foles lead his team to victory over the GOAT Tom Brady and a favored Patriots team. Foles is probably the most clutch and greatest backup quarterback of all time. Yes, the Patriots lost to a backup quarterback. 

#9 – Odell’s One-Handed Catch (2014)

In the classic rivalry between the Giants and Cowboys, Odell made an almost impossible catch in the endzone. What was so impressive about this catch was that Beckham made the catch with only three fingers. The image tells it all.

#8 – Miracles in The “M” Cities (2018) 

The Minneapolis Miracle is the better known of the two. In the Divisional Round of the playoffs, Case Keenum threw a pass over to wide receiver Stefon Diggs. The Vikings were down 14-19 to the Saints with less than 20 seconds left in the 4th quarter. Diggs was expecting to be hit after the catch, but a missed tackle gave him the opportunity to run it into the endzone for the game winning touchdown. New Orleans wouldn’t recover, and the Vikings advanced to the NFC Championship against the Eagles. 

The Miami Miracle didn’t get as much attention as the Minneapolis Miracle, but it was huge because it defeated the New England Patriots. Ryan Tannehill passed to ball over the middle of the field, and after a couple lateral passes, the ball ended up in the hands of Dolphins running back Drake. Drake got past all of the Patriots defense, including tight end Rob Gronkowski, making his way into the endzone to win the game for the Dolphins. 

#7 – Chris Davis’ “Kick Six” (2013)

Everyone knows that Alabama rules the College Football world, so for Auburn to keep the game close was already stunning enough. The game was tied at 28 a piece, and Alabama had a chance to put the game away with a last second 57 yard field goal. The kick fell short of the goal posts. Chris Davis was right under and returned the ball for a touchdown. Auburn ended the game in fashion, and with Alabama being a 10pt favorite in the game, it was a big moment for the Auburn football program. 

#6 – Upset Madness (2018, 2019)

If you watched the 2018 March Madness tournament, then you remember this. Never had a 1 seed been eliminated by a 16 seed. On top of that, Virginia was the #1 overall team of the 64 in the tournament. The UMBC Retrievers defeated the Virginia Cavaliers 74-54, dominating the whole game. The odds of this happening again are very very slim. So those who watched are very lucky to have watched. 

The Lighting though, were President Trophy winners in 2019. They were the obvious favorite to win the Cup, with what looked like an easy matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Maybe the Lightning had too much confidence heading into the playoffs, because they got swept in the series 4-0. This was the first time a #1 seed in the NHL postseason was eliminated in the first round by a 4-0 sweep, on top of the first President’s Trophy winner swept in the first round. 

Loyola Chicago was an 11th seed in the 2018 March Madness Tournament. They made it all the way to the Final Four. That’s right, an 11th seed got past Miami (6 seed), Tennessee (3 seed) and Nevada (7 seed). What’s even more interesting is that all their wins in the tournament were decided by 2 points or 1 point. Talk about a nail-biter. 

#5 – Comebacks (2015, 2017, 2019) 

The Atlanta Falcons held a 28-3 lead in the 3rd quarter. All the Patriots did was let Tom Brady do his thing, and he forced the game into overtime. The Patriots got the ball first in overtime, and Brady lead the Patriots to yet another Super Bowl victory with a final score of 34-28. Even though this wasn’t an upset, the game is still apart of NFL history because no team ever came back from that big of a defect. 

The Green Bay Packers were well on their way to another Super Bowl appearance leading the Seattle Seahawks mid 4th quarter. Russell Wilson and the resilient Seahawks offense put up 15 late points to take the lead. Green Bay forced overtime, but Wilson lobbed a pass into the endzone to Jermaine Kearse to win the game. Green Bay was left shocked, and Seattle would move on to defend their title against New England. 

The San Jose Sharks made really shocking comeback against the Vegas Golden Knights in the opening round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs. After a 5 minute power play and a major penalty, the Sharks were in a prime position to at least put up a goal in the 5 on 4 advantage. Down 3-0, the Sharks rallied and put up 4 goals in just 4 minutes and 8 seconds. Vegas would end up forcing overtime, but fell short. 

#4 – All-Time Greats Retire (2016 and 2017) 

Three of the all time greats retired in 2016. Bryant finished his career with 33,43 points, and his final game cemented his legacy in Los Angeles forever. Bryant’s 23 points in the 4th quarter helped the Lakers win against the Utah Jazz. Byrant finished the game with 60 points, and of course, received a standing ovation at the end of the game. 

For Peyton, many did not know for certain if Super Bowl 50 was going to be his final game, but with the injuries he sustained in the past, it was inferred that it was. Manning lead the Broncos to the Lombardi Trophy over the Carolina Panthers. Even though he wasn’t named the MVP, his performance was one to remember. Manning is considered one of the all-time greats, and awaits his trip to the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. 

Former Celtic Paul Pierce hit a 3-pointer at the end of game in his farewell to Boston. He received a standing ovation right after. Pierce spent 15 seasons with the Celtics. 

#3 – Cavs 3-1 Finals comeback vs Golden State (2016)

No other team had comeback from a 3-1 deficit in the finals in NBA history. Just leave it to Lebron James to make history. James lead the Cavaliers to force a game 7 in Oakland. On top of his triple-double, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love helped assist the Cavs to win game 7. This win fulfilled Lebron’s promise of “bringing a title home”. 

#2 – Derek Jeter’s Walk-off Single in Farewell to Yankee Stadium (2014)

Yankee fans chanted “Derek Jeter” all night to honor one of the best players in baseball. This was Jeter’s last game in Yankee Stadium, so the ovations were loud and memorable. On top of that, Jeter on his final at-bat hit a walk-off single to win the game, making his night even more memorable for him, his teammates, and everyone who watched.

#1 – Cubs win World Series (2016) 

How could this not be #1? The Cubs made history in 2016, ending the drought of not winning a World Series since 1906. This win ended a 108 year drought of a World Series championship as well as a 71 year drought of winning the National League Pennant. Not only did they win, they did it in a nail biting fashion. The Cubs topped the Cleveland Indians 8-7 in Game 7 of the series.