Too Many Exciting Things in Sports This Year, along with an End of an Era for Many People.
Edition #36
Intro
Let’s make this all simple.
2023 was short for everyone who doesn’t follow sports all that much.
2023 was average for everyone who follows sports way too much.
I’m a different kind of guy. 2023 was too fast for me, and I follow sports too much.
Why do I say 2023 was an average year for everyone who follows sports too much? It’s simple. Way too many milestones hit and the continuation to build on that. Let me give you an example. The In-Season Tourney this year. The Lakers won it on December 9th. It’s December 31st. That game, to me, felt like yesterday. For the other sports fans, they just moved on from it. Going to Luka hitting 50 versus the Suns or Shohei Ohtani getting paid $700 million.
Today, we’re going to be listing out all the milestones we have witnessed, plus all the deaths. Championships do count as a “milestone” so yes the Super Bowl will be included. Otherwise, let’s get the LAST SPORTS SQUARE EDITION OF THE YEAR started!
The Milestones
These are milestones in no given order.
CFB Playoffs Champion: Georgia Bulldogs
Super Bowl Champion: Kansas City Chiefs
NBA Finals Champion: Denver Nuggets
CFB Playoff Championship Runner-Up: TCU (Texas Christian University)
World Series Champion: Texas Rangers
World Series Runner-Up: Arizona Diamondbacks
NFC Champion: Philadelphia Eagles
AFC Champion: Kansas City Chiefs
NL Champion: Arizona Diamondbacks
AL Champion: Texas Rangers
Stanley Cup Champion: Las Vegas Golden Knights
Stanley Cup Runner-Up: Florida Panthers
Western Conference Pennant Winner: Denver Nuggets
Eastern Conference Pennant Winner: Miami Heat
40/70 Season: Ronald Acuña Jr.
250th Win For Pitching: Adam Wainwright
All-Time Points Scored: LeBron James
All-Time 3’s scored: Stephen Curry
Tyrese Haliburton joins Chris Paul (2016) as the only players in NBA history with 20+ points, 20+ assists and 0 turnovers in a game. Haliburton became the first to add 5+ 3s as well.
Nikola Jokic joins Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to record multiple triple-doubles while shooting 100% from the field (min. 10 attempts).
Victor Wembanyama joins David Robinson as the only rookies to record 30+ points, 5+ rebounds, 5+ assists, and 7+ blocks in a game. Wemby is the first player ever with 30+ points and 7+ blocks in under 30 minutes.
March Madness Men’s Tournament Winner: #4 UConn Paces #5 SD State (76-59)
March Madness Women’s Tournament Winner: #3 LSU Top #2 Iowa (102-85)
1st-Time Masters Champion: Jon Rahm (-12) Wins The Masters
The 149th Kentucky Derby Miracle: 15-1 Long-Shot ‘Mage’ Makes Unlikely Comeback
UEFA Champions League Champion: Manchester City
Wimbledon Winner: Carlos Alcaraz Wins 5-Set Epic Against Novak Djokovic
Welterweight Title: Terence Crawford TKOs Errol Spence Jr.
FedEx Cup Playoff Champion: Viktor Hovland (-27)
Soccer World Cup Final: Spain Tops England (1-0) to Win 1st Ever Women’s World Cup
U.S. Open Champion: Coco Gauff Wins 1st Major
Ryder Cup: Europe Holds Off USA
Formula 1 Champion: Max Verstappen Captures 3-Peat as F1 Champ
WNBA Finals: Las Vegas Aces Win Back-to-Back WNBA ‘Ships
NWSL Champions: Gotham FC have their 1st NWSL Title
NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Champion: Ryan Blaney
MLS Cup Finals: Columbus Crew have their 3rd MLS Cup
Boston Bruins Break NHL's Single-Season Wins Records
16-Seed Fairleigh Dickinson Upsets #1 Purdue
Michael Block’s Hole-in-One at the PGA Championship
Biggest Contract In Sports History: Shohei Ohtani $700 Million
LSU’s Jayden Daniels Wins the Heisman Trophy
Florida State Snubbed From CFB Playoff
Draymond Green Suspended Indefinitely by NBA in December
The Michigan Football Sign-Stealing Scandal in November
Blazers Trade Damian Lillard to Bucks in September
Deion Sanders Tries to Revive Colorado Football in September
Megan Rapinoe & Julie Ertz Retire After USWNT Loss in August
Lionel Messi Signs With MLS Club Inter Miami in July
Bronny James Suffers Cardiac Arrest at USC Practice in July
The PGA-LIV Golf Merger Announcement in June
Ja Morant Suspended 25 Games in June
Blackhawks Win Draft Lottery for Connor Bedard in May
Spurs Win Draft Lottery for Victor Wembanyama in May
Packers Trade Aaron Rodgers to Jets in April
Wrexham AFC Promoted After 15-Year Absence in April
Nets Trade Kevin Durant to Suns in March
Tom Brady’s Official Retirement From Football in February
Damar Hamlin’s Cardiac Arrest & Recovery in January
Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander: 11th and T-12th all-time in strikeouts
Craig Kimbrel and Kenley Jansen: 400 saves
Julio Rodríguez: first with 25-25 in each of his first two seasons
Shohei Ohtani: 40 homers and 10 wins
Australian Open Men’s: Novak Djokovic
Australian Open Women’s: Aryna Sabelanka
French Open Champion Men: Novak Djokovic
French Open Champion Women: Iga Swiatek
Deaths of 2023
Everything comes with sadness, and we had a bit too much sadness this year. Let’s list everyone who has died this year and is an athlete. To honor them, please copy and paste in the comments or email me. Rest in peace…
Ken Block
Art McNally
Charles White
Jamin Pugh
Sal Bando
Billy Packer
Bobby Hull
Terry Holand
Conrad Dobler
Tim McCarver
Pat McCormick
Bud Grant
Felton Spencer
Joe Pepitone
Willis Reed
Hobie Landrith
Craig Breen
Chris Smith
Dave Wilcox
Jeremy Nobis
Dick Groat
Tori Bowie
Lance Blanks
Petr Klima
Vida Blue
Joe Kapp
Denny Crum
John Bland
Doyle Brunson
Billy Graham
Jim Brown
Rick Hummel
Rick Hoyt
Bill McGovern
Norma Hunt
Roger Craig
The Iron Sheik
Jim Turner
Patrick Gasienica
Ray Lewis III
Clark Haggans
Ryan Mallett
Vince Tobin
Fred Willis
Johnie Cooks
Nikki McCray-Penson
Danielle Ballard
Joe Campbell
Cody Ince
Rocky Wirtz
Alex Collins
Rick Jeanneret
John Devitt
Alex Cole
Terry Funk
Bray Wyatt
Gil Brandt
Roy Kidd
Mike Williams
Nick Kerdiles
Brooks Robinson
Tim Wakefield
Dick Butkus
Andy Bean
Ivor Robinson
Bobby Charlton
Betsy Rawls
Adam Johnson
Frank Howard
Bob Knight
Walter Davis
Matt Ulrich
DJ Hayden
Peter Seidler
Wille Hernandez
Eddie Merrins
Franck Wycheck
George McGinnis
Eric Montross
Ed Budde
Ryan Minor
Herb Kohl
Conclusion
That was the final edition of 2023. Make sure to watch the ball drop in New York at midnight tonight. The first edition of 2024 is scheduled for midnight EST when the ball drops. By the way, this was my first post. I will never forget this in my life. I’ve loved this 3-month journey so far, and my hopes have never been higher for this newsletter. I appreciate you guys a lot for reading this and well, click the link down there.