For the past month, as we’ve prepared for the calendar to turn from one year to the next, all we’ve heard about is how ugly 2016 really was. There were plenty of crazy things that happened this year, no doubt, but let’s put aside all of the horribly sad ‘80s pop star deaths and crazy election news, and look solely at the insane sports events we’ve witnessed.
We thought we’d put all of that into perspective now, using what we’ve experienced over the past 12 months to wonder what will 2017 be like?
If one unlikely team won a championship in 2016, what team is the equivalent that will win in 2017?
What Will 2017 Be Like – According to Crazy 2016 Sports Events
This isn’t necessarily a predictions piece, telling you who will win this year. But instead, it’s an exercise to explain just how amazingly crazy 2016 really was.
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1/11
5,000-to-1 Longshot Swansea Becomes 2017 Premier League Champs
Leicester City were 5K-to-1 longshots before the Premier League season began, yet they were able to pull off THE biggest Cinderella seasons in sports history. Consider that the 76ers, considered one of the worst NBA teams in a long time, winning just 10 games in 2015-16, had 1,000-to-1 odds of winning the championship this year. Or how about the Cleveland Browns having 200-to-1 odds of winning the Super Bowl this year?
Photo Credit: Michael Steele, Getty Images
2/11
Romo Gets Job Back From Prescott to Win Super Bowl
In 2016, a broken down Peyton Manning got the job back from young Brock Osweiler to beat the upstart Carolina Panthers to win the Super Bowl, killing MVP Cam Newton’s hopes. The equivalent to that is definitely Tony Romo regaining the job from Dak Prescott, only to beat the likely favored New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.
Photo Credit: Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Getty Images
3/11
Indians Beat Brewers For First World Series Title in 68 Years
The Chicago Cubs ended their championship drought after 108 years, which really wasn’t too surprising, since they were the odds-on favorites (4-to-1) to win it during Spring Training. But to see the 16-to-1 Cleveland Indians come that close was quite a surprise.
Now, it’s the Indians who have the longest title drought at 68 years, so it stands to reason they’ll face the National League’s new thirstiest team: Milwaukee Brewers (48 years).
Francisco Lindor/Brandon Guyer Photo Credit: Elsa, Getty Images
4/11
Golden State Loses to Dwyane Wade’s Bulls in NBA Finals
The Warriors were considered the greatest team in NBA history last season, after they lost just nine games during the regular season. But after going up 3 games to 1 in the NBA Finals against Cleveland and LeBron James, who returned to his hometown after winning NBA titles in Miami, the Cavs came away with the title. In a similar fashion, Wade returns to his hometown of Chicago, and if they make it to the Finals (unlikely), they’ll face the “new greatest team ever,” now that the Warriors added Kevin Durant.
Photo Credit: Gary Dineen, Getty Images
5/11
Dodgers SS Corey Seager Wins 2017 NL MVP Award
In 2016, we saw the 2015 National League Rookie of the Year, Kris Bryant, end up winning the 2016 NL Most Valuable Player award with the Cubs. Seager, the Dodgers shortstop who unanimously won the 2015 NL ROY over Kenta Maeda and Trea Turner, was the odds-on favorite for the award for most of the year. He finished 2016 leading all rookies in games, hits, extra-base hits, while also tying for the lead in RBI, and finishing second in home runs.
Photo Credit: Rob Leiter, Getty Images
6/11
USF QB Quinton Flowers Wins 2017 Heisman
You couldn’t bet on Louisville QB Lamar Jackson winning the 2016 Heisman Trophy last January, but by midsummer, he became a 50-1 longshot, alongside players like Texas A&M QB Trevor Knight and Texas Tech QB Patrick Mahomes, according to the Bovada sportsbook. Jackson
Flowers was a poor man’s Jackson at the University of South Florida in 2016, as one of just three players to throw for over 2,000 yards and rush for over 1,000 yards (Flowers is the only QB to outrun Jackson, too).
Photo Credit: Jason Behnken, Getty Images
7/11
Blake Griffin Signs With the Cavaliers
The best 2017 free agent that’s not already on the Warriors will choose to sign with one of the best teams in the country. I’d love to say Blake Griffin will sign with the Warriors, but my guess is their salary cap will be exploding. They just signed Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry becomes a free agent this coming summer.
Photo Credit: Stephen Dunn, Getty Images
8/11
2nd-Seeded Duke Loses to 15th-Seeded Rice in Round 1 of March Madness
In the 2016 NCAA Tournament, second-seeded Michigan State was upset by 15th-seeded Middle Tennessee State, the second-place team in Conference USA. That was just the eighth time in tourney history that a 15-seed has beaten a 2-seed.
Egor Koulechov Photo Credit: John Weast, Getty Images
9/11
Fowler, Garcia, Grace and Westwood Win 2017 PGA Grand Slam Titles
In 2016, we saw all first-time Grand Slam winners on the PGA Tour, including Danny Willett (Masters), Dustin Johnson (U.S. Open), Henrik Stenson (British Open) and Jimmy Walker (PGA Championship). So the next group of four great golfers to never win a Grand Slam title (Rickie Fowler, Sergio Garcia, Branden Grace and Lee Westwood) will step up to take their titles in 2017.
Rickie Fowler/Sergio Garcia Photo Credit: Chris Condon, Getty Images
10/11
Cleveland’s Josh Tomlin Wins 2017 AL Cy Young Award
The odds of Rick Porcello winning the 2016 American League Cy Young Award were 200-to-1 in March, according to Bovada’s sportsbook. That meant second-year Yankees pitcher Luis Severino had odds twice as good (100-to-1). By the beginning of September, Porcello was still just an 8-to-1 shot, with the favorites still being Cole Hamels, Chris Sale and Corey Kluber.
Porcello led the majors with a 5.91 K/BB ratio, and he finished with a 22-4 record. Cleveland’s Josh Tomlin had the second-highest K/BB ratio (5.90) and a 13-9 record with Cleveland.
Photo Credit: Pool, Getty Images
11/11
Serena Williams Wins Just One Grand Slam Title in 2017
After Serena Williams had won eight consecutive Grand Slam finals (and 21 of her last 25), the best women’s tennis player ever lost to Angelique Kerber in the Australian Open, and then to Garbine Muguruza in the French Open. After winning three Grand Slams in 2015, the youngest Williams sister won just Wimbledon in 2016.
Photo Credit: Kyodo News, Getty Images
1/11
5,000-to-1 Longshot Swansea Becomes 2017 Premier League Champs
Leicester City were 5K-to-1 longshots before the Premier League season began, yet they were able to pull off THE biggest Cinderella seasons in sports history. Consider that the 76ers, considered one of the worst NBA teams in a long time, winning just 10 games in 2015-16, had 1,000-to-1 odds of winning the championship this year. Or how about the Cleveland Browns having 200-to-1 odds of winning the Super Bowl this year?
Photo Credit: Michael Steele, Getty Images
2/11
Romo Gets Job Back From Prescott to Win Super Bowl
In 2016, a broken down Peyton Manning got the job back from young Brock Osweiler to beat the upstart Carolina Panthers to win the Super Bowl, killing MVP Cam Newton’s hopes. The equivalent to that is definitely Tony Romo regaining the job from Dak Prescott, only to beat the likely favored New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.
Photo Credit: Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Getty Images
3/11
Indians Beat Brewers For First World Series Title in 68 Years
The Chicago Cubs ended their championship drought after 108 years, which really wasn’t too surprising, since they were the odds-on favorites (4-to-1) to win it during Spring Training. But to see the 16-to-1 Cleveland Indians come that close was quite a surprise.
Now, it’s the Indians who have the longest title drought at 68 years, so it stands to reason they’ll face the National League’s new thirstiest team: Milwaukee Brewers (48 years).
Francisco Lindor/Brandon Guyer Photo Credit: Elsa, Getty Images
4/11
Golden State Loses to Dwyane Wade’s Bulls in NBA Finals
The Warriors were considered the greatest team in NBA history last season, after they lost just nine games during the regular season. But after going up 3 games to 1 in the NBA Finals against Cleveland and LeBron James, who returned to his hometown after winning NBA titles in Miami, the Cavs came away with the title. In a similar fashion, Wade returns to his hometown of Chicago, and if they make it to the Finals (unlikely), they’ll face the “new greatest team ever,” now that the Warriors added Kevin Durant.
Photo Credit: Gary Dineen, Getty Images
5/11
Dodgers SS Corey Seager Wins 2017 NL MVP Award
In 2016, we saw the 2015 National League Rookie of the Year, Kris Bryant, end up winning the 2016 NL Most Valuable Player award with the Cubs. Seager, the Dodgers shortstop who unanimously won the 2015 NL ROY over Kenta Maeda and Trea Turner, was the odds-on favorite for the award for most of the year. He finished 2016 leading all rookies in games, hits, extra-base hits, while also tying for the lead in RBI, and finishing second in home runs.
Photo Credit: Rob Leiter, Getty Images
6/11
USF QB Quinton Flowers Wins 2017 Heisman
You couldn’t bet on Louisville QB Lamar Jackson winning the 2016 Heisman Trophy last January, but by midsummer, he became a 50-1 longshot, alongside players like Texas A&M QB Trevor Knight and Texas Tech QB Patrick Mahomes, according to the Bovada sportsbook. Jackson
Flowers was a poor man’s Jackson at the University of South Florida in 2016, as one of just three players to throw for over 2,000 yards and rush for over 1,000 yards (Flowers is the only QB to outrun Jackson, too).
Photo Credit: Jason Behnken, Getty Images
7/11
Blake Griffin Signs With the Cavaliers
The best 2017 free agent that’s not already on the Warriors will choose to sign with one of the best teams in the country. I’d love to say Blake Griffin will sign with the Warriors, but my guess is their salary cap will be exploding. They just signed Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry becomes a free agent this coming summer.
Photo Credit: Stephen Dunn, Getty Images
8/11
2nd-Seeded Duke Loses to 15th-Seeded Rice in Round 1 of March Madness
In the 2016 NCAA Tournament, second-seeded Michigan State was upset by 15th-seeded Middle Tennessee State, the second-place team in Conference USA. That was just the eighth time in tourney history that a 15-seed has beaten a 2-seed.
Egor Koulechov Photo Credit: John Weast, Getty Images
9/11
Fowler, Garcia, Grace and Westwood Win 2017 PGA Grand Slam Titles
In 2016, we saw all first-time Grand Slam winners on the PGA Tour, including Danny Willett (Masters), Dustin Johnson (U.S. Open), Henrik Stenson (British Open) and Jimmy Walker (PGA Championship). So the next group of four great golfers to never win a Grand Slam title (Rickie Fowler, Sergio Garcia, Branden Grace and Lee Westwood) will step up to take their titles in 2017.
Rickie Fowler/Sergio Garcia Photo Credit: Chris Condon, Getty Images
10/11
Cleveland’s Josh Tomlin Wins 2017 AL Cy Young Award
The odds of Rick Porcello winning the 2016 American League Cy Young Award were 200-to-1 in March, according to Bovada’s sportsbook. That meant second-year Yankees pitcher Luis Severino had odds twice as good (100-to-1). By the beginning of September, Porcello was still just an 8-to-1 shot, with the favorites still being Cole Hamels, Chris Sale and Corey Kluber.
Porcello led the majors with a 5.91 K/BB ratio, and he finished with a 22-4 record. Cleveland’s Josh Tomlin had the second-highest K/BB ratio (5.90) and a 13-9 record with Cleveland.
Photo Credit: Pool, Getty Images
11/11
Serena Williams Wins Just One Grand Slam Title in 2017
After Serena Williams had won eight consecutive Grand Slam finals (and 21 of her last 25), the best women’s tennis player ever lost to Angelique Kerber in the Australian Open, and then to Garbine Muguruza in the French Open. After winning three Grand Slams in 2015, the youngest Williams sister won just Wimbledon in 2016.
Photo Credit: Kyodo News, Getty Images
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