From the Giants improbable run at glory to the end of an era in the Bronx, to a classic rivalry renewed, 2008 saw upset after upset, even a team who’s city is upset.
It saw a league’s juggernaut fall to a team that was once a laughing stock and a single athlete perform perfection on the world’s biggest stage in the world’s most populated country.
It saw a future hall-of-famer shed tears over his teammate and bash his teammate in the same year that one of the biggest displays of sportsmanship was showcased in a small college field.
We saw a legend leave the game he loves, only to comeback to the game he loves in a place where the light shines brighter than most.
Here’s a few of the most memorable moments in 2008:
10) A hit of inspiration:
The 2008 Freedom High School graduation saw the graduate begin their journey towards their future.
For senior John Challis, his future was uncertain.
Imagine being an all-around athlete growing up, playing every sport you can, then one day finding out you’re going to die. John Challis proved to us this year that if we want to do something, regardless of the circumstances, that we can do it.
See, John Challis had cancer in his senior year at Freedom High School in Pennsylvania.
Challis, who played baseball growing up was constantly hit by fastballs growing up that he grew fearful of it. After learning of his diagnosis, Challis decided to face his fear and joined with his school’s baseball team.
In a small field on a gloomy April afternoon, with 20 people in the stands, Challis was summoned off the bench to bat .
He hit the pitch, which was a fastball over the middle of the plate, through the gap between first and second base for his first and only career hit. On his hat, he wrote “John Challis #11, Courage + Believe = Life”
Challis would go on to graduate that year, but would pass away on August 19. He was 18 years old.
9) Sportsmanship is like chivalry… it’s not dead, just in a coma:
Today’s sports world is filled with athletes explicitly taunting their opponent or getting in fights with them, or getting arrested, etc.
However, a story like this makes us realize that sports isn’t completely becoming a negative thing.
Sara Tucholsky, a senior softball player at Western Oregon, has never hit a home run in her career. Meanwhile Central Washington’s Mallory Holtman was her school’s career leader.
On a late April afternoon in Ellensburg, Washington, both would meet in key conference doubleheader. Western Oregon won the first game 8-1.
Tucholsky was struggling during the season, having just three hits in 34 at-bats, but all that was about to change.
"The first pitch I took, it was a strike. And then I really don't remember where the home run pitch was at all; [I] just remember hitting it, and I knew it was out," said Tucholsky.
The 5’2” outfielder hit her first career home run over centerfield.
The story doesn’t end here.
Tucholsky forgot to step on first base on the way around the bases. On her way to turn around to go back to first, her leg gave out and she tore her ACL.
She dragged her way back to first base and couldn’t move.
Then, a display of sportsmanship we haven’t seen in years followed as Central Washington’s Mallory Holtman and Liz Wallace picked up Tucholsky from first and carried her around the bases, touching each base with her left leg.
"It kept everything in perspective and the fact that we're never bigger than the game," Western Oregon coach Pam Knox said of the experience. "It was such a lesson that we learned. That it's not all about winning. And we forget that, because as coaches, we're always trying to get to the top. We forget that. But I will never, ever forget this moment. It's changed me, and I'm sure it's changed my players."
Western Oregon would go on to win the game 4-2.
8) Who says you need college?:
The NFL draft sends 270+ players to NFL teams from colleges throughout the nation every year. Some quarterbacks win numerous awards, break passing records, and some… well some don’t play so much.
Take the case of Matt Cassel. The former USC backup to Matt Leinart and Carson Palmer only threw eight passes in his collegiate career, with no starts at all.
After Tom Brady went down in the first week of the 2008 NFL season, Cassel was thrust into duty. With no starts under his belt in four seasons as Brady’s backup and his last start coming in high school, Cassel stepped in and shined, going 13-18 with 152 yards passing and his first career NFL touchdown pass. He would start for the Patriots for the rest of the regular season, throwing for 3, 693 yards with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, leading New England to an 11-5 record, but slightly missing the playoffs.
In the first season that he’s seen action, Cassel has thrown for more yards than Matt Leinart has in his career so far (3,458 yards) and Carson Palmer did in his first two years (did not play in 2003, 2,897 yards in 2004).
Who says you have to star in college?
7) Big Blue’s Big Idiot:
2008 was full of athletes getting in trouble with the police for many things. DUI’s, domestic violence, various drug charges, whatever you can think of, some pro athlete was arrested for it.
However, none of which can top what Plaxico Burress accomplished in November.
One of the heroes of Super Bowl 42, the Giants wide reciever was arrested for illegal possession of a firearm in New York late November, while his team traveled to Arizona to play the Cardinals that Sunday.
Now, illegal possession is somewhat common in sports, particularly the NFL (ask Dolphin’s LB Joey Porter who’s stated he has a unregistered gun), however what makes Burress’ story remarkable is that he was discovered with the gun in a New York City nightclub after accidentally shooting himself in the leg.
Yes, he was arrested for shooting himself.
Plax now faces up to seven years in prison (seven years the New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to see done)
From Big Blue’s Super Bowl hero, to Big Blue’s Super fool, Plaxico’s career went from stardom to star-done.
6) “May the ‘Devil’ be gone… and may success shine on thee…”
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays made their Major League Basbeall debut in 1998 and never had a winning season.
Then they decided to perform an exorcism, getting rid of the “Devil” in the team name for the 2008 season.
Then they had their first winning season in franchise history, a season that included their first appearance to the postseason and the World Series, where they would lose to the Philadelphia Phillies in five games, and an incredible upset over the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS.
Third baseman Evan Longoria was recalled from Triple-A Durham and won AL Rookie of the Year honors and manager Joe Maddon won AL Manager of the Year.
Regardless of the fact that they lost the Fall Classic, the Rays we’re the shocking Cinderella story of the 2008 MLB season and look forward to the 2009 campaign.
Once again, the Rays proved that good prevailed over the Devil, yet again.
5) Phelp’s great eight
Some do well in the Olympics, break a world record or two, maybe even win a few gold medals.
There are some, and then there’s Michael Phelps.
Phelps success in the 2004 Olympics in Athens set him up for the Beijing Olympics this past summer.
His goal: win eight gold medals, shattering the record held by Mark Spitz who had seven.
Yet, the story here is not that Phelps did what was ‘expected’ of him, it’s how he accomplished such a feat.
He won in dominating fashion, and he won by the slightest of margins. He beat teams that respected his talent, and he led the U.S. to beat teams that didn’t (most notably the French 4x100 relay team).
He kept the eyes of America glued to Olympic swimming, and stole the show of the Olympics from China, to him. In short, HE was the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Beijing went from world’s most populated country to world’s biggest stage, to the world’s most memorable display of perfection.
All done by one swimmer.
4) Sweet 16-0
The 1972 Miami Dolphins were the only team to finish the NFL regular season undefeated on their way to winning the Super Bowl in 1972.
The 2007 New England Patriots looked to move in next door to the ‘72 Dolphins in Perfectville.
2007 NFL MVP Tom Brady’s 50 touchdown passes, almost half of which went to wide receiver Randy Moss. The Patriots were ranked first in every category and almost every team that came in their way.
They won in dominating and comeback fashion, and against teams that “guaranteed” wins.
They looked great at times, and looked bad at times, nonetheless, this team found a way to win.
Their 38-35 victory against the New York Giants in week 17 solidified their place as the first team since the ‘72 Dolphins to finish the regular season undefeated, and the first team in NFL history to finish the regular season 16-0.
Then came a February trip to Arizona.
3) 14 is enough
They tried to run them out of town. They doubted them in every key game, especially in the playoffs. But in the end, all Big Blue did was “Hustle hard and say ‘Hi Hater’” on their way to their third franchise Super Bowl title.
Unlike their Super Bowl opponent, the 2007 season for the New York Giants was anything but perfect. They started the season 0-2, allowing 80 combined points in both games.
However, a key goal-line stands against divisional rival Washington could’ve been the turnaround the Giants needed as they would win six straight afterwards.
They won games as close as Philadelphia and Buffalo, and won from as far as Green Bay amd London. They would end up winning 11 straight road game in 2007, an NFL record.
“Resilient” and “Road Warriors” defined the 2007 New York Giants.
Whenever the Giants were doubted, they’d win. Especially in the playoffs.
Eli Manning went from terrible to terrific towards the end of the season, especially in the playoffs where he didn’t throw any interceptions (until the Super Bowl) and also led the underdog Giants to the most unprobable upset in sports memory.
David Tyree went from nobody special team receiver to “that guy” who made the most prolific and impossible catch in Super Bowl history.
And Michael Strahan set his place in the Hall of Fame as he finally got his ring.
The Giants proved to the world the a perfect finish to the season is greater than a perfect season.
2) New York state of choke (aka Yankees + Mets= Jets)
The Yankees, Mets and Jets all shared a particular description in 2008.
They were all choke artists.
Regardless of leading their respective division through most of the season, or having an incredibly large payroll with numerous all-star and hall-of-fame players, each team could not get the job done in 2008. Which was especially worst considering that each team was exploited each and every day through the tough New York media.
The Yankees $200 million-plus payroll only earned them an 89-73 record, losing the AL East to the Tampa Bay Rays, and earned them their first October vacation in 12 years. The Yankees never found any consistency through the year, went on more 5+ game losing streaks than any 3-game win streaks and simply couldn’t come through. Despite trading for Hall of fame catcher Ivan Rodriguez midseason, not to mention having an all-star third baseman and shortstop the Yankees made the final season at Yankee Stadium, sadly, one to forget.
The Mets collapse in the end of the 2007 season was one that sports fans haven’t seen in years. After leading the NL East all season, the Mets blew a seven-game lead in mid-September, making way for the Phillies to go into the postseason.
So, there’s no way the Mets could do it again… right?
Despite having the second largest payroll in the MLB last season, the Mets re-defined the “Art of the Choke” by failing to make the playoffs for a second straight season after leading the NL east for most of the year, until finally collapsing in late August, and finishing the collapse in September.
Johan Santana was not enough to overcome numerous injuries to the Mets, not to mention a lack of hitting.
So the question now is… will the Mets make it a “3-peat”?
And then we go to the Jets.
After starting the 2008 NFL season 8-3, the Jets stole a page from the New York Mets, and one from the New York Yankees by spending close to $100 million on free agents, starting the season on top, then losing four of their last five games to finish the season 9-7 and lose the AFC East crown to Miami.
By the way, the Jets were 0-5 against teams from the west in 2008.
Favre’s return from a 3 month retirement wasn’t enough to get the Jets back in the sky again, and the 9-7 record cost Eric Mangini his job.
These three teams just go to show that money doesn’t buy championships.
1) Can’t win ‘em all
The Detroit Lions have been the laughing stock of the NFL for decades now.
However, after starting the 2007 NFL season 6-2, there were high hopes for the Lions in 2008, despite finishing the second half of 2007 with a 1-7 record.
Those hopes were dashed from Detroit as the Lions continued their losing streak from 2007.
They lost again and again and again… and even again.
They became the first team since the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers to lose every game of the NFL regular season, and the first team since the beginning of the 16-game schedule in 1979.
They didn’t go down without a fight in most games though. But in the end, they still went down.
They say in sports that it’s not how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you get back up. Well, in 2008, the Lions simply never got back up. Injuries plagued the team, losing quarterback Jon Kitna for the year in midseason. Daunte Culpepper didn’t do anything special in Detroit to start a turnaround, and the defense was simply offensive to the phrase “defense”.
It is also said that nobody remembers who loses, that we always remember who won.
The 2008 Detroit Lions are the only exception to that rule.
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