Sports: A Decade of Awesome

By: Joe Cardoso

The decade of sports comes to a close and when you sit and think about all the memories and epic sports moments it was a decade of unreal achievements and legends walking away from the game. To say this was a hard article to write would be more than an understatement. So I made it personal, what plays and moments this last decade meant the most to me and some reasons why I choose them. So let us get to it and let the debate begin, with Joe Cardoso top 10 plays/players/moments  of the decade in NO particular order, something tells me after publishing this I will be writing a second article.

10. I LOVE Damien Lillard. Now that we got that out of the way, this was pure Dame Dolla from the calm move to create space, to the wave bye-bye to Russell Westbrook and the Thunder. Hard to find a better walk-off winner in recent NBA playoff history. And the awareness to know where the camera was and the look you can’t write this stuff. 

9. The Miami Heat made the move to get LeBron James and Chris Bosh to team up with Dwayne Wade one thing came to mind and that’s Championships. It all was on the line vs a great Spurs team looked like the Spurs had it until one of the greatest shooters of all-time Ray Allen stepped up and hit a BIG bucket.

8. You didn’t REALLY think I wouldn’t have some Yankees in here, did you? Championship number 27 was sweet. Alex Rodriguez showed up finally and to have the legend Mo close it out you couldn’t ask for more.

7. Who doesn’t like a good comeback story? Have we seen someone fall to the bottom the way Tiger Woods did? He failed on and off the green, injuries poor life choices left the once bulletproof star battered and bruised. I like most people who had counted him out figured we would never see the elite golfer from years past, his body had failed him and his focus was not the same. On a weekend that I will never forget he brought us all back to his glory years. The thousands who followed him around the course and people at home who called out of work and stayed glued to devices for updates.

6. We all know what the odds were. The Golden State Warriors had set the regular-season record for wins and looked unstoppable. Everything pointed to an easy victory over an outmatched Cleveland Cavaliers but no one told the Cavs that. And in what would be a career-defining play LeBron James brought the title home.

5. No one knows why but DC never wins ANYTHING! Our sports teams find the best ways to lose. Stars that have horrible injuries, we sign over the hill talent to lifetime contracts, bad luck you name it. That all changed with one team on a magical night in Las Vegas and the roll of winning started.

4. NO ONE dominated a sports like the ladies of the USWNT you could make a top 20 plays list just with the last title run. But for me, the play that just showed how great they are and how far the rest of the world is from reaching them is this rocket from Carli Lloyd who I hope to see on an NFL field soon and YES I said that.

3. College Football does a great job of hyping up big games and making fans plan their entire day around it. Trust me I’ve been doing it for YEARS. And the Iron Bowl is life and death for fans of War Eagle and Roll Tide. Kick 6 will be remembered for decades to come. HOLY COW, OH MY GOD! Inject this type of crazy into my veins.

2. Can you imagine what it’s like to wait a lifetime for something? Having friends and family wait their wholes lives for it just like you and dying having never seen it happen? Sounds extreme in terms of sports but it’s not when you talk to Cubs fans. 2016 was what they had been waiting for 108 years of NOTHING 71 years and no pennant. You saw all types of reactions from people playing the radio call at loved one’s tombs stones, to children being named after players.

1.  All due respect to the Patriots and the unbelievable comeback in the Super Bowl it was good. But we saw two GIANTS leave the game in the decade and these two giants of sports are my 1 and 1a moments. What they did on the field/floor and off is incredible and they have left an impression on the sport forever. One was the ultimate professional who did his job daily without much talking but has rings to shut you up. The other would rip your heart out hear you make a noise and go back to stomp the life out of you. Their names? Derek Jeter and Kobe Bryant.

and if you are going to make an exit why not doing at home and in front of some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment.

What are your favorite moments of the decade? I can think of 20 more as I type and that is one of the million things that makes these games we love so amazing. Villanova at the buzzer to win an NCAA championship, The Patriots have 6 rings, the Giants of San Francisco did work. Serena Williams proved she is indeed the Queen. Follow our blog @NutsAndBoltsSP and follow me @JoeCardoso301. Happy New Year!!!