With the 2010s coming to a close, I thought it would be fun to recap the decade in sports. As years go by, when we look back on who “owned” this decade, we will remember the New England Patriots, Lebron James, the Chicago Blackhawks, the San Francisco Giants, Alabama football, and the United States Women’s National Soccer team. That said, I have decided to dig deeper to provide a) my favorite sports moments of the decade, b) what I consider to be the biggest sports moments nationally this decade, and c) various decade playoff stats from MLB, the NFL, and the NHL. I know that your time is precious, so feel free to skip to the sections that most interest you.
When it comes to my favorite moments, they all involve my three favorite teams – the Mets, Giants, and Devils. Yes, I was close to putting the Yankees’ 2010, 2012, 2017, and 2019 LCS losses and the Rangers’ 2014 Stanley Cup Final and 2015 Eastern Conference Final losses on the list, but I had enough good moments from my teams to avoid those. Thus, without further ado, here is the list:
10) Johan Santana’s No-Hitter: I wrote about this on the old “Below the Belt” blog, so I will not go into great detail here. I will summarize that, because I missed this game while driving to Virginia, I have bittersweet feelings about the Mets’ only no-hitter. However, I did enjoy watching the replay of the game and knowing what a great moment it was for fellow Mets fans to watch live.
9) 2016 Giants Beat Dallas and Detroit to Earn Playoff Spot: Sure, many Giants fans now like to act retroactively like the whole Ben McAdoo era was a disaster. However, I should note the technicality that the team did go 11-5 during McAdoo’s one full season as coach. Of course, McAdoo was ultimately fired for violating the “You are not allowed to bench a future Hall of Fame quarterback even if his season record is 2-9” rule that nobody had previously known….because future HOFers do not usually find themselves at 2-9. That said, Eli absolutely deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, and I absolutely enjoyed his last solid season (2016). Eli also played well in the playoff game in Green Bay that year, only to have his WRs, still regaining their legs after their boat trip, drop many passes.
8) 2019 Mets Improve from 11 Games Under to 8 Games Over .500: A Mets season left for dead at the All-Star Break (due primarily to the bullpen’s epically terrible performance) turned into one with the Mets challenging for a Wild Card into September. The Mets ultimately fell short, but it was fun to watch Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil, J.D. Davis, Jacob deGrom, Seth Lugo and more win a whole bunch of games this past summer.
7) 2010-11 Devils’ 23-3-2 Run: The Devils were actually worse in the first half of that season (9-30-2) than they have been this season, which is saying something. At the end of that half, the Devils found themselves 27 points out of a playoff spot. However, the Devils’ 23-3-2 run thereafter under new/returning coach Jacques Lemaire brought the Devils to within 6 points of a playoff spot. The Devils ultimately missed the playoffs, but it was fun ride while it lasted.
6) Alexei Ponikarovsky’s OT Goal: It was Game 3 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Semis, Devils vs. Flyers at The Rock. I was in attendance and watched as “Poni” scored the OT winner. Few things in life are more euphoric than witnessing a playoff OT goal for your favorite team.
5) Mets Win 2015 NLDS Against Dodgers: On the heels of a thrilling 38-22 finish to the season, the Mets rode this wave through their first playoff series since 2006. The Mets, having to face both Clayton Kershaw (who has not been as terrible in the playoffs as he is perceived to be) and Zack Greinke twice, won the series in 5 games. Daniel Murphy, Jacob deGrom, and Jeurys Familia led the way for the Mets.
4) “Henrique It’s Over”: The More Clutch and More Forgotten One: The great Doc Emrick provided the great line, “Henrique, It’s Over”, for a moment about which you will read shortly. However, that moment was in a Game 6 with the Devils leading 3 games to 2. Therefore, Adam Henrique’s most clutch NHL moment was winning Game 7 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals with a double-overtime goal. The Devils’ rookie took a puck in the high slot and sent it through veteran Florida goalie Jose Theodore’s legs to send me dancing about my then-Saddle Brook apartment. After multiple OTs in Game 7, I was able to breathe again.
3) Mets Sweep 2015 NLCS: I was torn on whether to put this above or below the previous entry, as the two are completely different. While #4 was a pressure-packed, winner-take-all moment in the conference quarterfinals, this was complete domination in the NLCS. I decided that the magnitude of the NLCS puts this on top. The Mets’ four-game sweep of the Cubs was essentially a five-day party with the Mets never falling behind in any game. By the fifth inning of each game, the Mets were in control, riding dominant starting pitching, Jeurys Familia, and Daniel Murphy yet again.
2) Giants’ 2011 Championship Run: The Giants entered Week 16 needing to beat the Jets and Cowboys to win the division and make the playoffs. The Giants took care of that before steamrolling the Falcons and 15-1 Packers in the playoffs. The Giants then won a physical OT thriller, one of the greatest games I have ever watched, in San Francisco before beating the Patriots again in the Super Bowl. I could have broken this moment into multiple parts; including the Victor Cruz 99-yard reception against the Jets, the Hakeem Nicks Hail Mary in Green Bay, and the second Kyle Williams fumble in S.F., but I decided to group this all as one. Four years after the Giants rode a #5 seed to win a Super Bowl against the Pats, they did the same thing as a #4 seed. When the Giants held off the Pats’ Hail Mary attempt at the end of the Super Bowl, I was completely euphoric, as I had been four years prior.
1) “Henrique It’s Over!!!!!”: The afore-mentioned Giants’ championship was the only title for one of my teams this decade, so it might seem like sacrilege for something to be above that one the list. However, the most incredible sports feeling of the decade was to be at The Rock watching Adam Henrique score in overtime in Game 6 to give the Devils a series win over the hated Rangers. I, along with many of an 18,000-person crowd, did a whole lot of jumping, hugging, and shouting. Much of what happened after that goal is a blur to me. The Devils lost the Stanley Cup Final to the Kings, but that Henrique goal felt like a Cup winner, even though I have been fortunate enough to attend two Devils’ Cup victories (and watch the other occur in OT on TV).
Now that you know my favorite sports moments of the decade, I will list what I consider to be the biggest U.S. sports moments of the 2010s. I am going to go through these more quickly, as they are not quite as personal to me as the previous list.
10) Villanova Wins: Villanova wins its first men’s basketball title in the Jay Wright era, as a buzzer-beating three-pointer against UNC sends the Wildcat faithful, and Charles Barkley, into jubilation.
9) Bumgarner’s Exclamation Point: Three days after pitching a complete-game shutout in Game 5 of the 2014 World Series, the Giants’ Madison Bumgarner pitches five shutout innings in Game 7 to earn the save in Kansas City. This was the Giants’ third championship in five seasons, with Bumgarner coming up huge in all three postseasons.
8) Caps Win First Stanley Cup: I love watching any Stanley Cup celebration that does not involve the Rangers or Flyers (which are moot points anyway). It is especially sweet to watch teams win their first in a generation, as was the case with the St. Louis Blues in 2019. However, it is rare for a Stanley Cup celebration to receive too much national sports-media attention, but such was the case with the 2018 Capitals. It was wonderful to watch Alexander Ovechkin skate around the Vegas ice after finally winning the Caps a Cup. Plus, Panic! at the Disco played my favorite 2010s song, “High Hopes”, my first time hearing the song, before the final game.
7) UVA Rebounds to Win Championship: The 2018 Virginia Cavaliers (men’s bball) became the first team to lose to a #16 seed (UMBC). The following season, Virginia found itself down 10 to Gardner-Webb in that year’s #1-16 matchup. Well, Virginia righted the ship and then pulled off three incredibly dramatic wins – over Purdue, Auburn, and Texas Tech – to win a championship. In each game, there was at least one moment in the last minute or OT when it looked like UVA was done, yet the Cavs miraculously won all three games.
6) Philly Finally Wins the Super Bowl: As much as I wanted the Giants to be the only team to beat Brady/Belichick in the Super Bowl, and as much as I do not like the Eagles; it was a great story to watch Nick Foles lead the Eagles on the Super Bowl run.
5) U.S. Women’s Soccer Team Wins 2015 World Cup: I am old enough to have enjoyed the 1999 championship, but a whole generation of Americans did not experience that title. Plus, the new generation dealt with the pain of the 2011 championship-game loss. Thus, it was extra-sweet when New Jersey’s Carli Lloyd led the U.S. women to the 2015 crown.
4) Malcolm Butler’s Interception: It might seem hard to believe now, but the Pats were on the verge of going more than a full decade without a Super Bowl Championship. I, and most viewers, thought that Russell Wilson had thrown a game-winning touchdown, but the Pats’ Malcolm Butler read the play perfectly. This interception kept the Seahawks from repeating as champs and gave the Pats their first of three titles in five seasons.
3) 2016 NBA Finals: Lebron’s third championship of the decade was his most surprising. With the Cavs down 3-games-to-1 to the greatest regular season team of all time (Golden State Warriors), Lebron lead the Cavs to three-consecutive wins and the first Cleveland championship since the pre-Super Bowl era.
2) 28-3: If you are a football fan, and you see the score “28-3”, you now think of one thing, the Pats’ comeback win over the Falcons in Super Bowl LII. This one game Brady and Belichick their record-breaking fifth rings. Interestingly, entries #1-3 on this list occurred during one eight-month stretch.
1) Cubs Finally Win the World Series: Of course, this has to be #1 on the list. This was one of those rare sports moments that has cultural significance for even those who hate sports. The Cubs had gone 108 years without winning the World Series, and then it finally happened. Poor Cleveland though. The Indians had the second-longest WS-Title drought (1948) at that point, and few people were rooting for them. Moreover, Cleveland gave back a 3-games-to-1 lead, just as the Cavs had erased months earlier. Interestingly, my picks for sports moment of the decade (Cubs’ win) and news moment of the decade (President Trump wins the election) occurred six days apart from each other.
Now, for some of the decade stats. Since it is football season, let us start with the NFL. Here is the list of # of playoff appearances for each team in the 2010s. (Note that these NFL stats cover the 2010-2019 seasons, though those seasons’ playoffs actually take place from 2011-2020.)
10 appearances: New England
8: Green Bay, Seattle
7: Kansas City
6: Houston, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, New Orleans
5: Cincinnati, Denver, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, Atlanta
4: Minnesota, Carolina, San Francisco
3: Dallas, Detroit
2: Buffalo, Tennessee, San Diego/Los Angeles, NY Giants, Washington, Chicago, Arizona, L.A. Rams
1: NY Jets, Miami, Jacksonville, Oakland
0: Tampa Bay
Here is the list of # of first-round byes this decade. New England not only is the only NFL team to make the playoffs all 10 years of this decade but also found itself less than one minute away from having 10 byes. Ryan Fitzpatrick put an end to that, but 9 remains incredible. The next-highest total is 4, by Peyton Manning’s Broncos. Here is the list.
9: New England
4: Denver
3: Kansas City, Green Bay, Atlanta, San Francisco
2: Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Carolina, Seattle
1: Philadelphia, Dallas, Chicago, Minnesota, New Orleans, Arizona, LA Rams
I will now show how many Conference Championship games teams have reached this decade. Naturally, this year’s entrants are not yet known. Will the Pats make it to a 9th-straight AFC Championship Game? We shall see. I have actually gotten married twice since the last Pats-less AFC Championship Game, and that game featured Mark Sanchez! Anyway, here is the list:
8: New England
3: Green Bay, San Francisco
2: Baltimore, Denver, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Seattle
1: NY Jets, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, Kansas City, NY Giants, Philadelphia, Chicago, Minnesota, New Orleans, Carolina, Arizona, LA Rams
New England was at the top of those five lists, and, lo and behold, it also leads the league in Super Bowl appearances this decade. Only two other teams have appeared in multiple SBs this decade.
5: New England
2: Seattle, Denver
1: Baltimore, Pittsburgh, NY Giants, Philadelphia, Green Bay, Atlanta, Carolina, San Francisco, LA Rams
Of course, New England is also the only team to win multiple Super Bowls (3) this decade. The other six teams who have won Super Bowls are Baltimore, Denver, NY Giants, Philadelphia, Green Bay, and Seattle.
Let us now move on to baseball. The two teams with the most playoff appearances (Yankees and Dodgers) did not win any championships this decade. How sad! Anyway, the list of # of playoff appearances also includes in parentheses the number of Division Series appearances, since it does not feel like a real playoff appearance if a team loses the Wild-Card Game.
7: LA Dodgers, NY Yankees (6)
6: St. Louis
5: Washington, Atlanta (4), Texas (4)
4: San Francisco, Tampa Bay, Detroit, Houston, Chi. Cubs (3), Cleveland (3)
3: Boston, Milwaukee (2), Cincinnati (2), Baltimore (2), Minnesota (2), Pittsburgh (1), Oakland (0: Ouch!)
2: Philadelphia, Arizona, Toronto, Kansas City, NY Mets (1), Colorado (1)
1: LA Angels
0: Miami, Chi. White Sox
Once we look at LCS appearances, the Cardinals ascend to the top of the list. Take a look:
5: St. Louis
4: LA Dodgers, NY Yankees
3: Chi Cubs, San Francisco, Detroit, Houston
2: Milwaukee, Boston, Toronto, Kansas City, Texas
1: NY Mets, Philadelphia, Washington, Baltimore, Cleveland
As for World Series appearances, the Giants take the top spot, with the states of Texas and Missouri holding their own:
3: San Francisco
2: St. Louis, LA Dodgers, Kansas City, Boston, Houston, Texas
1: NY Mets, Washington, Chi Cubs, Cleveland, Detroit
Lastly, when it comes to World Championships, the Giants, winners of all three of their WS this decade, stay at the top:
3: San Francisco
2: Boston
1: Washington, Chi. Cubs, St. Louis, Kansas City, Houston
In case any of you have not yet stopped reading, it is time for me to recap the NHL. Because the 2009-2010 regular season covers more of 2010 than 2009, that season counts for this decade. You will read about the 2020 playoffs when I recap the decade of the 2020s. Set the alarm on your phone. I did not have the energy to go through playoff appearances, because more than half the league makes the playoffs every year. Unfortunately, the Devils managed all of three playoff appearances in the 10 seasons, but I digress. Let us skip to the Conference Finals and see how many appearances each team made to that round:
4: Tampa Bay, Chicago, San Jose
3: NY Rangers, Pittsburgh, Boston, Los Angeles
2: Montreal, St. Louis, Anaheim
1: New Jersey, Carolina, Washington, Philadelphia, Ottawa, Nashville, Winnipeg, Vegas, Vancouver, Arizona
Once we look at Stanley Cup Final appearances, we get a clear look at the four most dominant NHL teams of the decade.
3: Boston, Chicago
2: Pittsburgh, Los Angeles
1: New Jersey, NY Rangers, Washington, Tampa Bay, Nashville, St. Louis, Vegas, San Jose, Vancouver
As for teams hoisting the Stanley Cup, the decade belonged most to Chicago (3) with Pittsburgh (2) and Los Angeles (2) also showing dominance. The other three Cups were the two most recent (St. Louis, Washington) and Boston’s in 2011.
I am almost six pages deep into a Microsoft Word document, so I think that sufficiently sums up the decade in sports. Happy New Year!
