Top 8 Sports Moments of 2020
There’s no denying that the COVID-19 pandemic greatly impacted on the world of sport, with many leagues being interrupted, adapted or shut down entirely. However, even behind closed doors, sporting events continued to keep fans enthralled and entertained.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at the top 8 sports moments of 2020 so far – let’s dive in!
Ben Stokes Stunning with Bat and Ball against South Africa
Cape Town witnessed the best of Ben Stokes, BBC Sports Personality of 2019, within the first two weeks of the year in the 2nd Test Match between England and South Africa. It was down to the final day when England needed some quick wickets to win the match. Ben Stokes, wicketless in the first innings, compensated in heroic style claiming the last three wickets in quick succession to seal the victory. Not only with the ball but also with the bat, Stokes scored 72 off 47 balls including seven fours and three sixes. It was Stokes’ heroic entry to 2020, proving his role in the English Cricket Team is much like Dhoni’s impact on the Indian Cricket Team.
Djokovic Claims His 8th Australian Open
Novak Djokovic defended his title at the Australian Open in January this year while claiming the title for the eighth time. Djokovic previously won the title in 2019, 2016, 2015, 2013, 2011, and 2008, becoming the first player in the tournament’s history to win the Australian Open eight times. The final match demonstrated Djokovic’s concentration and dedication to ignore the crowd, unlike opponent Dominic Thiem. The reason is that Thiem exited his third Grand Slam Final without a win whereas Djokovic has 16 Grand Slam titles under his belt.
Chiefs’ First Super Bowl Win in Half-a-Century
February saw Kansas City Chiefs secure a dramatic victory in the NFL’s biggest game of the year, overturning an upsetting ten point deficit. The 2020 Superbowl started 20-10 in favour of the San Francisco 49ers but ended up 31-20 with a win for the Chiefs.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes stood solid against San Francisco for much of the game at the Hard Rock Stadium. However, things did not go the Chiefs’ way until the fourth quarter when they needed to overturn their challenging ten point deficit. A couple of perfect throws from Mahomes turned everything upside down and the Chiefs managed to win for the first time in 50 years thanks to 21 unanswered points in just 4 minutes and 47 seconds.
Liverpool’s First Title in 30 Years
Another title for the first time in decades, this time in the UK’s Premier League! Though Liverpool had won titles in the past, 2020 saw a historic victory with their first Premier League season win in 30 years. To make it even more dramatic still, they were on the cusp of winning when a COVID-19 hiatus put the season on hold. But when Manchester City lost to Chelsea and Liverpool convincingly demolished Crystal Palace 4-0, the team became the club to secure the most decisive victory in the history of the Premier League.
New Rules for NBA All-Star Game
Breaking conventions can be challenging and we saw this clearly demonstrated in 2020 when the NBA announced an All-Star Game under new rules. To bring the significance of the defense back to the spotlight, the NBA decided to make the fourth quarter untimed. According to the new rule, a team must score 24 points more than the point total of the leading team in order to secure a victory. After three quarters, Team Giannis was ahead 133-124. This meant that to win the match under the new rule they would need 157 points, that is 133 plus the additional 24. It was highly entertaining to see Team LeBron come back in the fourth quarter to win the match 157-155.
Bayern Munich Wins Bundesliga
Bundesliga became more popular than ever before when the coronavirus pandemic halted most other soccer leagues. The German soccer league became a global attraction when they continued to play matches. Bayern Munich never entered the league as the favorites but the club delivered a strong performance. Soon after the return of the league in 2020 following a temporary suspension, Bayern Munich won nine games in a row to cruise to the title.
Tom Brady Joins the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
For a long time, Patriots fans saw Brady as an essential part of the team, but 2020 shattered their expectations. Arguably the most iconic Patriots player in the history of the franchise decided to switch things up and join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Patriots fans were heartbroken, especially since Brady had never signed with any other team and they considered him an eternal part of the franchise.
Mike Tyson to Face Jones Jr
WBC have announced a Mike Tyson vs. Jones Jr exhibition bout on November 28. Both boxing titans are returning to the ring with fans across the globe waiting with keen anticipation to watch the event online via PPV streaming platforms. However, the exhibition match will cost nearly $50 USD to view and WBC has reduced the round time from three minutes to two minutes for this eight-round match.
Though COVID-19 kept most of us away from the stadium in 2020, the year still delivered a solid dose of great sporting moments.
