The first three months of 2020 have been unlike any other in many ways. The coronavirus pandemic stopped everything. That was one of the massive stories that rocked the world and sports in the first quarter of the year.
Rudy Gobert
The coronavirus was starting to take hold of the United States. It became real for sports fans when the Utah Jazz took the court to play the Oklahoma City Thunder and before the opening tap the teams hustled off the court. Word got around Rudy Gobert, who had “playfully” touch reporters’ mics and recorders days earlier had been stricken with the virus. The game was called off and soon the NBA season was on hold.
Sports comes to a halt
No Opening Day. No nothing. Everything has come to a full stop as the coronavirus pandemic gripped the nation and world. There is a non-stop patter of when things will start back up after the “postponement.” However, the reality is everything is in flux and uncertain.
Massive horse racing scandal
More than two dozen people involved in the horse racing industry were indicted for taking part in a scheme to give racehorses performance-enhancing drugs to help them win races around the world. One of the defendants is trainer Jason Servis, who prosecutors say “doped virtually all horses under his control,” including Maximum Security, the colt that crossed the finish line first at last year’s Kentucky Derby but was disqualified for interference. Maximum Security won $10 million of the rich purse in the inaugural Saudi Cup in February.
Houston Astros hammered for cheating
Houston Astros General Manager Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch were suspended by Major League Baseball for the upcoming season in January and then fired by the Astros for stealing opponents’ pitching signs during their team’s World Series-winning 2017 season. The team was also fined a $5 million, the maximum allowed, and will forfeit its first- and second-round picks in the 2020 and 2021 drafts.
Boston Red Sox fire Alex Cora
The Red Sox announced in January manager Alex Cora will not return as their manager in 2020. The news came after MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announced the results of his investigation into the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal, wherein Cora was revealed to be one of the architects of Houston’s trash-can system.
Cowboys fire Jason Garrett
It was much anticipated but it still took longer than anyone could believe. The Dallas Cowboys danced with Jason Garrett for what seemed like weeks before letting the coach go and hiring Mike McCarthy. Garrett has surfaced in the NFC East as a Giants coordinator.
Kansas City Chiefs win Super Bowl
It took 50 years but the Kansas City Chiefs won their second Super Bowl. Patrick Mahomes was the game MVP as Kansas City downed the San Francisco 49ers in early February.
Tom Brady signs with Tampa Bay
He won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and brought countless thrills to the franchise. However, Tom Brady and the team parted ways through free agency. The great quarterback signed a two-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Joe Burrow leads LSU to the championship
Joe Burrow won the Heisman Trophy for the 2019 college season and capped an amazing year by leading LSU to victory over Clemson in the College Football Playoff championship in January. Burrow set record after record and is expected to be the first pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Alex Ovechkin scores 700th goal
Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin scored his 700th career NHL goal in February. Ovechkin is the eighth NHL player to score 700 goals and the second fastest. He did it in his 1,144th game. Wayne Gretzky needed 886 games and Brett Hull reached the milestone in 1,157 games. He is the quickest to go from 600 goals to 700, doing it in 154 games, compared with Gretzky’s 169.
Hamlin wins crash-marred Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 was delayed by rain in February. When the NASCAR’s Super Bowl took place, the finish was thrilling and horrifying all at the same time. Denny Hamlin won for Joe Gibbs Racing. However, Ryan Newman was involved in a wild crash on the final lap. He had to be cut from the car and taken the hospital. Newman actually walked out of the hospital a couple days after the incident.
Tokyo Olympics postponed
The pandemic had already taken over the world. It took a long time for the IOC to react and realize there was no way to hold the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo this year. The decision finally came in March and the Games were pushed to 2021.
Kobe Bryant dies in helicopter crash
NBA and Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was among nine people killed in a helicopter crash in California on Jan. 26. Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter Gianna was were among those killed in the crash.
NBA All-Star Dunk contest
The All-Star weekend is supposed to be fun before the game. Not this year when controversy surfaced after the dunk contest. The Miami Heat’s Derrick Jones Jr. outlasted Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon in a memorable slam dunk contest that required two tiebreaker jams. The final result was not without controversy, with at least two judges contending afterward that they wanted the second dunk-off to end in a tie and Gordon saying he’s done participating in the contest during NBA All-Star Weekend.
NBA All-Star Game
The NBA put a new spin on its All-Star Game with fantastic results. Rather than being a non-competitive event, the teams battled to a fun finish. Anthony Davis knocked down a free throw to secure the win for Team LeBron, and Kawhi Leonard took home the first Kobe Bryant All-Star MVP Award.
Zion Williamson debut
No. 1 overall pick from Duke, Zion Williamson missed the first half of the NBA season due to injury. When he debuted in January, he proved worth the wait. The New Orleans Pelican scored 17 straight points in the fourth quarter. Along the way, Williamson joined a select group of players that scored more points than they accumulated minutes on the floor (minimum 15 minutes played) in their NBA debuts. With 22 points in just 18 minutes on the floor, Williamson joined Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (then known as Chris Jackson) — who scored 26 points in 25 minutes back in 1990 with the Denver Nuggets, as well as Willie Burton (1990), Julius Erving (1976) and Johnny Neumann (1976).
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