The calendar year is basically half over. Sports has given us enough news and highlights to fill an entire 12 months. Looking back at what has happened in sports — and entertaiment — in 2019. There’s likely more to come in the final days of June, too.
50. Darrell Waltrip retires from FOX
The legendary NASCAR driver and FOX announcer Darrell Waltrip called his final race on Sunday at Sonoma. He’s one of a kind and will be missed by all who have listened to his unique style and incomparable knowledge.
49. Denny Hamlin wins the Daytona 500
Denny Hamlin won the Dayton 500, a race that had deep significance for Joe Gibbs Racing. The team owner and NASCAR and Pro Football Hall of Famer lost his son J.D. in the offseason and bringing home the sport’s biggest prize and finishing 1-2-3 was the perfect tribute.
48. Henry Cejudo becomes a double champ
47. The AAF launches …
Steve Spurrier was one of the coaches in the AAF, a fledgling football leagues. The AAF managed decent TV ratings while showcasing mediocre football. Then …
46. … The AAF crashes and burns
With two weeks let in the first season, Thomas Dundon, a financial backer of the AAF, had seen enough and lost enough money. That showed like father, like son can happen as Dick Ebersol was a major part of the failed XFL and his son Charlie was a founder of the AAF, which didn’t see the end of its first full season.
45. Simon Pagenaud wins Indy 500
Simon Pagenaud became the first Frenchman to win the Indy 500 since Rene Thomas in 1914. Pagenaud battled Alexander Rossi through the final laps before finally passing his foe and taking the checkered flag.
44. Giants draft Daniel Jones, get booed
The New York Giants drafted sixth in the 2019 NFL Draft. When they announced their choice of Duke QB Daniel Jones, it was greeted with resounding disapproval. The pick was criticized from the second it was announced. Jones will have to shut up the critics when he gets a chance on the field.
43. Cody Parkey double doink from 43
Former Eagles kicker Cody Parkey hit the left upright and then the crossbar with a field-goal attempt from 43 yards with 10 seconds remaining as Philadelphia upset Chicago, 16-15 in a wild-card game. The kick was tipped by defensive tackle Treyvon Hester. Parkey wound up being cut by Chicago, which is searching for a kicker.
42. Kofi Kingston wins title at WrestleMania
After more than a decade of not getting his chance, WWE style, Kofi Kingston defeated Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania to capture the championship. A feel-good story in the surreal world of sports entertainment.
41. Jessica Andrade wins at UFC 237
Jessica Andrade beat 115-pound champ Rose Namajunas with a big KO at UFC 237.
40. Mike Macaggan, Jets hire Adam Gase
As only the Jets could do, they had GM Mike Macaggan involved in the process of hiring a new coach, Adam Gase, and then subsequently saw Maccagan fired. Gang Green at its finest.
39. Ronda Rousey loses, exits WWE
Ronda Rousey had a rousing time in WWE as champion. However, a report prior to WrestleMania 35 suggested she was going to leave the sports entertainment juggernaut to start a family after the big event. Rousey was indignant the report was wrong. Sure enough, after losing the title, Rousey vanished from the scene.
38. Country House wins, um, Kentucky Derby
Maximum Security appeared to win the Kentucky Derby. Then, objections were filed, including one by a jockey whose horse was not impeded, 65-1 Country House. After 22 agonizing minutes, Maximum Security was DQ’d and Country House was moved up and had become the winner of the Run for the Roses.
37. Djokovic, Osaka dominate Down Under
The first major of the season is contested Down Under. Novak Djokovic added another title to his resume and Naomi Osaka made it back-to-back after winning the 2019 US Open.
36. JLo and ARod get engaged
A cross between pop culture and sports as Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez became engaged. Talk about the ultimate power couple.
35. De’Andre Hunter lifts Virginia to first national championship
Virginia was the joke of college basketball in 2018, becoming the first No. 1 seed to fall to a 16, UMBC. The Cavaliers rallied in the 2019 tournament and won the championship, downing Texas Tech.
34. USA pounds Thailand, 13-0, in WWC
Was it too much? Or did the USA do what it was supposed to do in piling on goals against overmatched Thailand. Either way, the 13-0 romp created all sorts of headlines and discussion about the Women’s World Cup.
33. Nadal wins 12th French Open
Rafael Nadal is the king of clay. The Spanish great won his 12th French Open in dominant style.
32. Kyle Guy sinks 3 free throws to beat Auburn
In the Final Four, Virginia trailed by four with the clock ticking below 10 seconds left. Kyle Guy drilled a contested “3” with 6.5 seconds left. Then, after Jared Harper missed a free throw for Auburn, and the officials missed a double dribble on UVA guard Ty Jerome, Guy caught the ball in the opposite corner with 1.5 seconds left. He missed the “3” but was fouled by Samir Doughty, and connected on all the foul shots as the Cavs advanced.
31. Santa Anita horse deaths
Tragedy after tragedy befell horses at California’s Santa Anita Park. Starting Dec. 26 until the meets end, 30 horses were fatally injured. The track shut down for a period, reopened and horses continued to be damaged. Sad statement on horse racing.
30. Nuggets-Blazers go 4 overtimes
The playoffs are a marathon to start. Throw in a four-overtime spectacular, which is what the Blazers and Nuggets did in Game 3 of their playoff series. Denver’s Nikola Jokic was the Ironman, tallying 33 points, 18 rebounds and 14 assists in 65 minutes. The center logged the most minutes in an NBA playoff game since 1953 and the fourth most in postseason history but it wasn’t enough as Portland won, 140-137.
29. Dame Lillard calls ‘series’
What a way to end a series. Dame Lillard launched from 37 feet and the ball found nothing but net as the Trail Blazers eliminated the Nuggets in dramatic fashion.
28. Kawhi Leonard sinks the Sixers
Kawhi Leonard was spectacular throughout the playoffs. His best shot was not in The Finals. It came at the end of the Raptors-Sixers series when the eventual playoff MVP’s corner shot bounced around the rim four times before finally falling and felling Philly.
27. Patrick Mahomes named NFL MVP
Patrick Mahomes did most of his work in 2018. However, the NFL MVP Award was given out in the 2019 calendar year so he earns a spot.
26. Kliff Kingsbury hired by Cardinals
He didn’t have a winning season in his final year at Texas Tech. That didn’t prevent the Arizona Cardinals from hiring Kliff Kingsbury as their head coach. Kingsbury took the gig after accepting another one as the offensive coordinator at USC.
25. Roman Reigns returns to WWE
Roman Reigns was unpopular no matter what WWE did to try and make him into a top babyface. That changed when he announced he was battling leukemia. Reigns received a hero’s welcome when he returned to WWE and the ring in 2019.
24. Rob Gronkowski retires
One of the most popular, fun and charismatic players in the NFL, Rob Gronkowski called it a career after nine seasons in New England. The big question: Will the tight end remain retired or will he come back?
23. LeBron, Lakers fail to make playoffs
The Lakers made the big splash, signing LeBron James. That splash turned into a mess as the team suffered injuries and never got it together in the second half of the season, failing to make the postseason.
22. Lakers acquire Anthony Davis
After flirting with acquiring Anthony Davis during the season, only to be shut down by New Orleans, the Lakers landed the prize they wanted, sending players and draft picks to the big easy for the superstar.
21. Pelicans win NBA lottery
Anthony Davis exited. Zion Williamson arrives in the Big Easy. The Duke freshman exited college and was the coveted lottery prize. New Orleans won the 14-team scramble and has an exciting player on its way.
20. Jets sign Le’Veon Bell
Le’Veon Bell decided to hold out for the entire 2018 season. The decision cost the running back $14 million. When free agency hit, the market for the former Michigan State star didn’t flourish. He wound up signing with the New York Jets.
19. Raiders acquire Antonio Brown
Another malcontent with the Steelers, Antonio Brown took his gifted hands to Oakland after causing a series of issues with Pittsburgh.
18. Andy Ruiz wins heavyweight crown
Andy Ruiz Jr. was not quite as long a shot as Buster Douglas against Mike Tyson. Still, no one gave him a chance against against Anthony Joshua. Sometimes, though, 30-1 shots do come in and Ruiz did just that, blasting Joshua to become heavyweight champion.
17. Brooks Koepka wins PGA Championship
Brooks Koepka has been Mr. Major in golf. After winning the U.S. Open back-to-back, Koepka won the PGA Championship. He almost made it three straight U.S. Opens, finishing second to Gary Woodland despite shooting four straight rounds below 70.
16. Gary Woodland captures U.S. Open
Gary Woodland showed grit and determination in winning the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. Woodland held off Brooks Koepka by three strokes.
15. Kyler Murray is No. 1 NFL Draft pick
Kyler Murray was the ninth overall pick in the MLB Draft in 2018 and signed a rich contract with Oakland Athletics. After winning the Heisman, he changed his mind and returned the money to Oakland and became the first overall pick in the NFL Draft by Arizona.
14. Baylor wins womens hoops crown
Kim Mulkey led Baylor to its national championship, downing Notre Dame, 82-81. With the victory, the Lady Bears joined UConn and Tennessee as the only Division I programs with three or more titles.
13. Patriots down Chiefs in OT thriller
Tom Brady vs. Patrick Mahomes. What a clash. It went beyond the regulation 60 minutes and the Patriots got the ball in overtime and that was that as Rex Burkhead scored on a two-yard run. “Overtime, on the road against a great team,” Brady said. “They had no quit. Neither did we. We played our best football at the end. I don’t know, man, I’m tired. That was a hell of a game.”
12. Bryce Harper signs with Phillies
The free-agent pursuit of Bryce Harper dragged into spring training. Eventually the lefty slugger decided to move up from Washington to Philadelphia and a spot in heart of the City of Brotherly Love.
11. Mike Trout gets record extension
Mike Trout eliminated angst for Angels fans. The organization rewarded the best player in the game with a mammoth contract extension for 12 years and $430 million.
10. David Ortiz is shot in the DR
David Ortiz was in his native Dominican Republic when he was shot at a bar and lounge when he was shot in June. The former Red Sox star had surgery in the DR before being flown to Boston for more repair work. He spent quite some time in ICU.
9. Blues win the Stanley Cup
The St. Louis Blues were going nowhere in early January. Then, interim coach Craig Berube put a spark into the team and they ran the table to win the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.
8. Non-call helps send Rams to Super Bowl
The non-call to end all non-calls. It remains in dispute. With 1:49 left to play in a 20-20 game and the Saints facing a third-and-10 from the Rams’ 13-yard line, Drew Brees dropped back and threw a pass to Tommy Lee Lewis. Nickell Robey-Coleman obliterated Lewis before the arrival of the ball. No flag was thrown and the Rams went on to win and advance to the Super Bowl.
7. Clemson crushes Alabama for CFP title
Clemson and Alabama have become the top two teams in college football. The 2019 CFP championship turned into a rout as the Tigers vanquished the Tide with ease.
6. Carey Price and Anderson
One of the sweetest moments of the first six months happened at the NHL Awards when Canadiens goaltender Carey Price surprised a young fan he had become acquainted with after the fan lost his mom. Price started a speech and then walked out to hug the fan, who was invited to the NHL All-Star Game next season.
5. Kevin Durant blows out Achilles in Game 5
Kevin Durant had missed more than a month with a calf injury when he returned for Game 5 of The Finals. Durant got off to a hot start but suddenly look a bad step and went down. A torn Achilles sent the superstar to the sidelines and he will likely miss the entire next season.
4. Klay Thompson injures ACL in Game 6
The Warriors looked like they were ready to try and come back from down 3-1 after winning the fifth game and giving Toronto all it could handle without Kevin Durant. Then, Klay Thompson tore his ACL and it was an impossible task though Golden State didn’t make it easy on its foe.
3. Toronto Raptors win NBA crown
Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors turned Canada into a full-blown basketball land with a thrilling playoff run. The Raptors finished the job by dethroning the Warriors in six games, with the clincher in the final game at Oracle in Oakland.
2. Tiger Woods wins Masters
It was a long time between victories in majors for Tiger Woods. The golf great finally found his way to No. 15 with a stirring performance in this year’s tournament at Augusta.
1. Tom Brady, Patriots win sixth Super Bowl
Six Super Bowl rings for Tom Brady and the New England Patriots after they shut down the Los Angles Rams, 13-3, Pretty good career for a sixth-round draft pick.
