12 Things That Have Surprised Sports Fans so Far This Year
Even though we all try to pretend—or hope—that we know everything there is to know about sports, it's impossible to always predict everything accurately.
In fact, it would actually take away the fun of being a sports fan if someone could correctly guess everything.
That's because what makes sports the best reality show on TV is that it is completely unscripted, with enough twists and turns to make a person lose their mind.
Emotions run high in sports—both good and bad—and, because there have been a number of crazy moments already in 2014, here are the things that have surprised us all. And we still have two months left in the calendar year to add even more!
Germany Humiliates Brazil
1 of 12The stage was set—except, well, the lead actor forgot to show up.
That's about all one can say when looking at the Brazilian men's national soccer team in this past summer's World Cup, when they completely lost their composure on their home soil.
Looking like a team of destiny through the group stage—in which they outscored opponents 7-2 in their three games—El Selecao marched on to the semifinals, facing off against powerhouse Germany for a chance to play in the World Cup Final.
Of course, the team did so without its superstar, Neymar Jr., who sustained a broken vertebrae in the quarterfinal match which, no doubt, affected the psyche of his teammates.
Rather than rally together and try to win one for Neymar, Brazil got absolutely blasted, losing 7-1 in a match that set the record for their biggest blowout loss in tournament history, with the Brazilians, at one point, allowing four goals in six minutes!
Injuries and Suspensions
2 of 12
Clearly, there are injuries and suspensions that happen in every single sport in every single year. But, for some reason, it feels like 2014 has had more significant ones than in the past.
In the NFL, domestic violence is at the forefront of the league, with players going through troubling times and finding themselves punished for their off-field actions, with Pro Bowl-quality players being the culprits of such unfortunate acts.
In the NBA, two of the league's top young stars have gone down, with fans first seeing Indiana Pacers stud Paul George sustain a horrific knee injury this summer while playing for Team USA, and then reigning MVP Kevin Durant breaking a bone in his foot just recently.
It's not a shock to see things like this happen, but the caliber of athletes that they are affecting is definitely an unlucky shock.
Dallas Cowboys Starting 6-1
3 of 12
It's easy to jump on the Dallas Cowboys' bandwagon now that they're currently 6-1 and own the best record in the NFL, but how many fans truly saw this coming just a couple months ago?
I would say very few.
That's because the Boys had always seemed to put way too much faith in quarterback Tony Romo's arm, while putting together a defense that had more holes in it than a slice of Swiss cheese.
Not this year, though, as Dallas has turned into a more physical team, running the ball behind a beefy offensive line and relying on running back DeMarco Murray to chew up yards, while using Romo in more of a manager role than anything else.
Who knows the fate of America's Team, but one thing's for sure—it is the biggest surprise in the NFL so far this season.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
UConn Wins the Men's Hoops Title
4 of 12
Although the seventh-seeded UConn men's basketball team wasn't the lowest seeded team to ever win a national title before—that belongs to the Cinderella Villanova team in 1985—the Huskies were certainly one of the most unexpected.
Even after reaching the inaugural AAC title game—in which they lost to the Louisville Cardinals—UConn was looked at as nothing more than a potential Sweet 16 team.
But not too many people knew Shabazz Napier was about to turn into a superstar.
Averaging 21 points during the team's tourney run, Napier led a cast of talented players to victory over another surprising team, the Kentucky Wildcats, to earn UConn's third national championship in 11 years.
Yes, it was safe to say that everyone's bracket was absolutely busted.
Derek Jeter's Walk-off
5 of 12In hindsight, we should have all probably seen this coming.
Derek Jeter, who has had a flair for the dramatic ever since breaking into the majors as a full-time player with the New York Yankees in 1996, gave us all one lasting memory—a walk-off hit in his final at-bat in Yankee Stadium.
No matter your opinion on the guy—whether you thought he was overrated, underrated or rated just about right—The Captain was a class act who played the game the right way, respecting both the past and helping guide the future.
While it wasn't surprising that Jeter was walking away—he announced earlier this year that the 2014 would be his final season—the way he ended his career was nothing short of spectacularly surprising.
A Super Bowl Blowout
6 of 12
Unless you're a fan of a team who realistically had a chance of reaching the Super Bowl, the Seattle Seahawks vs. the Denver Broncos was the matchup everyone wanted to see to decide the NFL's champion.
Matching the No. 1-ranked defense against the No. 1-ranked offense, the plot couldn't have played out any better in hoping to answer the question of whether defense really wins championships.
Well, the the first snap basically gave us the answer.
Standing in the shotgun, the ball sailed over Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning's head for a safety, giving the Seahawks momentum that they could have never believed.
From there, it was an absolute pounding, as Seattle put it on Denver, with the icing coming at the start of the second half when Percy Harvin returned the kickoff for a touchdown.
Seattle 43 Denver 8.
Canada Stuns USA in Women's Olympic Hockey
7 of 12
Everyone knows that it takes skill, hard work and, yes, even a little bit of luck to win a championship.
There might not be a team more cognizant of that than the Canadian's women's hockey team, who were fortunate enough to see all three aspects occur during their gold medal matchup vs. Team USA.
As the U.S. led Canada 2-0 with just five minutes left to play, American players could probably feel the weight of the gold medals on the backs of their necks—and then, it happened.
With the Canadians cutting the lead in half with just over three minutes to play, their opponents shot a puck on an empty net that, no joke, hit the post, keeping the score at 2-1.
While that was a tough break and a jaw-dropper for fans of the red, white and blue, it was nothing compared to what happened next, as Canada tied the game a few seconds later, eventually winning in overtime to gain top spot in the Olympics.
Shock is about the only word to describe how everyone in the States felt.
Landon Donovan Left off the U.S. World Cup Roster
8 of 12
Wait a second. How could this have possibly happened?
You're telling me that the longtime captain and all-time U.S. men's soccer leader in both goals and assists wasn't going to travel to Brazil and suit up for the World Cup?
No!
No way!
Yet that was the shock that Americans got prior to this summer's tournament, as head coach Jurgen Klinsmann actually cut Landon Donovan from the 23-man roster, understandably leaving Donovan both bitter and shocked.
The two seemed to have patched things up a bit—I guess?—as Donovan just competed in his final game for the national team recently, ending an incredible career.
The State of Mississippi
9 of 12
There's nothing quite like the drama of college football, is there?
Like years past, the 2014 season has proven that, no matter what we think we know, there are always surprise teams and enormous upsets.
This year's breakthrough teams?
Well, they actually happen to reside within the same state—and it's Mississippi of all places.
That's because, as it stands right now, the Mississippi State Bulldogs and rival Ole Miss Rebels are sitting No. 1 and No. 3, respectively, in the national rankings.
While one of these teams will end up with a loss—seeing how they play each other in the annual Egg Bowl—they've both proven to be recognized as serious national title contenders—much to the shock of every sports fan on the planet.
San Antonio Spurs' Revenge
10 of 12After seeing how the San Antonio Spurs lost in the NBA Finals in 2013, many wondered if the team's psyche had just taken its final hit.
It was an absolutely reasonable question, after all, seeing how the Spurs not only blew Game 6 in 2013, but then lost the next game to lose out on a championship.
Getting what it had hoped for—a rematch against the two-time defending champion Miami Heat—San Antonio looked for revenge.
I'd say it proved its point.
What was hoped to be one of the better Finals in recent memory turned into a laugher, with the Spurs embarrassing the Heat in five games, winning by an average margin of 18 points in their four victories.
Was it shocking to see a veteran San Antonio team atop the podium holding the Larry O'Brien Trophy? Maybe to some, but not likely to others.
But what was surprising was the way it demolished Miami, eventually causing the Big Three to split up after seeing a few chinks in the armor.
Kansas City Royals
11 of 12
Much like a few other teams on this list, I have a hunch that few people even penciled the Kansas City Royals into the postseason, let alone all the way into the World Series.
Yet here they are, playing in the Fall Classic for the first time in 29 years—an unprecedented event, to say the least.
It's not that the Royals aren't a good team—they play the game the right way by doing the little things like playing solid defense, being aggressive on the bases and having a dominant bullpen. It's just that, well, they're the Royals.
This is a team that, for years, had underachieved just when people thought it could, possibly, enjoy a solid season—which, for it, usually meant hovering around the .500 mark.
Rather than accept that, though, the Royals have their eyes set on a world championship, which, should it happen, might just be the biggest baseball shocker of the past 15 years.
Leron James Is "Coming Home"
12 of 12Who would have ever believed that those three words could send such a shockwave through the entire NBA landscape?
That's what happened on July 11 of this year, though, when one LeBron Raymone James penned a letter with Sports Illustrated announcing that he would be returning to Northeast Ohio to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers—who had just finished a disappointing season that led them to yet another No. 1 overall pick.
Ever since James opted out of his deal with the Miami Heat following the aforementioned Finals loss to the San Antonio Spurs, there was speculation on where he might end up—and he ended the drama by making his announcement on a Friday afternoon.
There aren't enough adjectives to describe the feelings that NBA fans had around the globe—specifically in cities like Cleveland and Miami, with the former seeing the joyous reaction that the latter had enjoyed just four years prior.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
