Biggest Sports Disappointments in 2014
For many in the sports world, 2014 was a year to remember. For others, it was a year to forget. Today, we focus on the latter.
Consider this our Airing of Grievances. Today we purge ourselves of all of the painful sports memories that plagued 2014. This list is for everyone who let us down this year—the underachievers, the choke artists, even the hopelessly unfixable.
2014 was the year of the sports trainwreck. What other conclusion could we come to after witnessing Peyton Manning collapse in the Super Bowl? Or after watching the Boston Red Sox go from winning the World Series to finishing in last place?
To be clear, this isn't a list of who was the worst in 2014. Sure, the Oakland Raiders have been a terrible team, but are they the biggest disappointment of the year? Not by a long shot. We expected them to play poorly. Instead, the rankings reflect the players and teams who failed to reach our high expectations.
Now let's get to the trainwreck.
No. 25: Zac Stacy
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Maybe you didn't have much riding on Zac Stacy. If that's the case, you probably don't play fantasy football.
Stacy, a breakout star for the St. Louis Rams in his rookie season, was supposed to be a fantasy and real-life stud in 2014. He was neither.
Stacy has played sparingly since Week 6, logging only 11 carries over his past six contests. A second-round pick in most drafts, Stacy is now owned in fewer than nine percent of ESPN fantasy leagues.
Some fantasy players can be boom or bust. With Stacy, there was no boom. Just bust.
No. 24: Roy Hibbert's Second Half
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You've heard all of the cliches. Slow and steady wins the race. It's not a sprint, it's a marathon. It's not how you start, it's how you finish.
Well apparently, Roy Hibbert doesn't take much stock in cliches. Hibbert started the year with a bang, averaging close to a double-double and making his second All-Star appearance.
But that's the problem with peaking too early. Running on fumes, Hibbert slumped badly in the second half, averaging just 8.9 PPG on a dismal 39 percent shooting.
Hibbert is listed at 7'2". Couldn't he just drop the ball in the hoop? Jumping hardly seems necessary at that height.
Hopefully for Pacers fans, Hibbert will learn to pace himself better in 2015.
No. 23: Chicago Bears
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Remember when Brandon Marshall was calling Jay Cutler an MVP candidate?
I think we can safely say that isn't going to happen. The Chicago Bears are having their worst season in years, and it will probably cost Marc Trestman his job.
The problem hasn't been Chicago's offense. The reason the Bears are in last place in the NFC North is because of their 28th-ranked defense. Chicago's secondary has been especially generous, allowing 265.5 passing yards per contest. With Charles Tillman out for the year, that's not going to change anytime soon.
At least the Bears can start fresh by drafting a new quarterback. Wait—Cutler's under contract for six more years? OK, the Bears might be in trouble then.
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No. 22: Oakland Athletics' Late-Season Collapse
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To say the Oakland A's blew it would be putting it kindly.
At the All-Star break, Oakland led the division by one-and-a-half games. When the regular season ended on September 28, they were 10 games behind the first-place Los Angeles Angels.
The A's squeaked into the playoffs, but that only extended their season by about 48 hours. Oakland squandered a four-run lead in the eighth inning and eventually fell to the Kansas City Royals 9-8 in the American League Wild Card Game.
The early playoff exit meant Billy Beane's bold trades for Jon Lester, Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel were all for naught. It looks like it's back to the drawing board for Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill.
No. 21: San Jose Sharks Blowing 3-0 Series Lead Against Los Angeles Kings
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Never let the Los Angeles Kings hang around. The San Jose Sharks learned that the hard way.
Holding a lead of three games to none, the Sharks were a virtual lock for the Western Conference Semifinal. But the team of destiny wouldn't die. San Jose's California rival rattled off four straight wins, outscoring the Sharks 18-5 in Games 4-7.
For the Sharks, playoff disappointment has become something of a yearly ritual. Despite making it to the postseason each of the past 10 seasons, San Jose has never made it to the Stanley Cup Final.
Just because it's happened before doesn't make San Jose's first-round collapse any less painful.
No. 20: Carmelo Anthony Staying with New York Knicks
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Some considered Carmelo Anthony's return to Madison Square Garden an act of loyalty. That's not what it was.
It was about money. New York offered more than any of Carmelo's other suitors.
Speaking of other suitors, how good would Melo have looked on the Chicago Bulls? Even Anthony admitted Chicago would have been a perfect fit for him.
Even signing with the Houston Rockets or the Miami Heat would have been an upgrade. Instead, Melo hitched his wagon to a team that's headed nowhere fast. And as it turns out, he doesn't even enjoy his teammates all that much.
Does the NBA allow do-overs? Because I can't watch much more of this.
No. 19: Jadeveon Clowney's Rookie Season
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Well, this could have gone better. Instead of drafting their quarterback of the future, the Houston Texans went with what they thought was the safe play and picked South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney with the first overall pick.
Clowney seemed like a sure thing, but then injuries took their toll. After his latest setback, Clowney might not be ready for the start of next season.
Even when Clowney played, his impact was minimal (seven tackles in four games). In fact, the coolest thing he did this year happened in a video game.
No. 18: Washington Redskins
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Forget the name controversy. Washington's on-field product this year has been flat-out embarrassing.
The Redskins have the same record they did at this point last year (3-10), so clearly Mike Shanahan wasn't the problem. And if he was, Jay Gruden doesn't seem to be the solution.
Much of the blame will fall on Robert Griffin III's shoulders, but you know how many games they've won without him this season? Only two.
At least the Redskins' debacle gave us a half-decent episode of South Park earlier this year.
No. 17: Duke's Loss to Mercer
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Maybe I'm off-base here. After all, the majority of this fine nation despises Duke basketball. Why else would Grantland devote an entire section of their "Most Hated College Basketball Players" bracket to former Dukies?
So maybe watching Duke lose to a school that barely made the tournament was exactly the opposite of a disappointment. In fact, maybe it was one of the highlights of 2014.
Still, wouldn't you have liked to see Jabari Parker, arguably the most fun player to watch in college basketball last season, go a little further in the tournament?
Still no? OK, never mind then.
No. 16: Clayton Kershaw's Postseason
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I still can't wrap my head around this. How could Clayton Kershaw look so good in the regular season (21-3, 1.77 ERA), and so bad in the playoffs (0-2, 7.82 ERA)?
Kershaw owned the St. Louis Cardinals in the summer months (1-0, 1.93 ERA in two starts). But then October came, and he went into meltdown mode.
So far, the postseason has not been kind to the three-time Cy Young winner. His ERA in 11 playoff appearances (5.12) is twice as high as his regular season ERA (2.48).
Why can't Kershaw be more like Madison Bumgarner? That guy kills rattlesnakes and lassos bulls at the local shopping center.
No. 15: Spain's Early World Cup Exit
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Repeating as World Cup champs is never easy. But to not even make it out of the group stage? Well, that's the nightmare Spain lived through this past summer.
Losing to the Netherlands was understandable, but most of us expected Spain to hold its own versus Chile. It didn't happen, as Chile won 2-0 to eliminate Spain from the tournament.
With the way Germany played down the stretch, it's unlikely Spain would have won anyway. But we'll never know for sure.
For Spain, there's always 2018.
No. 14: Philadelphia 76ers
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Going 0-17 is one way to start the season. The crazy thing is, that's not even Philadelphia's longest losing streak of 2014.
Since the beginning of 2014, Philadelphia has won 12 games. To put that in perspective, the Golden State Warriors won 13 games in November.
With a starting lineup of Michael Carter-Williams, Nerlens Noel, Henry Sims, Hollis Thompson and Luc Mbah a Moute, it's easy to see why the Sixers are having a tough time.
On the bright side, this squad seems to have tanking down to a science. Jahlil Okafor, anyone?
No. 13: Chris Davis
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Chris Davis ripped American League pitching to shreds in 2013 (.286, 53 HR, 138 RBI). But as soon as the calendar flipped to 2014, it was the other way around.
Davis' production fell in every offensive category (.196, 26 HR, 72 RBI), and to make matters worse, the PED police slapped him with a 25-game suspension after testing positive for Adderall.
It could have been worse, though. The Orioles finished in first place for the first time in 17 years, mostly on the strength of Nelson Cruz's monster season (.271, 40 HR, 108 RBI).
Davis didn't play up to his usual standards this year, but he may have saved someone's life. Give Crush credit for being a good Samaritan.
No. 12: Steve Nash's Comeback
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Most of us expected this to be Steve Nash's last season. After all, his contract expires at the end of 2015.
Now it appears we may never see Nash on a basketball court again. A flareup of a pre-existing back injury will cost Nash the entire 2014-15 season.
If this is indeed the end for Nash, his Hall of Fame career will end without a championship. Nash really wanted that title. You can hear the pain in his voice as he describes losing to Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks in the 2006 playoffs.
Nash is co-owner of the Vancouver Whitecaps and shouldn't have much trouble adjusting to life after basketball. But a ring would have been nice.
No. 11: Brazil's Loss to Germany
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Let me set the stage for you. You're on your home turf in the World Cup playing against one of the best teams in the world. You haven't lost a game yet and the whole stadium's cheering for you. It's the biggest game of your life.
Brazil had every reason to bring its A-game to July 8's World Cup semifinal against Germany. For some reason, it did not.
It got pretty ugly. Germany was up 5-0 by halftime and eventually won by a final score of 7-1. It was one of the most lopsided defeats in World Cup history.
To be fair, Brazil's top scorer, Neymar, was injured and couldn't play. But losing 7-1 on your home field is still pretty embarrassing.
No. 10: 2014 NBA Finals
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All year we waited for the rematch. The previous year's Finals, featuring the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs, was one of the most exciting series in NBA history.
But, as is often the case, the sequel couldn't match the original. San Antonio disposed of Miami in ruthless fashion, steamrolling the Heat in five games. The Spurs' four victories came by an average margin of 18 points.
It's unclear if the Heat imploded or if the Spurs were just that good. In the end, it was probably a little of both. Either way, the NBA owes us a much better Finals next season.
No. 9: Brian Hoyer Starting over Johnny Manziel
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All everyone was talking about on draft night was Johnny Football. When Manziel finally went to Cleveland, we all assumed the Browns would instantly become the most fun team to watch in the NFL.
Head coach Mike Pettine had other ideas. Not swayed by Manziel's celebrity status and plethora of endorsements, Pettine decided to go with Brian Hoyer as his starting quarterback. Watching Hoyer is like having to sit through repeat viewings of The English Patient.
The Browns should actually be semi-watchable this week when Manziel takes the field for the first time as a starter. Pettine is still not forgiven for almost denying us an entire season of Johnny Football.
No. 8: NFC South
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What happened here? The Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints have been three of the most competitive teams in the NFL over the past few seasons.
Skill, luck—whatever was keeping these franchises afloat seems to have disappeared. Through 14 weeks, the NFC South has compiled a combined record of 16-35. That's good for a .314 winning percentage.
In all likelihood, a 7-9 or 8-8 team will win the division while simultaneously preventing an 11-5 team from making the playoffs.
The NFC South has been so brutally awful that some people, including ESPN's Gregg Easterbrook, are calling for the NFL to change its playoff format. The Dallas Cowboys (9-4, currently out of the playoffs) could probably get behind that.
No. 7: Shaun White at the Sochi Olympics
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In Sochi, the Flying Tomato laid an egg.
American snowboarding legend Shaun White dropped out of the slopestyle event after injuring his wrist on a practice run. He stuck it out and competed in the halfpipe, but he only finished in fourth place. It was White's first Olympics without medaling.
As America's most recognizable winter athlete, it was disappointing to see White exit so unceremoniously. At age 28, let's hope White's Olympic career isn't over.
No. 6: Jason Kidd in Brooklyn
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You know things are going poorly when coaching the Milwaukee Bucks seems like an appealing option. But unfortunately, that became Jason Kidd's reality after a lackluster first (and only) season in Brooklyn.
Trouble began brewing as early as last December, when Kidd "reassigned" assistant coach Lawrence Frank. Despite an All-Star roster and a remarkably high payroll, the Nets only finished six games above .500. Their postseason ended abruptly when the Miami Heat dismantled them in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
In a bizarre twist, Kidd joined the Bucks after the season. For what it's worth, I still think Kidd's spilled drink maneuver was brilliant.
No. 5: California Chrome Losing the Belmont Stakes
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We should be used to this by now, right? Seven times in the past 15 years, a horse has won the first two legs of the Triple Crown only to fall at Belmont.
It happened again this year, as California Chrome lost to Tonalist by less than two lengths. The race created some controversy, as owner Steve Coburn derided Tonalist for only running one of the three Triple Crown races. Coburn may have lost his cool, but his point was well taken.
Though it doesn't erase his heartbreaking Belmont loss, Chrome got some measure of revenge on Tonalist by beating him in the Breeders Cup Classic.
No. 4: Tiger Woods
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Tiger Woods just didn't have it this year.
Injuries limited Woods to only seven events, and even then he only made four cuts. According to ESPN, his overall earnings on the PGA Tour this season amounted to $108,275. Rory McIlroy made about 76 times that much.
Woods didn't look too great at last weekend's Hero World Challenge in Florida. That should be a friendly reminder for everyone to go out and get their flu shot.
No. 3: Super Bowl XLVIII
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It's alright, Broncos fans. You can come out of hiding now.
The Denver Broncos were two-point favorites heading into the game. The Seattle Seahawks beat them by 35.
Things got so bad, at one point I was scrolling through channels looking for reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond. And I hate that show.
The hope was that if the game got out of hand, which it did, at least New York's chilly weather would provide some form of entertainment. The Old Farmer's Almanac predicted a blizzard, but instead it was in the low 50s.
This Super Bowl was a total bust. Unless you're a Bruno Mars fan. Then I guess it was OK.
No. 2: Landon Donovan Getting Cut from World Cup Team
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Here's an idea. Take a sport that's way down on America's list of priorities, and then cut the most famous player on the national team days before the World Cup.
Head coach Jurgen Klinsmann did just that by leaving Landon Donovan off of the United States' World Cup roster.
This was supposed to be Donovan's grand finale. Instead, he had to settle for playing Xbox in a bathrobe.
Klinsmann's move backfired when Jozy Altidore suffered a hamstring injury against Ghana, essentially leaving the United States without its most dangerous scoring threat. The U.S. advanced from the Group of Death but lost to Belgium in the next round.
Don't feel too bad for Donovan, though. This past weekend, he won his sixth MLS Cup with the Los Angeles Galaxy.
No. 1: Boston Red Sox
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Implosions are so 2012.
Well, turns out they're back in style. For the second time in three years, with a miraculous World Series victory in between, the Boston Red Sox completely self-destructed.
The Red Sox won 71 games, 26 fewer than in 2013. They decided to burn it all down in July, trading away four-fifths of the team's Opening Day starting rotation (Jon Lester, John Lackey, Felix Doubront and Jake Peavy).
Boston spent a ton of money on Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez at the start of free agency, but this team isn't going anywhere without a decent starting rotation. With Lester heading to the Chicago Cubs, that task just became a little bit harder.
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