The Most Disappointing Things in Sports This Year

Just as we celebrate all the glories in sports, we also have to give recognition to the low points we see during games, too, with a few players and teams giving us moments that have left us shaking our heads in shame.

With a number of different instances of that coming in 2015, I just had to list the biggest moments of the year that left us disappointed.

Whether a team falling off the deep end, a player forgetting how to do his or her job, or a jaw-dropping play call, these are the most disappointing moments in sports this year.

The NBA Finals

When two teams square off in any championship round, fans expect the best of the best and a real barnburner of a series with drama that can't be scripted.

And while last season's NBA Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors had its moments, the fact of the matter is that no one saw the Cavs having much of a chance after Kyrie Irving went down in Game 1 with a dislocated kneecap.

Sure, the greatness of LeBron James kept Cleveland around like a mosquito swirling around an ear, but MVP Stephen Curry and his teammates were too much in the end against a bunch of backups who couldn't match the talent level of the Dubs.

This series went six games, but the outcome was all but decided following Irving's injury.

The Number of NFL Injuries

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

In football, injuries are a part of the game and are expected. The disappointing thing this year, though, is that the number of injuries that piled up to superstars is absurd.

From Tony Romo getting hurt twice and missing most of the season to Peyton Manning being forced to the sideline, the list of franchise players who didn't play a lot of games this year has been shocking.

Whether it was messing up our fantasy football teams or making it difficult to figure out which team is the Super Bowl favorite, NFL injuries have changed the landscape of the league.

Alex Ovechkin

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

There have been plenty of other superstars who have never won an NHL title, but for Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, time is running out for him to even reach his own conference finals, as he's still never accomplished the feat.

Following his Caps reaching the playoffs again this past season, Ovie was incapable of putting his team on his back and getting it to the brink of an Eastern Conference championship—a major disappointment that he needs to do in order to be considered an all-time great.

The guy has led the league in scoring in each of the past three seasons and led his team to the postseason in seven of eight years. Unfortunately, Ovechkin has yet to see similar team success.

The Los Angeles Dodgers

Uncredited/Associated Press

The Los Angeles Dodgers had a great season in 2015, winning 92 games and reaching the playoffs thanks to a roster that was filled with All-Stars and hugely paid players.

It's too bad that their payroll was more than both the Kansas City Royals' and New York Mets' combined, who were the two teams who played in the World Series this year. For that reason, how can't the Dodgers be considered disappointments?

In fact, when considering that they boasted a rotation with two of the nastiest and most dominant pitchers on the planet—Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, who won a combined 35 games with a 1.86 ERA—things are really depressing in LA.

Big money doesn't always lead to titles, but, man, the Dodgers looked like the team to beat last season until they weren't.

Tom Brady and Deflategate

Mary Altaffer/Associated Press

It's not that the whole Deflategate was a waste of time or that the outcome ended up being a dud—unless you're a New England Patriots fan. It's that Tom Brady, arguably the best quarterback to ever play, had his name dragged through the mud and questioned for something he may not have ever known about.

Sure, consider me naive, but I'm far from a Brady supporter.

What's disappointing about all of this is that we're now left pondering the entirety of Brady's career, with a bit of doubt raised when comparing his legacy to other Hall of Famers.

Will it matter in the end? Probably not. But when a player as polarizing as Brady is forced into a situation like this, it raises some eyebrows and puts a stain on the beauty of sports.

Kobe Bryant's Farewell

I'm not going to sit here and try to pen a similar poem as Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant did when he announced that this season would be his last in the NBA.

What I will do is write something that describes why every sports fan, not just basketball, should be disappointed to see No. 24 hang up his sneaks in 2016:

"Dear Kobe,

Thank you.

Thanks for showing us what it takes to become the best in a generation full of many suitors. Thanks for never being satisfied with your place in NBA history and never getting that chip on your shoulder filled in.

Through the ups and downs of your career, we saw you transform yourself from a selfish and brash teenager to an overconfident veteran whose appetite for winning was often misunderstood."

Public perception was never kind to Kobe, but his competitive nature, talent and charisma were always appreciated.

He gave us moments that we'll never see again in our lives, and for that, there should be nothing but applause when the Black Mamba gets "devenomized."

Ronda Rousey Loses UFC Women's Title Belt

For all intents and purposes, many believed that Holly Holm stepping into the ring was nothing more than just the next fight for Ronda Rousey and her undefeated UFC record. It wasn't until the champ was lying on her back and bloodied that fans realized the shock value of what had happened.

What's disappointing with this is that Rousey's popularity grew bigger than that of anyone in the history of the sport, man or woman, and, unfortunately, her cockiness finally got to her prior to her fight with Holm.

It's great to see such a humble women's champ now, but Rousey had an opportunity to stamp her legacy as the greatest ever and missed that opportunity with one fight that, no matter what happens in the rematch, will forever be the biggest of her career.

Fans should feel a little robbed after how this went down.

Chip Kelly

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

I'm not sure there's a person in sports who has had a worse 2015 than Philadelphia Eagles head coach and the de facto general manager Chip Kelly—as he's failed at both of those job titles so far this season.

After putting together a team that he believed to be the best fit for his strategy on the field, Kelly unloaded Pro Bowlers and made bold moves to try to upgrade his roster, given full capability to do so by the team's front office.

To say the results have been ugly would be an understatement, as things have never jelled for the Eagles in 2015 and criticism of Chip has poured in from everywhere.

Philly fans thought they were getting an offense that would put up points left and right but instead have gotten a bunch of headaches from the team's awful performances.

Kentucky Men's Hoops Fail to Go Undefeated

It has now been 40 years since the last undefeated Division I men's college basketball team, so when the Kentucky Wildcats entered last season's NCAA tournament with a chance to run the table, it was an opportunity for many fans to witness history.

The Wisconsin Badgers weren't going to have any of it, though.

By no means should the Badgers be blamed for the disappointing end to UK's otherwise unworldly 2014-15 season, but the fact that fans were intrigued by the idea all of last season and into March Madness made us believe it would happen.

With the state of college basketball set up as it currently is with the best talent often being one-and-dones, it'll be interesting to see if a team can even come close to ending up with a zero in the loss column.

Football Refs

I don't even know where to start with this one, because refs in both the NCAA and NFL have, seemingly, forgotten the responsibility that comes with wearing zebra-striped jerseys for a few hours during a football game.

Whether it's forgetting the rules, botching a review or some other asinine example of officiating, there has never been a more embarrassing season to be a referee, with an astounding number of them being suspended for lack of integrity.

It seems that every week brings new controversy and a public apology for something, so let's hope that somehow, someway, officials don't decide a critical game like the national championship or Super Bowl.

Serena Williams Upset in U.S. Open

Like other examples on this list, what's disappointing about Serena Williams losing in the U.S. Open in a stunning upset to Roberta Vinci isn't that the sports world was rooting for the 22-time Grand Slam singles champ—though everyone really was—it's that we were all robbed a piece of history from the greatest women's player ever.

Going for the calendar Grand Slam, Serena's loss became one of the most talked-about events in sports this year.

Instead of going down in history for having, arguably, the most successful women's tennis season ever, Serena's 2015 is remembered for the shocking defeat—which is a disappointment in and of itself.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao

John Locher/Associated Press

When it comes to sports disappointments in 2015, nothing even compares to the hype that surrounded Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.

It was supposed to be the "Fight of the Century," but anyone who actually paid for the pay-per-view saw a boring and dull fight, with the two former champs dancing around and avoiding many punches on one another.

Fans arrived a week early to Las Vegas and paid an estimated $1,500 for the cheapest ticket, yet, when the final bell was rung, everyone wondered what he or she just witnessed.

It was the most long-awaited bout in a sport that longs for a revival, so it's too bad it failed to deliver.