Ranking the Top Championship Moments of 2016
A few all-time great athletes won championships in 2016, and they sparked some of the biggest sports stories of the year.
LeBron James put the Cleveland Cavaliers on his back. He carried the team to its first championship in franchise history and Cleveland's first professional sports title in 52 years. Peyton Manning won the Super Bowl after the prime of his career faded away. Sidney Crosby hoisted the Stanley Cup several months after it appeared he and the Pittsburgh Penguins would miss the playoffs.
Other athletes introduced themselves to the sports world in a big way this year.
Stipe Miocic became one of the biggest names in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Angelique Kerber stunned Serena Williams and the tennis world on a massive stage in the first month of the year. Last but certainly not least, we'll remember 2016 as the year the Chicago Cubs won the World Series for the first time in 108 years.
We compare winning teams and athletes to those from prior generations in conversations and lists that pop up on websites each year. Who, among the 10 entities mentioned here, is responsible for the top championship moment of 2016 in your eyes?
Future Contenders
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It's possible the biggest championship moment of 2016 hasn't yet occurred as of the posting of this piece.
A pair of massive UFC cards will take place between November 12 and the end of the year. Conor McGregor will attempt to become the first individual to hold championships in two different weight classes at the same time on the second Saturday of November. Ronda Rousey is scheduled to make a return to the cage and fight for the bantamweight championship on December 30.
McGregor and Rousey remain the top names in mixed martial arts. They could be responsible for the biggest championship moments and biggest-drawing shows in the UFC this year. Both could be involved in more title fights in 2017, depending on what takes place in the final two months of 2016.
10. Pittsburgh Penguins Win the Stanley Cup
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The final seconds of Game 6 of the 2016 Stanley Cup Final were somewhat anticlimactic. The Pittsburgh Penguins held a comfortable lead over the San Jose Sharks as the clock ticked toward 00:00. As Shawn P. Roarke of NHL.com explained, the Pens led the series for all but 49:15 of the 374:53 played.
Pittsburgh players swarmed goaltender Matt Murray immediately after the final horn sounded. That was an appropriate closing scene, considering all that occurred during the spring months.
Murray, a rookie, became the starter for the Pens after injury woes plagued the club. The young man who turned 22 years old in May played like a veteran. The Penguins caught fire and proved they were the best team in the NHL during the playoffs.
We'll never know what would have been had Marc Andre-Fleury—and not Murray—been on the ice for Pittsburgh in the final month of the season. Crosby won the Conn Smythe Trophy for his stellar play. But Murray deserved more than a fair share of praise as he established himself as a champion goaltender.
9. Stipe Miocic Wins in Brazil
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Heavyweight Miocic was relatively unknown among casual observers of mixed martial arts in early 2016. Miocic had never headlined a top UFC card before the start of the year. The product of northeast Ohio worked as a firefighter and EMT when not preparing for fights, as E. Spencer Kyte of UFC.com explained. His rise to the top of the heavyweight division made for an intriguing story.
Miocic, however, played the role of a heel when he faced Fabricio Werdum for the title in Werdum's home country of Brazil at UFC 198.
The thousands of fans in attendance couldn't prevent Werdum from taking a brutal right hook to the face as he advanced upon Miocic in the first round. Werdum fell swiftly to the ground after suffering that blow. That one punch propelled Miocic into the spotlight as the new heavyweight champion.
Miocic is a lifelong fan of Cleveland pro sports and a product of Euclid, Ohio. He dedicated his victory to the city that hadn't won a title in over 50 years while finishing his post-fight interview. Little did we know at the time, Miocic was only the first reason Cleveland would become a city of champions in 2016.
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8. Cristiano Ronaldo Wins the Champions League
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One couldn't script a more iconic finish to the 2016 Champions League final between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. The match was deadlocked following regulation and also extra time, meaning a penalty shootout determined the season's best club in all of Europe.
Real's Cristiano Ronaldo, perhaps the biggest star and most recognizable face in the sports world, stepped up to the spot with an opportunity to clinch the title for the Spanish giants. He made no mistake in depositing the ball into the back of the net to win the game and the championship for Real. In classic Ronaldo fashion, the superstar athlete, who has modeled, removed his shirt and tossed it into the air in celebration.
Shirtless or not, Ronaldo is a polarizing figure for a variety of reasons. He is also one of the greatest footballers to ever play on a worldwide stage. Ronaldo's detractors cannot take anything away from his many accomplishments.
7. Michael Bisping Wins UFC Gold
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Michael Bisping wasn't supposed to win a UFC championship in 2016. Truth be told, Bisping wasn't originally planned to contend for a title. Chris Weidman was originally scheduled to fight Luke Rockhold for the middleweight championship at UFC 199, but a neck injury forced Weidman off that card.
Bisping stepped in only a couple of weeks before the show. The British-born fighter, who went nine years without ever receiving a title shot in the UFC, didn't waste the opportunity.
Bisping caught Rockhold with a left hook with roughly 90 seconds remaining in the opening round of the fight. The champion staggered and then fell to the mat. Rockhold did well to get back to his feet. However, he ate another left hook and several punches to the face.
That's when the referee stepped in to stop the encounter and award Bisping with the victory.
Bisping could not contain his joy as he climbed to the top of the cage to celebrate his win. For at least one night, Bisping was no longer the top heel in the UFC. Fans in attendance rose to their feet to applaud the new champion.
6. Angelique Kerber Stuns Serena Williams in Australia
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We who are casual sports fans and pay attention to tennis only during major events sometimes take Williams for granted. We assume Williams, the greatest female player in history, will win when she qualifies to play in a final. Thus, we may not watch when she competes for a championship.
That's why some may have missed when Kerber defeated Williams to win the Australian Open in January.
2016 was a banner year for Kerber, as she established herself as the top-ranked player in the women's game. Arguably her defining moment in 2016 occurred in January when she stunned Williams at the finals in Melbourne. Kerber didn't just notch a victory over the legend of the sport. The 28-year-old did also well to rally back from a disastrous second set that she dropped 6-3.
This match proved to be only the beginning of the year's top tennis rivalry, as Williams defeated Kerber to win the Wimbledon title in July. We hope to see the two battle it out on courts around the world in 2017.
5. Kris Jenkins Wins the NCAA Championship on a Buzzer Beater
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March Madness is responsible for memorable moments and game-winning shots each year. 2016 gave us a unique highlight, though, as Kris Jenkins delivered a national championship to Villanova. His shot defeated North Carolina as time expired in the final game of an entertaining tournament.
The entire play took only 4.7 seconds to develop. Guard Ryan Arcidiacono dribbled the ball down the court until he was a couple of steps away from the top of the three-point arc. He then passed to an open Jenkins.
Jenkins set his feet and attempted a three-pointer before a North Carolina defender switched his defensive assignment. His shot hit nothing but net, to the delight of the Villanova fans in attendance.
Jenkins raised both hands over his head in celebration as teammates mobbed him and tackled him to the floor. His shot will forever rank as one of the greatest in the history of college basketball.
4. Peyton Manning Hoists the Vince Lombardi Trophy
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Peyton Manning was no longer a dominant force on the field while playing for the Denver Broncos in playoff games this past January. You didn't have to be a football expert or somebody who watched All-22 film to see that. The zip on Manning's passes seemingly evaporated overnight, and the all-time great matched 17 interceptions with only nine touchdowns during the regular season.
Manning didn't need to be elite during Super Bowl 50, however. The Broncos defense held NFL MVP Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers offense to only 10 points. Denver defeated Carolina 24-10 in Manning's last game.
Defense wins championships, so the old football saying goes. But the spotlight shined on Manning and not Super Bowl MVP Von Miller or anybody else at the end of the contest. The team's captain, the face of the franchise and the greatest regular-season quarterback in the history of the NFL received the Vince Lombardi Trophy during the postgame ceremony. Manning rode into the sunset as a champion.
3. Leicester City Win the Premier League
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Unlike other teams and athletes mentioned in this piece, the Leicester City squad did not clinch a championship earlier this year on the field of play. Tottenham and Chelsea played to a draw that secured the title for the Foxes in May. As Jon Moody of the Mirror explained, the Leicester City players watched the draw on television at the home of striker Jamie Vardy.
It's safe to say there will not be another champion like Leicester in the foreseeable future. Per Paul Carr of ESPN, Leicester began the 2015-16 Premier League campaign as a 5000-to-1 long shot to win the title. Oddsmakers didn't count on the Foxes notching positive results and avoiding losses throughout the fall and winter months. Nor did they foresee clubs such as Tottenham, Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea failing to impress throughout the season.
Leicester now serves as inspiration for any sports underdog pursuing a championship. The Foxes are also proof that a club doesn't need to spend as much money as the biggest teams in the world to achieve greatness.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers Win the NBA Title
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James didn't need to win a championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers to cement his legacy. He already had a spot reserved in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He will forever be one of the greatest players of his generation.
With that said, those who watched James' immediate reactions following Cleveland's victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals witnessed how much that achievement meant to him.
James was overcome with emotions, to the point that he nearly broke down while embracing forward Kevin Love after the buzzer sounded. The three-time champion named MVP of the NBA Finals addressed the city following the game. He delivered an emotional speech that included a phrase that may be memorialized on a statue dedicated to him at some point down the road:
"Cleveland! This is for you!"
Cleveland, the "mistake on the lake" that failed to win a pro sports title for 52 years, became a city of champions. That was due largely to the efforts of James—the hometown product who left the Cavs for South Beach and the Miami Heat in 2010, only to return in the summer of 2014.
The Cavs winning it all would've been the top championship moment of 2016—if not for a baseball club winning a title for the first time since 1908.
1. Chicago Cubs Win the World Series
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The Chicago Cubs won the World Series.
Some older baseball fans probably believed they would never read or hear that sentence during their lives. Before 2016, the Cubs last won the World Series in 1908 and a pennant in 1945. Stories about a curse hovering over the team became accepted realities. It seemed as if the Cubs were doomed after they lost three of the first four games of the World Series to the Cleveland Indians.
It's only fitting the Cubs would come back from seemingly insurmountable odds to end their long title drought.
The Cubs won the World Series in downtown Cleveland. But the scenes around Wrigley Field when the final out was recorded will live long in the memories of those who witnessed the celebrations. As Aaron Torres of Fox Sports wrote, approximately five million people attended the Cubs' championship parade days after the recording of the series' final out.
How many more million people will say they were there years from now?
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