The 2010 Underdogs of the Year

What's up Underdogs?  So they are telling me that 2010 is over.
It seems like it just started... like five years ago right?

The Underdogs began the year twenty-ten back in Miami, when Dwayne Wade and the Heat blew out the Atlanta Hawks.  (About six months before Lebron "took his talents" down there... youch.)  And we ended it in the house that John Wooden built, as UCLA held off a resilient UC Irvine Anteaters squad last week here in Los Angeles.  Overall 2010 has been a good year for Underdogs.  So let's do a quick review.   

First things first:  It’s not ALL about championships, but they are pretty important in the sports world.  These were the notable ones this past year. 

Alabama beat Texas for the College Football National Championship, 37-21, after beating Florida for the South Eastern Conference title.  The SEC has won Six BCS Championships in the last 11 years, including Four different schools winning during that span.  Auburn has a chance to make it Seven and Five respectively, if they win against Oregon next week.   

The New Orleans Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts for the NFL’s SuperBowl Championship, 31-17.  SuperBowl XLIV… (or uh, 44)… was the first appearance and win for the historically tortured Saints fans. 

We made it out to Canseco Field House in Indianapolis
for the Big Ten Championship Tourney.  A few weeks later
Duke beat Butler in the same building.  

Duke beat Butler for the NCAA Basketball Championship, 61-59, in a classic David vs Goliath matchup.  Goliath won this time though, as Coach K snagged his fourth NCAA Championship with the Blue Devils.  Butler was a number 8 seed and is the smallest school to reach the Tournament Championship Round in 40 years.  Their amazing run earns them the title.  Butler Bulldogs – Underdogs of the Year!    

The Chicago Blackhawks beat the Philadelphia Flyers for the NHL’s Stanley Cup Championship, 4 games to 2.  Chicago won game six in sudden death over-time, 4-3.  It is their Fourth Stanley Cup Championship but first since 1961.

The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Boston Celtics for their 16th NBA Championship, 4 games to 3.  It was the Eleventh time these two teams had squared off in the finals, winning a combined 33 Championships since 1949.

The San Francisco Giants beat the Texas Rangers for the Major League World Series Championship, 4 games to 1.  It is their first WS Title since the team moved from New York in 1957.  My SF buddy Joel had been waiting his whole life for this moment and joined the entire City-by-the-bay in a long awaited celebration.  I bet Joel is still smiling!  

Roger Federer won his record 16^th Grandslam Title at the Australian Open in January.  Rafael Nadal won the next three of the year.  At age 24, he already has 9 Grand Slam titles.    

The University of Connecticut Women’s Basketball team lost to Stanford on December 30^th ending their NCAA record-winning streak at 90 games!  It is doubtful that any such streak will ever exist again.

And Brett Favre ended his NFL record “iron-man” streak on December 13^th at 297 consecutive regular season starts.  321 including playoffs through the past 19 years.  It is an amazing achievement considering how increasingly brutal the NFL game has been over that span.  

   

So, anyway, that’s what the Big Dogs did this year...  (But, who cares about them right? :)

This is the moment you’ve all been waiting for… it's the Top Five Underdogs of 2010.  Some of them won championships, some got close, but all of them defied the odds and shocked the sports world along the way.  So without further adieu... Ladies aaaand Gentlemen... preeeeeesenting, your... 2010...

Underdogs of the Year:

1.  Butler Bulldogs - They obliterated everybody's brackets with an inspiring and improbable run to the NCAA Championship game beating Michigan State (5), Kansas State (2), and Syracuse (1) along the way, and were a only a missed three-pointer at the buzzer away from winning it all!  It will probably make for a good sports movie someday.  

 

2.  Texas Rangers - With the third lowest payroll in the Major Leagues, the Rangers blasted the Yankees to capture their first ever American League Championship.  Ca-TiA! 

3.  San Francisco Giants -  Very few people could have predicted a World Series victory for the lowly Giants at the beginning of the season.  Their winning percentage over the previous 5 years was a dismal .462.

4.  Phoenix Suns - Left for dead because of sold-off draft-picks, bad trades, and annual player free-agent defections, Steve Nash and Amar’e Stoudamire still managed to will their thin squad to a sweep of the mighty Spurs in the second round of a deep Western Conference playoffs.  And then they were a bizarre Kobe Air-ball to Ron Artest (guy-in-exactly-the-right-spot-at-the-right-time) buzzer-beater put-back bucket away from possibly beating Los Angeles and making their first NBA Finals since 1993.  Didn’t happen though, and then Amar’e jumped ship for New York.  Triple Ouch for Steve Nash.  Left once again... he's got to be the lonely bridesmaid of the NBA.   

 

5.  Kansas City Chiefs - They are currently playing wonderful and surprising offensive football and are 10-5 with one game left, already clinching the AFC West Division heading into the NFL playoffs.  In the previous three seasons combined, they’ve totaled 10 wins.

Honorable Mention:  Chicago Blackhawks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Cincinnati Reds  

Historic Pauley Pavillion at UCLA in December

So here's to a great year of Underdogs!  

and I'm sure there will be many more to shake things up in 2011.
   

Happy New Year you Beauties!!!

and Thanks for Reading.
  

Underdogs OUT