Top 10 Sports Moments In 2014

A lot of sports writers are doing the same thing I'm doing whether it's for the city or national sports as a whole. Here is a list of my top 10 sports moments that I witnessed in 2014. While I wasn't at most of these games (for those keeping score I was at just at one of them) I did see it on tv and were moments I'll never forget.

10. Redskins beat Cowboys on MNF

In a season to forget, this was the lone bright spot in the Redskins season, a 20-17 overtime win in Dallas on Monday Night Football led by quarterback Colt McCoy.

9. Comeback Caps

This was a game I was lucky enough to attend.  I went to two other Caps games that season in which they lost so I was hoping for a win that night.  The date was March 8 and the Caps hosted the Phoenix Coyotes.  It looked like they would lose this one as they trailed 2-0 late in the third period.  Then… BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!  The Caps scored 3 straight goals in regulation to win 3-2.  Karl Alzner got the Caps on the board then 30 seconds later Brooks Laich tied it up.  The Verizon Center was rocking. A few minutes later Nicklas Backstrom gave Troy Brouwer a lay-up to give the Caps the 3-2 win.  One of the best games I've ever been to.

8. USA soccer
USA soccer once again had a good run in the 2014 World Cup.  The Men's National team got out of Group G aka the "Group of Death"featuring Ghana, Germany and Portugal.  First they took care of Ghana in what was revenge from the 2010 World Cup, winning 2-1.  They drew in their second game against Portugal 2-2.  In the final game of the group stage, U.S. fell to Germany 1-0 but moved on to the knockout round on goal difference.  The magical run ended in the round of 16 as USA lost to Belgium 2-1 but their performance helped convert more soccer fans in this country.

7. Nats Win 10 In A Row

In August the Nats swept the Mets in New York and the Pirates in DC and needed to sweep the Diamondbacks at home to do what they haven't done since 2005, win 10 in a row.  The road to winning 10 consecutive victories included some thrillers in walk-off fashion and August 21st was no different as an error by D-Backs third baseman Jordan Pacheco in the bottom of the ninth inning gave the Nats the 1-0 victory.  It was also the Nats fifth walk-off win in six games.

6. Wizards Win First Second Round Game Since Reagan Administration

In my lifetime this was the farthest the Wizards have gone.  For the first time since the 1982 (back when they were called the Bullets) the Washington franchise won a game in the second round of the playoffs as they took Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals over the Pacers.  Bradley Beal scored 25 points while Trevor Ariza added 22.

5. Wizards beat Bulls in five

The Wizards made the playoffs for the first time since 2008 and they had a first round matchup with the Bulls.  A lot of people thought the Wizards didn't stand a chance.  The Wizards took the first two games in Chicago.  After dropping Game 3, the Wiz bounced back in Games 4 and 5.  In Game 5 the Wiz limited Chicago to 33 percent shooting, winning 75-69.  A series win like that goes to show the potential this team has for the future.

4. Radford beats Tech

I decided to include my school in the top 10 because of the potential the team has.  On December 7th the Men's Basketball team got their biggest win in school history, defeating crosstown rival Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.  RU rallied for the games final eight points and got the go-ahead basket with 27 seconds left thanks to a bucket by R.J. Price.  The game ended with back-to-back blocked shots by Brandon Holcomb and Javonte Green as Radford picked up the 68-66 win.

3. Wizards Beat Celtics in 2 OT

The Wizards overcame seven point deficits in both overtimes in an exciting game as the Wizards won 133-132.  John Wall put the team on his back with 26 points and 17 assists.  This game will be remembered mostly for Wall's emotional interview after the game.  Earlier in the day Wall woke up to news that Miyah Telemaque-Nelson, a six year old girl that he helped out last year, died from cancer.  John Wall cried in the middle of the on-court interview when asked how much she meant to him.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku3QHMwarnc

2. Jordan Zimmermann's No-Hitter

On the final day of the MLB regular season the Nationals hosted the Marlins.  Jordan Zimmermann was pitching a gem and carried a no hitter into the ninth.  Then with two outs, Christian Yelich came up and smacked the ball toward the left-centerfield gap.  Everyone thought the no-hitter would be broken up but then Steven Souza Jr. made a diving catch for the final out!  It was the first no-hitter in Nationals history https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTl5gy3igsQ

1. Derek Jeter's Final Home Game

The reason why I ranked this number one is because Derek Jeter has been my childhood idol and a role model that I've looked up to since I started following sports.  It was easy what my last two moments were going to be but it was hard to rank them.  Very hard but ultimately I had to go with Jeter.  The final home game for The Captain was one of the most emotional games I've ever watched.  With the Yankees up by three runs with two outs in the ninth inning, the camera caught a close up shot of Jeter looking like he was about to break down.  There were some tears in my eyes too.  Seconds later, the Orioles tied the game up with a 3 run homer so the game went into the bottom of the ninth with Jeter due up third.  The first men got on with a base hit, the next batter hit a sacrifice bunt to move the runner to second base with Jeter coming to the plate.  Derek Jeter has been known to have a flair for the dramatic and he had one more moment left in him to make an impact in his final at-bat at Yankee Stadium.  In one swing, Jeter singled into right field to score Antonan Richardson and give the Yankees the walk-off victory!  After the game ended, Jeter walked over to the shortstop position and knelt down and prayed then tipped his cap thanking his fans, family and teammates for supporting him as he lived out his dream.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypcJrPxbfJE

Caps Bounce Back, Shutout Pens

The Caps were looking to bounce back following a loss to the Rangers on Tuesday night and they did so in a big way, shutting out their biggest rival, the Pittsburgh Penguins on their home ice.  This was a big win for Washington considering the Penguins currently lead the Metropolitan Division.

The Capitals got on the board late in the first period, with a rebound goal by Eric Fehr.  In the third period, the Caps went up 2-0 with a goal by Marcus Johansson with 14:23 remaining.  It was Johansson's 10th goal of the season, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Brooks Orpik picked up the assist.  With 9:44 left in the game, Eric Fehr picked up his second goal of the game to put the Caps up 3-0.  For Fehr it was his 9th of the season and assisted by Joel Ward and John Carlson.  This wasn't the first time Fehr picked up two goals against the Pens.  In the 2011 Winter Classic at Heinz Field, Eric Fehr stole the show by scoring two goals to give the Caps a 3-1 win.  Tonight, the Caps would hang on for a 3-0 victory as Braden Holtby got the shutout.  Holtby stopped 31 shots on the night.

For the Capitals, this snapped an eight game losing streak against the Penguins.  The last time they beat Pittsburgh was back in January 2012.  The month of December has been a test for the Caps with only four home games and nine road games.  The Caps improve their record to 18-11-6 with 42 points.  Monday night in New York against the Islanders is the last road game before returning home for the Winter Classic on New Years Day.

Wizards Get Christmas Gift, Blowout Knicks

The Wizards hit the road on Christmas Day, taking on the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.  For the Wizards, all the players and coaches were pumped about finally getting the chance to play a game on the biggest day of the NBA calendar, Christmas Day.  The NBA Christmas features elite teams and it goes to show that DC is on the rise and is finally getting national exposure.  Washington put on a show in front of a national television audience, beating the Knicks 102-91.

The win helped the Wiz snap a two game losing streak.  For the Knicks, they have now lost six in a row as Carmelo Anthony and Co. continue to struggle.  The Wizards as a team shot 51.2% and dominated in the paint, 50-30, as well as out-rebounding the Knicks 45-36.  They never let the Knicks get to within single digits.

During the game there was a brawl between John Wall and Quincy Acey.  Acey punched Wall and got ejected from the game.  John Wall finished with 24 points, 11 assists, and 6 rebounds.  Bradley Beal had 17 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds.  Kris Humphries added 14 while Rasual Butler scored 11.  Nene finished with 12 points.  For the Knicks, Carmelo Anthony scored 32 points.  The Knicks travel to take on the Sacramento Kings on Saturday while the Wizards will return home on Saturday night to take on the Celtics

Epix Road To The Winter Classic Episode 2 Recap

I enjoyed this episode a lot more than the first episode.  To me, it felt more dramatic and reminded me of the HBO format.  The things I liked in the episode was a couple things I had no idea about.  I didn't know that Ovechkin bumped country music in the locker rooms before games.  I always pictured Ovi as a rock type guy.

From the first episode I really liked Caps coach Barry Trotz and his son's relationship.  Back in high school, I was an officer of Best Buddies because as a kid with ADHD, I wanted to help out others that had disabilities.  It was nice to see how Trotz has helped his son, who has down syndrome, adjust to life in DC after moving from Nashville.  In that second episode Trotz and his son picked up where they left off.  In the very beginning of the episode, the Caps and their families had a skate and holiday party at their practice facility.  They showed Trotz and his son, Nolan skating together.

As far as the action on the ice, it was amazing showing the elements of the game.  Like when they showed the 20 round shootout to the Florida Panthers, a very exciting yet stressful game to watch.  I also liked when they had the Caps wins against the Blue Jackets and the Devils including one of Ovechkin's dirtiest goals of his career.

On the Blackhawks side they showed their games as well as a holiday party of their own.  But the one thing that stuck me the most was when they did a segment on their assistant equipment manager Clint Reif.  Then towards the end of the episode we find out that he passed away on Sunday at the age of 34.   The cause of the death is still unknown.

All in all, I enjoyed the second episode and I expect the final two to be even better as the Winter Classic is almost here.

Caps Fall To Rangers

The Capitals took on the Rangers tonight at Madison Square Garden.  Both of these teams have a rivalry of their own as they've met in the playoffs almost every year since 2009.  For the Caps, this was another big road test against a Metropolitan Division rival.

The Rangers jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals from Rick Nash and a power play goal by Martin St. Louis.  In the third period, New York jumped out to a 3-0 lead on Nash's second goal of the game.  The Caps answered right back though.  First Evgeny Kuznetsov found the back of the net, then Alex Ovechkin scored on the power play and suddenly it was a one goal contest with plenty of time left.  Unfortunately, the Rangers got a two man advantage and took advantage of the 5 on 3 power play as St. Louis scored his second goal of the game to give the Rangers the 4-2 win.

The Capitals continue their Metropolitan Division road trip this Saturday night as they take on Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Wizards Fall To Bulls In Playoff Rematch

Last spring the Wizards and the Bulls squared off in the first round of the NBA Playoffs in what was a thrilling series.  Washington upset Chicago 4-1 and a new rivalry between the two teams was born.  It wasn't born after the playoffs however, it was born in game 3 when Nene and Jimmy Butler got into a brawl which resulted in Nene getting suspended.  The bad blood didn't stop there.  In the Wizards first preseason game they took on the Bulls and there was a fight between Paul Pierce and Joakim Noah.

Tonight in front of a sellout crowd at the Verizon Center these teams squared off for the first time in the regular season.  The Wizards hung in there but ultimately came up short tonight, losing 99-91.  Derrick Rose scored 25 points for the Bulls while John Wall had 18.  The Wizards fall to 19-8 and are third in the Eastern Conference.  Their next game is Christmas Day at The Garden against the Knicks

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

Wow I can't believe my last blog post was over a year ago!  Sorry I haven't posted in a while, A LOT has happened to me over this last year and I mean A LOT.  For starters, I'm now in the middle of my third year of college at Radford University.  While there, I am now a beat sports writer for our newspaper The Tartan and have my own sports talk show which I cohost along with Courtney Mendenhall at radiofreeradford.com.  In other news, I have developed into a much better runner and I recently ran my first half marathon in September.  I hope to do more races and running related activities in 2015. 

But ENOUGH about me. I am writing this post because 1. I need to get back to blogging. and 2. No better time than now.  There is a lot going on in the sports world especially here in the DC area. The Wizards are ballin right now and the Capitals are about to host hockey's signature event, the Winter Classic from Nationals Park.  Since the blogger bug has once again bit me, you'll see more posts from me about these two teams as well as Radford Hoops when I'm back at school.  Stay tuned...