Today I am wrapping up my best of 2021 lists. I always save sports for last because I love them so much. It is one of my favorite things in the world. There was a lot that I had to leave off my list as well. The return of fans, Shoehai Otahni and Vlad Guerrero Jr, the Cardinals massive win streak, Deion Sanders getting the top recruit in the country to commit to Jackson State, Urban Meyer's punkass getting fired, the college football coaching carousel, all of that stuff, and so much more could have easily made my list. But I think I got it paired down to what I consider the five best sports moments of 2021. Let's get to it.

At five I have the Summer Olympics. All of it. There isn't one event that I want to focus on or anything like that. It was all so good. Simone Biles was amazing, both on and off the gymnastics field or court or board. The skateboarding was kickass. Basketball was fun. Table tennis was oddly interesting. The races were incredible, especially the marathon. The stuff beforehand, the rooms and what not, that was all great. The swimming was phenomenal. I let myself get fully engrossed in the Summer Olympics, and it was awesome. I think it may be a mixture of the pandemic, the fact it was pushed to this past summer and how competitive all the games were, but it all worked so well for me as a sports fan. I also think this may have made me an Olympic fan for life. I am stoked for the Winter Olympics, and you better believe I will be watching the Summer Games in 2024.

Coming in at number four I have the Name Image Likeness bill. This is a humongous deal. We can already see the positive ramifications of the NIL. These college athletes are finally getting paid if the university they attend uses any of the three things in the NIL. And it is all across NCAA sports. It isn't just basketball or football like a lot of naysayers predicted. I have read that all kinds of college athletes are making bank from the NIL. It also isn't just making the stars of their teams money. One of Michigan's bench players on their men's basketball team makes more NIL money than any other player. He barely plays, but he has a massive Tik Tok following. And even the stars, they are cashing checks. One of Michigan's starting running backs gave over 10 grand in gift bags to a local community center. Another Michigan player donated a ton of his NIL money to the Oxford school. Players outside of Michigan are doing the same, I just notice Michigan because that is the team I follow. I also love the NIL because college coaches, who make millions upon millions of dollars, are so up in arms about their players getting paid. It is so hypocritical, but I find it so funny. That is the good thing about the NIL. It is changing the college game, which was sorely needed.

At number three I have the Milwaukee Bucks winning the 2021 NBA title, but more so, Giannis' performance in game 6. I was stoked that a Midwest team won the title. I love that it was Milwaukee because my father has been a long suffering fan of theirs. And I adore Giannis the player and person. He is so wholesome. He seems genuine. He clearly knows how lucky he is in his life. He gives back to family and his community. And that performance he had in the game 6 clincher, that was amazing. He refused to be beaten that night. He scored 50 points. He grabbed double figure rebounds. He made his free throws. He had chase down blocks. He made Phoenix's best offensive players uncomfortable all night long. Every time it seemed like Phoenix may take the game, Giannis did something to turn the tide back to the Bucks. It was an amazing performance. It was one I was glad I watched in real time. I will never forget watching that game. It was that fantastic of a performance. One for the record books.

At number two I have the 2021 Michigan football season. I had little expectations for this team. I believe I picked them to finish 7-5, but it seemed more likely they would go 6-6. I did not know what to expect from all the new hires and I had little expectations for the offense. Well, they proved me, and a whole lot of other people wrong. From the start of the season they had an edge. They played very sound, very fast defense. Their run game was simply amazing. When they had to pass, they did what was needed, with some big plays added in from time to time. Josh Gattis took control of the offense and won assistant of the year. The offensive staff was totally overhauled and it worked. Outside Gattis, Mike Hart changed the run game, Sherrone Moore had the O line playing exceptionally well and the younger staff changed the whole offensive dynamic. The defense had even more of an overhaul, and they were amazing all year. They shut teams down and forced most of them to be one dimensional. They also beat the university of Ohio State for the first time in their last eight tries. I was ecstatic at that outcome. They also won the Big Ten title for the first time in 17 years. They are also in the CFP for the first time since its introduction. Jim Harbaugh won the AP coach of the year and Aidan Hutchinson was a Heisman finalist. This team exceeded all of my wildest dreams. I am so excited to watch them in the CFP in 2 weeks, although I am so very nervous as always. Had someone told me that Michigan football would win 12 games, beat the university of Ohio State by 15, win the Big 10 and play in the CFP before the season, I would have laughed in their face. Well here we are now, and all of that stuff is true. What a season.

And at number one, this is a personal feat for me, I finished my first full marathon this year. I have been working up to that distance for awhile. I have been training for longer distances for a long time. I actually had one planned for the summer, but I got injured. I was devastated when the doctor told me I couldn't run that race. But instead of wallowing, I amped up my training after I healed. I then signed up, along with my buddy Kirk, for a trail marathon(Kirk did a 50k). And the day of the race came and I was nervous as hell. It was a looped race, so I knew I would have my own personal aid stations, but still, nerves were high. It got bad enough that I wanted to quit after 18 miles. I felt awful. But the great people involved with the STL Track Club calmed me down, helped me get over the pain and frustration, gave me some sugar and I went back out for that final loop. As I got closer and closer to the finish line, my emotions took over. I could not believe that I was about to finish a full marathon. I was going to do something that seemed impossible a decade before. And now I have already signed up for a few other marathons. I am returning to run the same marathon in October of 2022, but I may up it to a 50k, who knows. But the fact that I ran a full marathon, that I finished it, that I had the support of Kirk and the STL Track Club and that I am contemplating doing more of them, that is an achievement I will never forget for the rest of my life.

Okay, that wraps up my best of 2021 lists. I love doing these lists and I would love to hear from the readers about some of their favorite things in 2021. Have a good and safe Holiday and a Happy New Year.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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