January: Bills Trainer Denny Kellington Saves Damar Hamlin’s Life on MNF
In a scary moment during the Monday Night Football game between the Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots, Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the sideline after suffering a cardiac arrest. Fortunately, Bills trainer Denny Kellington was quick to perform CPR and use a defibrillator to revive Hamlin, who was then taken to a hospital for further evaluation.
February: A Family Affair for the Kelce Brothers and a Historic Moment for Black QBs
The Super Bowl LVII featured a historic matchup between two Black quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Jalen Hurts, which was the first time in Super Bowl history that this happened. It was also the first time that two brothers, Travis Kelce of the Chiefs and Jason Kelce of the Eagles, played against each other in the Super Bowl. The Chiefs won the game 38-35, with Travis Kelce making six receptions for 81 yards and one touchdown.
March: 16th Seed FDU Beats 1 Seed Purdue and 9th Seed Florida Atlantic goes on a Cinderella Run
One of the most shocking moments in the 2023 NCAA tournament was when 16th seed Fairleigh Dickinson defeated top seed Purdue in the first round, becoming only the second team in history to pull off such an upset. The Knights, who had never won a tournament game before, stunned the Boilermakers with a 63-58 victory, thanks to Sean Moore’s clutch performance in the final minutes. While FDU’s story ended in the second round, it came at the hands of a Cinderella story that was in the making: 9th seed Florida Atlantic. The Owls, who had never won a tournament game before this year, made an improbable run to the Final Four, beating No. 8 seed Memphis. No. 16 seed FDU, No. 4 seed Tennesee and No. 3 seed Kansas State along the way. Led by coach Dusty May and guard Alijah Martin, FAU reached the Final Four, where they lost a heartbreaker to San Diego State, 72-71.
April: 4th Seed UConn Beats 5th Seed San Diego State for the NCAA National Championship
The NCAA men’s basketball championship game featured two surprise finalists, 4th seed UConn and 5th seed San Diego State. UConn prevailed over San Diego State, 76-59, to win its fifth national championship and its first since 2014. San Diego State, which finished a stellar season with a 32-7 record, was making its first appearance in the championship game.
May: Mage Races Away in the Kentucky Derby
The 149th running of the Kentucky Derby, the first leg of the Triple Crown of horse racing, was won by Mage, a 15-1 longshot who had only one previous win in his career. Mage, ridden by jockey Javier Castellano and trained by Gustavo Delgado, came from behind in the final stretch to overtake Two Phil’s, the 5-2 favorite, and win by a length. Mage ran the 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.57, setting a new record for the Derby. Mage’s victory was also historic for Castellano and Delgado, who became the first Venezuelan jockey and trainer to win the Derby.
June: Denver Nuggets Beat the Heat in a 4-1 Series to Win the NBA Finals and the Vegas Golden Knights Beat the Florida Panthers in a 4-1 Series to Win the NHL Stanley Cup
The NBA and NHL seasons ended with two teams winning their first championships in their respective leagues. The Denver Nuggets, led by two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, defeated the Miami Heat, 94-89, in Game 5 of the NBA Finals to clinch the title. Jokic averaged 30.2 points, 14 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game in the series and was named the Finals MVP. The Vegas Golden Knights, who had joined the NHL as an expansion team in 2017, won the Stanley Cup by beating the Florida Panthers, 9-3, in Game 5 of the Finals. The Golden Knights were led by captain Mark Stone, who scored a hat trick in the clinching game and forward Jonathan Marchessault was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP.
July: Lionel Messi signs with MLS Club Inter Miami
The soccer world was stunned by the news that Lionel Messi, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, had signed with Inter Miami CF, an MLS club co-owned by David Beckham. Messi, who had spent most of his career with FC Barcelona and had won six Ballon d’Or awards, decided to join Inter Miami after his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expired. Messi signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with Inter Miami, which will pay him between $50 million and $60 million per year, making him the highest-paid player in MLS history. Messi said he was excited to start a new chapter in his career and help grow soccer in the United States.
August: Sha’Carri Richardson wins 100m final at the World Athletics Championships and Simone Biles makes history at the US Gymnastics Championships by winning her 8th All-Around Title
Two American women made headlines in the world of athletics in August, as Sha’carri Richardson and Simone Biles achieved remarkable feats in their respective sports. Richardson, who had missed the Tokyo Olympics due to a positive cannabis test, bounced back in spectacular fashion by winning the 100m gold medal at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Richardson, running in lane 9, came from behind to beat the Jamaican duo of Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, clocking a championship record of 10.65 seconds. Richardson, who was making her World Championship debut, became the first person to win the 100m from the outside lane in a global final. Biles returned to competition at the US Gymnastics Championships in Fort Worth, Texas. Biles won her eighth national all-around title, breaking her own record for the most by any American woman.
September: Dolphins drop 70 points for only the 2nd time in NFL History
The Miami Dolphins put on an offensive masterclass in their home opener, defeating the Denver Broncos 70-20 and scoring the second-most points by a team in a regular-season game in NFL history. The Dolphins were led by running backs Raheem Mostert and De’von Achane, who combined for 285 rushing yards, 90 receiving yards, and eight total touchdowns. They joined the 1966 Washington Redskins, who beat the New York Giants 72-41, as the only teams to ever score over 70 points in the Super Bowl Era. The Dolphins also set a new franchise record for points in a game, surpassing their previous mark of 55 points, which they had achieved twice before.
October: The Las Vegas Aces win the WNBA Finals 3-1 over the NY Liberty
The Las Vegas Aces won their first WNBA championship by defeating the New York Liberty in just four games in the Finals. The Aces, who had the best record in the regular season, were led by finals MVP A’ja Wilson, who averaged 23.8 points, 1.4 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game in the series. Wilson scored 24 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in the decisive Game 4, which the Aces won 70-69.
November: Texas Rangers Finally win the World Series
The Texas Rangers ended their long wait for a World Series title by beating the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games. The Rangers, who had lost the World Series in 2010 and 2011, were led by shortstop Cory Seager, who hit 3 homeruns, had 6 RBIs, scored the series winning run on Marvin Garver’s single, and was named the MVP.
December: Princeton’s Lin-Sanity like run
The Tigers, who had never reached the final four of the Class AAA playoffs before, stunned the state with their explosive offense and clutch defense. They scored 37 points or more in each of their four playoff games, including a historic 73-70 win over Bridgeport in the semifinals, the highest-scoring game in West Virginia playoff history. They were led by Sophomore QB Chance Barker, who threw for 3,552 yards and 51 total touchdowns, and Senior WR Dom Collins, who had 1,897 receiving yards and 32 total touchdowns. The Tigers finished the season with a 12-2 record, losing only to Hurricane and Martinsburg, the latter in the championship game.