Gary Sanchez, John Tavares, and many more names surface when counting down the greatest New York sports moments of 2016.
New York sports were a mixed bag in 2016.There were ups and downs, as per any year in sports, but the greatest city on Earth had a distinct lack of great sporting moments.
When I compiled this list last year, there were so many tremendous moments — the Mets won the pennant, the Rangers advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, and the Jets nearly snuck into the postseason with Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback.
This calendar year, five New York sports teams made the postseason. The Mets, Rangers, NYCFC, and the Red Bulls failed to win a single series. In fact, the four of those teams combined for just one playoff win. The Islanders were the only New York sports team to advance in the playoffs, before losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games.
Regardless, there were some bright moments for New York sports in 2016. Let’s take a look at the 10 best, along with five honorable mentions.
Honorable Mentions
David Villa wins MVP:
New York City Football Club, in their second ever season, managed to clinch the number two seed in the Eastern Conference, the first playoff berth in team history. Pretty much the entire reason why that was possible was because of Spanish striker David Villa.
Villa has had his fair share of career achievements — in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Villa was joint top scorer in the competition with five goals and was an integral member on the Spain squad that won the tournament. He is also the Spanish national team’s all-time leading goalscorer.
Villa has also played in two Champions League finals and scored in the 2011 final for Barcelona against Manchester United.
Since coming to MLS, Villa has been terrific, and his sophomore season for NYCFC saw him take home Most Valuable Player, after racking up 23 goals and 4 assists. While NYCFC were demolished in their sole playoff tie against Toronto FC, their largely impressive regular season earned Villa this prestigious award.
Yankees go for youth:
Approaching the trade deadline this summer, the New York Yankees were floundering. They were fourth place in their division, well behind the Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Orioles (all three of whom would make the playoffs). Brian Cashman decided that his formula– relying on veterans to lead the Yankees to the playoffs– had failed, and decided to overhaul the franchise’s direction.
Cashman traded relief pitchers Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller, along with outfielder Carlos Beltran (three players who, arguably, were three of the team’s five best players in 2016) to the Cubs, Indians, and Rangers, respectively. The team acquired a bevy of high-quality prospects, most notably shortstop Gleybar Torres and outfielder Clint Frazier.
The Yankees surged up the standings following those trades, as their young players, known as “Baby Bombers,” carried them back into playoff contention. While they ultimately fell short, fans are growing increasingly excited about the direction of the franchise, large in part because New York now possesses arguably the best farm system in Major League Baseball.
Kristaps Porzingis drops career high 35:
The future (and perhaps, present) face of the Knicks franchise had his best career offensive game against the Detroit Pistons on November 16th. The Latvian big man had 35 points, including 25 in the first half, to propel the Knicks to an impressive home victory over a playoff-caliber team.
Islanders win Game 1 against the Lightning:
After an emotional victory to lift the Islanders to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in 23 years, they continued their hot streak by defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-3 on April 27. Shane Price scored two goals as the Isles upended the defending Eastern Conference champions on the road.
Unfortunately, it was their last victory of the season, as the Lightning stormed back to win the next four games and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they lost to eventual champions Pittsburgh. At the time, however, the victory gave Islanders fans immense hope of an improbable run to the Stanley Cup.
Giants extend win streak to 5 with win over the Bears:
It wasn’t pretty, but to be fair, nothing about the Giants this year has been pretty. They grinded their way into playoff contention, winning one-possession games off the strength of their defense and relying on Odell Beckham Jr. to carry them on offense.
Against the Chicago Bears, the Giants squeaked past a team who never had a shot of making the postseason, to improve to 8-3. The win was their fifth straight and really catapulted Big Blue into playoff contention. Tied at 16 in the third quarter, Eli Manning found Sterling Shepard to give the Giants a 22-16 lead, and despite some late pressure from Jay Cutler, the defense held to give the Giants the win.
While the victory wasn’t a season defining one, it marked the first time the Giants had won five straight since 2011, when they ended the season with six straight victories, including four in the postseason, to win the Super Bowl.
10. Carmelo Anthony hits game winner in thriller vs. Charlotte
The Knicks haven’t had much to celebrate in 2016. After a strong start to the 2015-16 season, the team faded in the second half and missed the playoffs comfortably. In 2016, thanks to some big-name acquisitions, the Knicks are in the thick of the playoff hunt.
The best game the Knicks have played to date in the 2016-17 season was on November 25th against the Charlotte Hornets. A back and forth contest from the start, the Knicks overcame a double-digit deficit to hold a 3 point led with seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, courtesy of a Derrick Rose jumper.
The Hornets responded with a three-point play from Kemba Walker, and Carmelo Anthony missed a jumper to win the game.
In overtime, Anthony took a similar shot, with a very different result:
The Knicks won 113-111 against very strong opposition, as Rose blocked Walker’s attempt at a game-winning three as time expired. The game will be remembered for Carmelo Anthony, however, who dropped 35 points, including the game-winner, and proved to a lot of doubters that he still does, indeed, possess the clutch gene.
9. Tyler Austin and Aaron Judge hit back to back home runs in their first MLB at-bats
Sometimes, all the stars decide to align. On August 13, 2016, at Yankee Stadium, such an event occurred.
In the Yankees 8-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays, top prospects Tyler Austin and Aaron Judge hit home runs in their first career at-bats. They also did this in back-to-back fashion.
Austin started it off by just squeezing his home run out of the park in right field, measuring at 331 feet. Judge, on the other hand, ripped a 446-foot blast to dead center to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead.
This moment was significant for several reasons. Firstly, what a story it was — two of the Yankees top prospects homering in their first at-bats was incredibly exciting for fans, who saw the future of the franchise in those two hits.
It was also significant because, in a way, it exemplified the Yankees season — a disappointing beginning, with aging veterans failing to produce, being replaced by the raw talent and excitement of the Baby Bombers, who showed they belonged in the big leagues in a span of ten incredible August minutes.
8. Bartolo Colon hits a home run
On May 8, at Petco Park in San Diego, the seemingly impossible happened, and the world was changed forever.
42-year-old Bartolo Colon, who weighs a slim 285 pounds, ripped a home run to left field off Padres pitcher James Shields for his first career home run in Major League Baseball.
Colon became the oldest player in MLB history to hit his first career home run and recorded only the third extra-base hit of his long career. It was also his first hit of the season.
Colon, regrettably, denied that Barry Bond’s home run record was within his reach, but did call the home run “probably the biggest moment of my career.” He was in disbelief that it happened, as was pretty much everyone in attendance at the event, and everyone who watched at home, and pretty much everyone on Earth who heard about it.
Did it dramatically effect the Mets season? No, but considering Colon’s role on the team and how well known he is in the baseball community, this was certainly a significant moment in New York Sports.
7. Frank Lampard’s dual goal heroics vs. DC United
September 1, 2016. New York City Football Club, well in the thick of the postseason race, hosted DC United, looking to further improve their postseason position. Lloyd Sam gave DC United the lead, and it wasn’t until the 79th minute that NYCFC responded, as David Villa scored the equalizer.
The magic really began in the 85th minute, where David Villa laid the ball off to Frank Lampard in the area. The former Chelsea and Manchester City midfielder tucked it home to give NYCFC a huge 2-1 lead.
Obviously, the defense did not do its job, and surrendered a 91st-minute equalizer, courtesy of a Lamar Neagle header.
While some would have settled for the draw, Lampard and NYCFC went for it. Khiry Shelton laid the ball off to Lampard, who cut back to juke a defender before tucking it past keeper Bill Hamid to give NYCFC a 3-2 lead. This game exemplified NYCFC’s regular season — poor team defending, and an eventual bailout by the club’s designated players.
This match also held significance because of Frank Lampard. The English midfielder was widely hailed as the worst designated player signing in MLS history, after injuries and poor performances in his first season and a half made him come off as a complete bust.
Lampard responded by scoring 12 times in 19 league games in 2016, and this late season, late-game double cemented his status as a key cog in NYCFC’s engine. His knack for scoring key goals will undoubtedly be missed, but this will remain among the finest moments in NYCFC’s short history.
6. Mark Teixeira hits walk-off grand slam vs Boston in final week of career
First baseman Mark Teixeira had a fruitful eight years with the Yankees, most notably finishing third in the MVP voting in 2009, en route to a World Series title.
His last year was plagued by injuries and unfulfilled expectations, but Tex ended his Yankees career with a bang. In the last week of his playing career, Teixeira came up to bat with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th down 3-1 against the Boston Red Sox.
Boston had clinched the division, but they would have liked to celebrate on the field. Teixeira had other ideas, smashing a grand slam against the Yankees’ archrival, to postpone the Red Sox celebrations just a little bit.
Teixeira had a very long and successful MLB career, and this was a fitting end to his career. A true professional, Teixeira led by example on and off the field during his entire career.
5. Red Bulls beat NYCFC 7-0 at Yankee Stadium
On May 21, NYCFC hosted their rivals, New York Red Bulls, in the Hudson River Derby. NYCFC was on a franchise record five-match unbeaten streak and had won three straight. The Red Bulls, the reigning Supporters Shield Champions, had a rough start to the season. They were sixth in the East, compared to NYCFC, who were second.
The game, however, did not reflect the records of the two sides. NYRB demolished NYCFC on the road, shellacking them 7-0. The seven goals tied the largest margin of victory in the history of MLS.
Dax McCarty scored after three minutes, but the game was pretty even for the first 42 minutes before Bradley Wright-Phillips scored twice at the end of the first half. McCarty added his second, and the teams first, before Alex Muyl, Gonzalo Veron, and Gideon Baah compiled NYCFC’s misery.
NYCFC did recover quite nicely — they actually defeated the Red Bulls in their second matchup of the season and finished second in the East. However, the absolute demolition they received by NYRB was one of the most significant moments in the MLS season, and in New York Sports.
4. Gary Sanchez obliterates the month of September
There was always a considerable amount of hype surrounding Yankees prospect Gary Sanchez, but what he did during the month plus that he played in his rookie year was beyond belief.
Sanchez hit 20 home runs in 53 games. He struck fear into opposing pitchers, he catapulted the Yankees into Wild-Card contention, and he exemplified everything exciting about the Baby Bombers and the future of the franchise.
His astounding rookie season led to him finishing second in the AL Rookie of the Year vote, which he probably would have won in a landslide if he had played the whole season.
In the post-Derek Jeter era, the Yankees have been waiting for someone to step up and become the face of the franchise. After watching Sanchez tear it up (.299 average, 20 home runs, 42 RBI’s, 60 hits, .650 slugging percentage, 1.023 OPS) it appears that they finally may have found that guy to lead the franchise forward.
3. Jose Reyes and Asdrubal Cabrera save the day at Citi Field
The stakes for the 2016 Postseason could not be higher on September 22.
The Mets entered their game at home with the Philadelphia Phillies tied with the San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals for the two spots in the NL Wild Card race. A win would allow them to keep hold of one of those spots — a loss would drop them out of the postseason for the time being.
The Mets struggled all game and came into the bottom of the ninth down 6-4. Jose Reyes stepped up with one on and one out, knowing a home run would tie the game and potentially send it to extras.
Of course, this ended up happening:
The game went to extra innings, but once again the Mets fell behind, 8-6 in the 11th. They rallied and got two runners on with one out when Asdrubal Cabrera stepped up to the plate.
In the most dramatic of circumstances, Cabrera rose the roof at Citi Field with this thunderous three-run bomb:
The Mets won 9-8 and kept hold of a playoff spot, a lead they would not relinquish. New York finished with the first Wild Card spot, making the postseason despite being left for dead by many in May. While they lost in the Wild Card game to the Giants, this game against the Phillies had as much electricity and excitement as any playoff came could have. What a moment in Queens.
2. Giants defeat the Cowboys, 10-7, in statement win
When the New York Giants hosted the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football in Week 14, the whole football world was watching. Dallas was riding an 11 game win streak and were attempting to exact revenge on the only team that had beaten them in 2016: the Giants, in Week 1.
The Giants were on a roll of their own. Despite losing the previous week in Pittsburgh, New York had an 8-4 record and was only a week removed from a five-game win streak. Their defense was percolating at the right time, as well.
The game lived up to the hype. Despite a low score, the game had plenty of highlights and key moments and told viewers a lot about each team moving forward.
Dallas took the lead, as star rookie quarterback Dak Prescott found wide receiver Terrence Williams wide open to give the ‘Boys a 7-0 lead. The Giants, meanwhile, floundered on offense. Eli Manning fumbled twice, Odell Beckham Jr. had a drop in the red zone, and the team overall looked discombobulated against a strong Dallas defense.
The Giants defense, however, was a level above — they forced Prescott to beat them, allowing rookie superstar Ezekiel Elliot to rush for over 100 yards. Prescott threw two interceptions, which equaled number picks he had thrown in the previous 13 games of the season.
Prescott’s second interception, made by Leon Hall, led to the play of the game. Eli Manning found Odell Beckham Jr. on a slant, and the wide receiver outran the entire Cowboys secondary for a 61-yard touchdown to give the Giants a 10-7 lead.
Dallas had two chances to win the game in the last three minutes, but the defense forced a Dez Bryant fumble and a four and out to close out the game and hand Dallas their second defeat of the season.
This game was a wake-up call for the rest of the league — it showed just how good the Giants defense was, and that all the offense needed was one moment of magic by Odell Beckham to turn the tide of a football game.
After four straight lackluster seasons, this game was probably the biggest victory the Giants have recorded since the Super Bowl vs the Patriots in 2012, and for that reason, it ranks number two on our list.
1. Islanders win Games 6 and 7 in Overtime, advance to second round
The New York Islanders had not won a postseason series in 23 years. They had not even had a chance to win a playoff series since superstar John Tavares was two-years-old. On April 24, in Game 6 at home, they had a chance to do just that against the Florida Panthers.
With 54 seconds left in regulation, the Islanders trailed 1-0, and the series looked set to head down south for a Game 7. However, Tavares managed to tie the game and send it to overtime.
In double overtime, Tavares scored again, giving the Islanders a 2-1 win and their first postseason series victory in 23 years. The fact that it occurred at home also made the moment extra special.
The Isles often are looked at as the Rangers younger brother, but the fact that they advanced farther than the Rangers did, and in such dramatic fashion, made this the top moment in New York Sports in 2016.
In a year where no New York team made it to the championship game/series, the Islanders outstanding first round series victory stands above the rest as the shining moment in Big Apple Sports for 2016.
Here’s to a better year, with more memories, in 2017.