2011 looks to be an exciting sports year for all of us. Storylines carrying over from 2010 and new stories are enough to keep any sports fan on the edge of their seat. Along with my annual New Year’s Resolutions to lose weight and get better grades, I’ve tacked on “watch all of the biggest sports moments in 2011.” That could be tough to narrow it down, to help I made a list of my can’t miss stories.
STORIES YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO MISS IN 2011
1) Carmelo Anthony- I personally thought that the Melo saga in Denver would be over before the New Year, but since it’s not, we all get to enjoy it in 2011. LeBron James made ‘the decision’ this last summer, and now we get to watch Anthony shape the face of the NBA. Not only has he demanded a trade, but he’s demanded a trade to the New York Knicks. Should he be traded to the Knicks, the entire face of the NBA would change… again. Free Agency has already enabled players to move wherever they please, but to be able to demand a trade to a specific team would seemingly eliminate the small market teams in the league.
2) Super Bowl XLV- Does this really come as a surprise? It’s the Super Bowl, the biggest football game of the year. This year is sure to be a can’t miss game simply because of the venue. The game will be held in Dallas at the recently finished Cowboys Stadium. Jerry Jones has built the most amazing football stadium in history holding over 100,000 people. I’m reminded of Darth Vader’s Death Star when I see the new Cowboys Stadium; the oversized ship that is virtually indestructible.
3) Baseball- As a huge baseball fan, there are a ton of stories that we could follow here, but I will try to narrow it to just a few. In Spring Training look for Chipper Jones coming off knee surgery, Derek Jeter’s relationship with the New York Yankees after a brutal off-season of contract negotiating, the Giants and their quest to repeat, Albert Pujols’ contract negotiations with the Cardinals and the health and stability of the already crowned World Series champs Philadelphia Phillies and their new pitching toy Cliff Lee. Whew, what a season. (There are tons of other stories still to come from baseball, but these are the main headlines.)
4) Mid-Majors in the Tourney- This year is the year of the mid-major. Already, on just January 13, there are two Mountain West teams ranked in the top 10. BYU and San Diego State are looking to make deep tournament runs and bring even more respect to the mid-major schools. Kawhi Leonard is dominating teams averaging over 15 points a game for SDSU and pre-season All-American Jimmer Fredette is leading the nation in scoring at 26.1 points per game. These two men look to lead their teams past the first weekend of the NCAA tourney this year. Also look out for Memphis, Gonzaga, Utah State, Butler and UNLV.
5) NBA Playoffs- Will Shaq bring a title back to Boston? Can Miami continue their dominant play and win LeBron his first title? Can the Lakers three-peat? Are they seemingly ageless Spurs for real? Or will a new team like Oklahoma City, Chicago or Utah step up to win the title? It looks to be an incredible NBA playoffs.
6) Jason Heyward- Yes, I’m a Braves fan. But even if Heyward wasn’t a Brave, he would be on this list. 18 HR last year with a thumb injury that plagued him for much of the year gives me hope and excitement for the 20-year old phenomenon. Lightly put, Heyward is a freak and with a little bit of luck in the health department, he looks to be a perennial all-star. Oh, and don’t forget Buster Posey too.
7) College Football’s new shape- 2011 will be the first year with significant conference changes. Utah and Colorado will be fun to see in the PAC-10. Nebraska’s integration to the Big 10 will be interesting as the football powerhouse looks to get back to the BCS. Don’t forget BYU, as the school steps into independence look for Jake Heaps and the young Cougar football team to make some noise.
8) Sydney Crosby- He’s having yet another career year for the Penguins. The superstar has already had a points game streak over 20 games this year and he continues to play at a top level. He hopes to lead the Penguins deep into the Stanley Cup playoffs yet again.
9) Tiger Woods- In his first full year since the divorce, Tiger looks to take over the #1 ranking in golf yet again. After a poor return to the sport at the end of last year, he hopes to return to the dominating and intimidating golfer that he was a few years ago. I’m pulling for Tiger to be the Tiger we all remember, but only time will tell.
10) Players Unions in the NBA, NFL and MLB- Can new Collective Bargaining Agreements be found in these sports? Both the NBA and the NFL are rumored to be in store for a lockout this year, but should a new CBA be reached, those leagues will carry on as normal. As the negotiations play out throughout the course of the year, be sure to pay close attention to the advancements that are made. I hope we all have our fingers crossed that these sports will be played next year.
2011 looks to be an incredible sports year. There are many more stories to be on the watch for including Stephen Strasburg, Jim Harbaugh in the NFL, and Michael Vick’s second year as a starting quarterback since being released from prison. This list consists of the stories that I will be sure not to miss, and I encourage you to do the same.
Let me know of any other stories I’ve overlooked. What stories are you looking forward to this year?
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