Sports
Year in Review - 2023
One of my resolutions for 2023 was to watch fewer sports…
That did not go as planned haha. There was an age, many moons ago, when my mom tells me that my dad was quite worried that I would never be interested in sports. Content with my world of Pokémon and creating my own fantasies, I can still vaguely remember being taken to the Raiders-Bucs 2002 Super Bowl party at 9-years old, far more interested in playing games than watching the game. Oh how things would change…
20 odd years later and I’m arguably more sports obsessed than ever, for better or worse. The resolution was born out of a sense of pragmatism rather than any dislike of my sporting habits. Time is short, sports are aplenty, and I really needed to do a better job of balancing the two. Still, I underestimated how sports would be a really welcome distraction this year amidst classes and searching for a new job. And I’m someone who likes to try to maximize my time, content to wake up early and squeeze a few extra hours into my day so I can stay up on the English Premier League.
I’ll still be evaluating my relationship with sports in 2024, but it must be said that 2023 delivered some incredibly memorable moments across the sporting world that I am very happy I was tuned into. Here are just a few of those:
TENNIS
Wimbledon - Men’s Final
Nothing reached the heights of Men’s Tennis for me in 2023, and that was highlighted by two epic matches between Spanish upstart Carlos Alacaraz and Serbian legend Novak Djokovic. Sports writer Jason Gay penned a great profile on Carlos in September, in which he noted emphatically - Carlos Alcaraz has arrived. Alcaraz’s ascent urgently answered the question of who would be able to stand up to Djokovic’s dominance, with spectacularly entertaining results.
Cincinnati- Men’s Final
Alcaraz may have arrived, but Djokovic never left. What looked to be a decisive turning of the tides as a younger player unseats an aging veteran was not to be the full story. I have a complicated relationship with Djokovic. Like many of my generation and political leaning, I disagree with and criticize his obstinance in not getting vaccinated. But I also have a great affinity for underdogs; Djokovic may not be a true “underdog” on the court, but he is an underdog in the sense that the crowd is almost always against him, and has been for most of his career. Outside of his home Serbia, he is rarely the favorite of the fans on the court.
This underdog mentality is what has fed into his greatness - his mental fortitude. It is this specifically that I admire so much about Djokovic, and has always left me in awe of his performances, even when he beat my all-time favorite Roger Federer in previous tournaments. This is not a defense of Djokovic’s decisions of character, but it is to add nuance to a conversation that is almost always far too simplistic. I can’t recommend enough checking out the interview 60 minutes did with Novak earlier this year.
US Open- Women’s Final
It was SO satisfying, and emotional to see Coco Gauff finally get her moment. On home turf nonetheless.
Coco is in the shadow of Serena Williams for a whole generation of fans, and certainly for the media who loves to portray her rise in that light. But I’ve really admired Coco’s maturity in recognizing that her journey is her own, intentionally avoiding the burden of Serena’s legacy. Her composure is really impressive to watch, and she is a great role model for forging your own identity amidst the expectations of others.
Still, everyone fan and player alike, has those questions about whether winning a championship will ever happen for them. Pundits like to pretend it’s a when, not and if, but watch the career of Ons Jabeur and you can see how heartbreaking it is to get so close the finish line and never cross it.
So it was with so much joy that I and many American fans (and I’m sure global fans as well) got to see Coco Gauff claim her first title at the US Open this year. She is such a gritty and persistent player to watch. Women’s tennis has long been an exciting venue, and Coco is keeping that legacy alive.
Soccer
Women’s World Cup - Spain 0 Japan 4
My only disappointment with the 2023 Women’s World Cup was the time zone. Despite most of the matches happening overnight, I did my best to avoid spoilers and watch replays in the morning. There were a number of fantastic matches throughout the tournament, so it may seem strange to choose such a lopsided affair. I’m a big believer, however, that the score line doesn’t necessarily dictate how exciting a match was. And in this case, Japan’s incisive counter-attacking football was a joy to watch, and absolutely stunning for Spain. Spain got the last laugh, of course, winning the whole tournament, but I’m still kind of bummed we never got the rematch in the playoffs…
EPL Matchweek 12 - Chelsea 4 Manchester City 4
Chelsea hasn’t exactly been a great source of joy to watch this season, as I’ve covered pretty extensively on my Chelsea blog these past 6 months.
This game, however, represented something of a turning point, showing both how Chelsea was improving with new talent Cole Palmer on the squad, and how this is primed to be a more exciting finish to the Premier League in many seasons given the declining form of stalwarts Manchester City.
4 -4 is not a score line you’re going to see very often in a top league football match, so if you weren’t privy to seeing this live, definitely enjoy the highlights below!
Football
College Football - Washington 36 Oregon 33
This was such a fantastic year for college football. And not an amazing one for the NFL in my opinion (largely due to injuries), so you’ll only find college games on this list. The banner game of which was a surprisingly incredible matchup between the Washington Huskies and the Oregon Ducks.
I don’t typically have a dog in this fight (pun intended), but as my girlfriend Mara went to UW, I figured it would be a good occasion to go to a local sports bar for this highly touted matchup. I was cheering for the Huskies, but my hopes were not high given how often Oregon dominates this rivalry.
What ensued was a wildly dramatic, back-and-forth game that either team could have won, but I and most of the bar was elated to see Oregon miss the game tying field goal (also perhaps because we’d been there for 4 hours and couldn’t bear the thought of overtime…)! It was awesome to see Washington again beat Oregon in the Pac-12 championship, and now have a chance to win the national championship against Michigan. Even though they aren’t my team, it is really fun feeling the energy of the city rally behind the local team - go dogs!
College Football - Texas 30 Oklahoma 34
The Red River Rivalry, as it’s known, is one of my favorite games to watch every year. I grew up a Longhorn’s fan by association with my dad a UT - Austin alum. I still have memories of watching Vince Young lead Texas past USC in 2005, one of the greatest college football games of all time.
The Red River Rivalry is a great competition, with Texas leading 65-51-5 all time. This year’s was especially intense with Texas having beat Alabama earlier in the season in an upset and boasting an undefeated record. Though I was sad to see Texas lose, this ended up being their only loss on the season, and they very much deserved their playoff spot. Great game, and almost nothing beats the Red River Rivalry atmosphere. Alright alright alright.
College Football - Michigan 30 Ohio 24
Speaking of great rivalries, Michigan Ohio State is definitely up there. As a Wisconsin fan, I am always happy to see Ohio State lose. So I was cheering hard for Harbaugh and company to keep Ohio State’s ego in check. Not only did I get my wish, but now Michigan has made it all the way to the championship. Could both of the Harbaugh brothers be crowned champions within weeks of each other? Pretty cool storyline to watch.
Racing
The Indianapolis 500
I grew up watching the Indianapolis 500 with my mom, having been born in Indianapolis and much of my mom’s side of the family still residing there.
I was always captivated by the energy of the event - the enormous crowd, the sense of tradition, the roar of the cars - but was admittedly underwhelmed by the idea of cars going in circles for hours (a common refrain from those who have yet to appreciate racing). I enjoyed many races growing up, but would hardly call myself a dedicated fan.
Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive changed all of that. All of a sudden, I was one of the millions that was swept into the drama of high-stakes racing, transfixed by the intense competition between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. It gave me an appreciation for the craft of engineering that goes into these cars, and to the physical and mental challenges that these drivers feel. Can you name many other sports where the contestants face a real risk at serious injury or death?
Over the past few years, however, the F1 competition has grown stale, featuring the same winner again and again with little in-race excitement. IndyCar, by contrast, featured 5 different winners in its first 5 races this season, and is filled with exciting passes and dramatic crashes. The Indianapolis 500 is simply one event in a months-long competition that features numerous circuits, most of which are not boring ovals. The Indy 500 gets a pass, though, because despite being “just a circle”, I’ve now learned how much strategy and thought goes into the competition. Yes there is also an inevitable element of luck in the event, but it is not surprise that you see some of the same names enter the top 10 every year.
As for who gets the win, the luck means there is a strong element of drama and excitement as the cars enter the final 20 laps. I was really happy for Josef Newgarden to get the win this year, one of the few local drivers to ever win it. It’s a great story and he’s a great driver, very deserving.