INTENTIONAL GROUNDING: Sports moments of 2016

Much of 2016 has been the figurative equivalent of a dumpster fire raging so fiercely out of control that it spreads like a contagion to all dumpsters around the world, who then militarize, forming a legion of flame-wielding super dumpsters that slowly consume all things good and decent in a blaze of hellfire.

Yet, despite the chaos and impending downfall of society, 2016 has been a fairly respectable year for sports. An assortment of memorable sports moments were produced over the course of the last 12 months, including everything from championships to departures and beyond.

For that reason, I have compiled a list of the top five sports moments of 2016.

1.) Chicago Cubs win World Series

For the first time in 108 years, the Chicago Cubs are MLB's reigning world champions (weird, right?).

Yes, I've already addressed the Cubs historic win in a previous column, but here I am being forced to acknowledge it once again. As I previously stated, it was a significant victory for both the team and the city of Chicago…it's just everyone else that lost. Being the league's lovable losers was more than just a good-humored moniker—it was an identity.

Who will now be left to take up such a mantle? Hopefully, with time, the Cubs will reclaim their role, because baseball is better when the Cubs are bad.

2.) LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers win NBA Finals

Ok, two championship results right off the jump looks a little lazy on my part, but not many things could top Cleveland's prodigal son making a return to the Cavaliers to lead them to the franchise's first ever NBA title (except, you know, the Cubs).

LeBron James became the NBA's most-hated persona in 2010 after abandoning Cleveland for the sunny beaches of south Florida to form a "Big 3" with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh for the Miami Heat. After collecting two rings—and a whole lot of criticism—James fled back to the Cavs in 2014, rejuvenating his popularity.

The Cavs eventually fell in game six of the NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors during James' first year back with the team. This year's NBA Finals saw the same two teams face-off, but this time it was Cleveland who came out on top, besting a Warriors team touting the best regular season record since Michael Jordan's 1996 Chicago Bulls team.

And as the buzzer sounded, announcing the Cavs victory, James collapsed on the court overcome with emotion and the weight of a city whose sports landscape has been stuck somewhere between bleak and nonexistent for the better part of a century.

3.) Dee Gordon leadoff homerun after death of Jose Fernandez

When Miami Marlins star pitcher Jose Fernandez died suddenly and unexpectedly during a September boating accident, not only was were his teammates shook, but so was the entirety of many south Florida communities.

For many Cuban-born Americans, Fernandez—a Cuban defector who managed to escape the clutches of his tyrannical government to thrive in America—was a physical representation of the hardships they had endured to create their new lives in the United States. In one night, that symbol of their plight was shattered, and Fernandez's fans and teammates were left to pick up the pieces.

In the Marlins first game following Fernandez's death, second baseman Dee Gordon did just that. Though not an otherworldly hitter by any means, Gordon stepped into the batter's box wearing a No. 16 jersey in honor of Fernandez—as did the entire Marlins team—and hit a leadoff homerun to start the Marlins first inning. As Gordon rounded the bases, he visibly wept. By the time he reached home plate, his teammates had to hold him on his feet he was so overcome with emotion, many of them, too, openly crying.

It was a rare moment where sports exceeds the limitations we normally confine it to and was a shining example of what sports gets right.

4.) Muhammad Ali dies

There's a reason Muhammad Ali called himself "The Greatest," and it's because he was. Others confirmed it, too. Being named the Sports Illustrated "Sportsman of the Century" and BBC's "Sporting Personality of the Century" in 1999 was but a mere topping on the lifetime of accolades and achievements Ali received during his career.

Yet, Ali was more than the most gifted boxer to have ever lived; some of his most notable work wasn't done from a ring, but outside of it.

Ali was a champion of civil rights and a polarizing voice regarding issues such as religion and politics. He spent much of his life helping others, not only on a community level, but also on a global level, traveling the world, learning about other cultures and its people and helping to effect change.

While Ali may have been in poor health for a number of years, making his death somewhat expected, it was still tragic nonetheless. The world didn't just lose one of the most profound athletes to ever live, it also lost one of the most profound humans to ever exist.

5.) Colin Kaepernick takes a knee

The San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick created an inflation of headlines following his decision to kneel during the playing of the national anthem as a form of protest against the state of racial oppression and inequality in America.

Kaepernick's decision sparked both public outcry and support as he continued to kneel each week during the anthem, one that he's continued to make as recently as his Christmas eve appearance against the Los Angeles Rams. Regardless of whether or not his method may have been the best means to help deliver his overall point, his message shouldn't be discredited.

Though kneeling along the sideline during the opening ceremonies of an NFL game doesn't do much in the way of actually creating positive movement toward mending race relations, it has generated enough publicity to actually get the conversation started. And, ultimately, that's what makes Kaepernick's stance one worth remembering.

Source: www.bing.com