Top Sports Stories of 2017 - Bay Area Edition
- Dec 22, 2017
- 5 min read
Updated: Jul 30, 2018
Why not get our first post started with something easy and basic. Tis the season for year end best of lists and we are in the business of giving so here are the top Bay Area Sports stories from 2017. Sorry Raiders and A's fans, nothing too exciting happening from that side.
Even though it was a foregone conclusion the minute the Golden State Warriors signed Kevin Durant as a free agent, it was still a fascinating moment to see them exercise their demons from the prior year and finish off the Cavs in 5. Kevin Durant was the obvious standout and I will go ahead and say was the main reason the Warriors emerged victorious. There were so many great subplots going in and coming out of a closer finals than people will remember it for. Steph Curry bouncing back from a disappointing 2016 Finals performance, Kyrie proving he can be the Guy, LeBron proving once again he is the best player alive, a Warriors team so talented and in sync that they did not lose a single game while their head coach was gone for the majority of the playoffs, to Matt Barnes winning one for the We Believe Warriors, shout out to Monta. Oh and the Warriors have only been great for like 3 years (good for 5) which is why Warriors fans get on people’s nerves but oh well, we’ve been through a lot.
2. Our Lord and Savior Jimmy Garoppolo has arrived
Yes, I am aware that Our Lord and Savior Jimmy Guwop has only given us a small sample size but I don’t care. I am all in on the guy. The Niners haven’t had a quarterback who can elevate the offense offense like this since Steve Young? (Jeff Garcia if we’re being nice) As much as I love CJ Beathard, Hoyer, Gabbert, Kaep, Alex Smith, Troy Smith, Shaun Hill, JT O’Sullivan, Tim Rattay, Ken Dorsey, Cody Pickett, and Chris Weinke…they kind of had their limitations. Game Time! Name three Niners offensive players! Yeah that’s who Jimmy Guwop has to work and he’s won them all dammit. The dude doesn’t even know the playbook. He’s getting the Cliff Notes on the sideline and acing his tests. Sign him, give all the money, give him the prime parking spot, do whatever you have to do to keep this man a 49er.
You don’t realize how fast 12 years go by until you realize Matt Cain’s career went from 2005 – 2017. 3 rings, a perfect game, All Star Game Starter, Horse, postseason stud, etc. I was in 7th grade when he made his debut and now a few years out of college. Damn time flies. Giants fans have been blessed in the past decade to cheer on the likes of Timmy, Posey, Bum, Pence, Pablo but Cain is the one that has been there for it all. The bad, the Bonds circus, the really bad, the torture, the even years, and then the mortality stage. Even his last game was a microcosm of his career. 1 run allowed, no decision. Matt Fuckin Cain!
The image of Durant hitting the transition 3 to put the Warriors ahead for good with less than a minute left over LeBron could be the defining moment in his Hall of Fame career. Despite the Cavs winning the following game, this shot sealed the 2017 NBA Finals. Credit to the Cavs though because I don’t know how many teams would even have fought the way they did the next two games. By far the most exciting game of the 5 game series saw Kyrie damn near win the game himself with an assortment of the craziest layups ever. The man can’t be stopped one on one. This game epitomized what makes the Warriors so dangerous. Cavs were up by 6 with around 2 mins left. Warriors lay up, defensive stop, Durant bucket, defensive stop, Durant 3 over LeBron, defensive stop, free throws to ice game. Just like that the game was, and for all intents and purposes the series, was over in a matter of 90 seconds.
5. Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch bring in a new era
I’ve been hard on Jed York as much as the next guy with how he has handled the 49ers in his recent years, I have to admit he has made some very good moves. I do think he is committed to winning but he just has to stay out of his own way. Step 1, realize your past mistakes and learn from it. He fired his General manager in Trent Baalke and set out to hire a new GM but this time he made sure the GM and Head Coach would get along since that usually works. I was skeptical about the John Lynch hire but so far so good. Although it was tough seeing Bowman go and possibly Eric Reid (please keep the guy), you can’t deny they have completely changed the culture. Even before Our Lord and Savior was sent from the heavens to return the faithful to the promised land, there were signs this 49ers team had something going for them. They lost their first 8 or 9 games but something strange was happening. They fought their asses off every single weak and were a tough out for every team they played. That is impressive considering they hired a first time coach in Kyle Shanahan who got the job because of his offensive prowess yet the team sucked on offense. Hopefully this is just the start of something great. I have never seen a happier 4 win team in my life.
Honorable Mentions:
As Grant Brisbee would say, “Imagine telling a Giants fan on Opening Day of 2017 that Pablo Sandoval would hit a walk off home run on the last day of the season preventing them from getting the 1st overall pick in next year’s draft.”
The Warriors jumped out to something like a 50-2 lead to sweep the Blazers in the first round
· Madison Bumgarner dirt bike accident sums of the Giants season
If it wasn’t clear by the time of the injury, the Giants had no hope in 2017
· Draymond Green wins Defensive Player of the Year
Just funny to think how far the Warriors have come to have a defensive player of the year. The best defender prior to this generation of Warriors was either Adonyl Foyle or Mikael Pietrus.
This was the reason the Warriors needed and got Kevin Durant. They don’t win the finals without him and his performance.
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