Sports

Top five moments in sports from 2022

Brennan Rea, sports writer| January 12, 2023

Each one of these moments is what makes sports so awesome.

From Minnesota Vikings’ star receiver Justin Jefferson’s insane catch in Buffalo to Edmonton Oilers’ superstar Connor McDavid’s highlight reel goal against the Washington Capitals, there were many moments in sports last year that made everyone’s jaw drop. Here are the top five moments in sports from 2022.

5: Tiger Woods’ return to the PGA Tour

On Feb. 23, 2021, the sports world was shocked when legendary golfer Tiger Woods was in a serious car crash and underwent surgery to fix open fractures on his right leg. Fast forward to April 2022, Woods made his return to the PGA Tour in the illustrious Masters tournament. While Woods was a shadow of his former self, finishing in 47th place and shooting 13-over-par, it was still awesome to see him return to golf. His story was one of determination and perseverance.

4: Tennessee upsets Alabama 52-49

On Oct. 15, the sixth ranked Tennessee Volunteers took on the fifth ranked Alabama Crimson Tide at home. It was a great matchup between two SEC rivals battling each other in a must-win game. Also, this was one of two losses for Alabama that prevented them from reaching the college football playoffs for only the second time since it was created in 2014. The two teams would battle to the final seconds until Chase McGrath, Tennessee kicker, made a 40-yard game-winning field goal to secure the victory. Plus, we all love it when Alabama loses.

3: St. Peters’ run in March Madness

Next, we look at the St. Peter’s Peacocks magical run in the 2022 NCAA MARCH MADNESS tournament. St. Peter’s came into the tournament as the 15th seed in the Eastern region. In the first round, they eliminated the second-seed Kentucky Wildcats, ruining everyone’s bracket and making Doug Edert, St. Peter’s guard’s mustache the most famous mustache in college basketball history. Edert’s squad would continue their Cinderella run, beating seventh-seed Murray State and third-seed Purdue with clutch shots from deep and the charity line. Eventually, their run was ended by the runner-ups, North Carolina Tar Heels. Still, they became the first 15th seed to make it to the Elite Eight in tournament history and just the third to make it to the Sweet Sixteen. Underdog stories like St. Peters’, makes watching college basketball so fun and reminds us why it’s better than the NBA.

2: Buffalo Bills vs. Kansas City Chiefs AFC divisional playoff game

It was a chilly night at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on Jan. 23. With less than 20 seconds on the clock in the fourth quarter, the Buffalo Bills took a three-point lead over the Kansas City Chiefs when Josh Allen threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Gabe Davis. The Chiefs started their next drive with impossible odds, needing a field goal to tie the game and starting at their own 25 yard line with 13 seconds left, Patrick Mahomes threw two quick passes and set up Harrison Butker with a 49-yard field goal to tie it. In overtime, the Bills lost the controversial coin toss. The Chiefs would win with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Travis Kelce, denying the Bills a chance to come back because of the NFL’s dumb overtime rules. This game kept fans across all sports on the edge of their seat and was a treat watch with its rollercoaster action.

1: Albert Pujols’ 700th home run

When Albert Pujols was signed to a one-year contract to finish his career in St. Louis, many people thought it was just a money grab and he wouldn’t do anything special. It seemed that way after his slow start to the year. It looked like The Machine had finally broken down. Boy, were they wrong. On Sept. 23rd, Pujols smashed his 700th career home run in a game against the Dodgers. It was a hit that capped off his magical last season in the MLB. He would go on to hit three more, including one at his final regular season game at Busch Stadium. It further cemented his spot in the MLB Hall of Fame, and was the best moment in sports from 2022.