The most shocking sports moments of the 2020s

Analytics have been a big deal in baseball for some time. Deep dives into the stats have changed the way that many teams handle their hitters, bullpens, and starting pitchers. The Tampa Bay Rays have been on the cutting edge of the analytics revolution, but their commitment to doing things their way might have cost them a World Series. With the Rays trying to force a Game 7, Blake Snell was dealing in Game 6, with 10 strikeouts through four innings, and Tampa holding a 1-0 lead. With one out and one on in the fifth, manager Kevin Cash opted to lift Snell, concerned about him facing Los Angeles’ lineup for the third time. The move backfired, the Dodgers immediately scored two runs, and won the game, 3-1. Even Dodgers players expressed surprise – and relief – at Cash’s decision.

We’re used to Tiger Woods doing incredible things on the golf course. His rounds at Augusta National in particular have created some of the most memorable shots of his career. That’s why what happened in the final round of the 2020 Masters was so shocking. Woods came to the 12 ^th hole at -3 for the tournament; he wasn’t going to defend his title, but he wasn’t playing terrible golf, either. Three balls in the water, two hacks out of a bunker and two putts later, he left the 12^th with a septuple-bogey 10. It was the first and so far only double-digit score of Woods’ career. He did manage to birdie five of the final six holes after that, at least.

Richardson looked like a rising star and a serious gold medal contender when she won the 100 meters at the U.S. Olympic trials in 2021, posting a time of 10.86 seconds. However, the United States Anti-Doping Agency levied a one-month suspension on the sprinter, and erased all of her results from the trials, rendering her unable to compete in the Tokyo Olympics. The ruling touched off a discussion about whether or not marijuana really belonged on the banned substances list, as it was not a performance enhancer, but ultimately Richardson chose to accept her suspension, saying her use of the drug was a coping mechanism after finding out her biological mother had died.

Mickelson was always one of golf’s great showmen, with a flair for the dramatic, both good and bad. He delivered his most theatrical flourish at Kiawah’s Ocean Course at the 2021 PGA Championship, becoming, at 50 years and 11 months, the oldest major champion in history. Mickelson shared the 36-hole lead with Louis Oosthuizen, held the solo 54-hole lead, then held off Brooks Koepka and Oosthuizen to win the tournament by two shots. Mickelson broke the record previously held by Julius Boros, who won the 1968 PGA Championship at age 48.

The Euro 2020 was played in 2021 because of COVID, and a terrifying situation developed during Denmark’s match with Finland. Eriksen, a midfielder, collapsed mid-match, and according to the team doctor, was “gone” when the trainers and doctors got to him, mere seconds after he collapsed. Eriksen was resuscitated on the field, regained consciousness, and even gave fans a thumbs-up as he was stretchered off. Like the story that would play out 18 months later with Damar Hamlin, Eriksen’s had a happy ending. He had a pacemaker implanted to prevent further cardiac issues, and resumed his playing career.

It seemed that Tiger Woods would make one late charge at Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major championships after his stirring victory at the 2019 Masters. Woods appeared to have regained much of his form, and golf fans were excited about what the future might hold. That all came to a crashing halt in February of 2021 when Woods, rehabbing from a back injury, crashed his car in California around 7 a.m. while doing nearly double the speed limit. He nearly lost his right leg, had to be extracted from the vehicle using the “jaws of life,” and later said he had no memory of the crash, or of driving that morning at all.

Djokovic is no stranger to controversy, and the Serbian star’s refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine resulted in his inability to play in the 2022 Australian Open, where he was the presumptive favorite. Djokovic was deported on the eve of the tournament, and initially received a three-year travel ban from the country, which was later waived. What made the situation all the more dramatic was that had Djokovic been able to play, he would have had a chance to set the all-time Grand Slam singles record. It is a testament to his greatness that even though he also couldn’t play in the 2022 U.S. Open, he still set the mark, and as of this writing has 24 Grand Slams.

It was not looking good for the Jacksonville Jaguars in their 2022 AFC Wild Card clash with the Chargers. Los Angeles jumped out to a 27-0 lead in the second quarter, and Trevor Lawrence had four interceptions before halftime. Jacksonville got a score before the half, but it still seemed like too high a mountain to climb. Lawrence had other ideas, throwing three touchdowns in the second half, and rallying Jacksonville all the way back. Riley Patterson hit a 36-yard field goal as time expired, giving the Jaguars a 31-30 win, and completing the third-largest postseason comeback in league history.  

You probably know the story well by now. The Bills and Bengals were playing a crucial game for AFC seeding purposes when Hamlin made a seemingly routine tackle on Tee Higgins in the first quarter. Hamlin briefly stood up, before immediately collapsing. Lifesaving measures were taken on the field, and Hamlin was taken to a hospital by ambulance. The looks on the faces of players on both sides told the story; this was a life-or-death situation. The game was canceled and never replayed, but of course, the situation had a happy ending, with Hamlin making a full recovery from what was a case of commotio cordis, and returning to football.

Compared to European pro leagues, MLS is the minor leagues of soccer. That said, the league has been steadily growing in prominence, in part because high-profile players have come from Europe to finish their careers with a big payday in the United States. Messi’s arrival with Inter Miami in July of 2023 was a major coup, and the presence of perhaps the best player in history in south Florida immediately spiked interest, attention, and of course, ticket prices. Interestingly enough, Inter Miami is co-owned by David Beckham, who joined the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007 and sparked the league’s Designated Player rule.

There was plenty of skepticism about Deion Sanders’ move to Colorado, and Sanders didn’t do himself many favors with outside observers when he very publicly told most of the Buffaloes roster that they weren’t good enough, and they should hit the transfer portal, because he was bringing his own luggage with him, and it was Louis Vuitton. Needless to say, interest was high for Colorado’s opener against TCU, with the Horned Frogs fresh off a national championship game appearance. Naturally, the craziest possible outcome occurred, as the Buffaloes, a three-touchdown underdog, pulled off a 45-42 stunner, with Sanders’ son Shedeur throwing for 510 yards and 4 touchdowns.

You kind of got the sense it might happen when star quarterback Jordan Travis went down with an injury, and Alabama upset Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, but it was still shocking nonetheless. The Seminoles became the first unbeaten Power 5 conference champion to miss the College Football Playoff, with most pundits speculating that the committee felt the Noles were simply not good enough without their starting quarterback. A lackluster win over Louisville in the ACC Championship furthered this notion, and once Alabama won, the wheels started turning. Florida State fans were understandably furious, but perhaps the committee got it right, seeing as they lost 63-3 to Georgia in the Orange Bowl.

The Knights were not even supposed to be part of the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Merrimack won both the regular season and conference tournaments, but because of the NCAA’s reclassification rules, the Warriors were ineligible for the Big Dance. Tobin Anderson’s team didn’t waste the gift. They beat Texas Southern in the First Four, and then, as the smallest team in Division I, with an average height of 6-foot-1, they slayed the ultimate giant: top-seeded Purdue, featuring 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey. Anderson, who predicted a victory with cameras rolling in the locker room before the game, had his team swarm Edey and force him to catch the ball far from the hoop, and harassed him into passing it off. The rest of the Boilermakers couldn’t hit a shot, and FDU walked away as just the second 16 seed to beat a 1 seed, winning 63-58.

Draymond Green is no stranger to controversy, but what happened in an early-season game against Minnesota was extreme even for him. As the two teams went up the court, Golden State’s Klay Thompson got tangled up with the Timberwolves’ Jaden McDaniels, and the two started to scuffle. Gobert approached and started to grab Thompson, though not particularly aggressively, only for Green to fly in and put him in a headlock for several seconds. Green was suspended five games for the choke, and later was suspended indefinitely after striking Phoenix’s Jusuf Nurkic in the face.

It’s one thing to get upset as a 1 seed playing an 8 seed. That’s rare, but it happens. It’s another thing altogether to get upset as a 1 seed after a season where you set the all-time points record. That’s what happened to the 2022-23 Boston Bruins, whose 65-12-5 mark set records for most wins and most points in a single season. The Bruins looked like a lock to make a deep run, but they didn’t even make it out of the first round, blowing a 3-1 series lead and bowing out in seven games to the Florida Panthers, who barely snuck into the playoffs to begin with. Carter Verhaeghe got the overtime winner in Game 7, and the Panthers rode that wave all the way to a Stanley Cup Final appearance, before losing to Las Vegas.

As LSU was busy dismantling Iowa on the way to its first national championship, Tigers star Reese paused to gesture to Hawkeyes star Clark, sending a “you can’t see me” gesture her way. The brief stare-down made headlines and spawned some of the most breathless, overwrought opinion-mongering you could possibly imagine, but the two people most unbothered by it were Clark and Reese. Clark had made the gesture to an opponent in an earlier round, and Reese was just returning the taunt. It was compelling, legitimate trash talk between two players who did plenty to elevate the women’s game. Perhaps the real shocking part was that people got so angry.

When you think of traditional college basketball powers, you certainly don’t think of Florida Atlantic, but that didn’t stop coach Dusty May and the Owls from making a spectacular run to the 2022-23 Final Four. The Owls were no fluke, going 31-3 and winning the Conference USA Championship in both the regular season and the conference tournament. At one point the Owls won 20 games in a row, and entered the tourney as a 9 seed, downing Memphis in a thriller, then Fairleigh Dickinson, Tennessee, and Kansas State, before falling 72-71 to San Diego State in the national semifinal on a buzzer-beating jumper by Lamont Butler. At no point did FAU look out of place, as the Owls simply played rock-solid basketball at both ends for the duration of their run. Still, Florida Atlantic? In the Final Four? Yeah, saying that out loud was definitely a shock.

Aaron Rodgers was supposed to take New York by storm, after an offseason filled with speculation about whether he’d join the Jets or Broncos ended with Rogers landing on one of the NFL’s most talented rosters, one that simply needed good quarterback play to get over the hump. There was plenty of hype, and then the whole thing came crashing down, just four plays into the season. Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon on a sack and was lost for the season. He teased multiple comebacks, and returned to practice, but ultimately never saw the field.

Look, if you’re the Detroit Lions, and you’ve been one of the league’s laughingstocks for over a quarter century, and you finally win your division for the first time in 30 years, I’m going to call that shocking. If you actually watched Detroit all year, it wasn’t. They were clearly the best team in the NFC North. But if you’re someone who just assumed that they would suffer some cataclysm, that history would be too much for them to overcome, then watching them slam the door in emphatic fashion and clinch the division with two games still left to play was a sight to behold. Given how close they came to a Super Bowl appearance, there might be more superlatives in Detroit’s future, but they’ll be anything but shocking.

It was going to happen someday, of course, but Saban deciding to retire as head coach at Alabama seemed to come out of nowhere. His Crimson Tide had just lost to eventual national champion Michigan in the Rose Bowl nine days prior, and nothing in the immediate aftermath of that game suggested Saban was going to hang up his headset. The move sent shockwaves through the college football world, and immediately threw the sport’s balance of power up in the air. Saban spent 17 years in Tuscaloosa, winning 201 games, nine SEC Championships, and six national titles.

Much like Saban at Alabama, Belichick cast a long shadow over the Patriots and the NFL during his 24 seasons in Foxborough. He won six Super Bowls, racked up a 266-121 record with the Pats, and went to a jaw-dropping eight straight AFC Championship Games during one stretch. Still, it was hard to get a read on whether or not he would be done in New England, and even as momentum built towards a split, many believed it simply wouldn’t happen. It did, with owner Robert Kraft and Belichick holding a press conference announcing the decision. Perhaps more shocking than Belichick and New England parting ways was the fact that no other team with a coaching vacancy decided to hire him.

The rules for athletes and betting on sports are pretty clear-cut. Chief among those rules is, “Don’t bet on your sport.” Following closely on its heels is, “Don’t bet on your own player props, and then set about trying to make sure your bets win, sometimes by actively tanking your performance.” That is, of course, what Jontay Porter did, and it got him banned for life. The NBA found that Porter disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, limited his own participation in one or more games for betting purposes, and bet on NBA games. It was brazen, it was stupid, and given Porter’s status as a very marginal player, it was easy for Adam Silver to make an example out of him.

NASCAR has seen its share of brawls after tempers flared because of on-track incidents that spilled over to pit road, but Stenhouse’s fight with Kyle Busch was different even by those standards. After Busch appeared to intentionally wreck Stenhouse on the second lap of the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, Stenhouse parked in Busch’s pit and confronted some of Busch’s crew. After the race, Stenhouse socked Busch on the jaw, and then Stenhouse’s father entered the fracas and started throwing punches at Busch. Stenhouse was fined $75,000, the largest ever given by NASCAR for fighting.

Legalized sports betting has created some weighty issues across pro sports. Leagues are eager to enter into big-money partnerships with betting web sites, but multiple NFL players as well as an NBA player have been suspended or banned for betting on their sport. The biggest potential scandal came when Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, allegedly stole $16 million from Ohtani in order to pay off gambling debts with a bookie. Initially, it seemed like Ohtani might be involved, but after investigating, MLB and the FBI determined that Ohtani really was an unwitting victim. Either way, seeing baseball’s biggest star so close to such an ugly story sent shockwaves through the sports world.

Nepotism is a real thing in just about every facet of life. We’ve all probably worked for a company where the boss’ kid had a job they weren’t remotely qualified for. Thing is, sports are supposed to be the ultimate meritocracy. If a player’s son makes it to the pros, it’s because they were good enough. That changed in the 2024 NBA Draft, when the Lakers took Bronny James with the 55^th pick. Hardly anyone actually thought James was an NBA-caliber prospect after one very underwhelming year at USC, but it was well-known that his father wanted to play with him before his career ended. The whole thing wasn’t so much a shock as it was a farce; James Jr. received a fully guaranteed contract, virtually unheard of for a second-round pick, and his agent repeatedly warned other teams not to draft him. Time will tell if an undersized, poor-shooting guard can make it in the league, but for now, it certainly looks like he’s on the Lakers because of his last name and nothing else.