There were big hits, home runs, hail Mary’s and miracle finishes. Yes, 2013 was a year to remember in the sporting world, from the incredible finish in the annual college football Iron Bowl to the monster Grand Slam off the bat of David Ortiz in the MLB baseball ALCS. From home runs to Hail Mary’s, 2013 offered many memorable moments in the world of sports.
In no particular order, here’s a look at the best of what 2013 had to offer:
- Jan. 1, 2013 – Michigan vs. South Carolina in the Outback Bowl: Let’s kick things off with a monster hit on the first day of 2013 in the Outback Bowl, when South Carolina’s Jadeveon Clowney broke through Michigan’s offensive line and popped running back Vincent Smith with a helmet-launching hit. Check out the hit of the year here.
- June 19, 2013 – Game 6 of the NBA Finals: Move over Lebron and Dwayne Wade, Game 6 of the NBA Finals was the Ray Allen show. He hit a game-tying three pointer with seconds left in regulation to force overtime and was a big part of the Heat’s second consecutive NBA Championship over the San Antonio Spurs.
- October 9, 2013 – Tomas Hertl: The 2012-13 NHL season was cut short due to the lockout, but the 2013-14 season got off to a big bang on October 9, when Sharks rookie Tomas Hertl scored five goals, including this nifty, between the legs beauty to put the cherry on top of an already spectacular night. This rookie was no handicapper on this night.
- October 13, 2013 – Detroit vs. Boston in Game 2 of the ALCS: With the Tigers leading 5-1, David Ortiz stepped up to the plate in the eighth inning with the bases loaded and hammered the first pitch he saw over the right field wall to tie Game 2 of the ALCS, 5-5, and handicapping the Tigers into submission. It proved to be the turning point in the series, propelling the Red Sox to Game 2 – and series – win. Boston went on to win the World Series.
- Nov. 17, 2013 – Auburn vs. Georgia: This is the first of two memorable top plays from Auburn on this list. This first one comes to us in its SEC showdown with Georgia. With just 25 seconds remaining in the game on a 4th and 18, Ricardo Louis caught a tipped hail Mary pass to give Auburn the improbable win. See the highlights here.
- Nov. 30, 2013 – The Iron Bowl between Auburn and Alabama: The annual battle between rivals Alabama and Auburn was a fight for the ages this year. Tied with just seconds remaining, Alabama attempted a long field goal on the final play of the game. It was short – and the ball fell right into the hands of a waiting Chris Davis, who returned it 109 yards for the win. Watch the memorable play unfold here.