Our favorite SBNation.com stories of 2022

Looking back on the year that was through the eyes of SB Nation

It has been quite a year.

While it is not over yet, we thought we would take you back through the year that was in the sporting world, as seen through our eyes here at SBNation.com. A year that began with the Georgia Bulldogs atop the college football world is drawing to a close with … the Georgia Bulldogs atop the college football world.

But a lot of stuff happened in between.

Here’s just a small sliver of it.

January

Stetson Bennett won a national title and celebrated pretty hard

“The thing that’s remarkable is his fortitude to hold this interview and handle the energy of an amped-up Michael Strahan and Robin Roberts at at a time most of us would be looking for a Bloody Mary to put some hair on that dog. Instead he’s being asked about his self-confidence, fortitude and belief in himself that allowed him to bring Georgia its first National Championship in 41 years.”

Bills fans kept throwing dildos on the field when Buffalo played New England

“If you thought a global pandemic would stop Bills fans from tossing a phallic object onto the field against the Pats, well, you thought wrong. Bills fans don’t stop. They just keep going harder.

“The Bills are moving on in the playoffs after knocking out the Patriots by playing what was basically a perfect game. What a sweet feeling that must be. Live it up, Buffalo. Keep your sex toys to yourself, though.”

James Dator watched the Kevin James/Sean Payton movie so you didn’t have to

“I have absolutely no idea who this movie was made for. It’s not funny, and as far as I can tell it’s not really trying to be a comedy. It’s also not a drama, because they sprinkle in these jokes that never land, while also attempting to tell a deep story of parental reconciliation as Payton tied to make up for lost time with his son.”

People wondered if Josh Allen needed Viagra to deal with playing in cold weather

“Scott suggested that Allen pop a Viagra before the game to get his blood pumping, adding a lot of players did the same thing when he was playing to fight the cold.”

February

The Winter Olympics featured a backdrop right out of Cyberpunk 2077

“Beijing built a permanent big air park in the middle of a former steel mill on the west side of the city. The big air jump sticks out like a sore thumb against an otherwise snowless urban setting. While Twitter is getting off jokes about the park looking like it’s wedged inside a nuclear power plant, those cooling towers are now the most distinct part of the repurposed park. The long-term plan is to turn one of those towers into a wedding venue, according to the AP.”

Coinbase spent a lot of money on a Super Bowl ad that did not work

“I’m in awe of whatever ad agency sold this idea to Coinbase. That had to be a Don Draper-ass pitch to convince a company do spend millions on a bouncing, color-changing QR code with some forgettable music bouncing around the screen for a solid minute. It’s an incredible waste of money, and it’s almost such a bold waste that I almost respect it. Almost.

“Anyone who says this is a great idea is an idiot. Sorry. How many people actually cared enough to hold their phone up and do anything beyond have a mild interest in the result? Then, assuming you actually did the work when you could have been eating, drinking, peeing, literally anything else — after all that, the website was down.”

Caitlin Clark crushed it for Iowa women’s basketball

“The highlights of Clark’s deep shooting ability are mesmerizing, but that’s just a small part of her game. Clark has an incredibly complete skill set with the ball in her hands perfect for a ‘heliocentric’ style of play. Clark is currently leading college basketball in points per game and assists per game, and it isn’t particularly close in either category. She’s shooting just 30.2 percent from three this year — a drop of 10 percentage points from last season — but she’s also improved her free throw shooting to nearly 90 percent this year. She’s clearly an incredible shooter who has been living off a tough diet of shots with opposing defenses completely keyed in on stopping her.”

March

Caitlin Clark redefined women’s basketball

“Clark’s outrageous numbers and growing list of accomplishments speaks for itself, but it’s not the reason she’s become such a sensation this year. There’s visceral thrill to watching the 6-foot point guard unleash her deadly scoring package, with deep pull-ups, stepbacks, and logo threes all becoming a regular part of her game. The sheer audacity of some of her shots is only topped by the wonder if seeing them swish through the net so often.”

Jacksonville paid a ton of money for Christian Kirk and everyone was mad

“Jacksonville’s biggest splash signing on the opening day of free agency was luring Christian Kirk to North Florida with a four-year, $72M deal that could be worth as much as $84M if he hits performance escalators. It was a king’s ransom for a receiver who was a perennial third option in the Cardinals offense, and only earned significant time as a starter in 2021, where he finished with 982 yards. Banking on promise, paired with having to pay a “bad team tax,” the Jaguars obliterated the wide receiver market with a single deal. Kirk wasn’t just 27th in the league in receiving yards last year, he wasn’t even viewed as the best receiver in this group of free agents — so when he got paid like an elite franchise cornerstone, everything shifted.”

A horrendous technical marred the second-round game between Houston and Illinois

“This was a horrendous call by the officials by any measure. Melendez was not showboating — he was making sure he didn’t get hurt after sprinting and soaring for a dunk in a close game. The refs in the men’s NCAA tournament have been an issue several times already, particularly in the North Carolina vs. Baylor game, and this is the most egregious call they have made so far.

“Illinois couldn’t afford to have such a dumb call go against them in a close game — the Cougars are too good for that. Houston made a Final Four run last year. They’ve now advanced to at least the Sweet 16 in three straight times in the men’s tournament.”

Jordan Davis won the Combine

“Now, let’s watch a 341 pound man run a 4.78 in the 40.”

It was time to talk about Bronny James’ path to the NBA

“As Bronny enters his final season of grassroots ball and then his senior year at Sierra Canyon, he’s likely to step into a role he hasn’t known yet: leading man for his teams. It’s an opportunity to explore the boundaries of his game and test himself against the best of his peers. The next 12 months will be the most important of his prep career.

“It’s easy to mislabel the talents of a player whose government name is LeBron James Jr. He doesn’t play anything like this dad just yet, but he is still showing some foundational skills that can ultimately lead to a successful NBA career.”

April

Ja Morant dropped a dunk on Malik Beasley’s head

“Morant pulling out that dunk at that moment is what makes him special. The reality is that Morant badly needed that play to get both himself and his team going: after suffering a thigh contusion in Game 2, Morant had performed below his typical superstar standards, and had been having a quiet scoring night against a locked in Grizzlies defense. This play gave Memphis hope not only that they could come back in Game 5, but that Morant could be the superstar they need to advance in the playoffs.”

Mike Tyson punched an airplane passenger, and it got stranger from there

“You know that phrase “you have to be very brave or very stupid to ____”? If you fill the blank in with “pick a fight with Mike Tyson” you can remove the whole brave part, it’s just very stupid. On Thursday video of Tyson punching a passenger on an airplane went viral, and naturally this was never going to be a normal story.”

Hideki Matsuyama crafted the perfect Masters dinner

“Matsuyama’s is a testament to someone who understands flavor, food, and providence. Obviously it goes without saying that every course gets an A+. As a husky foodie, there is almost nothing I would change — but let’s break this down and get hungry together.”

May

Tua underthrew Tyreek at mini-camp and Twitter exploded

“Despite being under no pressure in a practice scenario, Tua’s pass wobbles out of his hand with poor velocity. Tyreek then has to come back to catch the pass, before establishing his run again. In a game scenario this kind of slow, wobbling duck would at best result in a contested pass, at worst it would turn into a pick-six — yet this is what the Dolphins tried to showcase.”

Pat Beverley slandered Chris Paul on ESPN

“Beverley said CP3 can’t guard anyone. He said the Suns should have benched him instead of Deandre Ayton as Dallas continued to target the 37-year-old guard. He said no one in the league is scared of Paul or the Suns.”

We found out Lyon released a player because he couldn’t stop farting

“Marcelo was repeatedly disruptive with his petulant flatulence, according to a report from ESPN, farting and laughing repeatedly during team meetings — even interrupting a speech by team captain Leo Dubois.

“Lyon’s senior team suffered an embarrassing 3-0 loss to Angers in 2021, which precipitated Marcelo’s demotion — but apparently there was more to it. When team director Juninho and manager Peter Bosz entered the locker room the 34-year-old Marcelo began farting and laughing while they were in close proximity. Following this the club booted Marcelo from the senior team, demoting him to the first team, citing “inappropriate behavior” as the cause of the demotion. However, it appeared Marcelo’s fart antics continued following his demotion, before he was eventually released.”

June

Katie Ledecky crushed at Worlds

“Ledecky was competing in one of her best events, the 1500m freestyle, and while it was expected she’d win, nobody really thoughts she’d beat the field by a full 14 seconds. It was so pronounced that at the finish she basically just chilled in the pool, looking around, wondering when the next competitor would touch the wall too.”

The Celtics had the Warriors’ rims two inches too high in the Finals

“Was this an innocent mistake, or the Celtics up to some trickery? We tend to believe it’s the former, but let’s be honest: anything goes in a 1-1 series with the championship on the line. It is pretty unbelievable this game would have been played with one basket measuring 10-feet and two-inches if no one noticed it.”

Our Ricky O’Donnell crushed the NBA draft coverage

Our own Ricky O’Donnell crushed the entire NBA draft. From deep dives into prospects such as Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, Jaden Ivey, and Shaedon Sharpe, to this piece on Patrick Baldwin Jr., to pieces on winners and losers, grades, and fits.

Wembymania began

“Watching Wembanyama roam the court feels like witnessing an alien sent to Earth with the ideal package of length, skills, and athleticism to play the sport. He is listed at 7’2, 230 pounds, with a 7’9 wingspan, and that feels conservative. He has exceptional mobility for his size, not just straight line speed and lateral quickness, but also a level of agility and flexibility that is startling to see for someone with his frame. He has flashed a serious amount of skill, too, regularly splashing three-pointers, throwing eye-popping passes, and finishing plays way above the rim on both ends. The last prospect this big, this fluid, and this comfortable with the ball in his hands might be a young Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, then known as Lew Alcindor, when he entered UCLA in the mid-1960s.”

July

Joey Chestnut took a break from eating hot dogs to choke out a protestor

“A man dressed like Darth Vader rushed the stage at Chestnut’s 17th dog with a sign reading “EXPOSE SMITHFIELD DEATHSTAR,” which appears to be an animal rights issue in Utah. Regardless of the meaning behind the protest, it didn’t sit well with Chestnut, who didn’t know what was going on outside of a stranger bumping into him mid contest — so he choked Vader, before security dragged the man off the stage.”

Josh Hawley’s 40-time: An SB Nation Deep Dive

“The stand containing wet umbrella bags. After scouring the internet I can confidently say this is a variant of the “Tatco 57029 54 1/2” Brass Wet Umbrella Bag Stand,” with a discontinued burnished brass base. The fine people at Tatco say their umbrella stand is “Perfect for museums, high-end hotels, retail stores, or office buildings.” Well, the Capitol is basically a museum and an office building rolled into one — so this seems ideal.

“More importantly, we have a listed width of 16” from the manufacturer. Trying to correct for angle and depth of field I measured that seven and a half Tatco 57029 54 1/2” Brass Wet Umbrella Bag Stands could span the hallway opening, which gives us 120 inches — or 10 feet. Now we know how far Hawley ran.”

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, along with the rest of us, wondered what the hell Utah was doing

“This is Windhorst at his best: making great theater out of a minor deal, that could lead to a major deal. This man lives for trade slop.

“The suggestion here is that the Jazz are ready to trade either or both Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. There has been rumors of tension between the two stars for multiple seasons. Utah has been an awesome regular season team with Gobert and Mitchell, but they haven’t advanced past the second round of the playoffs.”

August

BagGate

“The world of cornhole is being torn apart by bag-related drama — and the bag-throwing world is dealing with the fallout. Now there are questions about potential impropriety, doctored bags, loose stitches, replaced fillings, and the entire competitive cornhole process. Let’s rewind and explained what went down, and how this might be a symptom of a sport growing faster than it’s willing to handle.”

Aaron Rodgers admitted that tripping balls saved his career

“Rodgers did another interview this week, and talked about how he had arguably the two best seasons of his career in his late ‘30s. Rodgers said the secret to his success a psychedelic experience with the ayahuasca plant that led to him having back-to-back MVP seasons in 2020 and 2021.”

The Field of Dreams game featured a hologram Harry Caray that terrified children

“MLB knew it needed to add intrigue somehow with a national audience forced to watch the bottom of the NL Central, and they landed on maybe the creepiest idea possible. Some TV brain genius who was apparently the only person in the world that thought Hologram Tupac was a brilliant idea decided to give the world something no one asked for: Hologram Harry Caray.”

September

Someone ruined a Dolphins tailgate

“A fan, who Smokey the Bear would beat the hell out of if he had the chance, decided to leave an unattended grill in the parking lot of Hard Rock Stadium following a tailgate party. The result was the complete destruction of at least eight vehicles, with others in close proximity damaged when a nearby car caught fire, and spread to those around it. Local news reports confirm that the grill started the fire, with an investigation currently taking place — but officials initially believe this was purely accidental.”

The Santa Clara men’s cross country team showed off their hairstyles

“Every single one of these is a work of art. Smoldering looks, creepy eyes, mustaches that have to introduce themselves to the neighbors. The entire team knew what’s up and threw themselves headfirst into making this as awkward as humanly possible.”

Seahawks players could not stop roasting Russell Wilson

“It’s been acknowledged that a lot of the Seahawks players didn’t appreciate Wilson being the first to get a major contract extension before anyone on the defensive side. The unraveling of the LOB came from not being able to pay everyone, but Wilson getting the first major extension. Those feelings came to a head, and Monday they were able to let loose.

“And boy did they ever.”

Queen Elizabeth died and Reggie Jackson tweeted

“This is of course a reference to the 1988 comedy “The Naked Gun.” Jackson has a role in the movie as a baseball player hypnotized to kill the Queen. The movie was released one year after Jackson retired, and he donned his California Angels uniform one more time for the part.”

A Utah student threatened to set off nuclear reactor if school lost a football game, and we have so many questions

“The Cold War brought about nuclear reactors to college campuses, and this student almost set off a nuclear reactor because of a potential loss. If Utah fans will do that, what other schools would terrify the United States in that same way?”

October

Chase Daniel went to his second job after a Chargers game

“We are talking about veteran backup quarterback Chase Daniel, who signed on with the NFL Network this season to provide commentary and analysis after Monday Night Football games on the network’s show NFL GameDay Final. With the Chargers based in Los Angeles, along with the NFL Network, Daniel’s years of experience in the league seemed a perfect fit for the role.

“However, things were a little tricky this week. After all, Daniel and the Chargers were playing on Monday night, as they squared off with Russell Wilson and the visiting Denver Broncos. Which meant that once the game ended — a game that went into overtime — while Daniel’s teammates were starting to unwind, he was starting his second job.”

We learned Randy Johnson is a sideline photographer with a dead bird logo

“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When you explode a bird with a pitch, make it the logo for your business.”

LeBron bricked a logo 3 and everyone lost their minds

“There was 13 whole seconds left on the shot clock when LeBron took that three-pointer. This is a sign of a dude who has already realized the team around him is garbage. The Lakers haven’t won a playoff series since they won the 2020 NBA championship inside the bubble, and so far this isn’t shaping up to be the year they’re going to do it.

“No one could believe LeBron took that shot and missed it so badly.”

We met Steeve Ho You Fat

“Wembanyama and Henderson each electric in the made-for-TV special meant to promote the likely top-two picks in the 2023 NBA Draft. Check out our full breakdown of the game here. As basketball fans were losing their mind over the 7’5 Wembanyama’s otherworldly talent and Henderson’s top-end athleticism and scoring punch, it felt like there were just as many tweets about Ho You Fat’s unique last name.

“Yes, Stevee Ho You Fat is a real person. He’s played basketball all over France during a pro career that started in 2008-2009. Screenshots of his jersey immediately went viral.”

Russell Wilson worked out on a transatlantic flight

“This is absurd, on so many levels. For one, if you’re working out for four out of eight hours on a giant plane I’m convinced that you are actually the Sith. Wilson marching up and down the cramped plane aisle doing high knees would actually turn me into the Joker on the flight. Not to mention that the rest of the players were asleep? Yeah man there’s no way he would be back on the plane ride home.”

November

Steph Curry hit a fadeaway 3 and you can see the moment a Rockets coach dies inside

“The best part of the clip might be the reaction from Rockets assistant John Lucas. Lucas is a 69-year-old who has spent a lifetime around the game as a player and coach. Few players from his generation have had as much longevity and influence in the game. Lucas has legitimately seen it all on a basketball court, and even he couldn’t believe Steph’s shot.”

Seahawks LB Darrell Taylor got really excited after a Seattle interception

“Among those caught in the moment? Seahawks linebacker Darrell Taylor, who was watching the play from the sideline.

“After the game, eagle-eyed observers noted that Taylor raced on the field after the turnover, before the play was over, and started throwing blocks for Diggs.”

An Arkansas player threw down a dunk so hard announces joked kids shouldn’t watch

“You know it’s a big dunk when LeBron James is posting about it on social media.”

LeBron told some stories

“LeBron James was asked about Takeoff’s death on Sunday afternoon after the Los Angeles Lakers lost the Cleveland Cavaliers, 114-100, in LA. His answer went viral for all the wrong reasons.

“James said that he had been listening to Migos since his first year with the Heat in 2010. There’s only one problem: Migos’ first mixtape didn’t drop until August of 2011. Maybe another star could get away with this, but long-time followers of LeBron have noticed him telling little white lies like this before, and they had a field day with it on Twitter.”

Taylor Swift released tour dates and snubbed a bunch of NFL cities

“With a majority of NFL stadiums on the tour schedule there are 10 teams/cities who won’t get the opportunity to see Tay Tay live. It’s not a huge problem for some of these fans like in Cleveland, who need to make a relatively short drive to Cincinnati , but some poor souls will have to make a multi-state pilgrimage in order to be one of the lucky Swifies seeing her live.”

Senate candidate and former NFL RB Herschel Walker talked about vampires

“There are no werewolves in Tom Holland’s 1985 film Fright Night.”

It was so cold at Arkansas vs LSU players were drinking broth

“My first question, obviously, is how are they getting this chicken broth? Is there some graduate assistant down below the stadium cooking up a witches brew of chicken broth, then wheeling it out to the sideline? Do they have a player’s aunt making chicken broth on the sideline, because that’s the only broth I want to drink.

“My next question is which brave soldier mixed all three with some Powerade? I’m not saying it would be good but it would give you the shot of energy that you need and you get all your vitamins in there too. It’s like a warm preworkout, should give you all the energy you need. If enough people read this story I will make the witches brew of coffee, chicken broth, hot chocolate and Powerade.”

December

Coach Prime told his new players to ‘jump in the portal’

“Coach Prime pointed out that nothing was going to stay the same, from the uniforms to how Colorado conducted business. Sanders also noted that he sees the biggest problem with the team being that not enough people appreciate what they have, or believe in what they can be. ‘I have a problem when young men, with everything in front of them, don’t believe. Sanders said. ‘That’s a problem.’”

Matt Rhule gaslit everyone

“If you’re getting a little confused at this point it’s not your fault, because Rhule trying to make this picture confusing. He’s lying. He’s re-writing history to fit a narrative of him being the poor, maligned program builder who wasn’t given a chance to succeed in a win-now world of the NFL — but rest assured, Nebraska fans, when he’s given time he’s going to make a winner.”

Sac State and Incarnate Word played the game of the year while you slept

“Finally, lest we forget—A HORNET PLAYER CELEBRATED A TD BY DRINKING A BEER!

“That’s right, after junior RB Marcus Fulcher ran in a long TD, he celebrated how we all would: by drinking some of a fan’s beer.”

Messi dazzled on this assist at the World Cup

“Pure magic from Messi. No one can be critical of his World Cup performance in this tournament. Even in the twilight of his career, Messi is still capable of doing things no one else on the planet can dream of.”