From the Philadelphia Eagles’ first Super Bowl win in franchise history to Vontae Davis’s surprise retirement during halftime, 2018 brought sports fans many iconic moments. Proconian revisits some of the sports moments that made the year memorable.
January 8, 2018
Alabama wins the National Championship behind Tua Tagovailoa
When sports fanatics say that Alabama is insanely good, they’re not lying. This statement proved true in the National Championship game on January 8. Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts struggled in the first half against the Georgia Bulldogs’ defense. Hurts had led the Crimson Tide to the championship game the year before, but Alabama fell to Clemson 35-31. After trailing 13–0 at the end of the first half, Hurts was benched for an unknown freshman out of Hawaii by the name of Tua Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa led Alabama back and threw the game-winning touchdown in overtime to secure the 26–23 Crimson Tide victory.
February 4, 2018
The Eagles win their first Super Bowl
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Peterson made a gutsy call to go for it on 4th and goal at the end of the first half in Super Bowl LII against the defending champion New England Patriots. The Eagles converted on a pass to quarterback Nick Foles for a touchdown to put them up 22-12 at the end of the first half. The Eagles eventually prevailed 41-33 over New England. Philadelphia is known for its cheese steaks, but this play catapulted itself into Philly fame alongside the iconic sandwich.
February 28, 2018
James Harden’s crossover of Wesley Johnson
Los Angeles Clipper Wesley Johnson didn’t know what he was in for when Rockets guard James Harden started sizing him up. After a few dribbles between his legs, Harden faked going left and then snatched the ball between his legs, leaving Johnson flailing back. While Johnson sat on the ground, Harden shot him an icy stare and waited for him to get up before sinking a three pointer in Houston’s 105-92 victory.
March 16, 2018
UMBC defeats Virginia 74-54 in the first round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament
Going into the 2018 NCAA men’s basketball tournament, No. 1 seeds were a perfect 132–0 against No. 16 seeds. Virginia entered the game with a 31–2 overall record, the best in the country. Had a gambler put down $50 on UMBC to win, he would have taken home $1,000. Everything went right for UMBC: the Retrievers shot a red-hot 50% from three, while Virginia shot a dismal 18.2%. Though the game was tied at halftime, UMBC dropped 53 points on the Cavaliers on the way to a 20-point blowout, perhaps the biggest upset in the history of college basketball.
March 30, 2018–April 1, 2018
Arike Ogunbowale hits last-second game winners to propel Notre Dame to a national championship
Notre Dame guard Arike Ogunbowale hit not one, but two game winners on women’s basketball’s biggest stage. In the national semifinal, Ogunbowale hit a game-winning shot against the powerhouse UConn Huskies with just one second remaining, lifting the Fighting Irish to a 91-89 victory. In the next game, the ball was in Ogunbowale’s hands yet again as she hit an off-balance three pointer from the corner with a tenth of a second left to beat Mississippi State 61-58 and give Notre Dame its second national championship.
May 31, 2018
J.R. Smith’s colossal blunder costs the Cavs Game 1 of the NBA Finals
Cleveland Cavaliers guard George Hill toed the free throw line in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the Cavs trailing Golden State by one point with 4.7 seconds left. Hill made his first shot, tying the game 107-107, but the second free-throw bounced off of the rim and straight into the outstretched arms of Cleveland guard J.R. Smith. Smith didn’t seem to realize the Cavs weren’t ahead, so he moseyed his way beyond the three-point arc, somehow assuming Cleveland had sealed the victory. LeBron James then barked at Smith, who quickly realized they still had to score. Smith swung a desperation pass back to Hill, who threw up a wild shot after the buzzer that was blocked. James was furious after the play, raising his hands up in disbelief. Smith cost his team the chance to win the game, as the Warriors took the game in overtime, 124-114, en route to their series sweep.
September 8, 2018
Serena Williams goes off on umpire Carlos Ramos in U.S. Open final
In the U.S. Open Finals, playing against Japan’s Naomi Osaka, Serena Williams lost her cool. After being accused by the umpire Carlos Ramos of cheating and then being penalized for verbal abuse, Williams went off on a rant, directing her fury at Ramos, calling him a “thief”. As a result of the tirade, the umpire awarded a game to her opponent, Naomi Osaka. Williams’ nightmare match ended with a controversial loss to 21-year-old Osaka 6-2, 6-4.
September 16, 2018
The NFL’s Vontae Davis retires
The Buffalo Bills were getting drubbed by the Los Angeles Chargers so badly in the second week of the season that Bills ten-year veteran defensive back Vontae Davis decided he had enough. The Chargers held a 28–6 lead at halftime when Davis hung up his cleats. Apparently, Davis decided, “I don’t belong on that field anymore.” Davis was a first-round draft pick and twice earned Pro Bowl honors. Davis’s decision was the talk of the league, but he may have made the right one: the Bills have gone 5-7 since his departure.
