With the year slowly winding down in the next few days, I wanted to take a step back to relive all of the twists and turns that 2023 has brought us, some sports-related, others not.
January: started out rough when Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin went down on the field during the game, we later found out that he went into cardiac arrest during the game. Thankfully, Damar was able to make a full recovery.
In NASCAR, Kevin Harvick confirmed his plan to retire and also announced his plan to join the FOX TV booth in 2024.
February: brought us the Super Bowl, the first one featuring two brothers playing against each other on the field. The Kansas City Chiefs came out victorious at the end of the night. Tom Brady announced his retirement for the second time, and actually stuck with it.
In the NBA, LeBron James became the all-time highest scorer, beating Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record.
March: featured major heartbreak for Chase Elliott fans after it was revealed that Chase had fractured his tibia in a snowboarding accident, he was able to make a return in April.
For all of us Swifties, March was also the beginning of one of the biggest tours of the year, The Eras Tour, which is estimated to be one of the highest-grossing tours.
April: held the NFL draft, where Bryce Young was the first pick, drafted by the Carolina Panthers. Alex Bowman suffered a compression fracture, pulling him out for a few weeks.
May: brought controversy when NASCAR driver Chase Elliott was suspended for his wreck with Denny Hamlin. Also in the NASCAR world, SHR was penalized for having counterfeit parts, one of the largest penalties NASCAR has given. May also held the first cup race at North Wilkesboro Speedway since 1997, which was won by Kyle Larson.
June: held the Titan submarine exploration which made national news worldwide.
The Vegas Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup with their victory over The Florida Panthers.
The Denver Nuggets won the 2023 NBA Finals, the first in franchise history.
July gave us the Chicago Street Race, which was won by Shane Van Gisbergen in his NASCAR Cup Series debut.
Elon Musk purchased Twitter in July, rebranding it to “X”.
Oppenheimer and Barbie were both released, making strides at the box office.
In the soccer world, Lionel Messi announced his move to the Inter Miami team, signing a contract through 2025.
It was also a good month for Taylor Swift fans when she released her 3rd re-recording, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).
August: gave us the official retirement news from NASCAR driver Kurt Busch, something many expected but was still heartbreaking for a lot of fans. Driver Noah Gragson was also indefinitely suspended in August due to online activity; he is set to return in 2024.
September: was a fun one for music fans, especially Swifties. Taylor Swift took over our TVs when she showed up to her first NFL game, confirming her relationship with Chiefs TE, Travis Kelce.
October: brought some good news when Damar Hamin returned to the field for the first time since January. Legacy Motor Club announced Matt Kenseth was coming back to the sport as a competition advisor for the team.
November: brought us a new NASCAR Cup Series champion in the form of Ryan Blaney. Although he won in points, the race win went to Ross Chastain.
The Georgia Bulldogs were beaten out of the SEC championship by Alabama in a heartbreaking turn of events, losing them any chances of competing for another National Championship
Also in November, the Texas Rangers won their first World Series in franchise history, after a five-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
And finally, December:.While we are nearing the end of the month, there have been a lot of events taking place throughout the last 3s days. MLB player Shohei Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers on a reported 10-year contract, the largest sports deal in history.
Taylor Swift was named Time’s Person of the Year (no surprise there).
In NASCAR, Shane van Gisbergen announced a 2024 schedule that included a full Xfinity schedule, and some cup races. Noah Gragson joined SHR, taking over the 10 car.
With 2023 close to being in the rearview mirror, I can’t wait to see what 2024 may bring us!
