On this Thanksgiving Day, sports must extol the somber scene at the England-France soccer friendly at Wembley Stadium in London four nights after the Paris terrorist attacks when 71,223 spectators from the rival nations and 44 players, arm-in-arm, sang “La Marseillaise,” the French anthem. Merci, soccer.
On this Thanksgiving Day, sports must extol the somber scene at the England-France soccer friendly at Wembley Stadium in London four nights after the Paris terrorist attacks when 71,223 spectators from the rival nations and 44 players, arm-in-arm, sang “La Marseillaise,” the French anthem. Merci, soccer.
Not to forget, there are so many others in sports’ little corner of the world who deserve a thank you:
Especially a horse. Give an extra carrot or two to American Pharoah, who wore racing’s first Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978, and a clenched fist-pump or two for the trainer Bob Baffert, the owner Ahmed Zayat and the jockey Victor Espinoza.
Carli Lloyd, whose three goals in the Women’s World Cup final, notably a soaring midfield strike of about 50 yards, led the U.S. team to the championship and a New York ticker-tape parade up Broadway.
Malcolm Butler, the New England Patriots rookie defensive back whose late goal-line interception of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was the most title-turning play in Super Bowl history.
The Kansas City Royals, who defined the words “baseball team” in winning the World Series with their bats, arms, legs, gloves and smarts.
Clarence Gaines, a New York Knicks scout who first trumpeted the talents of Kristaps Porzingis, the 7-foot-3, 20-year-old Latvian who is creating a pro basketball revival at Madison Square Garden, to the franchise guru Phil Jackson.
Jordan Spieth (Masters, U.S. Open), Zach Johnson (British Open) and Jason Day (PGA Championship), who turned golf’s four majors into memories.
Stan Bowman, the general manager of the Chicago Blackhawks who, for the third time in six seasons, won the trophy he was named after, the Stanley Cup, which his father, Scotty, won nine times as a coach: five with the Montreal Canadiens, three with the Detroit Red Wings, one with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman, who hushed a controversy in ruling that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady could not be suspended for deflating footballs because he “was not aware such misconduct could lead to the punishment he received.”
Steph Curry, the dazzling scorer and sorcerer of the Golden State Warriors in their rise to the NBA championship.
The New York Mets’ physicians who advised general manager Sandy Alderson to cancel a July 31 trade with the Milwaukee Brewers for center fielder Carlos Gomez (who went to the Houston Astros), prompting instead the arrival of outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, whose slugging sparked the Mets’ late-season ascent under manager Terry Collins to the National League East title and the World Series.
Novak Djokovic, who won three of the four men’s Grand Slam tennis titles, and the ATP World Tour Finals for the fifth time.
The New York Yankees, who honored their longtime pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre with a plaque in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium.
Sydney Seau, who allowed The New York Times to print the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction speech that she had prepared for her late father, Junior Seau; she was only allowed an interview onstage during the Canton, Ohio, ceremony. “The reason why this honor is so hard to accept,” she wrote in part, “is because we had always envisioned him still being here to accept it. … Dad, you gave us your time, your presence, your love, but most of all you gave us your heart.”
The Australian champion surfer Mick Fanning, who with his bare hands fought off a shark in the waters off South Africa.
Lindsay Berra, who led her family’s campaign for the Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded to her grandfather Yogi.
The boxing buffs who filed suit for “fraud” against Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr., their promoters and the cable companies HBO and Showtime after the dreary May 2 title bout in Las Vegas. Their complaint: Pacquiao’s shoulder injury wasn’t revealed until after the fight, and after 4.4 million viewers had paid up to $100 each to watch. The fighters each collected more than $100 million.
Jeff Gordon, the racecar legend who turned off the ignition after 24 years and 94 Sprint Cup victories.
Cristie Kerr, Michelle Wie, Gerina Piller, Angela Stanford and Paula Creamer, who rallied the U.S. Solheim Cup golfers, trailing by 4 points before the singles matches, to a 14 1/2-13 1/2 victory over Europe.
Chris Borland, the San Francisco 49ers linebacker who retired at age 24 “because I don’t think it’s worth the risk,” alluding to the future effect of the multiple concussions he had experienced and researched.
Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson, the first to reach the summit of El Capitan’s 3,000-foot Dawn Wall in Yosemite National Park in a single expedition with the use of only hands and feet to pull climbers up.
Mike Krzyzewski, the Duke coach who enjoyed his 1,000th victory en route to another NCAA basketball title.
And the more than 30 black football players at the University of Missouri who joined student protests against systemic racism on campus. Their threat not to play a game worth millions of dollars to the university in television and forfeit fees prompted the resignation of President Timothy F. Wolfe and Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin. The “Show Me” state showed the activist power of college athletes.