If we are unprejudiced in our honesty, there was no bigger story in all of U.S. sports in 2025 than the ascension of Nico Harrison simultaneously as the GOAT villain and most despised general manager in arguably the history of U.S. sports. But other things went down last year that, if we look in the rearview, we can say damn to and ‘‘damn,’’ too.
The NFL Draft ‘‘messaging’’ of Shedeur Sanders. The NBA’s gambling situationship. The realization that Bill Belichick’s not a coaching genius. Alex Ovechkin, even in breaking the goal record, will never be Wayne Gretzky. The portal and NIL’s full COVID-like, infectious spread across college athletics. How we all (media, society and sports as a whole) allowed Terence Crawford to retire so unceremoniously. The name Sherrone. Kyren Lacy’s suicide. (And all things surrounding it that caused it.)
Steve Ballmer and the total destruction of an NBA franchise. Tee Morant, Ja Morant and the total front-office destruction of another NBA franchise. The WNBA players’ ‘‘stand our ground’’ CBA negotiating approach. The two-school, six-sports conference called the Pac-12. The 18-team capitalistic NCAA system called the Big Ten. Indiana FOOTBALL. Detroit basketball. How the media as a whole downplayed Michael Jordan and his 23XI Racing team’s legal victory over NASCAR. The cultural insignificance and ‘‘whatever’’ of Jordan’s fragmented segments for NBC.
The rise of the Patriots, Bears and Jaguars; the fall of the Chiefs, Lions, Vikings and Commanders. The difference of the Eagles in January and February to November and December — with everything that happened in between. College football coaches’ firings and buyouts. The sloppy Charlie Dixon/Joy Taylor/Skip Bayless free fall inside FS1. The exit at ESPN by Elle Duncan, beautiful. The exit of Shannon Sharpe from ESPN, the opposite of beautiful. ‘‘Inside The NBA’’ coming to ESPN. Taylor Townsend exposing Jelena Ostapenko’s true self. The Jannik Sinner/Carlos Alcaraz rivalry. The uniqueness and specialness of Brewers manager Pat Murphy.
Game 3 of the World Series. Shohei Ohtani on Oct. 17. Victor Wembanyama on Oct. 22. The explosion of Napheesa Collier’s scorched-earth news conference targeting embattled WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert. The hypocrisy of the CFP’s 12-person selection committee and the CFP system as is. MonsterGPT, Rithmn, AgentKit, Ace, WagerGPT and the chase to create the perfect AI sports gambling agent. The end of Jake Paul’s and Andrew Tate’s boxing careers. The backlash and Turning Point USA’s response to Bad Bunny being announced as Super Bowl LX’s halftime performer. Pablo Torre’s brilliant and public bid to become the next ‘‘60 Minutes’’ correspondent. ‘‘LFG!’’
The adjacent or direct impact Taylor Swift’s relationship with Travis Kelce began to have on his career. (Or, at least, the quiet/not-so-quiet conversations that are being had surrounding that proven/unproven theory.) Klay and Megan. Donovan and Coco. Paige and Azzi. Jordyn and KAT. Jordon and Bill. Dana and Donald. Calf injuries. Anthony Edwards’ social-media thirsts. Kevin Durant’s trolls. Bronny’s hate. The misinterpretation of Ayesha Curry. The interpretation of Mark Sanchez. Time acknowledging A’ja Wilson over Scottie Scheffler and Ohtani as Athlete of the Year. The Tyrese Haliburton asterisk on OKC’s championship.
Dillon Danis vs. Islam Makhachev. LBJ vs. SAS (otherwise known as LeBron vs. Stephen A).
Trinity Rodman vs. the NWSL and salary-cap structure. Hulk Hogan’s death vs. Black America’s feelings about him. The return of the American white boy to NBA prominence. (Austin Reaves, Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, Chet Holmgren, Collin Gillespie, etc.) Netflix’s exclusive video podcast partnership with Barstool Sports. The Ringer ‘‘assisting’’ Rich Paul and Max Kellerman to partner up for a podcast. The un-Colin Kaepernick-ing of Philip Rivers. Jerry Jones’ failed Micah Parsons power move. Vlad Jr.’s $500 million bag. (And everything he did after securing it.) Naomi Osaka’s Labubu fashion statement. The Fever getting within one win of the WNBA Finals without Caitlin Clark. Unrivaled, Season 1. Amanda Anisimova. The Big Dumper. Connor Hellebuyck. Sovereignty.
The insane — and disrespectful — initial ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup. The NYC Marathon’s men’s finish (with Eliud Kipchoge running his first and last one). The number of 100-point games in women’s college basketball. Olivia Miles’ and MiLaysia Fulwiley’s transfer-portal engagements and new landing spots. The NCAA women’s Division I volleyball tournament. Clayton Kershaw’s naked stomach. The ICE arrests, detainments and deportations during the 2025 Club World Cup and the conversations of fear surrounding likely strategies during the aforementioned World Cup 2026 matches across North America this summer.
The deaths and dissolves of the Chiefs’ and Warriors’ dynasties. The ‘‘KC’’ Chiefs pre-move from Missouri to Kansas. Continued small-market dominance in the NBA since the COVID ‘‘bubble,’’ with the third such team in five years winning the Larry O’Brien. Coco Gauff repeating as Forbes’ top-earning non-male athlete. The breakup of Steph Curry and Under Armour. Pat McAfee’s Mary Kate Cornett regret. Angel Reese in angel wings. Here in Chicago, the deaths of Steve McMichael, Bobby Jenks, Ryne Sandberg and Sister Jean.
Our come-to-Jesus realizations of the beginnings of the goodbyes of Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis, Travis Kelce, T.J. Watt, Mike Trout, Sidney Crosby, Klay Thompson, Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Venus Williams, Chris Paul, Tua Tagovailoa, Deshaun Watson, Jimmy Butler, Aaron Rodgers, Novak Djokovic, Lionel Messi and LeBron James from whom they used to be and what they once meant to us.
Too cynical? Sorry, not sorry. Happy 2026.