The Crave Sports Awards. We like to call them ‘Cravies.’ It’s our way of recognizing the best, most bizarre, unique, transcendent and memorable sports happenings each year. It’s essentially like winning an Oscar.
It’s the 5th straight year we’ve recognized the most notable sports moments of the year. 2016 may be our largest, most impressive collection.
Here we go!
Best New Sport
Darwin Award
Given to those who extremely question the gene pool based on their poor decision making
Golfer attempts chip shot on ice, falls in lake
The Babe Didrikson Zaharias Award
AKA, the female athlete who captivated and conquered all.
Simone Manual – First African-American to win an Olympic gold swimming medal
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 11: Simone Manuel of the United States celebrates after winning gold in the Women’s 100m Freestyle Final on Day 6 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on August 11, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
Best Commercial
Foot Locker – Tom Brady
The future Hall-of-Famer pokes fun at deflate-gate.
Most Embarrassing Play
Joakim Noah – Worst Shot Ever?
Road House Award
Miami Fan Punches West Virginia Fan In Bathroom Over Urinal Access
A college bowl game fight followed by possibly the best one-liner of the year.
Best Viral Video
Herd of deer crushes cross country runner
This is only great because the runner was okay.
Animal Planet Award
Watch this dude punch a kangaroo in the face after it attacks his dog
Know anyone else who’s boxed a kangaroo?
Best Photobomb
Cavs dancer destroys Sportscenter
Smartest Revenge Award
Cowboys fan dumped before Christmas gets last laugh
Evel Knievel Award
Race pilot hit on runway escapes death
Best Fan
This Pirates fan fan’d harder than you ever have
Houdini Award
Buster Posey’s magical toss into Jake Peavy’s glove
Funniest Sports Moment
Bills fan throws sex toy onto field
Retro Award
Rockets player brings back underhand free throws to NBA
Boldest Moment
John Oliver pranks Yankees, enables Ninja Turtles to get elite seats
The “Wanna Get Away?” Award
Yankees fan loses ring while trying to propose
Exsqueeze Me Award
Did she really just say that?
Lindsey Vonn embarrasses J.J. Watt with groin joke at ESPYs
The Helmuth Award
Did I really just want to name an award after myself? Possibly. But in fairness, my name translates as ‘hard headed’ in German. You can’t get more hard-headed than Jameson Taillon this year. Unreal.
Pirates pitcher takes 105 MPH line-drive to head, stays in game
Most Shocking sports moment
Winning three games in a row to erase a 1-3 series deficit to arguably the greatest team in regular season NBA History (73-9 Warriors) while also winning Cleveland’s first sports title in a half century? Sure, why not?
LeBron James has pulled the most amazing feat in NBA Finals history
Most Inspiring Moment
Steve Smith takes girl with rare autism to prom
Best moment no one cared about
What could easily be considered the most shocking sports moment of the year, A&M made the greatest comeback in college basketball history when they erased a 12 point deficit in 44 seconds to beat Northern Iowa in the NCAA Tournament.
Yes, Texas A&M did pull of the greatest comeback in college basketball history
This is how you erase a 12-point deficit in 35 seconds. https://t.co/l3eJ83wDDB #MarchMadness
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 21, 2016
Best Celebrity Moment
Kate Upton has Twitter rampage after Justin Verlander loses Cy Young
Nobody puts Kate’s Tiger in the corner!
SMH Award
We’re all shaking our heads with this one.
Someone tried to sell a ‘bag of air’ from Kobe’s last game on eBay
Best Broadcasting Call
Iceland commentator’s head explodes following Euro goal
This was Gummi Ben after Iceland punched their way into the Euro 16 for the first time ever
Most bizarre play
This was a tough call. We could have included NW Missouri State’s insane lateral TD OR Northern Iowa’s half-court buzzer beater … But this shot below is unlike anything we’ve ever seen.
Australian incredible behind-the-backboard buzzer-beater
Play of the Year
Villanova’s buzzer beater over UNC for national title
In what was likely the best NCAA Tournament ending of all-time, UNC’s Marcus Paige drilled a game-tying three pointer with four seconds left, only to watch it become obsolete with a three pointer at the buzzer by Nova’s Kris Jenkins.
For the national title… ONIONS!
Most memorable moment of 2016
Cubs win first World Series in 108 years
Ending America’s longest sports title drought in dramatic fashion, the Chicago Cubs captured their first World Series since 1908 by defeating the Cleveland Indians 8-7 in a 10-inning thriller that concluded early on November 3. (Photo credit should read TASOS KATOPODIS/AFP/Getty Images)
And what else could it have been? It may be another 108 years before the lovable losers win another World Series? In 2016 they proved the curse of the billygoat has vanished. And the north side partied like it was 1908 … on steroids.
Here are the best Cubs stories you missed since their World Series wi
Related: The 2015 Crave Sports Awards
Josh Helmuth is the editor of Crave Sports.
Photo: Getty
