It’s the 4th straight year we’ve recognized the most viral sports moments of the year with the Crave Sports Awards. I like to call them ‘Cravies,’ But an Olympic cycle later, it still hasn’t caught on. I digress…
A lot happened over the past 12 months. The Patriots won the Super Bowl with an unexpected last-second play. The Warriors won their first NBA title in 40 years. The Cubs almost fulfilled their Back To The Future Destiny! Almost.
But what really went on between the lines? Let’s take a look at what 2015 had to offer in the interwebs, beginning with the ladies…
The Babe Didrikson Zaharias Award
AKA, the female athlete who captivated and conquered all.
This year, could it go to anyone else other than Holly Holm? Actually, yes. Serena Williams, who came just four sets away from a Grand Slam, which would have been the first in nearly three decades.
Serena, Serena, Serena. Say it three times in the mirror and you might be granted the ability to take over the planet… The tennis star is in her mid-thirties and at the peak of her game. Remember the greatness.
Photo: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images.
Sexiest Athlete
Paige Spiranac
The recent San Diego State grad was a captain on her golf team and is now trying to make the LPGA. But she also likes to model and stuff …
Best Commercial
Carl’s Jr.’s All-Natural
Not to stay on the sexy theme, but this Super Bowl commercial with Charlotte McKinney dropped jaws across the country and we still can’t get it out of our minds.
Most Embarrassing Play
MMA fighter taps out, poops himself
Hail ol’ Travis Walford in West Virginia! Poor guy…
Best Viral Video
Kansas State Band’s Halftime Show
Ever seen a Jayhawk give fellatio? We haven’t either. But it sure is hilarious.
Kudos to K-State for actually trying to pick a rivalry with KU.
Best Fan
Connor the Crusher
The little guy made such a big impact on the WWE wrestlers he met before his death they decided to put him in the Hall of Fame.
Funniest Sports Moment
Aaron Rodgers’ ‘AHH FU**’ bad snap on national television
It’s SO clear! … And when is the last time we heard a four-letter word followed by “STICKER, STICKER!?”
Animal Planet Award
Pro Surfer Fights off shark
…or this award should just be called “World’s Biggest Badass.”
Nice work, Mick Fanning, you lucky bastard.
Retro Award
Here’s A Photo Of Prince, Basketball Player
Remember that time we learned Prince was actually a basketball stud in Jr. High, donning a full-blown afro in the process? Just making sure.
Most Inspiring Moment
100 Year Old CA Man Breaks Track & Field World Records
Add this story to your list of ‘have to see it to believe it.’
After competing at the age of 98, 100-year-old Don Pellman out did himself at the San Diego Senior Olympics this past summer, smashing 5 new world records for his age group.
Nuff said.
Best moment no one cared about
American Pharoah
The horse won the first triple crown since Affirmed in 1978. And then we forgot about it the next day.
Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images.
Boldest Moment
I’m partial because my dad grew up Amish (true story). But how many people do you know that run a marathon … in homemade clothes?!
Leroy Stolzfus ran the Harrisburg Marathon in 3:05:45 (that’s fast!) in full-blown Amish clothes and got into running after getting “involved with some stuff.” Yup, sounds like rumspringa to me!
Now we don’t own the rights to the one picture of Leroy, so this pic below will have to do. Imagine, that might be mini-Leroy below, before he went all Forrest Gump…
Photo by John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images.
Best Celebrity Moment
Mike Tyson falling off hover board
Who knew all it took was a hover board, Evander?
SMH Award
Tom Brady’s deflated balls
How will we remember ‘Deflategate?’ A bunch of overzealous NFL execs spent way too much time and money to prove the Patriots cheated! … by delfating footballs by .2 PSI… or something like that … The point is when it comes to Tom Brady, we’re tired of talking about his balls.
Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images.
The “Wanna Get Away?” Award
The fail of the year goes to this guy, who lit off the stadium’s fireworks after the Royals hit a home run … only the home team wasn’t the Royals. The home team was CLEVELAND. OOPS!
This guy was booed by his entire home crowd.
Best Photobomb
Pete Rose. On Fox Sports. During the MLB playoffs. = unforgettable moment that led to even better memes.
Best Broadcasting Call
Carolina Panthers Spanish broadcasters Jamie and Luis Moreno with this one … I dare you not to laugh your heart out.
Isn’t everything better in Espanol?
Most bizarre play
Miami’s lateral kick-return TD miracle to defeat Duke
It would be play of the year, but it shouldn’t have counted. Referees were suspended following all the blown calls in this game, which included a downed knee during this play.
Still, at the end of the day, and eight, EIGHT, laterals later, it did count. And the ‘Canes won.
Play of the Year
Francis Owusu’s behind-the-back TD catch vs. UCLA
The last time we saw a play like this was more than ten years ago when Alabama’s Tyrone Prothro hauled in a similar TD catch that won him an ESPY for the year’s best play.
Amazing Owusu held on to the ball for the Stanford TD, let alone was able to catch it from behind his defender’s back. Without question, this was the most athletic, amazing, uncanny, just-bonkers, play of the year.
Most memorable moment of 2015
Carli Lloyd
An epic kick to seal her hat trick and the World Cup final? We’ll never see this again.
(click here or below to watch video)
Related: The 2014 Crave Sports Awards.
Josh Helmuth is the editor of CraveOnline Sports.
