2023 Rewind: The Best of Sports
December 29, 2023By: Carlos Alvarez
Good Morning
It’s finally here — my favorite edition of the year. Tracking events as they happen is great, but reliving the best sports moments at the end of each year? It’s special. I spent hours digging through our past 250+ newsletters to find links to the best moments of 2023.
In today’s edition, we remember the biggest champions, highlights, record-breaking performances and top news stories. I hope you find a few minutes to rewind the incredible year we spent together in sports. Happy New Year, team!
CHAMPIONS
The 23 Biggest Champions of 2023
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The 23 Biggest Champions of Sports in 2023 (In Chronological Order)
Another year has come to a close and the remnants of the greatest sports moments still live in our minds. While much of what we’ve published in 2023 — somewhere in the ballpark of 500,000 words — has already been forgotten, these are the stories, champions, and highlights that will live forever. You can’t cover sports without historic data, and these champions etched their names in those record books.
The calendar year featured three first-time championships for three franchises in the major professional team sports — the Denver Nuggets (NBA), Vegas Golden Knights (NHL), and Texas Rangers (MLB). Overall, 12 of the teams or athletes on our list were first-time champions in 2023.
Let’s do it! These are the 23 best sports champions of 2023. Scroll down further to see the top 5 record-breaking highlights and moments, as well as the top 23 news stories of the year in sports. Enjoy!
A Blowout CFB Championship Game
Georgia Deals TCU Biggest Beatdown in CFP History (65-7)
An Epic Super Bowl LVII Shootout
Chiefs Come Back to Beat Eagles (38-35)
NCAA Tournament Darlings (March Madness)
Men: #4 UConn Paces #5 SD State (76-59)
Women: #3 LSU Top #2 Iowa (102-85)
A 1st-Time Masters Champion
Jon Rahm (-12) Wins The Masters
The 149th Kentucky Derby Miracle
15-1 Long-Shot ‘Mage’ Makes Improbable Comeback
The 107th Indianapolis 500 Twist
Josef Newgarden Survives Crash-Filled Race in Indy
The New Champions of Europe
Manchester City Win 1st UEFA Champions League Crown
A Mile-High NBA Finals Celebration
Denver Nuggets Beat Miami Heat for 1st NBA Crown
A 1st-Time Stanley Cup Finals Winner
Vegas Golden Knights Beat Florida Panthers for 1st Stanley Cup
A Wimbledon Finale for the Ages
Carlos Alcaraz Wins 5-Set Epic Against Novak Djokovic
The Fight of the Year
Terence Crawford TKOs Errol Spence Jr. for Welterweight Title
The FedEx Cup Playoff Runaway
Viktor Hovland (-27) Dominates Field for 1st FedEx Cup
The All-Europe World Cup Final
Spain Tops England (1-0) to Win 1st Ever Women’s World Cup
A U.S. Open Star is Born
Teen Phenom Coco Gauff Wins 1st Major
Another Wild Ryder Cup
Europe Holds Off USA for Ryder Cup in Rome (16.5-11.5)
The Undeniable Formula 1 Champion
Max Verstappen Captures 3-Peat as F1 Champ
A Repeat for Vegas in the WNBA Finals
Aces Oust Liberty to Win Back-to-Back WNBA ‘Ships
Another Gold Rush for Gym’s Biggest Star
Simone Biles Wins 4 Gold Medals at World Championships
A Southwest Fall Classic Few Expected
Texas Rangers Roll Arizona Diamondbacks for 1st World Series Crown
The 1st-Time NWSL Champions
Gotham FC Take Out OL Reign (2-1) for 1st NWSL Title
The NASCAR Cup Series Showdown
Ryan Blaney Wins 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs
The MLS Cup Final of Magic
Columbus Crew Top LAFC (2-1) to Earn 3rd MLS Cup
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HIGHLIGHTS
Top-5 Most Memorable Moments
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Highlights & Videos of Historic Record-Setting Performances
#1 LeBron James Breaks NBA’s All-Time Scoring Record
February 8, 2023
#2 Ronald Acuna Jr. Notches MLB’s 1st 40-HR 70-SB Season
September 27, 2023
#3 Max Verstappen Shatters F1 Single-Season Wins Record (19)
November 26, 2023
#4 16-Seed Fairleigh Dickinson Upsets #1 Purdue
March 17, 2023
#5 Boston Bruins Break NHL\’s Single-Season Wins Records
April 9, 2023
Bonus
Michael Block’s Hole-in-One at the PGA Championship
May 21, 2023
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NEWS
The 23 Biggest Storylines
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Storylines, Signings, Trades, Scandals, Remembrances, Retirements & More
January 2023
Damar Hamlin’s Cardiac Arrest & Recovery
The Passing of NHL Hall of Famer Bobby Hull
February 2023
Tom Brady’s Official Retirement From Football
March 2023
Nets Trade Kevin Durant to Suns
April 2023
Packers Trade Aaron Rodgers to Jets
Wrexham AFC Promoted After 15-Year Absence
May 2023
Blackhawks Win Draft Lottery for Connor Bedard
Spurs Win Draft Lottery for Victor Wembanyama
June 2023
The PGA-LIV Golf Merger Announcement
July 2023
Lionel Messi Signs With MLS Club Inter Miami
Bronny James Suffers Cardiac Arrest at USC Practice
August 2023
Megan Rapinoe & Julie Ertz Retire After USWNT Loss
September 2023
Deion Sanders Revitalizes Colorado Football
Blazers Trade Damian Lillard to Bucks
October 2023
The Passing of Pro Football Hall of Famer Dick Butkus
Travis Kelce & Taylor Swift Get Together
November 2023
The Passing of Legendary Indiana Coach Bob Knight
The Michigan Football Sign-Stealing Scandal
December 2023
LSU’s Jayden Daniels Wins the Heisman Trophy
Florida State Snubbed From CFB Playoff