Is 2016 the year of the fairytale? While the Cleveland Indians battle the Blue Jays in the ALCS for a chance at their first World Series win in 68 years, and the Chicago Cubs try to do the same against the Dodgers in the NLCS and break their drought of 108 years, we look back at some of the biggest droughts that were broken in 2016.
Leicester City – English Premier League
The fairy tales for 2016 kicked off with a party – a Jamie Vardy Party to be correct. The ‘Foxes’ as they are affectionately known, captured the attention of football, and sporting fans worldwide.
Rewind to the end of 2014 and the Foxes are dead last, facing relegation after their first year back in the Premier League since 2004, they go on to win seven of their last nine games to finish 14th and remain in the top league for the 2015-16 season.
At 5000/1 odds to win and with the sacking their manager before the start of their season, things didn’t look great. However they started the season fantastically with only one loss in their first 17 games, and despite many thinking that they couldn’t keep their winning ways up and outlast the perennial heavyweights of the EPL, they kept winning.
They led the League for much of the year, recording only three losses and withstanding a late charge by Tottenham. They held out to win the Premier League title – a first in their 132-year history. Four players were announced in the team of the year, with Jamie Vardy also taking out player of the year honours.
Many football experts claim the win as one of the greatest ever in sports.
Cleveland Cavaliers – National Basketball Association
You would be hard pressed to find more tortured sports fans than those in the city of Cleveland. Across the three major sports, NBA, NFL, and MLB, they would have to go and ask their grandfathers what it was like to see a championship for the city – that was, before 2016.
The Browns have never won the SuperBowl despite four NFL Championships between the years 1950-1964, and the Indians haven’t tasted success in the baseball World Series since 1948.
With LeBron James returning for the Cavs in the 2014-15 season, and leading them to the finals that same year, they suffered heartbreak again and lost the finals 4-2 to the Golden State Warriors.
2015-16 they again made the playoffs as the No.1 seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs, dominating Detroit and Atlanta 4-0, and a 4-2 series win over Toronto saw them take the Conference Title for the secondnd year running.
They found themselve coming up again against a Warriors outfit which had set the record of 73 wins in a season. Falling behind and facing the task of trying to become the first team ever to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the finals, it looked like this season would end in the same manner as so many before it.
However King James along with teammate Kyrie Irving stepped up in Game 5, scoring over 40 points each, before a win at home in Game 6, then finally securing a road win in Game 7 to hand the Cavs their first NBA title in their 46-year history.
Western Bulldogs – Australian Football League
After losing a host of experienced players in the 2014 season, no one expected the Dogs to feature in the finals in 2015, let alone a grand final in 2016.
Facing many injuries during the 2016 season, including a season-ending ACL injury to club stalwart and captain Robert ‘Bob’ Murphy in Round 3, they finished a respectable seventh, but faced a tough ask in the finals.
They dispatched West Coast, and then wins over heavyweights Hawthorn and the up and comers GWS saw them facing off against minor premiers Sydney in the grand final.
A very tight and tough game had the Dogs only down by two at the half, but they came back in the third quarter to be leading by eight points at the final change.
Strong games by Tom Boyd and Liam Picken as well Norm Smith Medallist Jason Johannisen saw the Dogs take the premiership with a 22-point win for the first time in 62 years.
Cronulla Sharks – National Rugby League
The Sharkies were the butt of many jokes when it came to talking about Premiership winners. ‘Supercoach’ Jack Gibson has been famously quoted as saying that waiting for Cronulla to win a grand final is like leaving a porch light on for Harold Holt. Given the Sharks have missed out on taking the top gong in four grand final appearances in 49 years, many thought he was right.
In 2014 after being investigated for their role in a supplements scandal from 2011, they faced coach and player suspensions, injuries, as well as the sacking Dally M playmaker Todd Carney halfway through the year, befor things ended in a disastrous fashion, ‘winning’ the wooden spoon.
2016 saw them celebrating their 50th year in the competition, and they were keen to put all that behind them. They put an amazing 15-game winning streak together over 18 weeks during the middle of the season, and despite losing four out of their last five games, they finished in third spot.
Many commentators and fans were writing them off, but with wins over the Raiders in Canberra, and the North Queensland Cowboys at home two weeks later, The Sharks made their first premiership decider since the Super League loss in 1997.
They faced a Melbourne Storm team that would mark their sixth grand final in 11 years, and featured superstars Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk.
Cronulla led 8-0 at the half, but then conceded two tries early in the second half to be down 12-8. A try to Andrew Fifita in what many consider a man-of-the-match performance put them in front with just over ten minutes remaining.
With some scrambling defence late in the game, something they were well known for during the season, they took out the first ever premiership in the club’s history.
What’s your best bet? For great odds on all your favourite sports check out PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
It’s a pretty good time to be a Tasmanian sports fan right now. After years in the sporting wilderness with not much to celebrate,…
Olympic swimming legend and Australian Sports Commission boss Kieren Perkins has warned that "someone will die" if a multi-sport event that allows athletes to…
In 2015 when heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury beat Wladimir Klitschko, the fighter regarded by many as the ‘Greatest of all time’ in the sport,…
Join Australia's most vibrant online sports community and you have the chance to win $1000. The Roar is the perfect blend of sports reporting,…
Here is a review of our boxers who made a splash in the world rankings over the past year.
After intense debate at Roar HQ, we’ve selected the 23 most controversial moments for 2023.
