Best Games/Events of 2011

Best Games/Events of 2011

Cardinals 10, Rangers 9 (11 innings)

In a game that has already taken its place alongside the other classics of the national pastime, the host Cardinals, twice down to their final strike, rallied to beat the Rangers in 11 innings on a walk-off home run by David Freese, a St. Louis native. Freese had hit a two-run triple with two outs in the ninth to tie the game, and after the Rangers went ahead again by two on a home run by a hobbling Josh Hamilton in the 10th, St. Louis rallied to tie it again with two outs, this time on a Lance Berkman single. After holding Texas scoreless in the top of the 11th, Freese homered to dead center in the bottom half to force a Game 7 that the Cardinals would win to capture their 11th championship.

USA 2, Brazil 2 (5-3 PKs)

The match in Germany had plenty of twists and turns. An early own goal by Brazil, a controversial ejection of American Rachel Buehler in the 66th minute and a retaken penalty kick that enabled Brazil to tie the game at 1-1 -- and that was all before overtime when Marta scored to put Brazil on the brink of victory. Enter Abby Wambach, the U.S. team's powerful forward, who scored with the last touch of the game, heading in a goal in the final seconds of overtime. With momentum on their side, the U.S. performed flawlessly in the shootout to beat Brazil 5-3.

Game 162 (Sept. 28)

Over the course of one night, two teams (the Rays and Cardinals) completed miraculous month-long comebacks to capture wild cards and two others (the Red Sox and Braves) completed epic collapses. St. Louis beat Houston 8-0 on a shutout by Chris Carpenter; the Braves lost a ninth-inning lead and later the game in 13 to the Phillies to give the Cardinals the NL wild card. In the AL, the Red Sox blew a ninth-inning lead and lost in a walk-off to the Orioles, while the Rays rallied from a 7-0 eighth-inning deficit against the Yankees to tie the game with two outs in the ninth on a home run by Dan Johnson and win it in the 12th on a home run by Evan Longoria.

Bruins 1, Lightning 0

The game was a marvel of end-to-end rushes, roller-coaster emotion, no penalties, spectacular goaltending by Boston's Tim Thomas and Tampa Bay's Dwayne Roloson, only one goal -- by Nathan Horton with 7:33 left in regulation -- and a gritty defensive effort by the Bruins that made it stand up.

Wisconsin vs. Michigan State

Amid increasing hysteria over the prospect of an LSU-Alabama rematch, a conflicting national desire emerged: Could Wisconsin and Michigan State play every week? On Oct. 22, Michigan State beat then national-title hopeful Wisconsin 37-31 on a last-second Hail Mary now infamously known by its code name, "Rocket." The Badgers eventually got their revenge, surviving the Spartans 42-39 in the Big Ten title game when a roughing-the-punter call on MSU erased a huge return and allowed Wisconsin to run out the clock.

Butler 71, Pitt 70

For more than 39 minutes, Butler and Pitt played at an incredibly high level. And then the final 9.2 seconds vaulted the game to the ranks of the unforgettable -- involving two of most inexplicable fouls you'll ever see. Shelvin Mack (30 points, seven threes) called his foul at midcourt with 1.4 seconds left and the Bulldogs leading 70-69 "probably the worst foul in Butler history." But the Panthers committed an even worse one when, after Gilbert Brown made the game-tying free throw but missed the second, Nasir Robinson fouled Matt Howard on the rebound. Howard made the first free throw as Butler knocked off top-seeded Pitt on its way to a second consecutive title game.

Mavericks 95, Heat 93

The Mavs made a habit of comebacks in the playoffs, none more impressive and important than their rally from a 15-point deficit with 7:15 left at Miami to even the championship series at 1-1. Dirk Nowitzki used his injured left hand to make a tiebreaking layup with 3.6 seconds remaining to complete the charge for Dallas, which overcame 36 points from Dwyane Wade. The victory all but saved the Mavs' season, as only three teams have come back from trailing 2-0 in Finals history.

Packers 42, Saints 34

After the long, winding road that was the NFL lockout, the football-loving nation was thrilled to see the Packers and Saints take the field for the league's annual Thursday-night opener. And boy, did those two teams deliver. Green Bay took an early lead that held up, but the game wasn't decided until the final play, when the Packers stuffed Mark Ingram on the goal line with the Saints a touchdown and two-point version to pull even. It was the defining big play in a game full of them. After the fireworks of Randall Cobb's 108-yard kickoff return, Darren Sproles' 72-yard punt return and six TDs between aerial maestros Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees, the lockout was a very distant memory.

Novak Djokovic def. Roger Federer

Who can forget "The Forehand"? Down two match points on Federer's serve, Djokovic saved one by ripping a forehand crosscourt winner off a 108-mph first serve that was as insane a shot attempt as the tennis world had seen. It would swing the momentum of the match and Djokovic would win 6-7 (7), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5, only the second Grand Slam loss for Federer after taking the first two sets.

The Masters (April 7-10)

Sunday at Augusta was loaded with storylines. Tiger Woods had an eagle and four birdies in his first eight holes to tie for the lead, only to cool off on the back nine and finish tied for fourth. Rory McIlroy led by four entering the final round but melted down with an 80. And eight players had at least a piece of the lead on the back nine, including Charl Schwartzel, who became the first Masters winner to birdie the final four holes.

Dan Henderson def. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua

This matchup had even the most jaded pundits tossing out "greatest fight ever" and "fight of the year." In the end, Henderson's fast start was the difference. He bloodied Rua in the fight's first minute and controlled the round, landed a succession of big shots in the second, and dropped the Brazilian and nearly finished him in a dominant third. "Hendo" needed every last point. He was staggered by punches and taken down in the fourth round after running out of gas, then spent pretty much all of Round 5 on his back -- surrendering the dominant full mount position five times. But Shogun couldn't finish him, and Henderson was awarded a unanimous decision victory in the first UFC nontitle fight to go five rounds. All three judges scored the bout 48-47.

Men's 200 Meters

On a day when Usain Bolt ran the season's fastest 100 meters at 9.76 seconds, the spectacular sprinter was overshadowed by his Jamaican training partner. Yohan Blake ran 19.26 in the 200 meters at the Brussels meet, the second-fastest time in history and only 0.07 seconds behind Bolt's world record.

Indianapolis 500 (May 29)

The 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 provided an ending no one could believe. With two laps remaining, 23-year-old rookie J.R. Hildebrand, a virtual unknown before the race, seized the lead. But on the last turn, with Victory Lane in sight, Hildebrand crashed into the wall, allowing Dan Wheldon to secure his second career Indy 500 victory. Tragically, Wheldon was killed in an IndyCar crash at Las Vegas on Oct. 16, but his win will forever live in Indianapolis lore.

Ryan Lochte def. Michael Phelps

Lochte beat Phelps twice at the worlds in Shanghai, including in the 200 individual medley, where Lochte set the first world record in the post-high-tech swimsuit era with a time of 1:54.00, edging his American teammate by .16 seconds. Lochte finished the meet with six medals (five gold), while Phelps had four golds, two silvers and one bronze. Also in Shanghai, Americans Missy Franklin and Rebecca Soni led all women with three golds each.

Barcelona 2, Real Madrid 0

The archrival superpowers played a stunning four times in 18 days , none more memorable than the first leg of the Champions League semifinal where Barcelona's Lionel Messi affirmed his status as the world's greatest player. Messi scored one of the finest goals the Champions League has ever seen, dribbling past five players before slotting cooly past Real goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

Pawel Wolak draws Delvin Rodriguez

Wolak, a full-time construction worker, took his lunch-pail approach into the ring against Rodriguez, a former world title challenger making his 154-pound debut. Over 10-action packed rounds, the two exchanged bombs in a fight that looked to be on the verge of being stopped countless times. Fittingly, with Rodriguez's face battered and a softball-sized knot bulging around Wolak's right eye, the fight was ruled a draw. Rodriguez would win a convincing decision in the rematch in December ( pictured ), after which the 30-year-old Wolak announced his retirement.

Bills 34, Patriots 31

A 2-0 start to the 2011 season had Buffalo feeling good, but it wasn't until the Bills beat the mighty Patriots in Week 3, erasing a 21-0 deficit and picking off the red-hot Tom Brady four times, that playoff fever took over upstate New York after 11 straight seasons on the outside looking in. That the comeback ended a 15-game winless streak for the Bills against New England only added to the contest's significance. The win was a testament to perseverance and the best representative for an early-season trend of surprising turnaround teams and big comebacks. The Bills' 2011 season will ultimately be considered a disappointment, but it's important to remember when there was still hope.

Iowa State 37, Oklahoma State 31

If Oklahoma State beats Iowa State, it plays for the national championship and Alabama goes to the Sugar Bowl. It really is that simple. But in an era of BCS chaos, simple is rarely the norm. On Friday night in Ames, the upset-minded Cyclones overcame the Cowboys' 17-7 halftime lead to force overtime, where running back Jeff Woody punched in a four-yard game winner in the second extra frame. This was arguably the most shocking upset of the season; it was unquestionably the most meaningful.

Thunder 133, Grizzlies 123 (3 OT)

In the sixth playoff game to go three overtimes in NBA history, Oklahoma City scored the last 10 points to level a series that it ultimately won in seven games. The Thunder's Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook combined for 75 points in 108 minutes to trump Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol, who teamed for 60 points in 113 minutes. That the Grizzlies overcame a 10-point deficit with five minutes left in regulation (capped by Mike Conley's three-pointer to force OT) and then got an improbable game-tying three-pointer from Greivis Vasquez near the end of the first OT only added to the drama.

Delaware Handicap (July 16)

In a year when neither the Triple Crown nor Breeders' Cup races produced or validated true champions, 4-year-old fillies Blind Luck and Havre de Grace closed their two-year, six-race rivalry in spectacular fashion. They had split four victories in 12 months (both were beaten in the 2011 Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic by then-older Unrivaled Belle) when they walked into the starting gate to race 1 1/4 miles in Delaware. As always, Havre de Grace stalked the leaders while Blind Luck fell far back. Havre de Grace made first run on the turn, was passed by Blind Luck inside the quarter pole, bravely took back the lead by a neck and then was overhauled in the final jumps of a pulsating stretch run by Blind Luck. Sadly -- yet, fittingly -- they would not meet again, as Blind Luck was retired after a dull performance in her native California two months later and Havre de Grace finished her career with a dominating victory in the Beldame in New York and then a very game fourth place against males in the Breeders' Cup Classic.

PGA Championship (Aug. 11-14)

After a triple bogey on the 15th hole, rookie Keegan Bradley trailed Jason Dufner by five shots in the final round of the PGA Championship. But Bradley, playing his first major and ranked No. 108, made two birdies coming in while Dufner had three consecutive bogeys to set up a playoff. Bradley played the three playoff holes in 1-under to complete a stunning comeback win, ending the Americans' major drought at six.

Japan 2, U.S. 2 (3-1 PKs)

On two separate occasions the U.S. went up a goal on Japan in a classic final, and two times the Japanese came back to equalize before finishing off the Americans in a penalty shootout. The U.S. was just three minutes from World Cup glory on Abby Wambach's extra-time header when Japanese legend Homare Sawa stabbed home a corner kick to deflate a U.S. defense that was at fault on both of the Japanese strikes. The dramatic game drew an ESPN audience of more than 13 million U.S. viewers.

Tour de France (July 2-24)

Cycling's grandest stage race was beset by boos at the beginning with reigning champion Alberto Contador allowed to compete despite an ongoing doping case from his 2010 Tour victory. Contador wouldn't capture his fourth Tour, as he was dropped in the mountains by the runners-up from the previous four Tours, Cadel Evans and Andy Schleck. In the end, Evans prevailed in a thrilling race, becoming the first Australian champion of the Tour de France and, at 34, the oldest winner overall since World War II.

Texas A&M 63, Stanford 62

The Aggies rallied from a late 10-point deficit to get past the top-seeded Cardinal on Tyra White's layup with 3.3 seconds left. There were five lead changes in the final minute. Texas A&M went on to beat Notre Dame to win its first championship.

Tebow Mania

How could we do a Games of the Year gallery without including the Tebow-led Broncos' late dramatics? It's hard to pick just one, though, so consider this recognition of Denver's five fourth-quarter comebacks in Tebow's first eight games at quarterback, including three that went to overtime and one (against Chicago) that featured Matt Prater's last-second, 59-yard field goal to tie it and his 51-yarder to win it in OT.

Francesca Schiavone def. Svetlana Kuznetsova (Jan. 23)

The matchup between the 2010 and '09 French Open champions didn't start with much of a bang, but a three-hour, 30-game third set made this the longest women's match in Grand Slam history. Schiavone was able to outlast Kuznetsova 6-4, 1-6, 16-14 in 4 hours, 44 minutes, saving six match points.

Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami (Nov. 20)

Before the Sprint Cup playoffs, Tony Stewart declared himself unfit to race for the title. But once the playoffs began, something clicked for the two-time champ. He hit Victory Lane in four of nine Chase for the Championship races -- after winning zero races during the regular season -- and entered the finale at Homestead battling Carl Edwards for the 2011 title. "Smoke" kept his hot streak going at Homestead, driving from the back of the pack twice to capture his third career Sprint Cup championship.

Baylor 50, TCU 48

The first game of the 2011 college football season knocked Rose Bowl champion and preseason No. 14 TCU from BCS title contention and launched Robert Griffin III's Heisman campaign. Griffin completed 21-of-27 passes for 359 yards and five touchdowns and caught a 15-yard pass from receiver Kendall Wright to convert a third-and-10 in the closing minutes. It was Baylor's first win over a ranked team since 2004 and sparked the Bears' unexpected 9-3 season.

Cardinals 16, Rangers 7

The final score doesn't suggest a classic but the performance of one man made sure this game will forever be remembered. Cardinals great Albert Pujols tied World Series records with three home runs (Babe Ruth did it twice and Reggie Jackson once), five hits and six RBIs. They were the last home runs Pujols would hit in a St. Louis uniform before leaving to join the Angels with a $254 million contract after the season.

Canucks 2, Blackhawks 1 (OT)

Nearly squandering a three-games-to-none lead, the Canucks finally vanquished their playoff nemesis with Alex Burrows' second goal of the game, off a turnover at 5:22 of overtime. After failing to cash in a third-period penalty shot, Burrows watched Chicago's Jonathan Toews score a short-handed goal with 1:56 left in regulation that sent the game into OT. Then, 24 seconds into the extra session, Burrows went to the penalty box for holding. He was spared the goat horns by goalie Roberto Luongo's sliding save on Patrick Sharp.

Giants 37, Cowboys 34

With their season on the line, the Giants overcame a 12-point deficit with two touchdown drives in the final 3:41 and blocked Dallas' potential game-tying field goal in the closing seconds. Eli Manning threw for 400 yards to trump Tony Romo, who had 321 passing yards and four touchdowns in a game that featured eight lead changes; a safety; scoring plays of 47 and 50 yards; and unexpected 100-yard rushing performances from Brandon Jacobs and Felix Jones.

Bruins 4, Canadiens 3 (OT)

Nathan Horton made the most of the first postseason appearance of his six-year NHL career by scoring his second overtime goal of the playoffs with his only shot of the game, at 5:43 of the extra session. The resilient Habs erased deficits of 2-0 and 3-2 but the tenacious Bruins defense refused to relinquish the lead.

Phillies 5, Reds 4; Braves 4, Pirates 3

Two 19-inning marathons in MLB ended in dramatic fashion. First, on May 25, the Phillies outlasted the Reds when Raul Ibanez hit a sacrifice fly to make a winner of infielder Wilson Valdez, who tossed a scoreless 19th in his first big league pitching appearance. (Incidentally, on the same night the teams played for 6 hours and 11 minutes, Western Carolina and Elon played a 6-hour, 33-minute, 20-inning college game.) Two months later, on July 26, a 6-hour, 39-minute affair between the victorious Braves and Pirates ended on a controversial play at the plate that may be the tipping point for more instant replay in baseball.

Victor Ortiz def. Andre Berto

Fight fans had questioned Ortiz's constitution ever since he'd quit mid-fight against Marcos Maidana in 2009. But whatever questions remained about the Garden City, Kan., native's toughness were answered when he outpointed the previously undefeated Berto for the welterweight championship in a knock-down, drag-out brawl that saw both fighters hit the canvas twice. When the final bell rang, it was the challenger Ortiz who came away with the unanimous decision.

Geoffrey Mutai

Even with an encyclopedia, it may not be possible to keep up with what constitutes a world record or world best or merely a really fast time that doesn't count for anything official in the marathon. So simply say this for the 2:03:02 that Kenya's Mutai turned in: It was possibly the greatest marathon ever run. While Mutai's time stands as the fastest in history, it cannot be considered an official world record because the Boston course has an elevation drop of roughly 450 feet from the start in Hopkinton to the finish in downtown Boston. Still, anyone who has run or been around the race knows that the particulars of the course -- unnecessary downhills at the start and demanding uphills, including the so-called "heartbreak hill," over the last portions of the race -- make it more difficult than many that are flatter, faster and legal for record purposes.

Michigan 35, Notre Dame 31

The first night game at the Big House was a back-and-forth shootout worthy of its prime-time slot. Notre Dame led 24-7 at the end of the third quarter, but Michigan reeled off three consecutive touchdowns to move ahead 28-24 with 1:12 remaining. With the comeback seemingly secure, Notre Dame's Tommy Rees silenced an NCAA-record 114,804 by marching the Irish down the field in 30 seconds to reclaim the led. But Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson had one more in him, throwing a 16-yard touchdown pass to Roy Roundtree with two seconds remaining.

Michael Chandler def. Eddie Alvarez

Chandler and Alvarez put on a classic ... and it wasn't even the best fight of the night. Though overshadowed by the UFC and its Dan Henderson vs. "Shogun" Rua epic, the Bellator fighters delivered an exhilirating back-and-forth matchup. The challenger Chandler landed some big shots early on, and a badly hurt Alvarez barely got out of the first round. The champ took the second, however, and nearly put a spent Chandler away in the third. Then, Chandler came out for the fourth round with energy he must have had hidden somewhere, because he took over the fight again, staggering the champ with an overhand right, bullying him to the mat along the fence, then seizing full mount and, as Alvarez turned to escape, ending it with a rear-naked choke.

Auburn 22, Oregon 19

The national championship was decided on the last play when Wes Byrum kicked a 19-yard field goal to give the Tigers their first title since 1957 and make it five straight for the SEC. The game will be remembered most for the play that led to the game-winning kick, Michael Dyer's 37-yard run in which he appeared to be down but popped up and continued running while just about everyone else had stopped playing. A review confirmed that Dyer's knee never touched the ground.

BYU 87, New Mexico 76

With the Cougars reeling post-Brandon Davies suspension and up against a team that had already beaten them twice, Jimmer Fredette went nuclear. He finished with a career-high 52 points despite taking (and making) just one free throw. Fredette made 22-of-37 from the field and 7-of-14 from three-point range and in the process broke Danny Ainge's BYU scoring record.

Packers 31, Steelers 25

It may not have had the late, game-breaking play that recent Super Bowls are remembered for (think David Tyree's and Plaxico Burress' catches in Super Bowl XLII, Santonio Holmes' go-ahead TD grab against the Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII and Tracy Porter's pick-6 of Peyton Manning in Super Bowl XLIV), but Super Bowl XLV had a lot going for it. There was the surprise playoff entrant Packers, suddenly surging behind Aaron Rodgers and that lethal offense, against a Steelers team that dominated all year on defense. Add in the fact that it was a showdown between the two most successful franchises in NFL history (the Packers held a record 12 NFL championships at the time, with the Steelers' six wins tops in the Super Bowl era), with all the requisite nostalgia that comes with that, and two of the league's best fan bases. What isn't to love?

Trail Blazers 84, Mavericks 82

This game will always be remembered as the capstone in the career of Brandon Roy, who retired in December because of knee injuries. Roy had struggled on and off all season with those injuries, but he suddenly rediscovered his old form to lead Portland to one of the biggest comebacks in playoff history, a rally from a 23-point deficit with 1:15 left in the third quarter. The smooth guard scored 18 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, including a game-tying four-point play with 1:36 to play and a go-ahead shot with 39 seconds to go.

Novak Djokovic def. Rafael Nadal

Djokovic improved to 6-0 in tournament finals against Nadal this year with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-1 victory. But the match that completed Djokovic's third Grand Slam title of 2011 was much tighter and more compelling than the scoreboard suggests. The third set took 84 minutes, one rally had 31 strokes and the rivals slugged it out from the baseline in what at times was a jaw-dropping display of shotmaking and movement.

Newcastle 4, Arsenal 4

The beginning of the end for Arsenal last season occurred with the Gunners storming out to a first-half 4-0 lead and dismantling Newcastle with ease. However, Arsenal midfielder Abou Diaby's sending off in the second half changed the game with Newcastle scoring an astonishing four second-half goals to tie the game, capped by Cheick Tiote's stunning long-range volley.

Kentucky 73, North Carolina 72

A slew of future high NBA draft picks clashed at Rupp Arena in the 2011-12 season's most eagerly awaited nonconference game. The game was decided on an Anthony Davis block in the final seconds as No. 1 Kentucky extended its home winning streak to 39.

Sharks 3, Red Wings 2

This was a measure of postseason redemption for Patrick Marleau, who had been called "gutless" by broadcaster and former teammate Jeremy Roenick. With his Sharks in danger of coughing up a three-games-to-none lead, Marleau scored what proved to be the winning goal with 7:47 left in the third period and made a key defensive play to preserve San Jose's win. Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi came up big, making 38 saves while holding off the potent Red Wings.

Princeton 63, Harvard 62

A tremendous game between two very solid teams was decided by one of championship week's signature moments when Doug Davis' up-and-under leaner at the buzzer denied Harvard its first trip to the NCAAs since 1946. The game featured six lead changes in the final 2:35.

Yankees 5, Rays 4

Derek Jeter has had a lot of good days in his Hall of Fame career, but nothing can compare to what he accomplished on the next-to-last day before the All-Star break. For just the second time in his career, Jeter picked up five hits, including the game-winner in the eighth. Oh, and he also smashed a long home run for his 3,000th career hit, making him the first Yankee to reach that milestone.

Nets 137, Raptors 136 (3OT)

Two also-rans, playing the second of a back-to-back in London, treated an international crowd to a regular-season thriller. New Jersey's Sasha Vujacic (25 points) forced the second overtime with a three-pointer, Deron Williams (21 points, 18 assists) forced the third OT with a jumper and, after the struggling Travis Outlaw unexpectedly scored eight straight Nets points, Toronto's Andrea Bargnani (35 points) missed a potential game-winner at the buzzer.

TCU 21, Wisconsin 19

No. 3 TCU, the first non-AQ team to play in the Rose Bowl in the BCS era, silenced critics and completed its undefeated season (13-0) with a dramatic victory against No. 4 Wisonsin. The game essentially came down to one play: Horned Frogs star linebacker Tank Carder batted down Badgers quarterback Scott Tolzien's potential game-tying two-point conversion pass with two minutes left.

Daytona 500 (Feb. 20)

Rookie Trevor Bayne, who turned 20 the day before the Daytona 500, won NASCAR's most famous race in just his second career start. Bayne, a Tennessee native racing in the No. 21 Ford, held off Carl Edwards and other veterans to take a race that included a record 74 lead changes among 22 drivers and a record 16 cautions. His win gave the Wood Brothers, the sport's oldest team, their first Daytona victory since 1976.

Erik Morales def. Marcos Maidana

It was supposed to be Morales' swan song. But no one told the Mexican legend, who entered the ring as a 6-to-1 underdog against the Argentine slugger Maidana. When the dust cleared after 12 back-and-forth, pulse-pounding rounds, a majority decision came down in favor of Maidana -- the night belonged to El Terrible , whose victory earned him a title shot later in 2011.

Napoli 4, Lazio 3

This Italian league game had it all -- seven goals, some of them stunning, a hat trick from the irrepressible Edinson Cavani of Napoli, an own goal, red cards for a manager as well as a player and Cristian Brocchi's disallowed goal (which appeared to have crossed the line). On top of all that, the Napoli and Lazio owners had engaged in a scuffle just days earlier.