The year 2014 was one of the craziest sports years in history. It was a year full of questionable commissioners, bad owners, racism and much more. Here are the 15 most shocking moments of 2014.
15. The Rushing Record Is Broken...Again
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15. The Rushing Record Is Broken...Again
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Melvin Gordon was the best running back in the NCAA all season long. He proved that when he broke the all-time one-game rushing record against Nebraska. He ran for 403 yards in that game, and one week later, Oklahoma's Samaje Perine broke that record with 427 yards against Kansas.
14. Josh Gordon Is Suspended
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14. Josh Gordon Is Suspended
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One day after the Cleveland Browns drafted Johnny Manziel, it became public that their wide receiver Josh Gordon would be suspended for the entire 2014 season due to marijuana use. He would eventually appeal and be reinstated early, but this was a story that rocked the sports world and caused debate for months.
13. Luis Suarez Has A Biting Problem
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13. Luis Suarez Has A Biting Problem
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The World Cup was one of the best sporting events of the year. It was extremely fun to watch, and it brought a new sport to American, and worldwide, eyes. With everyone watching, Luis Suarez thought it would be a good idea to bite his opponent with all of these eyes watching.
12. Paul George's Gruesome Injury
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12. Paul George's Gruesome Injury
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Kim Kardashian didn't break the internet, but Paul George's leg did. On the night of the Team USA scrimmage, George had one of the most gruesome basketball injuries in recent memory. He basically broke his leg in half trying to block James Harden's shot. It was all on live television, which means the video will live on forever.
11. Kansas City Royals' Improbable Run To The World Series
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11. Kansas City Royals' Improbable Run To The World Series
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The Kansas City Royals looked like they were dead in the water in the AL Wild Card game when they were taking on Jon Lester and down early. Somehow, that turned into them driving all the way to the World Series. They hadn't made the playoffs since they since 1985, but now they are the American League Champions.
10. Derek Jeter Walks Off With A Walk-Off
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10. Derek Jeter Walks Off With A Walk-Off
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One of Derek Jeter's many nicknames was Captain Clutch. He showed that in his final at-bat at Yankee Stadium. The game was tied, and the Yankees needed someone to drive home the winning run. Jeter was that man.
9. TJ Oshie Takes On Ilya Kovalchuk And Wins
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9. TJ Oshie Takes On Ilya Kovalchuk And Wins
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Hockey was on showcase when Russia and USA battled in the preliminary rounds of the Olympics. In international rules, one player is allowed to take multiple shots in the shootout after the first three have gone. TJ Oshie put on a show for the American fans, making him one of the most popular superstars afterwards.
8. L.A. Kings Come Back From 0-3, Win Stanley Cup
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8. L.A. Kings Come Back From 0-3, Win Stanley Cup
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The Los Angeles Kings were dead in the water when they were down three games to none to the San Jose Sharks. They fought back to force a Game 7 and won. They then won two more Game 7s on the way to their second Stanley Cup.
7. Brazil Gets Slaughtered At Home
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7. Brazil Gets Slaughtered At Home
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Brazil spent millions of dollars building stadiums and hosting the World Cup thinking they would be able to win the tournament on their home soil. Germany took care of that in pretty convincing fashion in the semifinal round. They annihilated Brazil 7-1 in one of the most lopsided soccer victories in the history of the World Cup.
6. Tony Stewart Kills Driver In Accident
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6. Tony Stewart Kills Driver In Accident
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Tony Stewart is one of the most popular drivers in NASCAR. When he is involved in an accident that kills a driver on the track, it is going to be national news. Stewart hit Kevin Ward Jr. with his car after an on-track confrontation turned deadly. No matter what anyone may say, Stewart is very apologetic over the accident. This may hurt his legacy forever.
5. Peyton Manning Gets Crushed In Super Bowl
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5. Peyton Manning Gets Crushed In Super Bowl
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Peyton Manning made his third Super Bowl in 2014, and he took on the buzz-saw that was the Seattle Seahawks. It started off terrible, when a bad snap turned into a safety early in the game, and the final score was 43-8 in a game that was over by halftime.
4. Slava Voynov
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4. Slava Voynov
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Slava Voynov's situation has been odd from the beginning. As the details come out, it becomes more and more despicable. Voynov beat his wife within an inch of her life. He was suspended indefinitely, but the Kings thought it would be smart to let him practice. That cost the Kings $ 100,000 in fines. This may have been swept under the rug in other years if not for something further up this list.
3. LeBron Goes Home
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3. LeBron Goes Home
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Who says you can never go home? LeBron James decided that he wanted to go back to the Cleveland Cavaliers rather than choosing to stick with the Miami Heat. While it hasn't worked out the way he hoped so far, it is still the best player in the sport moving back to his former team. That is something you rarely see, especially in basketball. It would have been far and above the biggest NBA story if it wasn't for....
2. Donald Sterling and American Racism
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2. Donald Sterling and American Racism
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The Donald Sterling saga finally came to an end in Los Angeles. To get the Clippers out of his grasp, all that was needed was a tape recorder, a scorned mistress, TMZ, a viral internet, racist remarks, a new commissioner looking to take a stand and $ 2 billion. This was one of the weirdest, yet eye-opening situations in sports history. Forget that it happened in the middle of a playoff run.
1. Ray Rice Domestic Abuse
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1. Ray Rice Domestic Abuse
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The only thing that could have beaten the Sterling incident was an NFL star hitting his then fiancee on video. It changed the way the entire country looks at domestic violence. The day that TMZ released that video of Ray Rice dragging his now wife out of an elevator, people were appalled. When the second video surfaced to see the incident, it became even worse. This was by far the most shocking moment of 2014.
Nick Villano is the New Jersey Devils writer for Rant Sports. He also adds to the site’s NBA, MLB and NFL content. You can follow him on Twitter or add him to your Google circle.
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