As usual, there was triumph tinged with tragedy although there were some high-profile tragedies in sport this year. Here is a look back at some of my picks for best and worst sporting moments of the year that was 2014 - and some tips for the new year ahead.
Highs of 2014
1. McCullum's triple ton - the first New Zealander to crack the elusive triple ton, Bazza's achievement was must watch TV and a big crowd on the 5th and final day of the test at the Basin Reserve showed how historic a moment this was for NZ sport. It was the icing on the cake of a highly remarkable season for the NZ captain who broke the 1,000 run barrier this year thanks to some terrific double tons.
2. Atletico Madrid win La Liga title - Spanish La Liga has always been considered to be technically the best league in the world but had always been hampered by the fact that the title race was always a two horse race between the two richest clubs in the land. In 2013/14, Real Madrid and Barcelona's duopoly was smashed by Atletico Madrid - while their rise to the summit during the season was not a surprise, the fact that they could stay there right till the end was, along with their gutsy performance in a 1-1 draw at Barcelona's Camp Nou that sealed their first title win since 1996, and the first for a side that wasn't Real Madrid or Barca in 10 years - shame they couldn't get the trophy later that afternoon too with the Spanish Federation secretary on holiday for that game (ugh!) And Diego Simeone's men could have made it an astonishing double but for that late goal in Lisbon against their biggest rivals in the Champions League Final. However, Atletico are still going strong in their title defence season, still in touch with Real and Barca at the top of the league.
3. Brazil 1-7 Germany - The most astonishing game, scoreline in World Cup history. Brazil at home in a World Cup semi were expected to walk to the Final at the Maracana in Rio only to be denied their key talisman, Neymar due to injury sustained in the quarterfinal against Colombia. But you wonder even with Neymar whether that would have made any difference for Brazil against Germany as they were completely found wanting in the worst half of football a Brazil side had ever played. 5-0 at half-time, the 2nd half was a mere formality as Germany counted down to a Final appearance and their 4th World Cup win. Perhaps their coronation as world champions had already come in this game.
4. Jack Bauer's close run at the Tour de France - No Kiwi rider since Julian Dean in 2001 had won a stage of the Tour de France but Jack Bauer came almightily close to ending that duck only for his legs to give out with meters to go to the finish in Nimes and conceding the stage win to Aleksander Kristoff. So why is this a high? Well it was really a defining moment in the meteoric rise of the Takaka road rider in a year which he started to stake his claim to be one of the best riders in the world. A solid run in the Tour de France where he took on more responsibilities in the team would ensue a terrific 2nd in the Commonwealth Games road race in Glasgow a few weeks later. Well done Jacko, and here's to 2015.
5. All Blacks thrashing Wallabies in Auckland - Many have picked the game in Brisbane for their highlight of the year but for me, that game was a bonus even if it was definitely a cliffhanger. For me, the 2nd Bledisloe Cup test of the year was a key one for the ABs, having just drawn with the Wallabies in Sydney. They needed one heck of a performance to ensure that there was no way the Bledisloe Cup was going to Australia for the first time in 11 seasons, and boy did they deliver. This was about as good and clinical as the ABs were this season.
Lows of 2014
1. Death of Phil Hughes - The death of Phil Hughes was the biggest story in Australian sport and world cricket, with the 25-year-old Aussie test batsman's untimely passing sending shockwaves across a sport that had never seen anything like this - the outpouring of grief in the weeks afterwards was immense and continues throughout this Aussie summer of cricket, as batsmen stop at 68 to point their bats to the boy from the banana town of New South Wales.
2. Schumacher and Bianchi fighting for their lives - In a tragic year for F1, young French F1 pilot, Jules Bianchi, is still fighting for his life after suffering a severe head injury in a sickening crash at the Japanese Grand Prix, while Michael Schumacher has embarked on a long road to recovery after his skiiing accident just prior to the turn of the year.
3. Lou Vincent's fall from grace - It was the moment that NZ cricket lost its innocence, as Lou Vincent's cricketing career and reputation all burnt down in a flash. The little attacking batsman will forever be labelled a cheat and questions will be asked - who else was involved? The fingers are currently wagging in the direction of a Mssrs Cairns at the moment - Cairns apparently led Vincent down this dark trail.
4. Luis Suarez's biting incident - On the back of an epic season with Liverpool, Suarez decided to blot his copybook by biting Giorgio Chiellini and then claiming that his teeth happened to be open when he collided with the Italian defender in Uruguay's critical World Cup game against Italy. That the referee failed to see it was incredulous although Suarez would get his punishment post-match - suspended from all football until October - by then, with his relationship with Liverpool now in disarray, Suarez was now a Barca player. A dirty stain on a fine year.
5. Silver Ferns - In a year when New Zealand sports teams and athletes all performed, the Silver Ferns were conspicious for their absence. Without Irene van Dyk who retired mid season, the Ferns limped to the Commonwealth Games Gold Medal Final with Australia who would also hammer them in the Constellation Cup. With limited firepower up front, the Silver Ferns could continue to struggle even though their defence remains as valiant as ever.
Tips for 2015!
1. Patriots beat Seahawks in Super Bowl
2. South Africa win Cricket World Cup
3. Chelsea win Premier League and Champions League
4. West Brom, Burnley and Hull City are relegated from Premier League
5. Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Marseille and Juventus win their domestic leagues
6. Queensland bounce back to win State of Origin - Mal Meninga steps down after that
7. Chiefs win Super Rugby title
8. Australia win Asian Cup, the Ashes and Netball World Cup
9. Brisbane Broncos win NRL Grand Final
10. All Blacks beat England to win Rugby World Cup
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