2016 Sports Examiner Awards

Last year, we presented the first ever The Sports Examiner awards. It was a humble affair, with only a handful of awards being given out. Some of the recipients last year included American Pharaoh, the Golden State Warriors, and Tom Brady. This year, we're taking our awards to a whole new level. We have a total of 53 awards in eight different categories. These categories range from soccer to individual sports. Let's get started.

NFL:

Player of the Year: Dallas's Offensive Line
There have been a lot of phenomenal players this year, including Tom Brady, Matt Ryan, David Johnson, Matthew Stafford, and Derek Carr. But can you really make a case for one of those individuals over the other? That's why we are giving this award to the best O-line in the country. Not only have they been instrumental in Dallas being arguably the best team in the league, but are also big reasons Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliot are MVP contenders. It's an unconventional pick, but Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, Travis Frederick, Doug Free, and Ronald Leary are worthy of this award.
Last Year's Winner: Tom Brady

Rookie of the Year: Ezekiel Elliot, Dallas Cowboys

No rookie had a bigger impact on their team's fortunes than Elliot did. Drafted in the first round by the Cowboys, Zeke entered the season with high expectations, but he managed to exceed them all. He leads the league in rushing yards and is second in rushing touchdowns.only to LeGarrette Blount. Of course, Zeke also has a phenomenal offensive line to thank and another standout rookie, QB Dak Prescott. Don't be surprised if Elliot is one of the top vote-getters for the MVP award.

Coach of the Year: Bill Belichick, New England Patriots

You could make the case that Belichick is the greatest football coach of all-time, but we're looking just at 2016 here. Belichick has overcome Tom Brady's four-game suspension, the injury to Jimmy Garropolo, the injury to Rob Gronkowski, and other hurdles to lead the Patriots to the best record in the AFC. He's managed to make stars out of guys like Chris Hogan and Malcolm Mitchell while relying on established talents such as Julian Edelman and Martellus Bennett.

Offensive Player of the Year: Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta offense might be the most dangerous one in the entire league. It's full of explosive playmakers like Julio Jones, Devonta Freeman, and Tevin Coleman. Spearheading the charge is Ryan, who is second in passing yards, third in passing touchdowns, and second in QBR. He's the main reason Atlanta is in prime position for a playoff spot.

Defensive Player of the Year: Von Miller, Denver Broncos

It all started in February, when Miller recorded six tackles and 2.5 sacks to become only the fourth defensive player of this millennium to win Super Bowl MVP. He's also been great this regular season this well. He's the star of a Broncos defense that led the league in sacks and is tied for second in forced fumbles (behind only Oakland). Miller has been instrumental in key games for the Broncos and is the front-runner to win the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year Award.

Breakout Star of the Year: Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

Most of the top players and MVP candidates this season, such as Pittsburgh's Le'Veon Bell, Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers, Detroit's Matthew Stafford, Oakland's Derek Carr, or Arizona's David Johnson, either met lofty expectations set at the beginning of the season or reached previous heights. No one had any real high expectations for Prescott, however. He was expected to backup franchise QB Tony Romo, and maybe see a little action along the way. That fell through when Romo was injured before the season started. Prescott has started every game since, even though Romo is now cleared. Thanks in large part to Prescott's play, Dallas has the best record in the NFC.

Comeback Star of the Year: DeMarco Murray, Tennessee Titans

Two years ago, Murray had an incredible season with the Dallas Cowboys. He led the league in rushing yards and touchdowns while winning Offensive Player of the Year. Unfortunately, that magic failed to reproduce last year in Philadelphia. Things changed when Murray found himself with the Titans. Behind a good offensive line (including rookie Jack Conklin), Murray is second in the league in rushing yards and has Tennessee, which posted an abysmal 3-13 record last year, contending for a playoff spot.

Play of the Year: Aaron Rodgers to Jeff Janis Hail Mary

With five seconds left to go in the game, the Packers found themselves down by seven against the Arizona Cardinals. Superstar QB Aaron Rodgers somehow managed to fire off a pass that was caught in the end zone by Jeff Janis. It was an incredible play that kept Green Bay's Super Bowl hopes alive. Unfortunately for the Packers, they ended up losing this game and were eliminated from the playoffs.

Rising Star of the Year: Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles

Wentz was selected #2 overall in last year's draft by the Eagles. The general consensus was that Wentz wouldn't start right away, as Sam Bradford had the starting job. Furthermore, it was agreed that Wentz first needed some experience. However, Bradford's demands for a trade were met, so Wentz was thrust into the starting role. He started off the season red-hot, as the Eagles won their first three games. They have cooled down significantly since then (they've lost eight of their last 10), but Wentz has excelled at times, and he has shown that he has what it takes to be a franchise QB.

Team of the Year: Denver Broncos

The Broncos beat the heavily favored Carolina Panthers to win the Super Bowl in February. They then capitalized on that momentum to fight for a playoff spot in the 2016-17 season. The team is full of star players, including Trevor Siemian, Von Miller, Chris Harris Jr., Emmanuel Sanders, and C.J. Anderson.

NBA:

Player of the Year: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

No, LeBron didn't win the regular season MVP (he came in third), but he did win something more important: Finals MVP. LeBron did the exact thing he returned to his hometown of Cleveland for- win an NBA title. Many thought it couldn't be done, but the greatest player of our generation proved the naysayers wrong and finally made amends for leaving his city a few years prior.
Last Year's Winner: Steph Curry

Coach of the Year: Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors

Before you start making "Warriors blew a 3-1 lead" jokes, remember that the Warriors posted the best regular season of all-time. Yes, Kerr wasn't there the entire season due to medical issues, but it's still his squad.

Breakout Star of the Year: Kristaps Porzingis, New York Knicks

When the New York Knicks selected Porzingis with the 4th overall pick in the 2015 draft, Knicks fans and players alike were upset. Porzingis was a relatively unknown, unpolished player, while more heralded players like Justice Winslow, Stanley Johnson, and Frank Kaminsky were still on the board. Porzingis's raw talent shone through, however, and he became one of the most talked about players in the league. During his rookie year, he averaged 14.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG, and 1.9 BPG. He finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting to Karl-Anthony Towns and is widely considered to the future of the Knicks.

Rookie of the Year: Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves

Expectations were high for Towns going into the 2015-2016 NBA season. After all, he had been picked #1 overall by the Timberwolves. Towns proved all of his fans right, as he averaged a double-double and won Rookie of the Year. It's painfully obvious to everyone who's seen him play that he is the future of the NBA,

Play of the Year: Kyrie Irving's 3-Pointer over Steph Curry in Game 7 of the Finals

There's so much to love about this play. First off, this is the play that pretty much sealed the deal for Cleveland's title win. D'Angelo Russell claims he has ice in his veins, but he's got nothing on Irving. The pressure he was feeling must have been enormous, yet he calmly drained the shot. Add the fact that it was over reigning NBA MVP Steph Curry, and you have the perfect recipe for a perfect play.

Comeback Star of the Year: Paul George, Indiana Pacers

While playing for Team USA ahead of the 2014 World Championships, George suffered a nasty leg injury. The video was watched on Youtube millions of times. The injury caused George to miss a lot of playing time, and his first full season back was the 2015-2016 one. He resumed his role as team leader and even was named an All-Star. He finished the season with 23.1 PPG and 7.0 rebounds per game as the Pacers made the playoffs.

Rising Star of the Year: Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons

When the Pistons selected the freshman Drummond ninth in the 2012 draft, it was because of his size and raw potential. Since then, Drummond has evolved into one of the best big men in the league. Last season was by far his best one. He earned his first All-Star selection, took the Pistons to their first playoff berth since 2009, and lead the league in double-doubles and rebounds. He's also looking good thus far in the 2016-2017 season. Detroit is third in the division and Drummond is fourth in double-doubles.

Team of the Year: Cleveland Cavaliers

Who else would it be? They upset the heavily-favored Golden State Warriors to win the NBA Title and currently boast the best record in the Eastern Conference. They're definitely among the favorites to win the title next year.

MLB:

Manager of the Year: Terry Francona, Cleveland Indians

Francona won the AL Manager of the Year award after leading the Indians to a division title in the AL Central. He also took the Indians to the World Series, where they went to seven games with Chicago.

Pitcher of the Year: Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals

With his NL Cy Young this year, Scherzer became only the sixth pitcher in history to win Cy Youngs in both leagues (he won the AL one in 2013 when he played for the Detroit Tigers). He led the majors in strikeouts and led the NL in wins with 20.

Rookie of the Year: Corey Seager, Los Angeles Dodgers

Seager was the unanimous NL Rookie of the Year. He cracked the National League's top ten in batting average, slugging percentage, multihit games, and total bases. Our runner-up is Michael Fulmer of the Tigers, who posted an 11-7 record and won AL Rookie of the Year.

Player of the Year: Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs

Not only did Bryant help the Cubs win their first World Series in more than a decade, but he also won the NL MVP. He won the award after leading the NL in runs scored and WAR while coming in the top ten in home runs, slugging percentage, and RBIs. He also assisted with the final out in Game 7 of the World Series.

Hitter of the Year: David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox

The slugger ended his career with a great season, winning both the AL Hank Aaron Award and a Silver Slugger. He led the majors in OPS, slugging percentage, and doubles while hitting 38 home runs and recording a .315 batting percentage.

Team of the Year: Chicago Cubs

This is a pretty obvious award. The Cubs beat the Cleveland Indians in seven games to win the World Series, giving the franchise their first title since 1908. Anytime a team ends a 108-year drought, there's cause for celebration.

NCAAF:

Player of the Year: Lamar Jackson, Louisville

When the season began, Jackson wasn't even considered a dark-horse Heisman contender. He had been named the Music City Bowl MVP last year, but he was considerably behind players like DeShone Kizer, Dalvin Cook, Christian McCaffrey, Deshaun Watson, and Leonard Fournette. Then, in Week 1, Jackson accounted for eight total touchdowns. The rest was history. Earlier this month, Jackson won the Heisman Trophy and the Maxwell Award, cementing him as the best college football player of the year.
Last Year's Winner: Christian McCaffrey

Coach of the Year: Nick Saban, Alabama

Saban's march to this award began in January when #2 Alabama beat #1 Clemson to win the national championship. The march continued during the 2016 regular season, as Alabama was one of only two undefeated teams, along with Western Michigan, and secured a spot in the playoffs.

Breakout Star of the Year: Lamar Jackson, Louisville

As I wrote above, Jackson was pretty much a complete unknown going into this year. Sure, some people knew of his talent, but I don't think anyone expected this. Jackson finished fifth in rushing touchdowns and twelfth in passing yards.

Rising Star of the Year: Derrius Guice, LSU

Leonard Fournette might be the most outstanding running back in college football. His backup might one day take that title. The sophomore increasingly saw more action as the year progressed. He finished the regular season with 14 scores and an average of 8 yards per carry. Now that Fournette and Stanford's Christian McCaffrey have declared for the draft, Guice should be the premier running back of 2017. The runner-up for this award is Alabama QB Jalen Hurts. Yes, his team made the playoffs, but that's more because of the defense than offense.

Comeback Star of the Year: James Conner, Pittsburgh

As a sophomore in 2014, Conner was one of the best running backs in the country. However, things took a tumble in 2015. Conner tore his MCL in the first game of the season and missed all of the 2015 season. Later that year, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. He finished chemotherapy in May and suited up again. He bounced back in a major way this year, rushing for 1,060 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Team of the Year: Alabama

Alabama has been miles ahead of any other team this year. Not only did it win the 2016 national championship, but it also boasts the best record of any collegiate team in the country. If you pay any attention to college football, their dominance is not surprising. Alabama has been one of the best, if not the best, teams in the nation for years now.

NHL:

Player of the Year: Sydney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

Yes, Patrick Kane won the Hart Trophy (the NHL's MVP award) for the 2015-2016 season, but Crosby did finish second. Furthermore, he led the Penguins to a Stanley Cup victory and picked up the Conn Smythe trophy for his efforts.

Goalie of the Year: Braden Holby, Washington Capitals

This award was pretty obvious, seeing as Holtby won the Vezina Award (which is given to the league's best goalie). Holtby tied Martin Brodeur's season win record while becoming only the seventh goalie in NHL history win consecutive 40-win seasons. He finished the regular season eight in save percentage and sixth in saves.

Team of the Year: Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins won their second Stanley Cup in eight years (only the Chicago Blackhawks have won more Stanley Cups during that time). Their stellar play has extended into this season, where they find themselves atop the Eastern Conference and Metropolitan Division. Is it too soon to be thinking dynasty here?

Individual Sports:

Female Golfer of the Year: Ariya Jutanugarn

Jutanugarn had a great year in 2016. She won more money than anyone else on the LPGA tour, won five events (including the Ricoh British Women's Open), was named the LPGA's Player of the Year, and finished first in the final rankings.
Last Year's Golfer of the Year: Jordan Spieth

Male Tennis Player of the Year: Andy Murray

For years now, Murray has been making his ascent into the upper echelons of tennis royalty. This year, it seems like he has finally cemented himself as the best male tennis player alive. Highlights from this year include finishing the season ranked #1 and winning an Olympic gold medal.
Last Year's Tennis Player of the Year: Serena Williams

Male Golfer of the Year: Dustin Johnson

The American Dustin Johnson led the PGA in winnings by accumulating more than 9.37 million dollars. He also won three events, including the U.S. Open, was the best member of Team U.S.A.'s Ryder Cup win, and was named the PGA's Player of the Year
Last Year's Golfer of the Year: Jordan Spieth

Female Gymnast of the Year: Simone Biles, U.S.A.

Besides maybe swimming, gymnastics is the most popular summer Olympic sport. That might be the reason Simone Biles took over the American news and stole the hearts of viewers across the world. The incredibly talented Biles walked away from Rio with four gold medals, including one for the individual all-around.

Female Tennis Player of the Year: Angelique Werber

Last Year's Tennis Player of the Year: Serena Williams
Kerber ended the year at #1 in the WTA rankings. She has a lead of more than 2,000 points on #2 Serena Williams. The German also won a silver medal at the Olympics and won both the Australian and U.S. Opens.

Male Gymnast Player of the Year: Kohei Uchimura

Uchimura won the gold medal in the men's individual all-around competition in Rio. This win made him the first gymnast in 44 years to win back-to-back individual all-around golds on the Olympic stage. He also won a gold medal with the Japanese team.

Male Swimmer of the Year: Michael Phelps, U.S.A.

Phelps wasn't even supposed to be in Rio. He retired after the London Olympics in 2012 but made a comeback in 2014. He won four gold medals in Rio, further solidifying his claim as the greatest Olympian of all-time.

Female Track Star of the Year: Elaine Thompson

Thompson may not get as much recognition as her fellow Jamaican, but she's certainly deserving of more. At the Rio Games, she won the gold medal in the 100 and 200 meters while winning a silver as part of Jamaica's 4x100 relay team.

Male Track Star of the Year: Usain Bolt, Jamaica

Though there were questions about Bolt's condition going into these games, the fastest man in the history of the world proves all of his doubters wrong. Bolt won the seventh, eighth, and ninth gold medals in his career, cementing himself as arguably the greatest track star of all-time.

Female Swimmer of the Year: Katie Ledecky, U.S.A.

There may be no bigger star coming out of Rio than the teenage Ledecky. The star swimmer tore the house down in Rio. She won five gold medals and one silver while managing to break two world records.

Soccer:

Premier League Team of the Year: Leicester City

When one thinks of elite Premier League teams, one thinks of teams such as Chelsea, Manchester United, and Manchester City. A year or two ago, Leicester City would have been nowhere near the conversation. Now, they find themselves Premier League champs in one of the greatest Cinderella stories in recent history.

Male Player of the Year: Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo won this year's Ballon d'Or, given annually to the year's best soccer player. It's hard to disagree with that, as Ronaldo had a sensational year. He captained the Portuguese national team as it won the European Championship, giving Portugal its first-ever major tournament win. Ronaldo also became the nation's all-time leading scorer.
Last Year's Winner: Lionel Messi

Female Player of the Year: Melanie Behringer
The German men's team usually gets most of the love, but the German women's team claimed the gold at the Olympics. Leading the way was Behringer, who scored a tournament-leading five goals. She also helped Bayern Munich win the German championship.
Last Year's Winner: Carli Lloyd

MLS Player of the Year: David Villa, New York City FC
Winner of the Landon Donovan MVP Award, Villa tallied 23 goals and four assists for his club as they made it to the conference semifinals in the post-season. He is the first player to win both the award and the World Cup.

MLS Team of the Year: Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle won the 2016 MLS Cup, the first title in franchise history. They did so after beating Sporting Kansas City, FC Dallas, and Colorado Rapids en route to the finals. In the finals, they beat Toronto FC in penalty kicks to secure the gold.

National Team of the Year: Argentina

Argentina spent much of the year as the #1 team in FIFA's rankings and ended the year in that position as well. They had a disappointing loss to Chile in the Copa America finals, but they also won four 2018 World Cup qualifying matches.

General Awards:

Legend of the Year: Muhammad Ali

Put simply, Ali was one of the greatest athletes to ever set foot on this earth. His legacy is among the greatest in sports history. Sadly, he passed away this year after battling Parkinson's Disease for 32 years. Along with men like Jackie Robinson and Jesse Owens, Ali will always be remembered as one of the most iconic athletes of all-time.
Last Year's Winner: Kobe Bryant

Upset of the Year: Chicago Cubs & Cleveland Cavaliers Erase 3-1 Deficits

In a best-of-seven series, whoever wins four games first wins. Thus, when a team finds themselves down three games to one, they almost always lose. This year we saw two teams erase 3-1 deficits and win national titles. The first was the Cavs, who rallied back against the Golden State Warriors to win the NBA title. Cleveland found themselves on the opposite side a few months later, however, when the Cubs came back to beat the Cleveland Indians for the World Series.
Last Year's Winner: Holly Holm defeats Ronda Rousey

Moment of the Year: Chicago Cubs win the World Series

The play itself was a fairly tame one: Michael Martinez of the Cleveland Indians grounded out to Kris Bryant. But it was the final out of Game 7 in the World Series, giving the Cubs their first World Series win since 1908. It was a curse many thought they would never see broken.

Play of the Year: Kris Jenkins's Three wins Villanova the National Title

March Madness is easily the most anticipated annual tournament in sports. There are always upsets to be predicted and brackets to be busted. The best moment of this year's tournament came in the national title game. As time expired, Kris Jenkins of Villanova hit a three to give Villanova the 77-74 win over North Carolina. It was an awesome play that was the best of the year.
Last Year's Winner: Malcolm Butler's Super Bowl Interception

Franchise of the Year: Chicago Cubs

When this award was created last year, I gave only one rule: they had to have won a title during the calendar year. That means the Pittsburgh Penguins, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Broncos, and Chicago Cubs are eligible. The clear winner is the Cubs, who won their first title since 1908. It was the most infamous losing streak in all of sports.
Last Year's Winner: Golden State Warriors

Sports Star of the Year: The U.S. Olympics Swim Team

The biggest international event in sports is the summer Olympics. There cannot be any doubt of that. It takes place every four years and determines the best athletes in the world. There are always a few athletes that steal the international stage. In recent years that has included athletes such as Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt, and Gabby Douglas. This year, there were a lot of individual standouts, but the real standout was the American swim team. There were so many great stories and accomplishments among these individuals that we had to recognize all of them. Michael Phelps won four gold medals, Katie Ledecky set two world records, Simone Manuel became the first black woman to win an individual gold for swimming at the Olympics, Nathan Adrian won four medals, and Anthony Ervin became the oldest person to ever win an individual gold medal for a swimming event at the Olympics. How can we choose one when there are so many great stories to be recognized?
Last Year's Winner: American Pharaoh

Thank you so much for reading. Be sure to check back soon for a new post.

The Sports Examiner's 2016 Heisman Ballot

The Heisman finalists have been announced: Lamar Jackson of Lousiville, Deshaun Watson of Clemson, Dede Westbrook and Baker Mayfield of Oklahoma, and Jabrill Peppers of Michigan. All five of these players are extremely deserving. Instead of doing a final Heisman watch, we've decided to do a mock ballot. The Sports Examiner doesn't have an actual vote, but this is how we would vote. Let's get started.

Honorable Mentions:

J.T. Barrett, Ohio State- Barrett had an up-and-down season, but at the end of the day he led his team into the playoffs. Had he won the Big 10, there is a good chance that he would have been invited to New York.

Jake Browning, Washington- Browning had a hell of a season up until his run-in with USC. Not only did Washington pick up their only loss of the season, but Browning threw two picks and ran for -36 rushing yards.

Dede Westbrook, Oklahoma- Westbrook was easily the best wide receiver in college football this year, especially thanks to the brilliant play of QB Baker Mayfield. Whether or not he deserves to be a Heisman finalist is debatable, but he definitely deserves some love.

Jalen Hurts, Alabama- I had a really tough time with this one, but I have to leave Hurts off. Yes, he is the quarterback of the best team in the nation, but that doesn't automatically give him a finalist spot. He had too many weak performances to make the ballot.

Zach Terrell, Western Michigan- Terrell and Hurts are the only QBs to start for undefeated teams. Unfortunately, he plays for Western Michigan, so he really flew under-the-radar this season. He should still get some votes though.

Third Place:
Jabrill Peppers, Michigan

Out of all of the Heisman contenders, Peppers is the most unique. No one else had such a big impact on offense, defense, and special teams. There is probably no player that has made such a huge impact this year. Granted, his stats weren't eye-popping, but for Peppers that's not an issue. His Heisman candidacy is built on his all-world athleticism, not his yards per carry.

Second Place:
Deshaun Watson, Clemson

The first half of Deshaun Watson's season wasn't great, but Clemson was undefeated, so he hung around in the conversation. The second half of the season was a different story. Sure, Clemson lost to Pitt, but Watson played some lights-out football. I was very tempted to put him at #1, but I just couldn't do it.

First Place:
Lamar Jackson, Louisville

At the end of the day, I put Jackson at the top. No one else this year has been anywhere close to as outstanding as Jackson has. Sure, things got a little rough at the end, but that shouldn't erase everything else that happened.

Thanks for reading all our posts this season. Check back soon for more articles.