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2021 was another year in which the world was held hostage once again by COVID-19. The year started with another surge and vaccines just under way. By the end of spring it looked as though we were turning the corner but the Delta variant of COVID wreaked havoc over the summer and then the year ended with the Omicron variant spreading like wildfire.
In spite of everything, 2021 produced some outstanding moments in sports, movies, TV and music. Here are some are my MVPs for 2021:
The Year in TV/Movies
Marvel Studios: I’ll go ahead and say it – Marvel Studios saved 2021. With the help of the streaming service Disney+ Marvel Studios was able to move forward with Phase 4 of the MCU and they did it by bringing your favorite superheroes to the TV screen. The Falcon & The Winter Soldier set up the era of Sam Wilson as Captain America. Loki gave us the TVA and the introduction of one of the big villains of Phase 4 in Kang The Conqueror. Hawkeye explored the world of Clint Barton, introduced Kate Bishop as one of the Young Avengers. Even more exciting was the introduction of Daredevil and the Kingpin.
On the movie side, we bid farewell(maybe?) to Black Widow as her origin story was told. We were also introduced to new heroes in The Eternals. Shang-Chi & The Legend of the Ten Rings saw Shang-Chi ascend as the newest member of the Avengers.
Even with all of this great content there were two clear winners:
WandaVision: WandaVision became the must-see TV event of the year and catapulted stars Elizabeth Olsen & Paul Bettany into the stratosphere. Each week people were on the edge of their seats trying to figure out what would happen next & figure out all the hidden clues.
Spider-Man: No Way Home: The other winner for Marvel in 2021 was the incredible Spider-Man movie. Don’t worry… I won’t spoil the movie for those who haven’t seen it yet but this movie is a juggernaut. It became the 1st movie in the pandemic area to cross $1 billion worldwide at the box office and has grossed $610 billion domestically. It is not only being hailed as one of the best movies of 2021 but maybe the best Marvel movie of all-time(I still prefer Captain America: Winter Soldier as the GOAT Marvel movie).
With more major releases across Disney+ and the theaters, Marvel is prepared for an even bigger 2022.
The Year in Music
Listen I’ll be honest – I don’t check for a lot of new music. I don’t want to be the get off my lawn guy but a lot of the music that comes out today just doesn’t move me. It doesn’t. I think there is something that still needs to be said about lyrical content and how a song or album makes you feel. A good amount of music is so cookie cutter that you can’t tell these artists apart. There were some gems though and here go some of my favorites:
Nas – King’s Disease II: Nas is universally accepted as one of the best lyricists to ever pick up a mic. The Achilles heel for Nas has always been beat selection. There no problems with beat selection this time around with KDII as he joined forces with Hitboy to produce possibly the best rap album of 2021. The standout track on King’s Disease II is the Nas/Lauryn Hill joint effort Nobody. If anyone thought Lauryn Hill was washed would be wise to listen to her destroy the track:
J. Cole – The Off-Season: When Jermaine Cole started right off the rip with 95.south you knew he was in his bag. J. Cole rips through each track with effortless flows and crisp lyrics. While 95.south, amari, my.life and pride.is.the.devil got all of the press(and well deserved) my favorite track from the album is let.go.my.hand:
Silk Sonic – An Evening With Silk Sonic: By far the album of the year belonged to the duo of Anderson.Paak and Bruno Mars. Their collaboration started while Paak was opening for Bruno Mars during his 24K tour. What was once kidding around in the studio turned into a song that eventually turned into an album. The duo burst unto the scene with the infectious Leave The Door Open. Skate followed in the summer and 2 weeks before the album debuted on 11/12/21 they dropped what I feel was the song of the year – Smoking Out The Window. With only 9 tracks on the album you are clearly left wanting for more. Borrowing from 60’s and 70’s soul sounds, the duo tell a tale over the course of the album about finding what they thought was love, losing it and gaining it all back. You can see the video for Smoking Out The Window here.
The Year in Sports
Sports did its best to get back to normal as the NFL, MLB, NBA and other sports welcomed back fans. In the NBA, Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Milwaukee Bucks to their 1st NBA title since 1971. The Atlanta Braves against all odds fought their way through the MLB playoffs and won their 1st World Series since 1995. Alabama football began 2021 by winning the National Championship and ended the year by winning the SEC Championship and securing their place in the National Championship game again. Here were some of my favorite things to happen in sports:
Simone Biles & Naomi Osaka: The greatest gymnast of all-time did the most extraordinary thing all year and she wasn’t even on the floor when she did it. Simone Biles pulled out of the all-around competition during the 2021 Olympics citing her mental health. That she had the courage to put her mental health and well-being first was incredible. Because she was able to that she started a movement where athletes reminded people that they are still human beings. Naomi Osaka started her tennis year winning the Australian Open but then pulled out of the French Open to focus on her mental health. We shouldn’t trivialize mental health. We need to pay attention to it and give these athletes the time they need to recover. I salute these young queens.
Shohei Ohtani: The L.A. Angels’ DH & pitcher had a season for the ages. Though the Angels missed the playoffs that didn’t stop Ohtani putting up these stats – 46 home runs, 100 RBIs, and 26 steals at the plate while on the mound, Ohtani went 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA and 156 strikeouts over 23 starts. The 27-year-old ball player earned All-Star & All-MLB honors while winning the AL MVP and being voted as AP MLB Player of the Year. Keep this mind – he’s only 27.
The Chicago White Sox: Homer pick here but I don’t care. Despite the mounting injuries they sustained all season the White Sox went wire-to-wire in the AL Central with a 93-69 record. They won their 1st division title since 2008. Though they were knocked out of the playoffs by the Houston Astros, this White Sox team was fun to watch. It will be interesting to see who they can acquire for 2022. With everyone back healthy, don’t be surprised if the White Sox hoist their 1st World Series trophy since 2005.
Bianca Belair/Sasha Banks/Roman Reigns: If you could sum up the year of WWE this is how you would do it – Bianca Belair, Sasha Banks & Roman Reigns were must see TV. Roman Reigns became the biggest superstar in professional wrestling and showed in week after week. Over the course of 2021 Reigns defeated the likes of Edge, Bryan Danielson, John Cena and Brock Lesnar. The Tribal Chief made the wrestling industry his own island of relevancy. Not to be outdone, Bianca Belair & Sasha Banks made history by becoming the 1st two African-American women to headline WrestleMania.
The Return of CM Punk: By far my favorite moment of the year happened on 8/20/21 with the return of the Second City Saint to professional wrestling. No words needed here just check out the video…
There were some great moments in 2021. What were some of yours?
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