2016 Athlete of the Year

December was here.

Here, one last time, are all the nominees:

January-Von Miller
February-Lionel Messi
March - Buddy Hield
April-Breanna Stewart
May - Klay Thompson
June - LeBron James
July-Serena Williams
August-Michael Phelps
September - Lamar Jackson
October - Corey Kluber
November - Ben Zobrist
December - James Harden

And your winner of 2016 Athlete of the Year....

Michael Phelps.

The challenging decision wasn't the final one; the Cubs had a special season, but didn't have a historic year from any individual player; the Warriors had both an historic season with an all time great year by Curry, but they couldn't close out LeBron - SI gave its award to LeBron, but none of his regular season work warranted that and he winds up my runner-up (he's a two time winner, only Tiger/Jordan have three.) The challenging decision was which Olympian was going to get the August nod - Phelps or Usain Bolt, who, as you can see below, was my Athlete of the Year in '08. Either one would have cleared the field and gotten Athlete of the Year.

I've been doing this my whole life really, maybe starting as long ago as '79; I have the full records since 1990 (someplace in the blog I posted each athlete of the month+runners-up for the years prior to publication).  Here is each winner of my Athlete of the Year Award since 1990.

1990: Joe Montana
1991: Michael Jordan
1992: Mario Lemieux
1993: Michael Jordan
1994: George Foreman
1995: Hakeem Olajuwon
1996: Michael Jordan
1997: Tiger Woods
1998: Mark McGwire
1999: Tiger Woods
2000: Tiger Woods
2001: Barry Bonds
2002: Barry Bonds
2003: Lance Armstrong
2004: Peyton Manning
2005: Reggie Bush
2006: Roger Federer
2007: Tom Brady
2008: Usain Bolt
2009: Manny Pacquiao
2010: Maya Moore
2011: Aaron Rodgers
2012: LeBron James
2013: LeBron James
2014: Madison Bumgarner
2015: Serena Williams
2016: Michael Phelps

2016 Wrestling Matches of the Year.

Each year I look to record every 4 star match and up I see.

You'll see 3 lists.  Every 4 1/2+ match, the best WWE matches of the year, and then every other 4 star match, those will be unranked, just listed as I see them.

The final tally was 41 matches at 4 1/2 stars or better, but no 5 star matches. WWE had a great year, probably it's best ever year in terms of number of 4 star matches.  I've got a total of 29 4 star and up WWE matches.

The besat wrestler in 2016 was Will Ospreay.

Here are the best wrestling matches of 2016.

MOTY
1. Scurll v. Ospreay (Rev Pro, Jan) 4 3/4
2. Tanahashi v. Okada (NJPW, Jan) 4 3/4
3. Bucks v. Addiction v. MCMG (ROH, Oct) 4 3/4
4. Akiyama v. Suwama (AJPW, Jan) 4 1/2
5. Shibata v. Ishii (NJPW, Feb) 4 1/2
6. Ishii v. Okada (NJPW, Aug) 4 1/2
7. Bucks/Cole v. Ricochet/Sydal/Ospreay (PWG, Sep) 4 1/2
8. Omega v. Naito (NJPW, Aug) 4 1/2
9. Hero v. Sabre (Evolve, May) 4 1/2
10. Nakamura v. AJ (NJPW, Jan) 4 1/2

11. Naito v. Ishii (NJPW, May) 4 1/2
12. Tozawa v. Susumu (DG, May) 4 1/2
13. Ospreay v. Taguchi (NJPW, June) 4 1/2
14. Ospreay v. Ricochet (NJPW, May) 4 1/2
15. Ospreay v. Sabre (Evolve, Apr) 4 1/2
16. Ospreay v. Ricochet (Evolve, Apr) 4 1/2
17. Okada v. Marufuji (NJPW, Oct) 4 1/2
18. Goto v. Omega (NJPW, Oct) 4 1/2
19. Strong v. Sydal (PWG, Dec 2015) 4 1/2
20. Hero v. Sabre (WWN, Apr) 4 1/2

21. Strong v. Sabre (PWG, Mar) 4 1/2
22. Kushida v. O'Reilly (NJPW, May) 4 1/2
23. Miyahara v. Sai (AJPW, Aug) 4 1/2
24. Nakamura v. Zayn (NXT, Apr) 4 1/2
25. Revival v. DIY (Nov, NXT) 4 1/2
26. Ospreay v. Strickland (WXW, Mar) 4 1/2
27. Dragon Lee v Kamaitachi (CMLL, Mar) 4 1/2
28. Dragon Lee v Kamaitachi (CMLL, Apr) 4 1/2
29. Killshot v. Marty the Moth (LU, Sep) 4 1/2
30. Shingo v. CIMA (DG, Dec 2015) 4 1/2

31. Okada v. Tanahashi (NJPW, Aug) 4 1/2
32. Okada v. Naito (NJPW, June) 4 1/2
33. Go/Okabayashi v. Hino/Sekimoto (Fortune Dream, June) 4 1/2
34. Bucks/Omega v. Kushida/ACH/Sydal (ROH, Feb) 4 1/2
35. Lethal/Strong v. Cole/MJackson v. Okada/Ishii (ROH, May) 4 1/2
36. End/Hero v. Pentagon/Fenix (PWG, Sep) 4 1/2
37. End/Hero v. Sabre/Callihan (Evolve, Jan) 4 1/2
38. Dragon Lee v Kamaitachi (CMLL, Jan) 4 1/2
39. Volador v. Kushida (CMLL, July) 4 1/2
40. Daisuke Sasaki v. Takeshita (DDT, May) 4 1/2

41. Shibata v. Naito (NJPW, July) 4 1/2

Best WWE Matches of the Year
1. Nakamura v. Zayn (NXT, Apr) 4 1/2
2. Revival v. DIY (NXT, Nov) 4 1/2
3. Ibushi v. Alexander (CWC, Aug) 4 1/4
4. Styles v. Cena (Summerslam, Aug) 4 1/4
5. Zayn v. Owens (Battleground, July) 4 1/4
6. Tozawa v. Metalik (CWC, Aug) 4 1/4
7. Miz v. Owens v. Zayn v. Cesaro (Extreme Rules, May) 4 1/4
8. Ibushi v. Kendrick (CWC, Aug) 4 1/4
9. New Day v. Lucha Dragons v. Usos (TLC Dec, 2015) 4 1/4
10. Nakamura v. Joe (NXT, Nov) 4 1/4

11. Ibushi v. Perkins (CWC, Sep) 4 1/4
12. Ambrose v. Styles (Backlash, Sep) 4 1/4
13. Ambrose v. Steen (Royal Rumble, Jan) 4 1/4
14. Metalik v. Sabre (CWC, Sep) 4
15. Revival v. Ciampa/Gargano (NXT, Aug) 4
16. Perkins v. Metalik (CWC, Sep) 4
17. A.J. Styles & Dean Ambrose & Randy Orton & Bray Wyatt & Shane McMahon v. Kevin Owens & Chris Jericho & Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns & Braun Strowman (Survivor Series, Nov) 4
18. Nakamura v. Balor (NXT, July) 4
19. Balor v. Rollins (Summerslam, Aug) 4
20. Owens v. Zayn (Payback, May) 4

21. Styles v. Reigns (Extreme Rules, May) 4
22. Neville v. Balor (NXT, Feb) 4
23. Balor v. Joe (NXT, Dec 2015) 4
24. Styles v. Cena v. Ambrose (No Mercy, Oct) 4
25. Ladder Match (MITB, June) 4
26. American Alpha v. Revival (NXT, June) 4
27. Styles v. Zayn (RAW, Apr) 4
28. Miz v. Ziggler (No Mercy, Oct) 4
29. Sasha v. Charlotte (RAW, Nov) 4




Other 4 Star Matches (not ranked)
Tanahashi/Shibata v Okada/Ishii  (NJPW, Dec 2015) 4
Cole v. O'Reilly (ROH, Dec 2015) 4 1/4
Lethal v. Styles (ROH, Dec 2015) 4
Marufuji v. Suzuki (NOAH, Dec 2015) 4
Bucks v. Fish/O'Reilly v. Sydal/Ricochet v. Barretta/Romero (NJPW, Jan) 4
Shibata v. Ishii (NJPW, Jan) 4 1/4
Bucks v. Kingdom v. ReDragon (ROH, Jan) 4
Sugiura v. Marufuji (NOAH, Jan) 4 1/4
Fenix v. Cuerno (LU, Feb) 4
Kodoka v. Takanashi (DDT, Jan) 4
Bucks v. ReDragon v. Sydal/Ricochet (NJPW, Feb) 4
Omega v. Tanahashi (NJPW, Feb) 4 1/4
Hero/End v. Barretta/Romero (Evolve, Jan) 4
Galloway/Gargano v. Hero/End (Evolve, Jan) 4
Riddle v. Williams (Evolve, Jan) 4
Fenix v. Cuerno (LU, Mar) 4 1/4
Cole v. O'Reilly v. Lethal (ROH, Feb) 4
Naito v. Ishii (NJPW, Mar) 4
Fenix v. Muertes (LU, Mar) 4
Naito v. Goto (NJPW, Mar) 4
Harashima v. Kodoka (DDT, Mar) 4
Battle Royal (LU, Mar) 4
Sugiura v. Nakajima (NOAH, Mar) 4 1/4
Ishii v. Strong (ROH, Feb) 4
Ohara/Kenou v. Kotoge/Harada (NOAH, Mar) 4 1/4
Omega v. Ospreay (PWG, Dec 2015) 4 1/4
Strong/Bucks/Cole v. Hero/Bailey/LeRae/Ryan (PWG, Dec 2015) 4
Hero v Trent (PWG, Feb) 4 1/4
Ospreay v. Kushida (NJPW, Apr) 4 1/4
Okada v. Naito (NJPW, Apr) 4
Trios Final (LU, Apr) 4
Miyahara v. Mashimo (AJPW, Apr) 4 1/4
Bucks/Tonga/Loa v. Sabin/Shelley/Kushida/Sydal (ROH, May) 4
Scurll d. Sabre (Evolve, May) 4
Gulak v. Williams (Evolve, May) 4
Shimizu/T-Hawk v. DKid/Eita (DGate, May) 4 1/4
Naito v. ACH (ROH, May) 4
Sydal v. O'Reilly (NJPW, May) 4 1/4
Kushida v. Taguchi (NJPW, May) 4
Kushida v. Sydal (NJPW, June) 4
Ospreay v. Fish (NJPW, June) 4
Eita v. Tozawa (DG, June) 4 1/4
Harada/Kotoge v. Kenoh/Ohara (NOAH, May) 4
Sugiura v. Go (NOAH, May) 4 1/4
Matt v. Jeff (TNA, June) 4
Lashley v. Galloway (TNA, June) 4
Thatcher v. Hero (Evolve, June) 4
Ospreay v. Bailey (RPW, June) 4 1/4
Bucks/Cole v. Moose/Rowe/Hanson (June, ROH) 4
Scurll v. O'Reilly (PWG, Mar) 4 1/4
Sekimoto/Hino v. Go/Okabayashi (Fortune, June) 4
Cima v. Tozawa (DG May) 4 1/4
Tozawa v. Eita (DG May) 4 1/4
Cole v. Sabre (PWG, Mar) 4 1/4
Scurll v. O'Reilly (PWG, Mar) 4
Hero/Dunn v. Sydal/Ricochet (PWG, Mar) 4 1/4
Bucks v. reDragon (PWG, Mar) 4
Andrews v. Scurll (PWG, May) 4
Nakajima v. Yuji (NJPW, July) 4
Shingo v. Fuji (DG, May) 4
Omega v. Elgin (NJPW, May) 4 1/4
Sanada v. Ishii (NJPW, Aug) 4
Lethal v. O'Reilly (ROH, Aug) 4
Ospreay v. Kushida (NJPW, June) 4 1/4
Yuji v. Shibata (NJPW, June) 4 1/4
Tanahashi v. Sanada (NJPW, July) 4 1/4
Marufuji v. Okada (NJPW, July) 4 1/4
Marufuji v. Tanahashi (NJPW, July) 4 1/4
Rey v. Puma (LU, July) 4 1/4
Nakajima v. Shibata (NJPW, July) 4
Naito v. Elgin (NJPW, July) 4 1/4
Honma v. Omega (NJPW, July) 4 1/4
Shibata v. Elgin (NJPW, July) 4 1/4
Dorada v. Escorpion (CMLL, July) 4 1/4
Elgin v. Nakajima (NJPW, July) 4
Shibata v. Naito (NJPW, July) 4 1/4
Shingo v. Yamato (DG, July) 4
Taguchi v. Harada (NJPW, July) 4
Kushida v. Ishimori (NJPW, July) 4
Honma v. Shibata (NJPW, July) 4 1/4
Marufuji v. Ishii (NJPW, July) 4
Omega v. Elgin (NJPW, July) 4 1/4
Bucks v. Sabin/Shelley (Aug, NJPW) 4
End v. Riddle (Evolve, Aug) 4
Sabre v. Alexander (Evolve, Aug) 4
Omega v. Hashi (NJPW, Sep) 4
Nakajima v. Elgin (NJPW, Aug) 4 1/4
Tanahashi v. Ishii (NJPW, Aug) 4
Sabre v. Ospreay (Progress, Aug) 4 1/4
Cole v. Lethal (ROH, Aug) 4 1/4
Naito v. Elgin (NJPW, Sep) 4 1/4
Volador v. Cavernario (CMLL, Sep) 4
Sabre d. Ricochet (Evolve, Sep) 4
Shibata v. O'Reilly (NJPW, Oct) 4 1/4
Dragon Lee v. Kamaitachi (ROH, Oct) 4
Omega v. Goto (NJPW, Aug) 4 1/4
6 Man (CMLL, Sep) 4
Sydal v. Ospreay (NJPW, Aug) 4
Ricochet/Finlay/Kojima v. Cole/Bucks (NJPW, Sep) 4
Riddle v. Hero (Evolve, Oct) 4
Volador v. Valiente (CMLL, Oct) 4
Marufuji/Honma v. Makabe/Honma (NOAH, Oct) 4
Nakajima v. Sugiura (NOAH, Oct) 4 1/4
Ricochet v. Cobb (PWG, Sep) 4 1/4
Ospreay v. Fenix (PWG, Sep) 4 1/4
Sabre v. End (PWG, Sep) 4
Williams v. Hero (Evolve, Nov) 4
Hero v. Riddle (Evolve, Nov) 4
Andrews v. Dunne (PWG, Sep) 4 1/4
Haskins v. Alexander (PWG, Sep) 4
O'Reilly v. Riddle (PWG, Sep) 4
Bucks v. Fenix/Pentagon (PWG, Sep) 4
Ospreay v. Ricochet (PWG, Sep) 4
Go v. Shibata (NOAH, Oct) 4 1/4
Suwama v. Miyahara (AJPW, Nov) 4 1/4
Ishii v. Hero (RPW, Nov) 4

December, 2016 Athlete of the Month

November is here.

James Harden

Runners-up: Russell Westbrook, Le'Veon Bell, Malik Monk


That's it.  Tomorrow is the 2016 Athlete of the Year.  Here are the nominees.

January-Von Miller
February-Lionel Messi
March - Buddy Hield
April-Breanna Stewart
May - Klay Thompson
June - LeBron James
July-Serena Williams
August-Michael Phelps
September - Lamar Jackson
October - Corey Kluber
November - Ben Zobrist
December - James Harden

2016 Top 20 Television Shows

October-December, by which you can get to the quarterly top 10s, is here.

Here are the 20 best television shows for 2016.

1. Fleabag (Amazon)
2. Please Like Me (AU)
3. Better Call Saul (AMC)
4. The Americans (FX)
5. Veep (HBO)
6. Horace and Pete (LouisCK.net)
7. Atlanta (FX)
8. High Maintenance (HBO)
9. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (CW)
10. Lady Dynamite (Netflix)

11. Baskets (FX)
12. Girls (HBO)
13. Portlandia (IFC)
14. Mr. Robot (USA)
15. Orange is the New Black (Netflix)
16. Billy on the Street (Tru)
17. Last Man on Earth (Fox)
18. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)
19. OJ: Made in America (ESPN)
20. Friday Night Tykes: Steel Country (Esquire)

The lesson is don't make too many episodes.  There have been six episodes of Fleabag and there doesn't need to ever be a seventh.  The six best episodes of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend might be the top show on the list, but season two has given some ground (as was the case with Mr. Robot, for example, and shows like Transparent and You're the Worst, which aren't on this list, also gave some ground in their current season.  Even Veep, a top 10 show, had it's least strong season; everyone's got six episodes, not everyone has 40).

Athletes of the Year: 2010-14

2000-04 is

Here are the athletes of the year for 2010-15

2010

Athlete of the Year: Maya Moore
January-Peyton Manning (Chris Johnson, Kurt Warner, Derrelle Revis)

February-Drew Brees (Alex Ovechkin, Bode Miller, Kim Yu-Na)

March-Maya Moore (LeBron James, Kalana Greene, Omar Samhan)

April-Phil Mickelson (Brian Zubek, Ubaldo Jimenez, Vernon Wells)

May-Rajon Rondo ( Floyd Mayweather, Dallas Braden, Roy Halladay)

June- John Isner ( Garrett Wittels, Rafael Nadal, Kobe Bryant.)

July - Diego Forlan ( Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Wesley Sneijder)

Aug - Josh Hamilton (Brandon Morrow, Alex Rodriguez, Adam Wainwright)

Sep - Troy Tulowitzki ( Roy Halladay, Rafael Nadal, Jose Bautista)

Oct - Matt Cain (Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cody Ross)

Nov - Tim Lincecum (Kevin Love.  Michael Vick.  Manny Pacquiao.)

December - Tom Brady (Cam Newton, LeBron James, Maya Moore)

2011

Athlete of the Year: Aaron Rodgers

January- Nick Fairley (Aaron Rodgers, Rashard Mendenhall, Jimmer Fredette)

February - Aaron Rodgers (LeBron James, Trevor Bayne, Marshon Brooks)

March- Kemba Walker (Kevin Love, Maya Moore, Brandon Knight)

April - Danielle Adams (Charl Schwartzel, Troy Tulowitzki, Lance Berkman)

May - Dirk Nowitzki (Jose Bautista, LeBron James, Lionel Messi)

June - Rory McIlroy (Rafael Nadal, Jason Terry, Tim Thomas)

July-Novak Djokovic (Marta, Abby Wambach, Homare Sawa)

August - Justin Verlander (Dan Uggla, Justin Upton, Jim Thome)

September - Cliff Lee (Novak Djokovic, Ryan Braun, Evan Longoria)

October - David Freese (Adrian Beltre, Nelson Cruz, Albert Pujols)

November - Matt Barkley (Aaron Rodgers, Tony Romo, Robert Griffin)

December - Drew Brees (Cam Newton, Eli Manning, Keith Price)

2012

Athlete of the Year: LeBron James
January-Courtney Upshaw (Matt Flynn, Vince Wilfork, Victor Cruz)
February-Eli Manning (Jeremy Lin, LeBron James, Kevin Durant)
March-Kevin Love (Anthony Davis,  Brittney Griner, Thomas Robinson)
April-Brittney Griner ( Bubba Watson, Matt Kemp, Philip Humber)
May-Josh Hamilton (Floyd Mayweather, Justin Verlander, Martin Brodeur)
June-LeBron James (Rafael Nadal, Matt Cain, RA Dickey)
July-Mike Trout ( Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Andrew McCutcheon)
Aug-Usain Bolt (Gabby Douglas, Michael Phelps, Felix Hernandez)
Sept - Andy Murray (Serena Williams, Miguel Cabrera, Geno Smith)
Oct-Pablo Sandoval (JJ Watt, Justin Verlander, Marco Scutaro)
Nov - Johnny Manziel (Doug Martin, Marcus Mariota, Matt Schaub)
December-Lionel Messi ( Adrian Peterson, Peyton Manning, Juan Manuel Marquez)

2013

Athlete of the Year: LeBron James
January - Colin Kaepernick (Eddie Lacy, Julio Jones, Joe Flacco)

February - Joe Flacco (LeBron James,  Chris Paul,  Lionel Messi)

March - LeBron James (Patrick Kane, Dwyane Wade, Kyle Dake)

April - Justin Upton (Luke Hancock, Carmello Anthony, Andy Scott)

May-Clayton Kershaw (Clay Buchholz, Matt Harvey, Miguel Cabrera)

June - Patrick Kane  (Serena Williams, Yasel Puig, LeBron James)

July - Andy Murray (Inbee Park,  Chris Davis, Phil Mickelson)

August- Mike Trout (Clayton Kershaw, Chris Davis, Miguel Cabrera)
September - Peyton Manning (Serena Williams, Floyd Mayweather, Josh Donaldson)
October - David Ortiz (Hanley Ramirez, Carlos Beltran, Mike Napoli)
November - Paul George (Nick Foles,  Jack Taylor, Chris Davis)
December - Jamaal Charles (Tre Mason,  LeSean McCoy, Damian Lillard)

2014

Athlete of the Year: Madison Bumgarner
January: Kevin Durant (Rashad Greene,  LeGarrette Blount, Peyton Manning)
February: Malcolm Smith (Yuzuru Hanyu, Ted Ligety, Adelina Sotnikova)
March: Breanna Stewart (LeBron James,  Doug McDermott, Anthony Davis)
April: Meb Keflezighi. (Shabazz Napier, Bubba Watson,  Lamarcus Aldridge)
May: Troy Tulowitzki: (Floyd Mayweather,  LeBron James, Edwin Encarnacion)
June: Lionel Messi.  (Rafael Nadal,  Kawhi Leonard, Clayton Kershaw)
July: Novak Djokovic: (Jerome Boateng, Rory McIlroy, Vincenzo Nibali)
Aug: Rory McIlroy.  (Clayton Kershaw,    Giancarlo Stanton,  Kenny Hill)
Sep: Serena Williams.  (Floyd Mayweather, Marcus Mariota, Andrew Luck)
Oct: Madison Bumgarner.  (Lorenzo Cain, Travis Ishikawa, Pablo Sandoval)
Nov: Aaron Rodgers (Ben Roethlisberger,  Melvin Gordon,  Samaje Perine)
Dec: Steph Curry.  (LeVeon Bell, Marcus Mariotta, Odell Beckham)