Three teams that were struggling in their performance in the past few years won a position in professional league contests, generating crazed celebrations for their fans after years of disappointments.
New Orleans, San Francisco, Chicago and Los Angeles have each seen one of their favorite teams in football, baseball, hockey and basketball respectively rise to somewhat unforeseen levels.
Still recovering after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans turned into one big party as their football team – the Saints – won the Super Bowl for the first time. One of the most inspiring and emotional moments of US sports this year was provided by the Saints when they defeated the Indianapolis Colts with 31-17 in February. While the team has had little success in its path, and were ridiculed by being called the “Ain’ts”, 2010 had a strong come back for them.
San Francisco’s Giants brought home the Major League Baseball World Series title, under the leadership of Tim “The Freak” Lincecum. The team appeared to struggling to make the playoffs, but their investment in magnetic players such as Tim Lincecum, Aubrey Huff and Brian Wilson paid off.
Chicago’s Blackhawks also threw their fans into delirium by winning the Stanley Cup in the National Hockey League for the first time in almost half a century, by defeating Philadelphia Flyers in June with 4-2. So they ended the longest no-title path ever recorded in the National Hockey League.
The Los Angeles Lakers were the only team with a somewhat predictable success, inspired by their star Kobe Bryant. In June, LA Lakers defeated Boston Celtics in the final series of the NBA.