A Look Ahead to 2015

January

• Alabama beats Oregon 34-30 to win the college football national championship.  Amari Cooper is the game's MVP.
• Max Scherzer re-signs with the Detroit Tigers, inking a 10-year, $224 million deal.
• LeBron James returns from his 2-week injury, scoring 34 points and dishing 10 assists in a win over the Clippers.
• Aaron Rodgers throws 5 Touchdowns in Cowboy Stadium as the Packers defeat Dallas 35-21 in a playoff classic.
• The Chicago Bears announce that Doug Marrone is their new coach.  Mike Shanahan is named coach of the Atlanta Falcons.
• The Minnesota Vikings release RB Adrian Peterson.  He ends up signing with the Texans.

February

• Rodgers is named Super Bowl MVP, as Green Bay beats the New England Patriots 26-24.  Rob Gronkowski has 160 yards and 2 touchdowns in the loss.
• The San Francisco 49ers name former Broncos OC Adam Gase as their new head coach.  Rex Ryan becomes the coach of the Oakland Raiders.
• The Tennessee Titans trade a conditional draft pick to the Bears for QB Jay Cutler.
• The Kings' Jonathan Quick records back-to-back shutouts at home against the Red Wings and Senators.

March

• In an epic rivalry matchup for the NCAA basketball championship, Louisville defeats Kentucky 71-67.
• Future Hall of Famer Charles Woodson announces his retirement from the NFL.  He signs a deal with ESPN to work as a studio analyst for college football.
• Ndamukong Suh re-signs with the Detroit Lions, netting the biggest ever contract in NFL history for a defensive lineman.  The Chiefs make OLB Justin Houston the highest paid LB in the NFL.  
• 39-year-old Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees opens the season as the highest ever paid backup DH.

April

• Pitcher James Shields shakes off the playoff rust and goes 6.2 IP for the win for his new team, the St. Louis Cardinals.
• The Tampa Bay Bucs select Oregon QB Marcus Mariotta as the #1 overall pick in the NFL draft.
• The Buffalo Bills trade up at the end of the first round to select troubled Florida State QB Jameis Winston.
• Two former Chicago Bears defensive stalwarts make the news.  LB Lance Briggs joins his former coach Lovie Smith in Tampa Bay, and CB Charles Tillman officially announces his retirement.
• Dez Bryant is not able to reach a long-term agreement with the Cowboys, and he signs a 1-year Franchise tender.

May

• The Detroit Lions sign WR Reggie Wayne to a 1-year contract.
• White Sox SP Chris Sale lands on the disabled list, again, with another minor left shoulder injury.  He returns two weeks later showing no signs of pain.
• The Marlins' Giancarlo Stanton crushes a 490 foot home run off Madison Bumgarner, nto the drink over the right-field fence at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

June

• In a move to save salary cap space, the Kansas City Chiefs release OLB Tamba Hali and WR Dwayne Bowe.  Both sign with divisional teams.
• For the first time since 1991, Chicago's United Center simultaneously hosts both the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Finals.  The Bulls lose the series 4-1 to Golden State, and the Blackhawks claim their third Cup in six years by beating the Bruins in Game 7.  Steph Curry is the Finals MVP while Patrick Kane takes the Conn Smyth after tallying his 7 points vs Boston alone.
• The Philadelphia 76ers select Jahlil Okafor from Duke with the first overall selection the NBA draft.  The Minnesota Timberwolves trade up to #2 and select Kentucky big man Karl-Anthony Towns.
• Ohio State and Michigan both nab top 5 recruiting classes for the upcoming football season

July

• Former Cavs F Kevin Love signs a max deal with the New York Knicks.  The Chicago Bulls extend surprise SG Jimmy Butler's contract, paying him $14 million per year.
• The National League defeats the American League 11-8 in the All-Star game, securing home field advantage in the World Series.
• The Philadelphia Phillies trade Chase Utley and Cole Hamels to the Boston Red Sox.
• In an episode of Hard Knocks, Chargers QB Phillip Rivers jokes with a rookie free agent that he will give him another pouty face if he runs the wrong route again.
• The prize of the NHL unrestricted free agent class, D Mike Green, signs with the Red Wings.

August

• In a waiver deal, SP Mark Buehrle is traded by the Blue Jays to his hometown St. Louis Cardinals.  Buehrle will retire at the season's end.
• George Karl comes out of retirement to take a front office job with the 76ers.

September

• Jim Harbaugh's debut at Michigan is a success as the Wolverines route a Div 1-AA team on opening day.
• The defending Super Bowl champion Packers open up the regular season with a loss at home to the Seattle Seahawks.
• Chris Sale and Madison Bumgarner are the winning pitchers in MLB's Wild Card playoffs.  They combine to allow 3 runs and strike out 21 batters.
• Titan's QB Jay Cutler follows up his 4 TD, 360-yard game with a 177-yard, 0TD and 2 INT performance on Thursday Night Football.

October

• Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, the NHL's two highest paid players, open the season with a goal and an assist each in a win over the Montreal Canadians.
• The St. Louis Cardinals defeat the Tigers to win the World Series in 5 games.
• Johnny Manziel, who won the Browns' starting QB job in training camp, is benched after throwing 3 INTs in the first half of a game against Pittsburgh.

November

• T-Wolves sensation Andrew Wiggins scores a career high 50 points against the team that drafted--the Cavaliers.
• Heat SG Dwayne Wade has surgery on an injured foot and misses the remainder of the season.
• Ndamukong Suh is suspended two games for a late hit on QB Teddy Bridgewater.  His appeal is upheld.  Bridgewater misses a month with a concussion.
• The New York Mets acquire CF Josh Hamilton from the Angels.

December

• Jeff Samardzija signs a multi-year contract with the San Diego Padres at the GM's winter meetings.
• Odell Beckham Jr. establishes himself as the league's best WR, leading the league in yards (1506), yards per catch (18.0), and touchdowns (16).
• The Charger's Melvin Gordon is the clear favorite to win the NFL Rookie of the Year award.
• The Big 12 is shutout of the NCAA football playoffs for the second year in a row.
• The Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions enter the playoffs as the #1 overall seeds in each conference, are the favorites to meet in the Super Bowl.
• The Carolina Panthers fire coach Ron Rivera following a 6-10 season.