Year in review: These were the biggest sports stories of 2021 in Georgia

Suffice to say, 2021 could easily be called the year that sports returned to the public eye here in Georgia. Sure, most of the major sports tried to play or played at least partial seasons in 2020, but this year, all of them returned. Often to packed or nearly packed stands.

For teams and individual performers in the state of Georgia, it was all in all a pretty successful year. The Braves won the World Series, the Hawks nearly made it to the NBA Finals and the University of Georgia qualified for the College Football Playoff.

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No, not all of the sports news was good, it never is. But if you cheer for or follow a majority of the sports teams within the state. there was a pretty good chance you had something to be happy about.

Here’s our list of the “Top Sports Stories of 2021.”

1. Atlanta Braves win the World Series

Any list of top stories probably needs to start with this one. Not only did the Braves make it to the World Series for the first time since 1999, they won for only the second time in Atlanta Braves history. The Braves run began after the all-star break and a near record breaking run of wins followed by losses. After coming from behind to win the National League East, the proceed to march through the playoffs, winning the National League Divisional Series, the League Championship Series and defeating the Houston Astros to bring home the World Series trophy.

2. The Atlanta Hawks playoff run

After changing coaches halfway through the season, the Hawks finished the regular season on a winning roll. That roll continued into the playoffs where they made it all the way to the NBA Eastern Conference Finals.

Atlanta defeated the New York Knicks in five games. Trae Young silenced the raucous Knicks crowd at Madison Square Garden. The next target on the Hawks list was the Philadelphia Sixers. The Hawks came out victorious in Game 7.

Atlanta’s run ended in six games of the conference finals when they lost to the eventual champs, the Milwaukee Bucks. But who could forget this moment by Young?

3. Georgia Bulldogs perfect regular season

The Dawgs made it through the 2021 regular season with College Football’s top rated defense and a 12-0 record. They would go on to lose the SEC Championship game, but Bulldogs still managed to qualify for the College Football Playoff and remain a contender for the national title.

4. Major League Baseball relocates the All-star Game

Metro Atlanta lost an opportunity to see the best of baseball when MLB’s All-star game was moved from Truist Park to Coors Field in Denver after Georgia passed a new election law that stirred up emotions on both sides of the political aisle. The last time the Braves hosted an All-star game was 2000, at this time, we don’t know when they’ll get another opportunity.

5. The Atlanta Falcons hire Arthur Smith

After firing Dan Quinn during the 2020 season, the Falcons were in the market for a new head coach. The team landed on Smith, the former offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans who was considered on of the brightest prospects in the coaching business. So far, the 2021 Falcons under Smith have had some success, keeping themselves in playoff contention despite having what many consider one of the leagues least talented rosters.

6. Crowds return:

Yes, the return of crowds to sporting events qualifies as a big deal. Fans came out in droves during 2021 to support their favorite teams. The Braves had the second highest attendance total in Major League Baseball during 2021. The Hawks have seen huge gains in attendance and the Atlanta United continue to draw huge crowds to Mercedes-Benz Stadium. We’ll leave the Falcons out of this because if you’ve seen any of their games on TV this season, the attendance part has not gone so well.

7. Renee Montgomery becomes Atlanta Dream owner

Montgomery became the first WNBA former player to have an ownership stake in one of the league’s teams. Montgomery is a minority owner of the Dream. She joins primary owner Larry Gottesdiener and Chief Operating Officer Suzanne Abair with stakes in the franchise.

8. Atlanta United hires new manager

Atlanta’s Major League Soccer franchise changed coaches in the middle of their season. Once Gonzalo Pineda took over the club in August, the United improved dramatically and returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2019.

9. Georgia Tech Basketball

While the football program continues to struggle, the basketball teams had a very successful 2021. The men’s team made it to the NCAA Tournament in 2021. The women’s team had a great finish to the 2020-21 season and more recently became the first unranked team to beat perennial powerhouse Connecticut in over a decade.

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Let us know if you have your own list. One of the most enjoyable things about sports is the debate over what qualifies as a good or bad thing for your favorite athletes or teams. For lists like this, there really are no right or wrong answers.

Like everyone, we look eagerly look forward to the 2022 season to see how all of our favorite teams and players do.

Mercedes Benz Stadium opens at full capacity for Falcons game

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