Best of 2010: Chicago Sports

10. Hester’s Historic Return

Early in the 2010 season, the Bears wisely started decreasing Hester’s wide receiver duties and started letting him return both punts and kick-offs again. This would pay off as on December 20, in a game against the Minnesota Vikings, Devin Hester returned a Chris Kluwe punt 64 yards for a touchdown, which set the all-time NFL record for combined kickoff and punt returns for touchdown with 14, passing Brian Mitchell. This return was one of three that he would return in 2010. The amazing thing about Hester is that he broke the NFL record in about a 1/3 of the attempts that Brian Mitchell had.

• Watch the Video
• Watch all 14 of Hester’s returns

9. Cubs’ Rookies Shine

In a year where not much went right for the Cubs, it was exciting to see 2 rookies give us hope for the future. First was upcoming SS Starlin Castro, who homered in his 1st major league AB and set a MLB record with 6 RBI’s in his 1st game. He would end the year hitting .300. The second rookie to make a great impression on the club was outfielder Tyler Colvin. The speedy youngster would finish the season with 18 doubles and 20 home runs.

8. Bears Win NFC North

Most experts had the Bears wining 7 or 8 games in 2010. But to Chicago’s surprise they ended up going 11-5 which was good enough to win the division. The Bears stout defense and excellent special teams lead the Bears to some memorable victories over the Packers, Eagles and Jets. Their play earned them the 2nd seed and a bye in the first round of playoffs. (Let’s hope we’ll have a great Bears story to share for our 2011 list.)

7. Northwestern vs. Illinois at Wrigley Field

The Wildcats and Fighting Illini were looking for some fun and publicity when they scheduled the first football game in 40 years at the old ballpark… and did they ever get it. Outside of the expected interest of this game being played at Wrigley and the purple marquee on the front of the stadium, it was decided last minute that for safety reasons, offensive plays could only run toward the west end zone near the third-base dugout. Illinois would end up beating Northwestern 48-27.

6. Lou Pinella Retires

Lou Piniella’s long and colorful career that spanned 48 years ended mid-season when he managed his last game in August. It was known earlier that 2010 would be his last year coaching, but the announcement did come as a surprise as all expected him to finish out the season. Mike Quade took over the under-achieving club and lead them to a 24-13 record under his watch. This was enough for Cubs brass to award Quade with a 2 year deal and push Ryan Sandberg out of the Cubs organization.

• Watch Lou’s Retirement Press Conference

5. Amazing Buehrle Play

On opening day Mark Buehrle of the White Sox made an incredible fielding play that became an instant classic and paved the way for his second consecutive Gold Glove. This is simply one of the best fielding plays you’ll ever see by a pitcher. Amazing.

• Watch the play

4. The Rise of Derrick Rose

In Derrick’s second season (2009-2010) he showed us all that he is the future of the Bulls. Rose was voted an All-Star, the first for the Bulls since Michael Jordan in 1998. This season (2010-2011) Rose has elevated his game to a new level and it’s clear his presence has ushered in new era for the Bulls. He’s on his way to another All-Star selection and is one of the best point guards in the league. The sky is the limit for this kid.

3. Free Agency Bonanza for Bears

The Bears were very un-Bear like in free agency in 2010. They made a huge splash by signing the top free agent available Julius Peppers to a 6 year, $91.5 million contract. His impact this season for the Bears cannot be overstated. Along with Peppers, the Bears signed RB Chester Taylor and FB Brandon Manumaleuna to round out their squad.

2. The Pursuit of LeBron James

It seemed not only Chicago, but the entire world was focused on the 2010 free agent crop (arguably the best in NBA history). For months, rumors swirled around the possibility of James coming to the Bulls. In the end, LeBron took his “talents to South Beach” to join forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The Bulls quickly readjusted their sights and picked up Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, Keith Bogans and C.J. Watson. Boozer in particular has been excellent since coming back from his hand injury and has become the Bulls best low-post threat since Elton Brandt.

1. Blackhawks Win the Stanley Cup

After years of being irrelevant in the NHL, the Blackhawks began to turn the entire franchise around. But no one could have expected the climb back to the top to happen so quickly. After making a return to the playoffs in 2009, the Blackhawks went on to win Lord Stanley’s Cup in 2010. It was their first championship since 1961. Their season captured the minds and hearts of the city and drew an estimated 2 million people to their downtown victory parade.