Sportsish We're Thankful For

To quote the iconic Mariah Carey, "It's time!" The holiday season officially kicks off today as we celebrate Thanksgiving, a holiday filled with wholesome traditions: comfort food, family gatherings, and football games. But one of the most important moments today is that it creates a space for us to pause and think about what makes us feel grateful. Whether times have been good, bad, or something in between this year, there's always something to thank for.

In our case, many things have excited us this year, especially in the sportsish world. As we get ready to carve the turkey and watch Amon-Ra (hopefully) do another Dragon Ball Z celebration, here's a list of all the sportsish moments we're grateful for this year.

WAGs Stealing the Spotlight

*Kristin and Kyle Jyszcyk (Kristin’s Instagram)*

It's been quite a year for WAGs! While the concept of iconic women supporting their athlete partners isn't new (hello, Victoria Beckham?), it feels like something has shifted recently, with the spotlight being directed at them to let them shine on their own. These women are incredibly talented in their respective careers: whether being entrepreneurs launching their own fashion empire, like Kristin Juszczyk, or influencing icons, like Morgan Riddle, we're grateful these ladies have stepped into the center stage to show the world how it's really done.

The Chocolate Muffin Man

*Henrick Christiansen AKA The Muffin Man (TikTok)*

So much has happened during the second half of the year; it feels like the Paris 2024 Olympics were ages ago. As the event was filled with tremendous athletic displays, there's one performance we can't stop thinking about months later: Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen and his love for the Olympic Villa's chocolate muffins. It may have started as a joke on TikTok, but the wave of content it unraveled meant something much more meaningful. It became a bonding occasion, an inside joke between athletes of every nation joining in on the fun and sharing a more thorough glimpse of their lives behind the scenes. In the event that is dictated by constant competition and outlasting the rest, the Chocolate Muffin Man debacle created a pause for these athletes to pause and connect with each other outside of the courts, and for that, we're thankful.

The Super Bowl of Romcoms

*Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift share a Super Bowl Kiss (Getty Images)*

The Super Bowl is the year's sporting event by excellence. Nothing beats the top two teams showing up to prove who is the best in the league while getting a halftime performance from one of our favorite artists. However, this year's Super Bowl was cinematic for the sportsish universe. During the last season, Taylor and Travis's romance became the sportsish storyline by excellence. She went to his games; he went to her concerts; it all felt like watching a romcom unfold in real time. But once the Chiefs reached the championship game, it felt almost as if it was scripted. The anticipation of wondering if Taylor would make it in time from Tokyo to Vegas to see him play, then showing up just in time for her man to win back-to-back championships, and finally celebrating it with a kiss in the middle of the field? It truly became a Nancy Myers plot line. As if the romance wasn't enough, Usher fulfilled all of our nostalgic dreams by performing his greatest hits, making us thankful to witness a Super Bowl that happens once every few lifetimes.

Our Queen, Ilona Maher

What can we say about Ilona that we haven't said before? There's not much, so we'll keep repeating ourselves until everybody has heard it. The rugby legend has tackled every expectation, breaking through every space she steps into to claim them as her own. She might've won a bronze medal for rugby, but she deserves recognition for every other success this year. She's a TikTok master, creating some of the funniest content on the platform; a Sports Illustrated model who's advocated to make sure women know that everybody and everybody is beautiful; and in her spare time, she picked up dancing and came in second place in "Dancing With The Stars." She speaks up for women in sports and everyday life, so we're thankful for her and her open and positive attitude.

The Golden Girls

*Team USA’s Golden Girls (Getty Images)*

Paris 2024, as we mentioned before, had a lot of astounding performances by athletes from all over the world, but Team USA's women's gymnastics squad was a true spectacle to watch. The "Golden Girls" was appropriately nicknamed–an ode to their Olympic first-place win–Simone, Sunni, Jordan, Hezly, and Jade showed the world how it's done. The squad was the perfect mix: Simone's experience with Hezly's youth, Sunni's sweetness with Jordan's fierceness, and Jade's precision and expertise. These girls showed up and showed out, proving why every one of them deserved to be on the world's biggest sporting stage while demonstrating to us how girlhood is being there for each other through the highs and lows, and for that, we'll forever be thankful.

The Rise in Popularity for Women's Sports

*Angel Reese during the WNBA Draft (Getty Images)*

What a year it's been for women's sports! It was well overdue that these athletes got the recognition they deserved, and this year made us feel like the ball is finally rolling. The WNBA and NWSL had tremendous growth in attendance and viewership, with plans in both leagues to expand the number of teams and keep the momentum going. After an amazing year of women competing, we're thankful we got to witness both star veteran players and rookie promises shine, but more importantly, that this was only the beginning.

The Kelces

*Jason and Kylie Kelce’s Family (Stephanie Beatty)*

Move over, Kardashians; there's a new K dynasty we're keeping up with. The beloved family has become increasingly popular this year, and the easy explanation would be to say it's because of their connection to Taylor, but that would be a lie. Through their wholesome bond and charismatic personalities, the Kelces have each shown us why they have rightfully earned all the praise: Travis is having a record-breaking season in his 12th year in the NFL while hosting a podcast, a TV show, and acting; Jason retired but stayed within the NFL sphere, co-hosting "New Heights" with Travis, as well as MNF Countdown; princess Kyana has been working with the Eagles Autism Foundation while raising three beautiful daughters and expecting a fourth one, as well as launching a podcast; Mama Kelce is an all-around icon who has now appeared in commercials, talk shows, and more recently, acting in a romantic comedy. It's safe to say the family has been booked and busy, but we're just thankful we get to see them live out their most successful lives.

Miss Peggy

CU's most devoted fan, who should be considered one of the best sports supporters in history, reminds us why we love sports and the ish. As she recently celebrated her 100th birthday, none other than by attending a football game as she has for the past 80+ years, she has never once stopped to reconsider her devotion to the team, no matter the outcomes. We're thankful she has led the way by showing us how to be devoted and loyal fans of our teams.

Supportive Husbands

Tara and Hunter Woodhalls (Shutterstock)

WAGs aren't the only support system in sports. This year gave us plenty of husbands cheering on from the stands, being the loudest ones to clap and cheer for their ladies out there performing. Some of the moments that are forever ingrained in our brains include Jonathan Owens in Paris 2024; Dansby Swanson wearing t-shirts that state the obvious ("Mallory Swanson is good at soccer"); Hunter Woodhall tearing up in the stands as Tara wins gold and runs to kiss him; Kyle Juszczyk making sure everyone knows who is making the hottest outfits in the NFL. As these are just some, to name a few, we're thankful to see there are men who know how to take the stands and let these ladies shine.

Wholesome NFL Cellies

Yes, your team scoring a touchdown is exciting, but have you ever seen them recreate the Parent Trap handshake? A full headstand? The M.A.P.S. dance that's going viral on TikTok? A KAMEHAMEHA?! If you had asked us last year, we would've said, "No, what are you talking about?" But there must've been something in the Gatorade this season because these players have given us the best celebrations we've seen. Scoring is about sports, but celebrating in a unique and fun way is the kind of thing we care about, and for those moments, we're thankful.