2018 brought some notable new faces to New York, including a divine running back, a possible franchise quarterback who could end a decadeslong wait, an outside-the-box GM and some new head coaches. The year also saw one of the city's biggest sports stars go down with a devastating injury, another superstar split in free agency and a team with high hopes fall short, among other things.
Here's a countdown of the top 10 sports stories of 2018, as voted on by WFAN talent, producers and online staff.
10. Giants Hire Pat Shurmur
After the brief Ben McAdoo era ended in disaster in late 2017, the Giants in January hired as their head coach Pat Shurmur, who as offensive coordinator helped the Minnesota Vikings reach the NFC championship game with a third-string quarterback last season. "It's an honor and privilege to be head coach of the New York Giants," Shurmur at his introductory news conference.
Shurmur's time in New York, however, got off to a shaky start, as the Giants lost seven of their first eight games. The Giants later rebounded some to win four out of five and currently sit at 5-10.
9. Knicks Make Coaching Change
The Knicks wasted no time firing coach Jeff Hornacek after their 2017-18 season finale in April. A few weeks later, they hired former Memphis Grizzlies coach David Fizdale to lead the rebuilding franchise on the court. "I'm so honored to be the head coach of the New York Knicks. I mean, you can't dream of this stuff," Fizdale told reporters when he was introduced.
It might take a while before fans can truly judge Fizdale. With face of the franchise Kristaps Porzingis missing a substantial portion of the season while he recovers from a torn ACL, the expectations for the Knicks were low entering the season, as the organization is more concerned with developing its young players. Thus far, Fizdale's team is 9-25.
8. John Tavares Leaves Islanders In Free Agency
John Tavares was the most highly sought-after free agent in the NHL over the summer, and Islanders fans were hoping the franchise would re-sign the star center, capping off an encouraging few months that saw an arena location approved and Hall of Fame executive Lou Lamoriello and Stanley Cup-winning coach Barry Trotz hired.
Tavares, however, had other ideas, signing instead with his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs in July. The move angered many Isles fans who felt like the former No. 1 overall draft pick led the franchise on, which prevented them from dealing him at the trade deadline.
7. Odell Beckham Jr. Gets Paid Despite More Distractions
It was an up-and-down 2018 for Beckham, but one that saw the Giants star become the NFL's highest-paid wide receiver. In August, the three-time Pro Bowler signed a five-year contract extension worth $90 million with an additional $5 million available in incentives.
That signing was sandwiched between a handful of controversial incidents involving Beckham, among them a viral video in March -- which showed him smoking a brown cigarette or cigar while a woman in bed next to him held a credit card near a plate with lines of a white substance on it. Then there was the bizarre ESPN interview in October -- in which Beckham, flanked by rapper Lil Wayne, was critical of quarterback Eli Manning and would not say whether he is happy to be a Giant.
6. Kristaps Porzingis Tears ACL
The Knicks' rebuilding plan was dramatically altered in an instant in February, when Porzingis, their emerging star big man, tore the ACL in his left knee when he crashed to the ground following a dunk against the Milwaukee Bucks at Madison Square Garden. Not only did the injury cost the 7-foot-3 Latvian the rest of the season, it sidelined him to start the 2018-19 campaign -- and it's not out of the possibility he could miss the entire season.
Without Porzingis on the floor, any hope for the playoffs this season was pretty much erased. The Knicks are instead focused on developing their youngsters to complement Porzingis and a max-contract free agent a year or two down the road.
5. Mike Francesa Returns To WFAN
Four and a half months after signing off from WFAN, which included a lengthy sendoff, longtime afternoon drive host Mike Francesa surprisingly returned to the station on May 1. The agreement between Francesa, Entercom (WFAN's parent company) and CAA Sports included the debut of the "Mike's On" app, which launched in August and features his radio show as well as exclusive video.
"It's nice to be back. A little surprising to be back," Francesa admitted in his first show back.
4. Yankees Have Strong Season But Come Up Short Again In Playoffs
After falling one game short of the World Series in 2017 and adding reigning National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton to their lineup, the Yankees entered the season with sky-high expectations. The Bombers did have a strong season under rookie manager Aaron Boone, but there was one big problem: The Boston Red Sox were better.
Despite winning 100 games and setting a new MLB record with 267 home runs, the Yanks finished eight games behind Boston in the AL East and had to settle for a wild-card spot. After beating the A's in the wild-card game, the Yankees were eliminated in four games by the Red Sox in their best-of-five ALDS.
3. Brodie Van Wagenen Arrives With A Bang
The Mets made a stunning move in late October when they hired Brodie Van Wagenen, a player agent, to replace Sandy Alderson as general manager. Van Wagenen almost instantly shook up the Mets' usually conservative approach by trading for All-Star second baseman Robinson Cano and All-Star closer Edwin Diaz, declaring upon their arrival, "Everything is possible, and nothing is impossible."
Van Wagenen has continued to dream big, as his aggressive but failed pursuit of Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto proves. He's also brough back reliever Jeurys Familia and signed catcher Wilson Ramos.
2. Sports Betting Is Legalized
In May, the U.S. Supreme Court made a landmark decision when it struck down a federal law that barred betting on football, basketball, baseball and other sports in most states. The ruling was the result of a yearslong fight waged by New Jersey. Several states quickly legalized sports gambling, including the Garden State, where casinos and racetracks opened their own sportsbook and betting apps were launched.
"It's been a long time coming, many many years, and we're finally going to get sports betting in New Jersey, and I'm thrilled," New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy told WFAN.
1. Giants, Jets Make Big Splashes At Draft
The NFL draft in April brought two exciting offensive players to the Big Apple who could alter the course of the Giants and Jets moving forward.
The Giants held the second overall pick and passed on the top quarterbacks -- a decision widely panned when they started 1-7 -- and took Penn State running back Saquon Barkley instead. And despite general manager Dave Gettleman placing plenty of pressure on Barkley -- he said he was so talented that "he was touched by the hand of God" -- the running back has not disappointed, rushing for 1,198 yards and 10 touchdowns, catching 87 passes for 688 yards and four more TDs and being voted into the Pro Bowl.
With the third pick in the draft, the Jets selected USC quarterback Sam Darnold. It looked like Darnold might be an instant hit when he led the Jets to a 48-17 win over the Lions in Week 1, but his season ended up producing the ups and downs that most people expected from a 21-year-old signal-caller. Darnold's stats -- 2,698 yards, 17 TDs to 15 interceptions and a 57.8 completion percentage -- won't floor anyone, but his performance was strong enough overall to keep Jets fans excited about the future.
Honorable Mentions:
• The Giants' rough start led to growing calls for quarterback Eli Manning to be benched.
• The Islanders hired team president Lou Lamoriello, the architect by the Devils' three Stanley Cup championships, and in coach Barry Trotz, fresh off leading the Washington Capitals to the NHL title.
• The Devils' enjoyed a surprising playoff season, which was capped off by left wing Taylor Hall being named MVP.
• The Rangers announced in a March letter to their fans that they were beginning to rebuild, leading to them dealing veterans Ryan McDonagh, J.T. Miller, Rich Nash Michael Grabner and Nick Holden for a host of prospects and draft picks. After the season, the Blueshirts fired coach Alain Vigneault, and replaced him with David Quinn, a college coach known for developing young players into NHL standouts.
• In June, Justify became the second horse in four years to win the Triple Crown when the chestnut colt won the Belmont Stakes by 1¾ lengths.
• The Red Bulls set a new Major League Soccer record this season with 71 points in the standings. The team, however, fell again short of the MLS Cup, falling to eventual champion Atlanta United in the Eastern Conference finals.
