The month of November is over, which means that it's time to button up those jackets and buckle down in the backstretch of the football season. College football's playoff finalists are all but solidified, the NFL's wild card race is as frantic as ever, and the NBA and college basketball seasons are just starting to get interesting. Who won and lost the month of November? Let's work off these calories from Thanksgiving and find out.
Once again, we’ve decided to break out the athletes, moments and other things of interest that won and lost at sports in the month of November. Some are truly awesome moments of spectacle. Others are only here to make you laugh. Because winning at sports is important.
Winner: Golden State Warriors
When you haven't lost a game at all, you easily earn the top spot on our Winners list. The Golden State Warriors set a new record for best regular season start in the NBA’s 70-year history, and the next record in their sights is the 1971-72 Lakers’ 33-game winning streak. With Steph Curry looking to be back in MVP form, and the rest of the roster looking even better than last season, maybe the Warriors' championship run last year wasn't a fluke?
Loser: Tony Romo
The great hope of the Dallas Cowboys made his triumphant return to a team in dire need of assistance at quarterback. Romo broke his collarbone back in September and missed two months of action, in that time, the Cowboys lost seven consecutive games without their starting quarterback. In Romo's second game back, Dallas faced the undefeated Carolina Panthers for Thanksgiving, and things would go sour quick for the Cowboys. After throwing two pick-6 interceptions, Romo was hit hard on the same shoulder he hurt previously, re-injuring his collarbone. The Cowboys' QB has been ruled out for the season, and Cowboys fans around the world have little to be thankful for regarding their team for the holidays.
Winner: Cam Newton
From introducing "The Dab" to America, to carrying the Carolina Panthers to the NFL's best record at 10-0, Cam Newton has been a leading man in November. Newton's name is now at the top of the MVP leaderboard with another undefeated month on his resume, with big wins against Indianapolis and Green Bay in November. From his constant endzone dancing and love for the kids, Cam has been must-see television on Sundays.
Loser: Peyton Manning
One could look back at the month of November for Peyton Manning and call him a winner, as #18 became the NFL's all-time passing yardage leader in a game versus the Kansas City Chiefs. However, the reality is that November has been rough on Archie's son. It was revealed that Manning was playing this season through plantar fasciitis in his right foot, and when the injury became worse, head coach Gary Kubiak finally pulled the plug on his quarterback. While Manning could recover from the injury and play again this season, new starter Brock Osweiler played well versus the Chicago Bears, and many believe Kubiak prefers Osweiler over Manning for his system. Could this be the last time we see Peyton? Time will only tell.
Winner: Derek Jeter
Derek Jeter might own the greatest resume in human history. First, he's one of the greatest New York Yankees of all-time. Second, he's the founder of The Player's Tribune. Third, he's lived a life as a bachelor that many consider legendary. Now, he's confirmed his engagement to former Victoria's Secret model and SI Swimsuit Issue cover girl Hannah Davis. Jeets is the ultimate winner.
Loser: FanDuel and DraftKings
For people participating in daily fantasy sports leagues, the time is near whether their ability to "gamble" with FanDuel and DraftKings might be coming to an end. State Supreme Court Judge Manuel Mendez stated he would make a ruling “very soon” on whether to grant the attorney general’s injunction request to ban FanDuel Inc., and DraftKings Inc., among others, from accepting money from New York residents. If New York fully bans DFS companies to continue operating in their state, many believe other states will follow suit. If you still have money deposited with a DFS site, it might be time to withdraw your funds...immediately.
Winner: Kansas City Royals
There are some times that have a "never say die" attitude, and then there are the Kansas City Royals. Time and time again, the Royals found a way to play their best baseball in the biggest moments, and their Game 5 win in the 2015 World Series against the New York Mets epitomized that to a tee. From an ill-advised sprint home, to pop-up game winners, the Royals captivated the hearts of baseball fans and brought home their first World Series championship in 30 years.
Loser: Atlanta Braves
In particular, the Braves have lost their all-world defensive wizard Andrelton Simmons. Simmons, the two-time Gold Glove recipient, was traded in a packaged deal by Atlanta to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Braves seem to be dead set on mortgaging their current roster for building up the future, but losing the best glove in all of baseball has to be a punch to the gut to all Braves fans.
Winner: Canelo Alvarez
Boxing's greatest rivalry renewed on November 21st as Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and Miguel Cotto did battle at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Canelo's brut strength and punching ability overwhelmed a game Cotto over 12 rounds to be crowned the new WBC middleweight champion. Alvarez's (45-1-1) (40-5) unanimous decision win over Cotto (40-5) was the fourth victory in a row since losing to Floyd Mayweather over two years ago. Canelo, now widely regarded as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world, is now setting his sights on Gennady Golovkin. We are all winners.
Loser: Ronda Rousey
Some people thought this moment would never happened, but alas, in UFC 193 the world was officially shocked! Ronda Rousey’s streak of 12 consecutive wins was ended by the boxing extraordinaire Holly Holm. Holm, ranked No. 7 in her weight class, bludgeoned Rousey for two rounds before knocking her out to end the streak. Holm was crowned the UFC's new women’s bantamweight champion, while Rousey received the meme treatment on social media. Is this the end of the Ronda Rousey era in the UFC? Only time will tell.
Winner: Luke Walton
We've already named the Golden State Warriors are winners this month, but in 25 years when we dust off the pages in the history books about their incredible start to the 2015-16 NBA season, we will be reminded that the head coach of the defending champs during this run was not Steve Kerr, but Luke Walton.
The former Laker and son of Hall of Fame center, Bill, has been the interim head coach while Kerr recovers from offseason back surgery. It's almost like George Seifert taking over for Bill Walsh in the late 80s, except that Seifert was an excellent defensive coach for the San Francisco 49ers before running the whole show en route to two Super Bowl titles. The book is still being written on Walton; whether if it's him riding the wave of immense talent or unlocking something even Kerr didn't find last season. However, many NBA general managers will be giving him a call next spring.
Loser: Philadelphia Sports
Philadelphia professional sports teams have exactly one home win in the month of November: an overtime victory by the Flyers in which they blew a lead before winning in overtime. The 76ers are not only winless in November, but still winless on the season — and their star rookie Jahlil Okafor is bound to get suspended for an altercation following a loss in Boston. On top of that, the Eagles are a complete mess with "genius" Chip Kelly proving to be a complete and utter fraud. After beating the roughed up Cowboys in Dallas to open the month, the Birds have lost three in a row to Miami, Tampa Bay and Detroit — not exactly world beaters.
You know how bad it is? The Philadelphia Phillies have the best 2015 winning percentage of any Philadelphia franchise … and they finished with the worst record in baseball. Not good.
Winner: Baker Mayfield
The Oklahoma Sooners have found themselves in the college football playoff conversation due to big wins over Baylor and TCU in November. One of the main reasons for their success has been Baker Mayfield, as the former Texas Tech quarterback transferred to Oklahoma and walked on to the Sooners football team last year. The end result? Mayfield took over the starting job from the incumbent Trevor Knight and hasn't looked back, posting a 10-1 record and is currently ranked first by the NCAA in passing efficiency for the season while completing nearly 70 percent of his pass attempts.
Loser: Les Miles
The LSU Tigers looked to be national title contenders going into November with a 7-0 record and a Heisman Trophy candidate in Leonard Fournette. Then three consecutive losses to Alabama, Arkansas and Ole Miss later, the Tigers are in a downward spiral from atop the standings. Plus, Fournette's rushed for just 77 yards per game in the process. What does this all means for Miles? It could be the end of his coaching tenure in Baton Rouge, as the Mad Hatter who loves to eat grass could be on the outs.
Winner: Tom Brady
The New England Patriots spit in the face of adversity, as the AFC's best team has found a way to keep winning football games, even when their top skill players continue to suffer injuries. From Dion Lewis to Julian Edelman and various offensive linemen, the Patriots offense refuses to slow down. The only constant this season has been Tom Brady, as the star quarterback hasn't slowed down a bit. Brady is the league leader in passing yards, and now the Pats are just a few games away from another undefeated regular season.
Loser: Kobe Bryant
In Kobe Bryant's 20th season with the Los Angeles Lakers, many thought that Kobe would be a mentor for the younger players while still showing the world that he's still got "it". Now at age 37, the Lakers are just 2-12 and the team looks to be in for another season of struggle. Kobe's shooting just 31.1% from the field, which ranks him dead last (122nd out of 122 players who qualify for NBA stat-keeping) and Bryant's shooting a putrid 19.5% from three-point range, also dead last in the league. What's worse is that Kobe can be seen these days on the bench looking despondent, and the organization seems intent on letting Bryant go out there and continue firing errant jumpers. Hopefully The Black Mamba can recover from this funk and go out on a high note.
Eddie Maisonet is the founder and editor emeritus of The Sports Fan Journal. Currently, he serves as an associate editor for ESPN.com. He is an unabashed Russell Westbrook and Barry Switzer apologist, owns over 100 fitteds and snapbacks, and lives by Reggie Jackson’s famous quote, “I am the straw that stirs the drink.”
