51 Sports Jokes: The 2016 “Year of the Underdog & 3-1 Comebacks” Edition

In 2016, the impossible didn’t just happen once—it became a weekly occurrence. From a 5000-1 long shot winning the Premier League to a 108-year-old baseball curse being shattered, 2016 was the year “The Process” finally paid off and “3-1 leads” became the most dangerous score in sports.

The 2016 Top 10: The “Cubs, LeBron & Leicester” Classics

1. The Chicago Cubs World Series: Why did the world finally stop ending? Because the Cubs came back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Indians in Game 7, ending 108 years of suffering and proving that a “Billy Goat” is no match for Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant.
2. LeBron’s 3-1 Miracle: Why was Cleveland crying (for the right reason)? Because LeBron James led the Cavs back from a 3-1 hole against a 73-win Warriors team, bringing “The Land” its first title in 52 years and fulfilling his ultimate promise.
3. The Leicester City 5000-1: Why was every bookie in England looking for a new job? Because Leicester City won the Premier League, completing the greatest underdog story in history and proving that Jamie Vardy really was having a party.
4. The Warriors’ 73-9 Heartbreak: Why does the best regular season in history have a “but”? Because Golden State broke the Bulls’ record but lost the Finals, proving that 73 wins don’t mean a thing without a ring.
5. The Rio Olympics: Why was Usain Bolt smiling at the camera mid-race? Because he was so much faster than everyone else that he had time to pose for a viral photo while winning his “Triple-Triple” (even if he lost one later).
6. Michael Phelps’ 23rd Gold: Why did he have “angry face” at the pool? Because he was in “Final Boss” mode, finishing his career with 28 total medals and making everyone else wonder if he secretly has gills.
7. The Villanova Buzzer Beater: Why was North Carolina’s Marcus Paige heartbroken? Because he hit an impossible double-clutch three, only for Kris Jenkins to answer with a game-winning shot that made the entire NCAA tournament look like a movie.
8. The Kobe Bryant 60-Point Farewell: Why was the Mamba’s last game the most “Kobe” thing ever? Because he took 50 shots, scored 60 points, and led a comeback win, proving he was the only person allowed to go out on his own terms.
9. The Portugal Euro 2016 Win: Why was Cristiano Ronaldo coaching from the sideline? Because he got injured in the final, but his team beat France anyway, proving that “Siuuu” sounds even better with a European trophy.
10. The Cubs’ Rain Delay: Why was a little bit of water so important? Because in the middle of Game 7, a 17-minute rain delay allowed Jason Heyward to give a speech that restarted a century of hope and finished the job.

The Full 2016 Sports Jokes Archive

11. The Kevin Durant “Hardest Road”: Why did Oklahoma City feel like a breakup? Because KD joined the 73-win team that just beat him, creating a “Super-Duper-Team” and 10 million snake emojis.
12. The Peyton Manning Retirement: Why was the “Omaha” finally over? Because he won a second Super Bowl with a broken-down body and a legendary defense, retiring as a champion with a lot of Budweisers.
13. The Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz: Why was “I’m not surprised” the quote of the year? Because Diaz choked out McGregor in their first fight, proving that weight classes actually matter—until Conor won the rematch.
14. The Simone Biles Dominance: Why was she the “G.O.A.T.” at 19? Because she won four golds in Rio and did moves so hard they had to name them after her just to keep up.
15. The Cleveland Indians’ Loss: Why were they the “other” 3-1 story? Because they blew a lead just like the Warriors, making Cleveland the center of the “Comeback Universe” in two different ways.
16. The Tiger Woods “Will He or Won’t He”: Why was 2016 a long year for golf? Because Tiger spent the whole time recovering from back surgery, leaving us with nothing but “hopes and dreams” for 2017.
17. The Nico Rosberg Retirement: Why was F1 in shock? Because he finally beat Lewis Hamilton for the title and then immediately quit, the ultimate “I’m out, I won” mic drop.
18. The Cam Newton Super Bowl Presser: Why was the hoodie so low? Because he lost to the Broncos’ defense and realized that “Dabbing” isn’t as fun when Von Miller is chasing you.
19. The Leicester “Dilly Ding, Dilly Dong”: Why was Claudio Ranieri a legend? Because he took a team of rejects and turned them into kings while ringing an imaginary bell.
20. The Brazil Olympic Soccer Gold: Why was Neymar crying at the Maracanã? Because he finally won the one trophy Brazil was missing, getting revenge for the 2014 nightmare.
21. The Von Miller MVP: Why was he “The Dentist”? Because he spent the whole Super Bowl pulling Peyton Manning’s career out of the fire and the Panthers’ offense out of the game.
22. The Tim Duncan Retirement: Why was it so quiet? Because he just posted a press release and walked away, the most “Fundamental” way to end a Hall of Fame career.
23. The “Crying Jordan” Meme: Why was it the most important sports statistic? Because in 2016, no athlete was safe from being photoshopped onto MJ’s face after a loss.
24. The Iceland “Viking Clap”: Why was Euro 2016 so loud? Because a tiny island nation beat England and brought the coolest celebration in sports to the world stage.
25. The Muhammad Ali Farewell: Why was the world mourning? Because the greatest of all time left us, reminding everyone that he was “Pretty” and “The King” forever.
26. The Chicago White Sox “Jersey Rip”: Why was Chris Sale so mad? Because he didn’t like the 1976 throwback jerseys, so he took a pair of scissors to them—a “cut” above the rest.
27. The Mannequin Challenge: Why was every locker room frozen? Because in late 2016, if your team didn’t stand perfectly still for a video, you weren’t actually winning.
28. The Ryder Cup “Patrick Reed”: Why was he the “Captain America”? Because he out-dueled Rory McIlroy in a match that had more shouting and fist-pumping than a rock concert.
29. The Jimmie Johnson “Seven”: Why was he finally a legend? Because he won his 7th NASCAR title, tying Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt and officially becoming “Seven-Time.”
30. The Cubs’ Dexter Fowler: Why was the first pitch of Game 7 historic? Because he hit a home run, proving that the Cubs were tired of waiting 108 years and wanted to get home early.
31. The Ben Simmons Draft: Why was Philly “Trusting the Process”? Because they finally got their #1 pick, even if he had to sit out the first year with a foot injury (as is tradition).
32. The Andy Murray #1: Why was he the “Knight”? Because he finally passed Djokovic and Federer to become the best in the world, proving that grit beats everything.
33. The Ryan Lochte “Lochtegate”: Why were the Brazilian police confused? Because he made up a story about a robbery to cover up a gas station incident, becoming the most embarrassing “Bro” in Olympic history.
34. The Dallas Cowboys “Dak and Zeke”: Why were the fans so hyped? Because two rookies took over the league and made Tony Romo the world’s most expensive backup.
35. The Arnold Palmer Farewell: Why was the “King” of golf so loved? Because he left us in 2006, leaving behind a legacy and a very tasty half-iced tea, half-lemonade drink.
36. The Cubs’ Kyle Schwarber: Why was he a “Ghost”? Because he tore his ACL in April, returned in October, and hit .412 in the World Series like he’d never been away.
37. The UFC 205: Why was MSG the center of the world? Because Conor McGregor became the first “double champ” and asked for an apology from “absolutely nobody.”
38. The Villanova “Piccolo Girl”: Why was she the face of the tournament? Because her crying while playing the flute after a loss was the most relatable thing on TV.
39. The England Soccer Manager: Why did Sam Allardyce only last 67 days? Because he got caught in a sting operation before he even had a chance to lose a tournament.
40. The Dustin Johnson US Open: Why was the ruling so confusing? Because the USGA waited until the end of the round to penalize him, but he won by so much it didn’t even matter.
41. The NBA All-Star “Dunk Contest”: Why was Aaron Gordon vs. Zach LaVine the best? Because they spent an hour flying through the air and we still don’t know how Gordon sat on an imaginary chair in the sky.
42. The Steph Curry 402 Threes: Why was the record “broken”? Because he hit 400 threes in a season when the previous record was 286, which is just showing off.
43. The Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup: Why was Sidney Crosby the MVP? Because he led a team of “speed and skill” to another title, proving the NHL is a young man’s game now.
44. The Serena Williams 22nd Slam: Why was she matching Steffi? Because she won Wimbledon and proved that “Queen” is a permanent title.
45. The Hope Solo “Cowards” Quote: Why was her contract terminated? Because she called the Swedish team “cowards” after losing, proving that “Olympic Spirit” has its limits.
46. The Cleveland Browns 1-15: Why were they happy? Because they won a game on Christmas Eve and avoided the 0-16 shame (for one more year).
47. The Usain Bolt “Triple-Triple” (Sort of): Why was it historic? Because he won the 100, 200, and 4×100 for the third time, even if his teammate later cost him the 2008 gold.
48. The Kyrie Irving “The Shot”: Why was it the biggest shot in Cavs history? Because he hit a three in Steph’s face in Game 7, ending the drought and starting the era of “Uncle Drew.”
49. The Jose Fernandez Tragedy: Why was Miami in tears? Because the young pitching star was lost too soon, leaving a gap in baseball that can never be filled.
50. The Cubs’ Parade: Why were there 5 million people? Because it was the largest gathering of humans in the Western Hemisphere, all celebrating a bunch of “lovable losers” who finally won.
51. The 2016 New Year’s Eve: Why were we ready for 2017? Because the Patriots were dominant, Federer was returning, and we wanted to see if anyone could stop the Durant-Warriors.