Sit back because this is gonna be a long one folks...
A lot happened in these first 31 days of the new decade, that we rode, shall we say, like a rolling freight train as we held on through every twist and turn. This month saw everything from stunning moments in the sports world, two looming dangers that threaten the world as we know it and tragedy that broke all our hearts. To lighten the mood lets dive into the small events first.
Connor McGregor finally came back on the 19th when he fought Donald Cerrone for his first match since announcing his retirement in March 2019 only a couple months after he ruthlessly lost to Khabib Nurgamedov. As for the actually fight, Connor McGregor didn't even give viewers any time to open their beer before he knocked Cerrone out in 40 seconds. And what can we say, the man labelled 'Notorious' is officially back in town...
The second thing I want to mention are the NFL playoffs which have run throughout this month all leading up to Super Bowl Sunday on the 2nd of February where the Big Game will be played in Miami, Florida. The end of the season saw the Titans clinch the last playoff spot in the AFC, the Patriots finally not get a bye week after a Week 17 loss to the Dolphins and the Steelers miss out on the knockout phases with a humiliating loss - all of which set up an exciting Wildcard Weekend. The first round of the playoffs saw the Saints crash out once again in gut-wrenching style, the Titans stun the reigning champions and the Texans pull off a great comeback. The Divisional round also provided excitement as the Ravens fell to the hands of the dark horses, the Titans, and the Chiefs came back from 21-0 against the Texans in a shootout game. After again a great Conference game, the Super Bowl match up will be between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. Pat Mahomes vs Jimmy G. Look forward to a Super Bowl review at the end of February.
Now I want to move onto the darker news of the month - we want to talk openly about the Australian Bush-fires. They have raged across the country for this month and half of December and collectively they have killed an estimated 1 billion animals and 24 humans and destroyed 2,000 homes. The reason they have been so damaging was because the wind changing made it impossible to forecast their movements but thankfully none of Australia's most densely populated regions have been seriously affected. Despite all the loss, people have come out in support with donations and people shipping themselves off to the areas affected to help like the countless American firefighters. But we applaud, above all, the almighty bravery of the Australian firefighters who came out and risked their lives when they heard that their country was in trouble.
But now for the most looming danger that faces us now; the Corona Virus. It emerged late in 2019 in a sea food market in Wuhan, China and slowly spread across the world which sent millions into spiral of fear. As of Saturday the 1st of February 259 people have died and close to 12,000 people have been infected across the world. The rapidly rising death toll has prompted several airlines including Qatar and British Airways to temporarily suspend all flights to China, Wuhan has been put into lock down, thousands are being quarantined and the EU has agreed to invest $11 million into Corona Virus Cure Research.
To finish, I would like to mention the helicopter crash on the 19th of January in Calabasas, California which claimed the lives of 9 people. The world was skidded to a halt when it was announced that infamous retired basketball star Kobe Bryant, his 13 year old daughter Gigi Bryant and two families including a pilot where killed after their helicopter crashed into hill in the midst of severe fog. Tributes poured in from celebrities of all sizes, the Lakers game after his death was cancelled in his honor and a tribute event was held in the Staples Center as well as a memorial outside it.
On that sad note, I bid you all farewell!
See you at the end of February where we hope to have a better month than this one!