2016 has been a terrible year for fans of universally-beloved pop stars and liberal democracy. But it has also been a pretty good year of 'tent at VICE Sports. Here are 16 of our favorite stories from the last twelve months:Mike PiellucciWWE has a larger stranglehold on professional wrestling than ever before. Two brothers found a way to beat the machine, and show how independent wrestlers can succeed on their own terms.
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Aaron GordonLike the other Olympics before them, Rio 2016 proved that the IOC is blithely indifferent to the waste, corruption, and human wreckage the Games leave in their wake.Brian BlickenstaffThe first bear on German soil in almost two centuries wandered across the border during the 2006 World Cup. German citizens were divided on what to do with the problembär.David RothDuring the lean years of The Process, the Sixers didn't give their fans much more than faith that things would someday be better. It was more than enough.Sean NewellA-Rod vigorously dried off his bat between his legs last night.Patrick HrubyA Nevada school board candidate wants to eliminate high school football, and a handful of others are making a medical, ethical, and financial case against America's favorite prep sport. Their arguments are unpopular. But are they right?Katelyn BurnsI don't regret growing up as an athlete. But not everything about sports is healthy, and for me, as a transgender woman, the locker room was toxic.Eric NusbaumThe Holy Zion Center of Deliverance church played an integral part in Cam Newton's upbringing. We visited the church, where Cam's father Cecil Newton was a reluctant host.
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Aaron GordonIn a blog post last year, one woman accused Steven Mitchell, a living legend in the swing-dancing world, of using his position to prey on women; soon more victims came forward. The allegations shook the community, but have they changed anything?Brian BlickenstaffEast German weightlifter Gerd Bonk took the highest documented quantity of anabolic steroids in his quest for a gold medal. He was a victim of the greatest, widest reaching, and most sociopathic scandal in sports history.Anya AlvarezAnya Alvarez is a former LPGA golfer and an advocate for victims of child sex abuse. As part of Sexual Abuse Awareness Month, she shared her story with VICE Sports.Ian FrischWWE is one of the most unlikely entertainment empires in US history, but CEO Vince McMahon's ambitions and management style have left many wondering if the company can continue to grow.Mike PiellucciTen years after New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle died in an airplane crash, Melanie Lidle-Heyward is doing her best to live the way her husband did.Eric NusbaumIn a decade, Owen Hanson went from playing football and volleyball at USC to being the subject of a major FBI investigation into drug-trafficking, money-laundering, and illegal gambling.
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Sean NewellSportswriters are up in arms because they don't like that Kevin Durant did what he wanted.Patrick HrubyWhile the NCAA's rules governing college athletes are colorblind, the impact of amateurism is anything but—disproportionately costing black football and men's basketball players and benefiting white stakeholders by as much as $2 billion a year.…Also, here is this one:David RothSome photos of Donald Trump watching various sporting events, and … 10 years since this picture, which is interesting in oh so many ways.Want to read more stories like this from VICE Sports? Subscribe to our daily newsletter.