THE sporting year is nearly over and while some fans can’t wait for 2017 to be done and dusted others will be looking back with big grins on their faces after 12 months to remember.
But who were the biggest winners and losers of 2017?
SunSport is giving you the chance to decide with our end-of-year awards marking all that was good – and bad – in world sport.
It was a year that left fans stunned at times, but which moment left you most gobsmacked?
We’ve chosen the most outrageous events for you to choose from, and it’s quite a list.
Most shocking moments of 2017
1. Patrice Evra attacks his own fans with a Cantona-style kung-fu kick after being abused by Marseilles supporters against Vitoria de Guimaraes in November.
Uefa weren’t impressed and banned the former Manchester United left-back until June. He was also fined around £9,000 and appears to have now dedicated his time to making dodgy Instagram videos.
2. Tiger Woods is arrested on suspicion of drink driving and blames it on a bad reaction to prescription drugs.
Shocking video footage showed the one-time golfer and serial love-rat staggering around after cops found him crashed out in his battered £170,000 Mercedes in May.
The fallen icon was ordered to do community service after pleading guilty. And after seeing the video, he didn’t really have much choice, did he?
3. Drug cheat Justin Gatlin left 60,000 spectators at the London Stadium and pretty much every other sports fan in the world shouting “it’s not fair” after beating Usain Bolt to World Championship gold in August.
Bolt was left trailing home in third, while Gatlin became the least popular winner in sporting history.
YEAR TO FORGET New Year honours list revealed, and it's bad news for sporting icon
4. An Arsenal fan elevated himself above even Manchester United's prawn sandwich brigade after being caught on live TV eating a bag of raw carrots in their 3-3 draw with Liverpool.
While nutritionists would salute his choice of healthy veg over a meat pie, social media users simply dismissed Arsenal as "the worst fans in the world". And when it comes to the crunch...
5. Anthony Joshua throws arguably the punch of the century, leaving fight fans breathless on his way to a stunning victory over Wladimir Klitschko.
April's fight in itself will live long in the memory but AJ's vicious uppercut in the 11th was worthy of the ridiculous entrance fee on its own.
Perhaps the most amazing thing about it was that Klitschko didn't go down.
But the blow signalled the end for the veteran Ukrainian, who miraculously, was still able to remember his own name after the fight. Incredible.
Anthony Joshua lands the punch of the night on Wladimir Klitschko[/caption]
Funniest moment of 2017
1. Billy Joe Saunders produced a boxing AND comedy masterclass in his victory over David Lemieux earlier this month.
After making his Canadian rival miss wildly with a stray swing, Billy Joe looked into the crowd and appeared to be searching for the punch.
Fight fans loved it, except Lemieux's home crowd, who didn't seem to see the funny side.
2. Marouane Fellaini got the season off to a hilarious start and became an overnight meme sensation with his bizarre gurn while trying to head the ball against Real Madrid in the European Super Cup final in August.
But if that wasn't bad enough for the Belgian beanpole, things have started to turn even uglier for him at United with talk he has rejected a new contract and could be on his way out of Old Trafford.
Phil Jones is said to be delighted though as he'll keep his crown as United's King of the Gurners.
3. Gervonta Davis was determined to steal the show at August's Conor McGregor vs Floyd Mayweather super-fight in Ls Vegas and what better way to do it than coming out for his under-card bout dressed as a smurf.
Yes, a smurf.
football funnies
The Baltimore bruiser, who won his fight against Francisco Fonseca in controversial style after a punch behind the back of the head knocked his rival out in the eighth round, is known as the Tank.
But as for his choice of costume? Tanks, but no Tanks.
4. Our final selection sees Billy Joe Saunders' son get in on his dad's comedy act.
Young Stevie decided there wasn't enough spice at his old man's weigh-in ahead of September's fight against Willie Monroe Jr.
So instead of waiting for the predictable trash-talk to kick off, the eight-year-old just decided to not only punch, but also kick, Monroe in the nuts.
That's my boy.
Biggest blunder of 2017
1. Our first gaffe comes from another, lesser-known sporting award ceremony.
BBC Sports Personality of the Year chiefs were nearly congratulating themselves on a job well done after announcing Mo Farah as the night's big winner earlier this month.
But after presenting the British Olympic great with his award and awaiting for his emotional acceptance speech, the live feed connecting him from London to the bash in Liverpool completely cut off.
Cue an impressive bit of ad-libbing from US track legend Michael Johnson and an extremely awkward-looking Gary Lineker.
2. Our next blunder came away from the sporting arena.
Wayne Rooney will never forgive himself for being such a gentleman and offering to give party girl Laura Simpson a lift home after a night out.
The former England captain pulled over after being followed by cops while driving her VW Beetle following a night out in September.
He later admitted drink driving while three times over the limit and was ordered to do 100 hours community service.
That was on top of a fine of two weeks' wages by Everton, thought to be around £300,000, and a very frosty reception from pregnant wife Coleen.
3. Our next blunder could easily be put in the "most shocking" category.
Few fights fans were in any doubt that Gennady Golovkin had done enough to beat Saul Alvarez in September's mouthwatering match-up.
But despite landing far more blows than Canelo, GGG had to settle for a draw thanks to the bizarre scorecard by Adalaide Byrd.
She had Canelo winning 118-110, meaning the fight was declared a stalemate as one judge had GGG winning and the other declared it a draw.
Even boxing chiefs were stunned by Byrd's card and she was temporarily stood down from scoring big fights.
They claimed she "needed to catch her breath".
As did the rest of us when we heard her score.
4. Our final gaffe came almost at the end of the year and came from the increasingly less Special One.
Jose's Manchester United side are miles behind runaway leaders and hated neighbours City, who look in a different league to everyone else in the country.
most read in sport
But rather than accept it graciously, Jose has moaned that it is impossible to keep up with City's spending and that no one else has a chance.
So, the nearly £300million you've spent in a year and a half at Old Trafford isn't enough to compete?
Perhaps signing players you like (not Mkhitaryan) and players you'll play (not Lindelof) might help Jose.
Ask Pep if you need any tips.
Leave a comment