By Mardeio Cannon | OBSERVER Columnist
As we count down the final days of 2023, you and I are grateful that in a few days or hours, we will have endured, survived and thrived from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 this year. We all know some people who didn’t make it to 2024.
We all had challenges that we overcame in 2023 and some of us still are dealing with others. However, 2023 also allowed us if we were so fortunate to experience some good times, whether it was a getaway to some faraway place or in our own backyard, enjoying memorable times with our family and friends, or experiencing a milestone birthday or anniversary.
It also was the year The OBSERVER celebrated its 60th year as Sacramento’s voice of the African American community. We are all very fortunate to have the “nation’s most honored African American newspaper” call Sacramento home. I also am very fortunate to continue writing this column as we move into 2024, as long as I have something worthwhile to say in my columns.
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As we look forward to 2024, I will review five events that I feel made an impact in our community in 2023:
49ers Lose Again In NFC Championship
I realize many of you are not San Francisco 49ers fans and constantly root for their demise. However, the Niners are the only NFL team left in Northern California and the team has a very strong fan base in the Sacramento area. The 49ers faced the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2023 NFC Championship with an even chance to make it to the Super Bowl.
However, quarterback Brock Purdy – who had come into the starting role in week 15 because the team’s top two quarterbacks had suffered season-ending injuries – was injured early in the game. Then Purdy’s backup, Josh Johnson, also got injured. That left the Niners with starting tailback Christian McCafferty as their quarterback. Nothing like this had happened in an NFC Championship. The 49ers went out with a whimper, 31-7.
Kings End 16-Year Playoff Drought
The Sacramento Kings turned their fortunes around in a big way by becoming the third seed in the Western Conference playoffs, pushing their Northern California rivals the Golden State Warriors to a Game 7, in which Steph Curry ruined their dream season with a 50-point outburst.
Gauff Arrives At Superstardom
Coco Gauff burst onto the scene in 2019 as a 15-year-old phenom by upsetting Venus Williams in the first round at Wimbledon.
In 2023, Gauff reached the top of her game and is still ascending. She has won six singles titles, including her first Grand Slam tournament at the U.S. Open in New York. She currently is the world’s third-ranked singles player and is ranked No. 1 in doubles with partner Jessica Pegula. Serena Williams has retired and now we have a rising star to take her place and she is only 19.
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Oakland Loses Another Team To Las Vegas
The A’s departure for Las Vegas was approved by Major League Baseball owners Nov. 16. They are Oakland’s second team to leave the city for Vegas, joining the Raiders, who moved after the 2019 NFL season. The Warriors also departed for San Francisco following the 2018-19 NBA season.
Grant High Goes For Two In A Row
The Grant High Pacers football team, the pride of Del Paso Heights, just missed a second consecutive CIF Division 2-AA state title when a potential tying two-point conversion late was stopped a yard short in a 21-19 loss to La Serna of Whittier. No matter; Pacer Pride is still strong in Sacramento.
Happy New Year, everyone, and God bless!