The year that was in sports: 2013, by the numbers

What a great year in sports.

With 2013 now coming to an end -- and because all the cool kid are doing it --lets take a look back at the year that was, by the numbers.

55 TDs, 5,477 yards - Peyton Manning shatters all the records

Peyton Manning proved last season that both his neck and arm are just fine, thank you very much.

Some people still had their doubts. So the future Hall of Fame quarterback came back in 2013 and decided to assault the NFL record books, setting single-season marks for both touchdowns and yards.

His facial expression was the same for every one of those passes ...

[Courtesy Reddit user chattahoochee]

Go here for all of the records set by the Broncos' offense this season. 

Put a cup of coffee on, you'll be there for a while.

33 minutes and 55 seconds - The length of the power outage at Super Bowl XLVII 

The Baltimore Ravens were dominating the San Francisco 49ers in the third quarter of Super Bowl XLVII, leading 28-6 and seemingly en route to a straightforward victory.

Then the Superdome channeled its inner Tony Soprano and cut to black.

Ray Lewis cried conspiracy, despite the fact that his Ravens held on for a 34-31 victory.

Besides, doesn't he know it was all Beyonce's fault anyway? 

42 - Mariano Rivera retires; takes historic number with him 

Never again will baseball fans ever get to see the legendary closer (and his historic number) on the diamond, as the surefire Hall of Famer put an end to his remarkable 19-year career at the conclusion of this past season.

It's okay to cry.

It's not okay to use an 'Exit Sandman' headline.

91 - The transfer fee (in millions of euros) paid by Real Madrid to sign Gareth Bale from Tottenham

The most protracted transfer saga in football history mercifully came to an end when Real Madrid agreed to pay 91 million euros ($123 million) for Tottenham winger Gareth Bale.

There was plenty of debate over the actual fee paid by the Spanish giants, with initial reports claiming the Welsh wizard was sold for 100 million euros, which would have made him the most expensive footballer in history.

Either way, the sum was ludicrous when you consider that Bale, 24, is just one solitary human being -- regardless of how fast he is or how cool his haircut is.

5.2 - The number of seconds left when Miami's Ray Allen hit a 3-pointer to tie Game 6 of the NBA Finals against San Antonio

The San Antonio Spurs were that close to winning a fourth Larry O'Brien trophy in ten years. They could taste it. So could Miami's fans, who had thrown in the towel and began heading for the exits.

And then Jesus Shuttlesworth happened.

The Heat would go on to win the game in overtime (103-100), and then close out the series in Game 7.

Not that it really matters, Gregg Popovich wouldn't have smiled anyway. 

109 - The length (in yards) of Chris Davis' missed field goal return touchdown that helped Auburn stun Alabama in the Iron Bowl

The proverbial 'where were you when ...' moment.

With one second left on the clock, Alabama head coach Nick Saban decided to trot out Adam Griffith to attempt a game-winning 56-yard field goal against bitter rival Auburn.

Two-time defending national champions, the top-ranked team in the country. This is Alabama, nothing is going to go wrong.

Right? Right?!?!

34-28, Auburn.

See ya, three-peat.

33-6 - Anderson Silva's MMA record 

The greatest mixed martial artist of all-time may never step foot inside the Octagon again after he suffered a horrific leg-break in a Middleweight title fight with Chris Weidman at UFC 168 in December. 

If you have a weak stomach, do not watch the video.

Silva, 16-2 in the UFC, was unable to regain the title that he lost to Weidman earlier in the year, snapping his leg while attempting to throw a kick in the second round of the bout.

It would be a terrible end to an absolutely dominant career, but at 38 years old, the end is most likely what it is.

(Go grab those tissues you used after reading about Rivera).

89 - The minute in which Arjen Robben scored the game-winning goal against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final

Arjen Robben had been criticized throughout the match for failing to capitalize on a bevy of chances that would have put the contest away well before the final whistle.

If you know anything about the Dutch winger, you know he's not one to shy away from the spotlight after missing a chance or two.

With the score tied at one and extra time looking like an inevitability, Robben made amends for his wastefulness earlier in the match, skipping through the heart of the Dortmund defense and sliding home the winning goal.

You don't need to see the goal. All you need to see is this. Over and over again.

[Courtesy 101 Great Goals]

Ah, sports. You can be so very cruel.

17 - The time (in seconds) it took for the Chicago Blackhawks to score two goals in Game 6 against the Boston Bruins and win the Stanley Cup

With a 2-1 lead late in the third period of Game 6 -- and the seemingly impenetrable Tuukka Rask in goal -- the Boston Bruins were ready to head back to Chicago for a seventh-and-deciding game in the Stanley Cup Final. 

The Blackhawks obviously had more important plans for the next evening.

Hey, the Bruins did it to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the opening round of the playoffs. 

What goes around comes around, or something like that.

119: The length (in days) of the NHL Lockout 

You didn't think it was all going to be sunshine and lollipops did you? 

This is sports, man. In the words of Forrest Gump, s*** happens. Beginning on September 15, 2012, hockey fans everywhere had to put up with 119 days of said crap.

It wasn't all bad though. We got the NHL Podium, Steve Fehr's sweater and best of all, Dreger Face.

Scratch that, it was bad. Really bad. Good luck trying to sleep tonight.

77 - The drought (in years) broken by Andy Murray when he captures the 2013 Wimbledon title

You thought 119 days was bad? Great Britain is laughing at you right now. Try walking in their shoes and waiting 77 years for a momentous sporting moment.

That's the drought that Andy Murray ended when he captured the men's title at Wimbledon this past year, something that hadn't been accomplished by a British man since Fred Perry did it in 1936.

"That last game will be the toughest game I'll play in my career. Ever," said Murray, who is Scottish. "Winning Wimbledon; I still can't believe it. Can't get my head around that."

69 - The number of hot dogs Joey Chestnut eats to break his own world record at the annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest

Sodium, fat, calories and the national glory that comes with all of it.

Joey Chestnut crammed 69 hot dogs down his throat in 10 minutes, setting a new world record and in the process ensuring that Takeru Kobayashi spent some time huddled in a corner wondering what the point of it all is.

211 - The suspension (in games) leveled to Alex Rodriguez for his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal 

Most steroid-related suspensions to come out of Major League Baseball elicit nothing more than a shrug of the shoulders from fans nowadays. Sad, but that's the unfortunate reality.

This was not one of those suspensions.

Bud Selig decided to give A-Rod the longest non-lifetime suspension in the history of the game, and the baseball world is still mired in the story -- which is far from over.

A three-time MVP and a five-time home run leader, Rodriguez is the active home-run leader with 647. That total also puts him fifth in baseball history.

Given those numbers, a shrug of the shoulders just doesn't cut it.

77 - The amount (in millions of dollars) that Ilya Kovalchuk left on the table when he decided to leave the NHL for Russia 

Ilya Kovalchuk, expected to be the focal point of a New Jersey Devils squad just one season removed from a trip to the Stanley Cup Final, decided to leave a mountain of cash on the table in favor of returning home to play in the KHL. 

In 816 career games in the NHL, the Russian superstar had recorded 417 goals and 399 assists (816 points).

People were upset. Jeremy Roenick was one of them. 

He isn't wrong. Then again, he didn't have to live in New Jersey.