What better way to celebrate athletes, sports, and sporting events than with a playlist! Here are 10 sports-related songs from 2017.

Ah sports and sporting events – nothing better! Cutting straight to the chase, the 10 songs selected for this playlist center around athletes, sports, or a specific sporting event.  Artists gracing our esteemed compilation include The Killers, Mansionz, and Weezer among others.  Without further ado, here are 10 Sports-Related Songs from 2017!

1. The Killers, “Tyson vs. Douglas”

Album: Wonderful Wonderful

Island

Las Vegas band The Killers earn the crème de la crème of sports-related songs with “Tyson vs. Douglas.” “Tyson vs. Douglas” is incredibly clever, using a famous boxing match to fuel its fire.  The match is explicitly mentioned on the irresistible chorus:

“When I saw him go down / Felt like somebody lied / I had to hold my breath ‘til the coast was clear / When I saw him go down / Felt like somebody lied / I had to close my eyes just to stop the tears.”

The verses focus on a bigger picture, more personal and pertinent to Flowers.  The bridge specifically sheds light on Flowers’ feels:

“Lookin’ out the window out on the street / My boy and his mother / And I think of me / Feelin’ the slip again / Don’t wanna fall / You said it was nothing, but maybe you’re wrong.”

2. Mansionz, “Dennis Rodman”

Ft. Dennis Rodman

Album: mansionz

Island

Unfortunately, the blackbear, Mike Posner collaboration mansionz didn’t get the attention (or commercial sales) it deserved.  Nonetheless, the album has a number of intriguing moments, including “Dennis Rodman.” Appropriately, the song features Dennis Rodman on the outro. It embodies spirit of the flamboyant former NBA star.  The bigger picture is that it embraces free-spiritedness.

The final verse offers a perfect moment of this free-spiritedness:

“Yeah, I’ma wear a dress if I want to
Green hair, fishnets if I want to
Smoke, drink, do drugs if I want to
I ain’t really trying to impress you
I’ma be as bad as I wanna be
You can be as mad as you wanna be.”

3. Andy Mineo & Wordpslayed, “Dunk Contest” (Magic Bird)

Album: Andy Mineo and Wordsplayed Present Magic & Bird

Reach

When Christian rappers come together, you don’t expect the concept or topic of choice to be basketball.  In the case of Andy Mineo and Wordsplayed, basketball fuels the fire throughout their mixtape, Magic & Bird.

“Yeah, this that, this that, this that Penny with the Shaq / Yeah, if he’s passin’ me the rock, they might not get it back.”

“Dunk Contest (Magic Bird),” the ‘title track’ of sorts, is ‘da bomb.’  The production is superb, while both rappers drop strong rhymes, and an infectious, ballin’ hook.

“I just threw it off the backboard / Game winner, I’m the one they ask for / Magic Bird, Magic Bird, Magic Bird…”

4. Wale, “Running Back”

Ft. Lil Wayne

Album: Shine

Atlantic

Wale didn’t play a great game this year.  Shine was one of the year’s flops.  However, the album had its moments, including a nod to football on “Running Back,” featuring Lil Wayne.  While “Running Back” is atypical of what we hear from Folarin, it’s slick AF and ends up working out well.  Essentially, this standout is a hard-hitting, flex-fest for both rappers.  Wale is on autopilot, using football-speak to his advantage:

“B*tches want money stacks, I just want my percent / She told me to hit the hole, I used to play running back / You n*ggas be fumbling, don’t give ‘em no gun again / These b*tches be flying out, yeah, ‘cause money be coming in.”

The part about hit the hole is just what you think it is.

5. Weezer, “QB Blitz”

Album: Pacific Daydream

Atlantic

Weezer isn’t the first artist one would associate with sports.  However, on their 2017 album Pacific Daydream, Rivers Cuomo schools us about football on “QB Blitz.”  In the context of the album, “QB Blitz” continues to feature solid production work.  The lyrics are ‘emo’ to the nth degree… yeah, this isn’t really about football! The chorus is catchy, if incredibly corny:

“This intercom is broken into pieces / I gotta call my QB Blitz, blitz / Out on the ice fields of Hoth / I’ll be / I’ll be missing you like oxygen…”

6. Offset & Metro Boomin, “Ric Flair Drop”

Album: Without Warning

Epic / Motown / Capitol / Republic 

Without Warning – that’s exactly how Without Warning, the collaborative album/mixtape between 21 Savage, Offset, and Metro Boomin arrived on October 31, 2017. Offset goes solo on the short and sweet “Ric Flair Drip.” Ric Flair is a retired, renowned pro wrestler of course, who recently had a colorful “30 for 30” documentary about him on ESPN. But back to the song, which is more about flexing than wrestling.  That said, Flair plays a role in that swagger as well, at least in regards to his sexually outlandish ways.

Offset offers up a catchy chorus that serves as the crowning achievement of the record.

“Going to the jeweler, bust the AP, yeah / Slide on the water like a jet-ski, yeah / I’m tryna f*ck you and your bestie, yeah / Chopper with the scope so do not test me, yeah / Ric Flair drip, go ‘woo’ on a b*tch / Fifty-seven ninety, split the coupe on my wrist / Multi-million dollar, I’m a fool with the hits / Hop up in the Lamb and drop the roof, show the t*ts.”

Even so, he’s slick and chocked-full of game on the verses.  The production, handled by Metro Boomin and Bijan Amir, is smooth and luxurious – in a southern-rap sort of way.

7. Bleachers, “Dream of Mickey Mantle”

Album: Gone Now

RCA

On “Dream of Mickey Mantle,” the opening song from Bleachers’ sophomore album Gone Now, Jack Antonoff references Mickey Mantle. During the chorus, the death of the legendary baseball player is mentioned, rather implied.

“Rolling thunder had cursed my bedroom / Heard from your mother, she don’t recognize you / Now Mickey Mantle left on a Sunday / And all the neighborhood rushes home to play.”

“Dream of Mickey Mantle” is also interesting in a number of other regards.  Antonoff cites two additional songs from Gone Now in a particular lyric – “I Miss Those Days” and “Don’t Take the Money.” He sings:

“I miss those days so I sing a don’t take the money song.”

If nothing else, it kicks off the effort with an alternative bang.

8. Lil Pump, “D Rose”

Album: Lil Pump

Warner Bros.

SoundCloud rappers are everywhere these days, sigh. Lil Pump is among the crop, experiencing success with his first official project, Lil Pump.  “D Rose,” as in Derrick Rose, is among the songs appearing on the album. “D Rose” is less about the pro basketball player than it is about flexing.  Over and over, “D Rose” is repeated, when Lil Pump isn’t rapping, “100 on my wrist, 80 on my wrist.” His cockiness continues at an all-time high as he asserts, “Lil Pump never spendin’ money on a b*tch.”

9. Andy Mineo & Wordpslayed, ““Lay Up”

Album: Andy Mineo and Wordsplayed Present Magic & Bird

Reach 

To reiterate, when Christian rappers come together, you don’t expect the concept or topic of choice to be basketball.  In the case of Andy Mineo and Wordsplayed, basketball fuels the fire throughout their mixtape, Magic & Bird.  Moving on. On “Lay Up,” the lay ups aren’t “buckets,” even though it’s used metaphorically.  This is about surefire things in life. Mineo uses his wife as an example on the first verse as a layup.

“‘She fly, love God, and she’s got a good mind / Oh boy, that’s a layup!’”

Wordsplay drops hot rhymes as well, with his swimming, He Got Game lines shining.

“Colored folks still can’t swim / But Mike Phelps couldn’t walk the water / Pastor said that we need Jesus / Big State was his alma mater.”

10. Migos, “Motor Sport”

Ft. Cardi B & Nicki Minaj

Motown

Migos have had a huge year in 2017, period.  They instilled Culture into the music industry, and the industry hasn’t looked back since.  They return with a new, athletic single, “MotorSport,” assisted by Nicki Minaj and Cardi B.  The key word being sport, cuz that’s about the only thing sports-related about this joint.  The production work is a beautiful combination of luxury and the trap.  Migos continues to drop triplet-packed rhymes like its nothing.

Quavo uses sports metaphors (fittingly) and also references some prescription drugs. Offset drops lines about a Lamborghini, Patek watches, and references “Bad and Boujee.” Later, Takeoff references the “kitty,” Percocet, and his Richard Mille watch. In between, Cardi B is fierce – sexed up and unapologetic – on her verse.  As for Nicki Minaj, she informs the world:

“Watch your man, then you should watch your mouth / B*tches is pressed, administer mouth to mouth.”

She also drops her beloved “B*tch, you my son” line.  What an experience to say the least.

Photo Credits: Island, Reach, Atlantic, Epic, Motown, Capitol, Republic, RCA, Warner Bros.