Unless you've been living under a rock, it's been pretty hard to avoid the news coming from the Vatican in Rome that a new pope will soon be elected. Now 17 days since Pope Francis passed away, every eligible cardinal has gathered in the Sistine Chapel to elect the next supreme pontiff of the Catholic church.
The late Francis was elected as pope on March 13, 2013 and the world has changed considerably since then, especially in sports. Francis was a well known sports enthusiast and fan, following soccer primarily but also enjoying the occasional visit from athletes of other leagues entirely. He even accidentally blessed the NFL's New Orleans Saints by using the team's hashtag on Twitter in one of his posts.
As the world prepares for the election of the next pope, let's take a look back at what was happening in the sports world when Francis was introduced as pontiff.
What did the sports world look like during the last papal conclave?
In March 2013, not a whole lot of sports championships had been determined but there were some significant results to crown teams from the previous calendar year.
Alabama Crimson Tide - 2013 BCS Champions
At the climax of the 2012-13 college football season, the sport saw the Nick Saban-led Crimson Tide face off against the, ironically Catholic, Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the penultimate BCS National Championship Game.
Alabama defeated Notre Dame 42-14 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. Running back Eddie Lacy was voted the game's MVP after rushing for 140 yards and scoring two total touchdowns.
Shortly before the game was played, the infamous catfishing story emerged involving Fighting Irish defensive standout Manti T'eo and his apparently non-existent girlfriend.
Baltimore Ravens - Super Bowl XLVII Champions
With yet another Catholic tie-in, the Baltimore Ravens emerged victorious in Super Bowl XLVII over the San Francisco 49ers at the Superdome in New Orleans, home to the... you guessed it, the Saints.
Fans will remember the thriller of a game, with Baltimore surviving 34-31 after the Niners attempted a furious comeback, fueled by (some believe) the ominous power outage that sent the stadium into partial darkness. The game was delayed by 34 minutes in the second half because of it but the biggest highlight was Jacoby Jones' (RIP) 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, an NFL record for a Super Bowl.
Shortly after Pope Francis donned his all-white cassock and greeted the world for the first time, several other sports championships were claimed.
Just a few short weeks later, the Louisville Cardinals and UConn Huskies topped the college basketball world, winning the men's and women's NCAA Tournaments respectively.
And in April, offensive tackle Eric Fisher was drafted No. 1 overall by the Kansas City Chiefs out of Central Michigan. He went on to have a massively successful career in the NFL, including a Super Bowl championship (LIV) and two Pro Bowl selections (2018, 2020).
Take note of the sports world around us today as the next pontiff is introduced to the world, likely Thursday or Friday. And have faith, maybe your favorite team will be on this list whenever the next conclave is convened.