Column: 2020 was a grind for us all — but it had its moments. Here’s a look at some of the best and worst, from Anthony Rizzo’s hand sanitizer to a Big Ten fabrication.

In a year in which the sports world shut down and we were forced to watch “Tiger King,” there still was plenty to talk about in 2020.

In a lot of ways, it was business as usual.

LeBron James eventually got another ring. Alabama and Clemson headed back to the College Football Playoff. Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred was booed at the World Series. And Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield appeared in every other TV commercial.

But it also was the year of COVID-19 outbreaks, postponed and canceled games, ratings drops and athletes protesting racial injustice. Major events such as the Masters and Indianapolis 500 took place in different seasons, and the hyphenated term that best defined the sports year was the ubiquitous “opt-out.”

If you’re a dyed-in-the-wool fan, chances are you stuck around for most, if not all, of your favorite sports, even if you couldn’t watch games in person. So congratulations are in order to you for surviving 2020, the year we’ll never forget even if we wanted.

As we march into 2021 with hopes of better days ahead, here are some of the people and moments that made this sports year one to remember.

Most inspirational comeback

Washington quarterback Alex Smith underwent 17 surgeries after suffering a severe compound fracture of his right tibia and fibula during a 2018 game against the Houston Texans. Doctors initially thought they would have to amputate Smith’s leg, and he incurred an infection that could’ve cost him his life.

After a long and grueling rehab, Smith started the year as Washington’s third-string quarterback but eventually became the starter in the second half and led the newly named Washington Football Team back into the hunt for a division title.

Smith told “The Today Show” he learned in hindsight “how resilient we are moving forward and how much better off we are because of it.”

A lesson of perseverance for all of us.

Funniest moment

After Orlando Arcia singled in the third inning of the opening game of the restart at Wrigley Field, Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo pulled some hand sanitizer out of his pocket and offered it to the Milwaukee Brewers infielder. Arcia gladly accepted.

“We’re playing in unusual circumstances,” Rizzo said afterward, adding he meant no disrespect to the Brewers.

None was taken. In a year as stressful as 2020, everyone needed a good laugh.

Best trash talk

During “The Match,” a made-for-TV charity golf event in May that pitted Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning against Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady, TNT analyst Charles Barkley offered a harsh critique of Brady’s rough start.

“I’m going to give you some shots, man,” Barkley said, proposing a match against Brady. “I want some of you.”

Brady responded with a 125-yard wedge shot that landed about 10 feet beyond the hole before spinning back into the cup.

“Take a suck of that, Chuck,” Brady said.

Sports finally were back, and we all gave a sigh of relief.

Freshest new face

Snoop Dogg delighted the sports world in his role as analyst in the Mike Tyson pay-per-view comeback fight against Roy Jones Jr.

But the hands-down winner was Charlie Woods, the 11-year-old son of Tiger Woods, who stole the show after sinking a putt in his debut at the PNC Championship with a fist pump reminiscent of his old man.

“It was incredibly special for us to have the opportunity to spend the quality time we had,” Tiger said. “It’s memories we’ll have for our entire lives.”

Biggest fall to earth

Quite a few of the smuggest sports figures were humbled somewhat in 2020, including Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Houston Astros sign-stealing second baseman Jose Altuve, Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari, Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden and Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski (well, so far).

But the most enjoyable plunge to witness has been the downfall of New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, one of the most dour and arrogant personalities in NFL history.

Most Valuable Tweeter

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Trevor Bauer, a prolific tweeter, was at times self-absorbed, bullying and hilarious. He took on everyone from Commissioner Rob Manfred to fans, making him a must-follow whether you liked him or not.

Bauer backed up the bold talk by winning the National League Cy Young Award.

Any team that signs the free agent will get a two-for-one deal: a bona fide ace and a season full of potential PR headaches.

Worst fabrication

During the first presidential debate with Joe Biden in late September, President Donald Trump threw out this whopper: “By the way, I brought back Big Ten football. It was me, and I’m very happy to do it, and the people of Ohio are very proud of me.”

Big Ten honchos promptly shot down that notion.

“President Trump had nothing to do with our decision and did not impact the deliberations,” an unnamed Big Ten president told a Columbus, Ohio, TV station. “In fact, when his name came up, it was a negative because no one wanted this to be political.”

Best game

The Baltimore Ravens’ 47-42 win over the Cleveland Browns on “Monday Night Football” on Dec. 14 had just about everything you could ask for in a sporting event, including a fourth-quarter return by Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who left with what was termed “cramps” in his arm.

A video of Jackson’s strained jog to the clubhouse sparked rumors the real reason for his exit was related to a dicey digestive system.

“I was cramping, I didn’t pull a Paul Pierce,” Jackson protested.

Pierce famously left Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals in a wheelchair only to return later with no apparent injury, and 11 years later he finally admitted he had to go to the bathroom.

Worst role models

New White Sox manager Tony La Russa had a second DUI arrest last February in Phoenix that was reduced to a reckless driving charge in December, while Patriots receiver Julian Edelman was arrested in January in Beverly Hills, Calif., for jumping on the hood of a car and damaging it.

But in the year of the pandemic, the title of worst role model has to be a tie between Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner and Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert.

Turner came back on the field to celebrate winning the World Series after being removed from the game for testing positive for COVID-19.

Gobert mocked the seriousness of the virus by jokingly touching reporters’ phones and recorders after a news conference. Gobert later tested positive, the straw that shut down the NBA season and, in turn, the entire sports world.

Most amazing streak

Super middleweight Edgar Berlanga extended his streak to 16 consecutive first-round knockouts this month in a bout with Ulises Sierra in Las Vegas.

The 23-year-old Puerto Rican boxer is 16-0 and has yet to allow an opponent to reach the second round.

Promoter Bob Arum tweeted Berlanga is “the greatest power-punching phenomenon I’ve seen since the heyday of a young Mike Tyson.”

The New York Jets’ 0-13 streak was a close second to Berlanga’s knockout run.

Dumbest decision

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash united the nation by removing starter Blake Snell from Game 6 of the World Series despite a 1-0 lead and Snell throwing a one-hit shutout.

No one agreed much on anything in 2020, but almost everyone agreed Cash made a very poor decision.

The move backfired, the Rays lost the game and the World Series, and two months later the move hasn’t gotten any easier to swallow.

“I did grind on (the decision in the offseason),” Cash said last week. “To some extent, I still am.”

Indeed, the sports world was a grind for all of us this year — and to some extent, it still is.