WiththeSuperBowlinSantaClara, StanleyCupFinalsin SanJoseandNBAFinals inOakland,alleyesturnto theBayArea

Over the course of 135 days, the Bay Areawas the fully inflated center of the sports universe.

TheSuper Bowl was played in Santa Clara, the StanleyCup Finals in San Jose and the NBA Finals in Oakland.

And within the span of an afternoon commute, a trio ofthe generation’sgreateststarswere crowned championship MVPs: Peyton Manning (Denver Broncos), Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins) and LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers).

Itwas an unprecedented confluence of sporting events. Only eight previous times had one markethosted somuchasthe NBA and NHL championships in the same year: NewJersey(2003), NewYork City(1972 and ’94), Chicago (1992), Philadelphia (1980) and Boston (1974, ’57and’58).

Noneof the previous cases had the added cherryof the Super Bowl, which this year drew111.9 million television viewers to the action atLevi’s Stadium, the third most-watched Super Bowl ever.

Thenagain, the BayAreateams proved overly hospitable to their out-of-town guests.After the Sharks ended 25 years of playoff frustration to reach the Stanley Cup Finals, the Penguins snuffed their hopes in Game 6 atSAP Center. Players hoisted the coolest trophy in sports justlong enough for San Jose fansto getajealous glimpse, then Pittsburgh packed it up for the flight home.

TheWarriors, meanwhile, became the firstNBA team to lose a Finals Game 7 athome since 1978 and the firstNBA team ever to blow a 3-1Finals lead. Cleveland won its firstmajor championship since 1964 — and celebrated on Northern California soil.

TheChicagoCubs’ curse-busting drive to the World Series also cruised along Highway101. They knocked offthe Giants inGame 4 of the Divisional Series atAT&T Parken route to their firstchampionship since 1908. The World Series MVP was Ben Zobrist, who played for theA’sayear earlier.

So ended a year in which just about everymajor champion made its way through the Bay Area.No wonder traffic is horrible.