Kate Upton's year in sports

Kate Upton is the internet gift that keeps giving. Virtually any piece of digital content the 22-year-old supermodel is part of is like a present under the virutal tree delivered by Jolly Old Saint Nick himself. 2014 was another big year for the two-time Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue covergirl, so we figured it would be a good time to look back during this season of giving and offer up the best of Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander's girlfriend from a sports perspective.

The highlights start back in August in the Bronx. The top celebrity couple in the major leagues sealed their bond for all time when Verlander tossed Upton a ball at her seat in the front row behind the Tigers' dugout at Yankee Stadium.

Check out the look she gives Verlander after he gives up the souvenir. Priceless. Perhaps it was simply an early Christmas present.

The dynamic duo continued their tour of athletic venues in early December, taking in a Cleveland Cavaliers game in the land of King James. The two of them had prime seats to watch the Cavs beat the Milwaukee Bucks. Yankees pitcher C.C. Sabathia, an ex-Cleveland guy, was sitting nearby, too.

Everybody in the arena noticed Upton and Verlander when the Cavs put them on the Kiss Cam. As far as in-game shenanigans go, the Kiss Cam is played out. But if Kate Upton is in the house, you pretty much have to try it. The lovely couple seemed to at least have fun with it, but it was the Cavaliers' mascot, Moondog, who won the night, sneaking in to plant not one, not two and not three kisses on Upton.

And while modeling may appear easy, on February 18, Upton was required to pose in an environment that's typically reserved for folks like astronauts — zero gravity. The unique photoshoot, reportedly four years in the making, was part of Sports Illustrated's 50th anniversary of the Swimsuit Edition. And, like the issue's highly acclaimed dueling covers, it didn't disappoint.

Behind-the-scenes footage of the shoot captured not only stunning beauty, but impressive science at work. To achieve the shots you see of Kate's curves in the space-like atmosphere, pilots of the Zero Gravity Corporation plane had to fly the modified 727 in precise parabolic arcs while thousands of feet above Earth's surface. These maneuvers only tend to simulate weightlessness for 30 seconds at a time however, which is why you see Upton suddenly reintroduced to gravity and dropping to the padded floor during various points in the video. To give photographers enough inspiration to work with, the plane reportedly had to make a series of 13 weightless parabolas and four parabolas imitating lunar gravity.

Wondering just how hard it is to successfully pose while you're spinning through space? After the flight, Upton told E News Now, "You have no control over your limbs and you're twirling and you don't know what's the ceiling and what's the floor."

Like most viewers of this photoshoot's final product, MJ Day, editor of the Swimsuit Issue was equally floored by Kate's abilities. She said in a statement, "Kate surprised us all with how she handled modeling in weightlessness."

But if you're curious to see firsthand if your own faculties will hold up in these conditions, the ZERO-G experience can be yours for $4,950 plus tax.

Finally, there was the fun-loving sports fan's homage to New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz back in January. Upton busted off his signature salsa dance touchdown celebration for Vogue Magazine's February issue and it just seemed right. She even threw in a subtle Michael Jackson move at the end (after starting the dance with a spike of her purse instead of a football).

Happy Holidays everyone!