YEAR IN REVIEW
January 2, 2007Mandated therapy may better serve divorcing couples, counselor says
January 4, 20072006 Rose Bowl Game: Texas 41, USC 38
From the opening kickoff, to the game-ending incomplete pass thrown by Matt Leinart, the 2006 Rose Bowl had everything a sports fan could ask for—stars, drama, touchdowns, significance and a hero.
That hero came in the form of University of Texas quarterback Vince Young. Throughout the game, Young ran for 200 yards and threw for 267 yards. He added three touchdown carries, the most important of which came from 8 yards out with 19 seconds remaining in the game. Young beat USC’s defense to the right pylon, providing the winning margin for the Longhorns, 41-38.
Just three minutes earlier, Young ran in from 17 yards to make the score 38-33 and ignite a Texas comeback.
The game’s other stars did not disappoint, either. Trojans quarterback Matt Leinart threw for 365 yards and a touchdown, while LenDale White ran for 124 yards, and Reggie Bush added 84 yards and two touchdowns.
It is not often that the year’s top sporting event takes place just four days into the New Year, but the Rose Bowl set a high bar for 2006, and nothing else came close.
Kobe Bryant scores 81 points vs. Raptors
In 1962 Wilt Chamberlain set a record that many felt was untouchable, scoring 100 points in a single game. And while Kobe Bryant did not break the record, he made basketball fans realize that perhaps Chamberlain’s 100 might not be so untouchable, after all.
Bryant’s 81 is the second-most points in a single game, ranking just above Chamberlain’s 78 points. Bryant’s performance is the highest point total since the San Antonio Spurs’ David Robinson scored 71 in 1994.
Still, the game was in doubt until the final quarter—where Bryant scored 28 points. He added that to his 27 third-quarter points.
After the game, he said, “Not even my dreams. To sit here and say I grasp what happened, that would be lying.”
Houston Texans draft Mario Williams with NFL Draft’s No. 1 pick
It was not so much who the Texans picked with the draft’s No. 1 pick, but who they did not pick. With consensus top prospect (to everyone except the Texans) Reggie Bush available, the Texans opted to draft a defensive end. Nearly everyone had Bush ranked as the top prospect to enter the draft in years, but then Texans general manager Charlie Casserly said the team had its eye on defensive end Mario Williams the whole time.
From there, Houston fans moaned. And complained. And moaned some more. Not only did they pass on Bush, but also on hometown favorite Vince Young.
In his rookie season, Williams has 45 total tackles and 4.5 sacks. Bush is near the top of the league in receptions, and has scored eight total touchdowns. Young? He is currently on a six-game winning streak.
Barry Bonds passes Baby Ruth in homerun race
Sure, he is one of the most despised athletes of our time, but nearly every major media outlet followed Barry Bonds’ pursuit of the all-time Major League Baseball homerun record. Television network ESPN constantly showed updates of how far away Bonds was from surpassing Babe Ruth—and that is just for second on the all-time list.
It happened on May 28 against the Colorado Rockies. Despite the dislike of Bonds, when he hit No. 715, camera’s flashed and people cheered. They witnessed history.
Whether assisted by steroids or not—which is a different question altogether—Bonds’ continued ascent in the record books was a major story this year.
Cinderallas take over the NCAA Tournament
The NCAA Tournament is known for its upsets. Its upsets are one of the factors that has made the yearly event so popular with even the casual sports fan. But nobody could have predicted what happened this past March.
While it was a surprise that No. 4 seed LSU reached the Final Four by defeating No. 1 Duke and No. 2 Texas, not even George Mason could have imagined it would reach the Final Four.
But that is exactly what the No. 11 seed Patriots did, turning the basketball world on its ear while upsetting No. 6 Michigan State, No. 3 North Carolina and No. 1 Connecticut, on its way to Indianapolis.
George Mason’s dream ended with a loss to eventual champion Florida, but its performance set an attainable benchmark for all mid-majors in the college basketball world.
Tiger Woods dominates … again
Over the past decade, it is hard to say that any athlete has dominated his sport the way Tiger Woods has dominated golf. However, Woods’ 2006 season was one for the ages, including a 6-tournament win streak, and him winning eight of 15 tournaments in the year along with two majors.
The streak started with Woods’ win at the British Open, his first win since his father’s death.
United States soccer falls at World Cup
Things were supposed to be different this time around. Coming off of its most impressive World Cup performance ever and entering the cup as the No. 5 ranked team in the world, the United States was expected to at least qualify for the second round in Germany.
Negative.
The Americans opened the cup with a lackluster effort in a 3-0 loss to the Czech Republic. They followed with an impressive 1-1 tie against eventual world champion Italy, which surprisingly put them in position to advance out of the first round with a win against Ghana.
Consider that opportunity wasted. The United States again came out with a disappointing performance in losing to Ghana 2-1 and being eliminated from the Cup.
Miami Heat win first NBA Title
They were not supposed to win the championship. Not after falling behind 2-0 to the Dallas Mavericks, from the superior Western Conference. The Miami Heat were on the verge of falling behind 3-0, when Dwyane Wade took over.
From there, Wade did his best Michael Jordan impersonation and took over the NBA Finals. In the final four games of the series—all Heat victories—Wade scored 42, 36, 43 and 36 points to bring the NBA title to South Beach for the first time.
Pittsburgh Steelers win Super Bowl
The Steelers entered the playoffs as the sixth-seed in the AFC, and beat the odds to win three consecutive games on the road on its way to a Super Bowl win over the Seattle Seahawks.
The Steelers started by beating the Cincinnati Bengals and followed by beating the heavily favored Indianapolis Colts, thanks to a shoestring tackle by Ben Roethlisberger.
The Steelers went on the road to beat Denver and then followed by sending Jerome Bettis out with a Super Bowl win.
St. Louis Cardinals beat Detroit Tigers to win the World Series
Nobody truly expected the St. Louis Cardinals to beat the Detroit Tigers, but they did just that in a 4-1 series win.
The Cardinals were an 83-win team that convincingly beat the favored Tigers, a 95-win team, to make it the second championship upset in the three major sports leagues.
