Advanesser Adams
January 5, 2010Drake Touchet
January 7, 2010
If I had told you last Christmas that two of our biggest sports heroes would become two of our biggest sports villains in 2009, would you have believed me?
Better yet, if I’d have told you 12 months ago that Michael Vick would again be scoring touchdowns in the NFL and Brett Favre would have quarterbacked a team that defeated the Green Bay Packers not once, but twice, would you have thought I was nuts?
Well, believe it or not, all of the above happened in what was a wild, but fun 2009 in the sporting world. Here is a quick look back at the top nine sports stories of this past year.
Top nine of 2009:
9. Armstrong returns to the Tour de France –
Lance Armstrong returned from a three-year retirement and rode in the Tour this year for the first time since 2005.
Armstrong did not win the race, but finished third behind winner and teammate Alberto Contador, despite tension often bubbling between the two throughout the duration of the race.
But the race was mostly about pride for the then 37-year-old Armstrong, who sought to prove he could still compete amidst stricter drug testing regulations in the cycling world.
8. Usain Bolt makes history … again –
Just when we thought Usain Bolt couldn’t reach any higher, he proved us all wrong again in 2009.
Fresh off the 2008 Summer Olympics when he took home three gold medals, Bolt pushed the bar higher again at the World Championships in 2009 and broke his own world records in the 100 and 200m races.
Bolt trimmed eleven-hundredths of a second off both his 100m and 200m times, placing the current world records at 9.58-seconds in the 100m and 19.19-seconds in the 200m.
Bolt is reportedly currently working to try to improve his endurance to become a long jumper and a 400 m runner, so it will be interesting to see how Jamaica’s “Lightening Bolt” rings in the new decade.
7. Watson turns back the clock at the British Open –
For most golf tournaments, a major championship weekend when Tiger Woods fails to make the cut means little fan interest and low television ratings.
But during the 2009 British Open, that was not the case thanks to 59-year-old Tom Watson.
Watson took America – and Scotland – by storm and had a one-shot lead on the 72nd hole and needed just a par to win the Championship.
Watson was unable to hold on and eventually lost in a playoff to fellow American Stewart Cink, but his story was the toast of the golfing world throughout most of the summer.
6. Urban Meyer takes leave of absence from Florida –
This story is less than two weeks old, but its magnitude places it on the list. Reports came out that Florida coach and two-time national championship coach Urban Meyer was going to resign from his post because of medical issues.
But Meyer retracted his resignation a day later and will now take a leave of absence that may place him back on the sidelines for the 2010 season.
“I do in my gut believe that will happen,” Meyer said of his potential return in 2010.
According to Meyer, he has been experiencing chest pains during the past few seasons. This problem forced the coach to check himself into the hospital following the team’s recent loss in the Southeastern Conference Championship Game against Alabama.
“When I had to go to the hospital, and a couple issues after that was when I came to the conclusion that I had to re-prioritize everything,” Meyer said. “So that’s exactly what it is. I was advised that I have to get this right or it could lead to damage. That’s what made that decision.”
With eight months before the Gators open their 2010 season, eyes will be sure to stay on what happens in Gainesville and whether or not Meyer is able to continue what has been an already brilliant coaching career.
5. Traditional powerhouses rule professional sporting world –
2009 was the year of the major powers in the world of sports.
In February, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals 27-23 in Super Bowl XLIII to become the first-ever franchise to win six Super Bowl titles.
The Los Angeles Lakers also returned to prominence in June and won their 16th NBA title in a five-game series victory against the Orlando Magic.
The New York Yankees capped the year in style for the sporting powers in November and won their MLB-best 27th World Series title after dusting off the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies in six games.
4. Phelps photographed smoking from a bong –
Following his eight gold medal performance in the 2008 Summer Olympics, Michael Phelps’ face was plastered across the covers of magazines all across the world.
But in 2009, Phelps was the center of attention for a different reason as he was photographed smoking what appeared to be marijuana from a bong.
Following the release of the photos, Phelps admitted he had taken part in “regrettable behavior.”
Phelps was suspended for three months from competing and lost sponsors from the incident.
3. A-Rod goes A-Roid –
Just when the baseball world thought they were beyond the steroid scandal of the 1990s and 2000s, it reared its ugly head again in February and struck arguably the game’s best player, Alex Rodriguez.
Sports Illustrated reported that the Yankee third baseman had tested positive for two anabolic steroids during his 2003 season with the Texas Rangers – a season Rodriguez won his first-ever MVP award.
The testing came during a random sample of 1,200 players conducted to see if the MLB needed a mandatory drug testing policy.
The players who participated were promised anonymity, so Rodriguez was not penalized by the MLB for the positive test.
2. Familiar football faces playing in strange places –
The 2009 NFL season has been one that’s been defined by famous names playing in not-so familiar places.
Former Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was released from prison, following his conviction for funding a dog fighting ring in Virginia.
Upon his return to general population, Vick signed with the Philadelphia Eagles and has been slowly eased back into the lineup as the season has progressed.
Vick’s season reached its peak in his return to Atlanta during Week 13 and he ran and threw for a touchdown in the Eagles’ victory – his first two touchdowns of the season.
Brett Favre also swapped teams for the second-straight season and is anchoring the Minnesota Vikings after spending a 2008 with the Jets.
Favre landed in Minnesota after a summer full of speculation about whether or not he would come out of retirement.
But Favre returned – and defeated – the Packers twice in 2009 and it is possible the teams could meet again in the playoffs with the Vikings and Packers both in the playoffs..
1. Woods gone wild –
And finally, our biggest story of the year is a story that is sure to continue into 2010.
In late November, Tiger Woods was hospitalized with minor injuries after he crashed his SUV into a tree outside his driveway.
Following his release, numerous reports surfaced about Woods’ extramarital affairs throughout his career.
One of Woods’ alleged mistresses went as far as to produce a voice message of a man who sounds like Woods pleading for the woman to take her name off the phone.
The message read, “Hey it’s Tiger, I need you to do me a huge favor. Can you please take your name off your phone? My wife went through my phone…You got to do this for me. Huge. Quickly. Bye.”
Later in the month, Woods stepped up and admitted “infidelity” and “transgressions,” but the sporting and business world has yet to forgive the Associated Press’s Athlete of the Decade.
And apparently Woods’ wife, Elin, hasn’t forgiven Woods either as it’s being widely reported she is seeking a divorce in 2010.
Florida coach Urban Meyer gets doused at the end of a 51-24 win over Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl NCAA college football game in New Orleans on Saturday. * Photo by DAVE MARTIN / Associated Press
