Top 10 Sports Stories of 2010

With only one day left in the calendar year, it's time to put the ultimate bow on the sports year that was in 2010.  Before we look ahead to 2011, it's time to revisit the Top 10 Sports Stories of 2010.  Not just who won and who lost, but what events and people evoked the wide range of emotion that makes sports such a special part of our culture.  Drum roll please.... 

(10) The Year of the Pitcher in Baseball
-When fans look back at 2010 in baseball it won't be the Giants winning the World Series that will be remembered.  Instead, 2010 officially marked the end of the Steroid Era as pitchers dominated for the first time in a generation.  All in all there were 6 no-hitters, including perfect games by Dallas Braden and Roy Halladay (both in May).  Halladay further cemented himself as one of the greats when he no-hit the Reds in the postseason.  But it wasn't just seeing the most no-hitters in almost 20 years, it was the amount of almost no-hitters (including one notorious umpiring blunder) and the drop in runs scored and home runs. Thankfully for a sport that needs to see an era of dominant pitching, this "Year of the Pitcher" looks more like a trend than a one-year fad.

(9) College Expansion Comes and Goes

-The greed and hypocrisy of the NCAA has been on everyone's mind recently, but the major BCS conferences showed themselves to be the greediest of them all with their bloodthirsty quest for conference expansion.  Amidst all the rumors of an apocalyptic college football realignment, the expansion changes were more of a blip on the radar.  Colorado and Utah moved to the Pac-10, Nebraska moved to the Big Ten, Boise St. jumped to the Mountain West while TCU will go to the Big East.  However, with the almighty dollar continuing to drive the consolidation of power amongst the BCS conferences, this year's conference expansion might just be a blip on the radar screen compared to the potential realignment to come.

(8) Cam Newton Dominates On and Off the Field
-Unfortunately, college football's other major story was also off the field with the Cam Newton controversy. Rumors of his father attempting to auction the services of his son to Mississippi St. for $150,000 put a damper on his outstanding season where he scored 49 total TDs and ran away with the Heisman Trophy.  Newton’s season might have been remembered as one of the best ever if so many weren’t convinced that someday it will be taken away from him by the NCAA and the Heisman Trust.  Newton probably didn't help his cause much either in his acceptance speech when he said his parents do a lot for him, "behind the scenes"... D'OH!

(7) Concussions and Labor Unrest Threaten the NFL
-The NFL has enjoyed a dominant run at the top of the sports landscape.  But, two issues that reared their ugly heads threaten to derail the NFL's monopoly...labor and concussions.  Even though the chaos predicted by an uncapped season hasn't surfaced, both the league and the union appear determined to go into a labor stoppage in 2011.  While the labor dispute hasn't been front and center in 2010, it's a story that has been constantly bubbling beneath the surface.  Meanwhile, the NFL also damaged its credibility with its inconsistency and reactionary response to helmet-to-helmet hits.  While they are dangerous, there doesn't seem a way out for the NFL without some revolutionary ideas.  The unevenness of fines and officiating and threat of suspensions further illustrated the gap between players, fans, and the Shield.

(6) The Rebirth of Michael "Mike" Vick
-As with any player who runs afoul of fans and society, the best way to win them back is through success on the field.  Mike Vick has been the perfect example of this unique phenomenon in sports as memories of his heinous dogfighting charges and jail time fade into memory.  His electrifying play has made Eagles fans forget Donovan McNabb and remember a time when Vick was to revolutionize the QB position.  No matter what happens the rest of the season, Vick’s resurgence will be one of the lasting images of 2010, Tucker Carlsson be damned!

(5) The Sad Ending of Brett Favre...Hopefully
-Old Man River's 2010 started wonderfully...if you are tired of his presence and just want him to go away! His crucial interception at the end of regulation in the NFC title game and seemed a fitting end to his turbulent career.  But then the summer came and the typical Kabuki dance between Favre, ESPN, and the Vikings started up.  You see, it just tore Old Man River up too much to be away, and when his teammates came to Hickville, MS to beg him back, it sealed his return... that and a hefty pay raise.  Thankfully the fairy tail seems like it's officially ended in 2010 as his reputation and legacy was further ruined by the Jenn Sterger case and the end of his consecutive starts streak.  As a Bears fan long-tortured by Favre, nothing would be better as a lasting memory than OMR being knocked out by Chicago rookie Corey Wootton.  For his own good, Favre needs to finally call it quits.  Of course, I won't believe it's true until the NFL starts up and Favre is on his farm... or his own VH-1 reality show!

(4) The World Cup in South Africa is a (Lasting?) Success

-Unfortunately for FIFA, the good feelings of the summer's World Cup and its impact in the U.S. has been fleeting.  Sure, the U.S. had a great run that frankly should have extended into the semifinals.  Also, Ian Darke was a revelation to American soccer fans, both hardcore and casual (as evidenced by his new and exclusive deal to be the voice of soccer for ESPN in the US).  The World Cup was a great success in the US as more people watched soccer than ever before.  Spain's victory was ultimately a popular one, but 2010's World Cup will be more remembered for the negative tactics by the majority of teams.  Also, it's hard to think of 2010 and FIFA and not be drawn to the recent scandal of Russia and Qatar receiving the 2018 and 2022 World Cups over England and the U.S.  Instead of soccer finally making the climb in popularity in the U.S., it will continue to be niche, thanks in large part to FIFA.

(3) The Saints Win the Super Bowl?!
-Yes, my brother Matt's boyhood dream came true when the Saints won the Super Bowl in dramatic fashion. Their season-long roller coaster was emblematic of the rise and fall of the city of New Orleans after Katrina. They started undefeated until three straight losses at the end of the season.  Entering the playoffs they once again were the underdog, but they dispatched Kurt Warner, Brett Favre and Peyton Manning behind an opportunistic defense and the brilliance of Drew Brees and Sean Payton.  I could say more, but why not relive every detail with Matt's glowing recap of the Saints' victory.

(2) Tiger Woods Returns as a Shadow of Himself
-One year ago, we were wondering what to make of Tiger Wood's scandal and future as perhaps the greatest golfer of all-time.  Now, we've experienced Tiger's train-wreck news conference, his warm reception at the Masters, and his failure to win a tournament for the 1st time in his career.  He covered the gambit off the course with his divorce becoming official, joining Twitter, dumping coach Hank Haney, and rediscovering his religion.  But, much like Vick, Tiger won't be completely back until he starts winning.  And with so many great young golfers learning to win, the future of Tiger breaking Jack's record of 18 majors looks more unlikely than ever.

(1) LeBron Decides to Burn Bridges

-But above all else, 2010 will be remembered as the year of The Decision.  LeBron James, despite never winning a game in the NBA Finals, had built himself up as the simultaneous Savior of Cleveland and King of the NBA.  So naturally, the once beloved King's free agency was a big deal.  Through the year, we covered the LeBron story from every angle because it was one of the most fascinating stories we've ever seen and it was a perfect cross-section of sports in the 21st centruy.  The words I wrote the day before LeBron turned his back on Cleveland still ring true today:

But sadly, fans may also remember July 8, 2010 as the day a small portion of what makes sports special died. We'll remember the day where the collective success of the team was cast aside for the fame of the individual. We'll remember the beginning of an era where athletes don't just nickname themselves as kings, but actually believe they are royalty, meant to rule over the common masses with a stroke of their mighty hand. King James might think he's doing a favor for his followers by flooding his ego with the eyes of millions of viewers on him and the fate of entire cities resting on his every word. But, what he'll really accomplish tomorrow night, no matter where he decides to rest his heavy crown, will be the permanent severing of the connection between fan and athlete.

This is the legacy of LeBron James at the end of 2010.  A player who once could have been next to Jordan, Bird, and Magic as one of the games greats can now never be mentioned in the same breath.  That's the price James has to pay for choosing the easy way out in a sport that relishes individual greatness more than any other.  His legacy also has to pay the price for becoming the most vile figure in sports, because no amount of winning can every make anyone forget the betrayal of his hometown team.  Most of all though, The Decision was the price we paid as fans, especially those in Cleveland and Ohio, for worshipping an athlete in the 21st century and naively believing any of the emotion given was ever going to be returned.  In a way, fans should thank LeBron for opening their eyes to this new truth, that no matter how many tweets an athlete might make to his or her fans, the divide between athlete and fan has never been bigger.  Such is the state of sports in the year 2010.