THE GOOD

Biggest Miracle
From David Tyree’s incredible catch to Eli emerging from Peyton’s shadow to Big Blue’s defensive line tossing then-invincible pretty boy Tom Brady around like a rag doll, the Giants’ win over the Pats in Super Bowl XLII proved any dream can come true—even covering a 12-point spread. Cha-ching!

Best ’80s Revival
OK, so it wasn’t Bird versus Magic, there was no surprise appearance by Scott Wedman, and everybody’s shorts were much longer. But this year’s Celtics-Lakers NBA finals did feature the following super-awesome highlights:
Game 1: Boston’s Paul Pierce falls down, gets carried off the floor and rolled into the tunnel in a wheelchair…then reemerges minutes later, totally fine!
Game 4: The Celts stage the biggest comeback in NBA championship history, clawing their way back from a 20-point third quarter deficit.
Game 6: The Celtics blow the Lakers out by 39 points to clinch the series, prompting former Celtic and Laker Bill Walton’s head to explode. OK, not literally.

Best. Golfer. Ever.
In June Tiger Woods grinded out a five-day, 91-hole victory in the U.S. Open with a double stress fracture in his tibia and a shredded left knee. Actually, he’d been swinging on a torn ACL for 10 months, which is probably why he only won nine of 12 tourneys in that span. What a pussy.

Best Excuse to Smelt
We’re suffering from Michael Phelps fatigue as much as the next guy, so we’ll just point out one overlooked upside to all of his freakish, Olympic-record-setting success: The 146 grams of silver and six grams of gold in Phelps’ eight Beijing medals make each one worth about 230 bucks. Hey, that dude’s rich!

MORE HIGHS

Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton lights up the Home Run Derby with a record-breaking 28 first-round dingers. Danica Patrick becomes the first woman to win an IRL race. And the first woman to speed without causing a 10-car pileup. Hideki Matsui announces his marriage at a press conference by holding up a sketch of his wife. Retired NBA journeyman Christian Laettner is inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame! The Giants and Dolphins play a regular-season game in London—to teach those limey bastards what “football” means.

Most Epic Battle
Roger Federer had won five straight Wimbledons, and Rafael Nadal had been the loser of the last two. But at the end of their five-hour, five-set match this year—it lasted through three rain delays and ended in darkness—Nadal had the trophy; Federer, nothing but his $100 million Nike contract. Even John McEnroe called it the geatest match ever.

Manliest Chick Fight
The Detroit Shock and Los Angeles Sparks left their estrogen in the locker room on July 22 when they squared off in the WNBA’s first-ever big-time brawl. When the dust settled, 10 players got suspensions, Shock assistant coach Rick Mahorn was disciplined, and we developed a fleeting interest in the WNBA!

Best Legs
The world’s new fastest man has a towering 6'5" frame and a last name that’s every lazy marketer’s wet dream. Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt obliterated records in both the 100-meter and 200-meter races in Beijing and led his team to gold in the 4x100-meter relay, all without even trying.

Best Reason to Gamble With Coworkers
After Kansas stunned UNC and Memphis spanked UCLA in the Final Four, the stage was set for an all-time March Madness classic. Memphis led with 2.1 seconds left, until Kansas’ Mario Chalmers drained a three to tie. The Jayhawks took it in OT, and that freaking IT guy took the pot, again.

Best Accidental Porn
NBCOlympics.com’s “photo essay” on beach volleyball hand signals, which basically amounted to a photo gallery of superhot asses.

Best Villain
At 23, Kyle Busch is already the most hated driver in NASCAR—but he may also be its best. He won seven Sprint Cup contests leading up to the season’s final 10-race showdown...plus 11 races in the Nationwide and Craftsman Truck series. That’s kind of like an NFL quarterback dominating the CFL and professional rugby in his spare time.

Best Redemption
After humiliating losses in the last two World Championships and a bronze in the 2004 Olympics (thanks, Stephon Marbury!), LeBron, Kobe, and Co. went to Beijing and won our swagger back. Deal with it, world. We’re dicks again!

Best Reversal of Fortune
For the first time in 13 years, the New York Yankees didn’t make the playoffs. And for the first time ever, the Tampa Bay Rays did. See, baseball fans? There is a God, and He is listening.


The Good | The Bad | The Ugly