'09 has already given sports fans plenty of unforgettable moments |
| Posted by Administrator on Mar 04 2009 |
By Matt Lindsay
Antelope Staff
As we all turn our calendars from February to March, let's take a look back at all that has happened in the world of sports so far in 2009.
Jan. 1
After all the smoke from the New Year's Eve parties settled, New Year's Day was a great one for sports fans. The football fan got his multiple bowl games to flip through, and a New Year's Day bowl win for the Huskers got 2009 off to an especially good start in Nebraska. For me personally, I didn't watch much of the Nebraska game.
Yes, I know in Nebraska if you are not watching when the Huskers are playing there must be something wrong with you, but I was more interested in a hockey game. Yes, a hockey game, and I'm not talking about the Tri-City Storm. I'm talking about the Winter Classic played at hallowed Wrigley Field between the Detroit Redwings and Chicago Blackhawks.
It doesn't get much better than an outdoor hockey game played between two of the most tradition-rich franchises in the NHL at one of the greatest, if not the greatest, ballparks of all time. Hockey fan or not, this one was worth watching.
Jan. 8
The National Championship game between Florida and Oklahoma was projected to be a showcase of skill and offense with two Heisman-winning quarterbacks duking it out in Miami. This game was more of a snooze fest as neither team managed to find its groove until the fourth quarter when Tim Tebow finally took over for Florida and showed why he is the face of college football. I still say, though, we need a playoff system, or at least a plus-1 scenario in college football. Wouldn't it have been fun to see if Utah could have taken down another SEC power after it thrashed Alabama in the Sugar Bowl?
Jan. 31
A picture of Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Phelps inhaling from a bong at a party back in November of 2008 surfaced. Seeing it made me laugh. Maybe the golden boy of American sport isn't so golden after all.
Feb. 1
I'm never going to laugh at anybody again who says a team like the Arizona Cardinals can make the Super Bowl. The Redbirds started off the season as a 55-1 shot to win the big game with odds growing to 65-1 and higher during the season. When Kurt Warner hit a streaking Larry Fitzgerald down the middle for the go-ahead touchdown late in Super Bowl XLIII, it looked like whoever was crazy enough to take those odds might be rewarded with early retirement. Although Santonio Holmes brought everyone back to reality with his game-winning catch in the back of the end zone to give the Steelers its sixth Super Bowl win in franchise history, the Cardinals' improbable run to the Super Bowl was fun to watch.
Feb. 15
Matt Kenseth won a rain-shortened Daytona 500. I am not a NASCAR fan by any means, and forgive my ignorance, but not completing all 200 laps of the biggest race of the year seemed a bit strange to me. Why not just suspend the race for a few hours, or the next day at the latest, and then finish out the race. At least that would make the victory for the winning driver more credible.
Feb. 22
With the opening of spring training, the talk on steroids gained steam again after Alex Rodriguez came out saying he used performance-enhancing drugs while he was with the Texas Rangers in 2003. Interestingly enough, A-Rod managed to put aside the pressure of the steroids scandal and knock one out of the park in the Yankees' first spring training game of the season. I guess when you are a Yankee you are used to playing under pressure.
Feb. 26
Tiger is knocked out of the Accenture Match Play Championships in Marana, Ariz., after coming back from knee surgery. Oh well.
The sports scene has yet to disappoint us so far in 2009. Lets hope the remaining 10 months follow suit.
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