12 Days of Christmas, Day 3: Best Sports Stories of 2010

I know  the last two posts didn't have anything to do with the year that was, but now it's time to get down to business. If there's one thing I love in this world more than music, it's sports. I've followed sports sacrilegiously for my entire life, from sneaking down late at night to watch Sportscenter with my dad, to my current love affair with Fantasy football, sports have found themselves intertwined in my life no matter the situation. As I grew older, I came to love the stories more than the players, and that's what this addition to the 12 Days of Christmas is for: the Top 10 Sports Stories of 2010:

 10. An Ode to the Champions: The year's major sports championships were awarded to repeat offenders, surprising newcomers, and some powerhouses. Here's how it all went down:

Stanley Cup: Chicago Blackhawks
NBA Finals: Los Angeles Lakers
World Series: San Francisco Giants
BCS National Championship: Alabama Crimson Tide
NCAA Mens' Basketball Tournament: Duke Blue Devils

9. S-Cam Newton?: Just about halfway through the season, the Auburn Tigers, led by superstar quarterback Cam Newton, were poised to challenge for a BCS National Championship in the 2010-2011 season. With Newton flying high, however, accusations that Newton's father was involved in a "Pay-for-Play" scheme when Newton was transferring from a junior college marred the performance on the field. I'm not sure what's more shocking here: the allegations, or Newton's reaction to them. Newton took the allegations as motivation for the rest of his season, securing the Heisman trophy in a landslide, and leading Auburn to an undefeated season and a spot in the BCS National Championship. The investigation is ongoing, but Newton has been cleared to play, which will only ensure the continuation of this bizarre story.

8. All they Do is Win: Throughout 2009-2010, the University of Connecticut Lady Huskies have not lost a single game, which has now included their second consecutive National Championship. The streak is now (as of time of this post being written) sitting on 87, one short of tying the collegiate record for basketball, held by the UCLA Mens' team, with little resistance, might I add: only three games during the streak have been won by less than ten points.

7. An Eagle Soars from the Ashes: When Michael Vick signed a two-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles after his 18-month stint in prison for dogfighting, Vick assured fans across the country that he was a changed man. The result has been astounding, as Vick's performance since becoming the starter for the Eagles (after an injury to Kevin Kolb) has earned him consideration for the NFL's Most Valuable Player award, despite missing three games with a rib injury. Vick's performance off the field has been even more inspirational, as he is lecturing youths about making the right choices and speaking out against dogfighting as a true sign of his newfound maturity.

6. The Tiger No Longer Roars: Tiger Woods' freefall after his Thanksgiving Day crash in 2009 became more and more public, as the golfing legend was forced to publicly apologize for his transgressions on national television. The worst was yet to come, however: Woods was then spotted at a Sex Rehab clinic, where he received treatment for his addiction, amidst an ugly, publicly-displayed divorce. This negativity transferred to the greens as well, as Woods failed to win a tournament for the first time in over a decade, and lost his world #1 ranking to Lee Westwood late in the year.

5. Saint Brees Restores Hope to a City: The New Orleans Saints were able to stop the Indianapolis Colts, the juggernauts of the 2009-2010 NFL season, to capture the franchise's first Super Bowl title. Behind it all was offensive maestro and quarterback Drew Brees, whose upbeat attitude ever since he and his wife arrived in the Katrina-ravaged city, and the Super Bowl win brought hope to a city that desperately needed it.

4. Taking His Talents, Critics, and Ego to South Beach: Lebron James was unable to win an NBA title in Cleveland yet again this June, and as he saw his window for a ring closing, he joined forces with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh on the Miami Heat, leaving his home state and city behind. The fallout was immense, as James is still being pegged as the villain in every city the Heat visit. His "What Should I Do?" campaign didn't help much either, as Cleveland still felt jilted by his "Decision Special on ESPN. And while James insists that the special was for charity purposes, something tells me there are better ways to make money for charity than by showing up an entire city of hard-working people in the process.

3. The 2010 Winter Olympics and the Re-Emergence of Hockey: The Mens' Hockey Final at the 2010 Winter Olympics was filled with drama: the U.S. had taken the mighty Canadians down in pool play, and met up with Canada in the Gold Medal Game. But as the game reached overtime after a late US goal, hockey's golden boy Sidney Crosby scored to end the game, and Canada emerged victorious. However, the US reception of hockey began to gain some steam, as the Gold Medal Game was one of the highest-rated sporting events all year.

2. The Never Ending Story, A.K.A. Brett Favre's NFL Career: If you don't know who Brett Favre is, never read this blog again. In fact, never go on the internet again. But in all seriousness, unless you live in a world devoid of sports (and therefore, happiness), you know about Brett Favre's record-breaking legacy in the NFL. This year's edition of the story took a turn for the scandalous, however. As the Minnesota Vikings crumbled with the injury-plagued Favre at the helm, allegations emerged that he sent racy pictures to an intern while he was with the Jets, Favre's Iron-Man streak of 297 consecutive games started came to a close, putting a disappointing and confusing end to what will be in all likelihood and all-time great's career.

1. South Africa's Triumph: FIFA World Cup 2010: FIFA took a chance by giving South Africa the World Cup in 2010, and the country repaid the soccer world by producing a World Cup for the ages, with top-ranked Spain emerging victorious. Team USA earned global and national respect by advancing to the Round of 16, while subpar finishes by powerhouses Italy (winners of the 2006 World Cup), France (runners-up in 2006), England, Brazil, and Argentina overshadowed Germany's second consecutive third-place finish, as the Germans topped surprising Uruguay in the consolation game. However, the focus should be placed on South Africa, who were the host nation. And while the South African team didn't advance, their people and country should be praised for keeping the World Cup's reputation as the most important sporting event of them all.

That's it from my end. So what did I miss? What sports stories had you and your classmates/work buddies/bros/whatever else buzzing the most about? Leave it in the comments!