We love our lists here, so we decided to round up 2008’s top ten sports stories.

1. In Phelps We Trust.  Who would have thought that a 23, an Olympic swimmer could take home seven world records, one Olympic record, and eight gold medals. This great moment even came with drama when in the 100-meter butterfly it Phelps had to catch up, touching out his Serbian rival by the narrowest possible margin of 0.01 seconds. Phelps achievement not only tops this list, but, arguably, stands as the greatest Olympic performance in history. Go America!

2.  Giant Upset. It was one of the three greatest upsets in Super Bowl History, rivaling the Jets over the Colts in Super Bowl III and the Patriots over the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. Yet it was even more than that because the New York Giants‘ 17-14 win knocked the New England Patriots off an unprecedented perc.

3. Bolt Of Lightning. A bit ironic his name being Bolt, yet it still didn’t do justice to Usain Bolt’s astonishing Olympic performance. The gangly, 21-year-old Jamaican became the first sprinter to shatter world records in both the 100 and the 200 at the same Olympics. He won the gold in 9.69 despite slowing and beginning his celebration some five meters before the finish.

4. I Feel Like I’ve Been Here Before… In the 1980s, Magic Johnson’s Los Angeles Lakers and Larry Bird’s Boston Celtics would capture eight championships between them, resurrecting a storied NBA rivalry that had seen those two teams meet in seven finals between 1959 and 1969, and in the new millineum Kevin Garnett Ray Allen, and Paul Piercelead the Celtics to the league’s best record and a meeting in the finals with their old rivals the Lakers.

5.  Tiger Limps To Victory. Well know that golf is hard, and that Tiger Woods is a god among mortals. For the U.S. Open Woods played the game coming out of a knee surgery. It would take to the 91st hold of play for Woods to finally out duel Rocco Mediate. Finally, Woods would do so in pain, capturing his 14th major overall (with one leg), getting him closer to Jack Nicklaus and his 18 Major Championships.

6. Three Times  A Winner. Jimmie Johnson embarked into the 2008 NASCAR season as a two-time champion. He’ll enter the 2009 season as a three-time champion. Johnson, who drives the #48 Lowes Chevrolet, won his third consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship in November. The win allowed him to join Cale Yarborough as the only man to ever win three consecutive championships.

7.  Nadal ousts Federer in “One of Greatest Matches Ever”. Federer was “The Master of the Grass”. Nadal was unbeatable on clay courts. Both tennis warriors would embark on the impossible. Nadal searched for his record setting sixth straight Wimbledon. Nadal wanted to prove to the world that he wasn’t just a clay court champion. Nadal would do just that, in a hard fought 4 hour and 48 minute barrage of power, accuracy, and intensity. Many consider it to be one of the greatest tennis matches of all time and there is no doubting that many tennis fans will never forget this 2008 epic for a long time to come.

8.  Falcons, Dolphins experience HUGE turnarounds. A  year ago, things looked dismal for both the Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Falcons. Now, both teams are experience amazing comeback seasons. Under new rookie sensation Matt Ryan (above) and breakout running back Michael Turner, the Falcons rocketed to an 11-5 record and nearly won the NFC South. The Dolphins on the other hand had the greatest turnaround in the history of the league, going from 1-15 a year ago to an 11-5 record. 

9.  Lesnar KOs Couture to win UFC Heavyweight crown. This was by far one of the most anticipated matches in UFC history. It did get a lot of slack because of Brock’s MMA record (2-1), but the fight lived up to the hype. After a rough first round with Lesnar, Lesnar, followed by a round of hammer fists to end the fight, hit Couture on the crown of the head. He will now wait to fight Frank Mir to crown an Undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion.

10. Danica Did It! While this may not be a big moment for a lot of people, it was a big one historically. Patrick becomes the first woman ever to win an Indy Car event. She also becomes the first one in recent memory to win an auto race.

Philadelphia Phillies left-handed specialist JC Romero has been suspended for 50 games by MLB because he tested positive for a banned substance.

Romero has denied the charge of cheating but won’t declare any formal appeals.  MLB has had a problem with players such as Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds rumored to have taken steroids.

Give Romero credit for not doing something like driving drunk like Antoine Walker or rushing to receive sex like Charles Barkley, but Romero’s suspension starts as soon as the next MLB season starts in spring.  And also good to see the World Series champions taking a firm stand.

This is the beginning, or maybe the end. The recession will reveal if the consumers and companies have to use their money to support favorite sports teams, in the mean time many sports are already planning for the worst that could happen. With customers eating fewer hot dogs or cutting days out of going to the ball park, companies reducing advertisement, all the major sports teams and parks could suffer badly.

“It’s unlikely that we won’t suffer (in 2009),” said Tim Finchem, commissioner of PGA Tour, the main U.S. golf tour. “What we’re seeing now is a pullback on spending by corporations … and those things come home to roost in ways that can negatively impact us.”

The weakness sign is already present to the NFL, MLB, Golf (PGA), and NASCAR. Sponsors spending less and lower attendance to cut jobs. The weak economy also has raised costs for such things as stadium financing, and has also hurt advertising, sponsorship and consumer spending. the NFL has cut a “substantial” amount of travel and entertainment, and promotional spending. While NASCAR was being hit with high gas prices.

“Next year, we will not obviously make that kind of a gain,” he said. “The question is, are we going to back up?”

We compiled a short list of what we feel are the top 10 sports moments. No offense if you don’t agree, you can go read someone elses top 10.

10. Goodbye Gherig (7/4/3). In perhaps one of the most touching sports moments, a dying man stood before over 60,000 people and the world to impart the genuine feeling that he was “the luckiest man in the world” for having the opportunity to endeavor through the love of his craft. Lou Gehrig, the Iron Horse, who had not missed a game his entire 13-plus year career (spanning a mind-bending 2,130 consecutive games) lowered his head and became the symbol of what sports, and maybe all of life is about; accepting your destiny, giving it your all, and enjoying every moment, good or ill.

9.  Go Get ‘Em Tiger (4/13/97)! In what turned out to be a phenomenon, Tiger Woods was both launched and cemented during a record 18-under Masters victory by 12 strokes over an awed field. At the tender age of 21, and only his fifteenth appearance as a pro, with the eyes of the world watching his every move, the highly touted Woods became the youngest player to win the Masters in the 61-year history of the tournament, winning an event that didn’t even invite a black player until the year he was born at a club that didn’t invite a black member to join until 1990.

8.  Namath Saves The Day (1/12/69) In a great moment in football history, brash Broadway Joe Namath, the richest of athletes at the time, uttered the unthinkable and broke the code of centuries of competition, he guaranteed victory. Standing at a podium in downtown Miami, Florida, where he was to be given the upstart pro league, AFL Most Valuable Player, Namath vehemently predicted his team’s easy victory in a game two previous representative from his league had been embarrassed in and whose own team was an unprecedented 18 plus point dog in a championship contest. The New York Jets and Namath did convincingly defeat the 13-1 Baltimore Colts and the NFL’s best defense, 16-7 and helped merge both leagues into what is now the premiere professional sports franchise in America.

7.  Roger Bannister Breaks Four Minute Mile (5/6/54) A 25-year-old British medical student becomes the first man to achieve the unthinkable; run a mile in less than four minutes. One afternoon on the Iffley Road track in Oxford, England, his miraculously close time of 3 minutes and 59.4 seconds was achieved during a 15mph crosswind with gusts of up to 25mph. Ironically, this nearly caused Bannister to call off the triumphant event witnessed by about 3,000 spectators.

6. Long Jump World Record, Long Gone (10/18/68) In what is widely considered the greatest individual physical feat in human competition, 24 year-old, New Yorker Bob Beamon obliterated an Olympic/World Record in the long jump by a mind-bending two feet. Fellow American, Ralph Boston established the record years before at 27 feet, 43/4 inches, and it was Boston who coached Beamon through his record leap. As the Mexico City crowd watched in stunned awe, Beamon tossed his 6-foot-3, 160-pound 8.90 meters — 29 feet, 21/2 inches for the most lopsided destruction of a world record ever.

5. Owens Debunks Aryan Myth (8/9/36) Son of a sharecropper from Oakville Alabama, world class, black American athlete, Jesse Owens marched into Adolph Hitler’s great Berlin arena and spit in the face of the Third Reich’s claims of Aryan superiority by setting three world records and one Olympic record, earning four track and field gold medals in the same Summer Olympiad, a performance that would remain unmatched for 48 years. In front of the visibly infuriated German dictator and a stunned international audience, Owens won the 100 meters in an Olympic-record 10.3 seconds, the long jump, setting an Olympic record of 26-53/8 and the 200 meters in an Olympic-record 20.7 seconds. Owens won his fourth gold medal, leading off the 4×100-meter relay that would set a world record at 39.8 seconds.

4. Bye Bye Babe (1/3/20) The greatest player in the history of the game is sold from the powerful Boston Red Sox to the burgeoning New York Yankees for $100,000 to finance a Broadway play produced by Boston owner Harry Frazee. At the time of the deal, the Red Sox had won five world championships and was the toast of American League baseball. The Yankees had only been around for 17 uneventful years and didn’t even have a ballpark to call their own. Since, the Red Sox have not won a title. The Yankees built a ballpark in Babe’s honor and on his financial back and have won 26 titles. 

3. Robinson Breaks Racial Barriers (10 /30/45) Breaking the color barrier and paving the way for modern American sport, Jackie Roosevelt Robinson becomes the first African American to garner a Major League Baseball paycheck. Thanks to the efforts of Brooklyn president Branch Rickey, and the indomitable spirit of Robinson, in less than two years the newest Dodger, after enduring trials and tribulations beyond comprehension, failed player boycotts and insidious fan outrage to become Rookie of the Year, while leading his team to the World Series.

2. Ali Wins The Title (2/25/64) In one of the most amazing upsets in boxing, the young, 22-year old stood against the seemingly indestructible heavyweight champ, Sonny Liston. The event was more than a mere world championship bout due to Clay’s taunting and media manipulation.  In one night in Miami Florida, the Louisville Lip, Cassius Clay told the world he was the greatest, won in six rounds, despite the alleged cheating of Liston (the champ’s corner was said to have put a foreign substance on his gloves, effectively blinding Clay for the entire fifth round) and became Muhammad Ali, the greatest, and invented the American icon of latter 20th century sport.

1. USA Dream Team.  Rag tag assembly of mostly teenaged amateurs, barely together a few months and playing a sport invented and perfected elsewhere, take on the most polished, professional and seemingly unbeatable team in the history of international hockey and win; producing the greatest upset in all of sports. What makes the ultimate upset even more unbelievable is the fact that the same two teams played only a week earlier in an exhibition match and the Soviet Union cruised to a 10-1 victory, setting the stage for the expected American embarrassment that never came.

Sources within the organization revealed yesterday that the Chicago Cubs have agreed in principle on a 3-year, $30 million contract with controversial outfielder Milton Bradley. The deal is pending a physical, but expected to be finalized no later than Thursday. After having the National League’s best record the Cubs were swept out of the playoffs for the second straight year. Their futility was blamed in large part on their lack of productive left handed hitters in the middle of the lineup. Bradley is coming off his first All-Star season and is the best available option to fulfill this need for the Cubs.

While playing for the Texas Rangers last season Bradley batted .321 with 22 homeruns and led the American League with an on-base percentage of .436.  He will play in right field for the Cubs, taking over for Kosuke Fukudome. The Cubs committed $12 million per season to Fukudome last year but he was not able to meet their expectations. Chicago is hoping that Bradley can be that last piece of the puzzle that will come together as a Cubs’ World Series Championship.

Although only 30, Bradley will be on his 7th team after joining Chicago and is widely considered the most disruptive player in baseball. His Major League career has been marked by confrontations with coaches, players, umpires, and the media.  Last season he tried to make his way to the broadcaster’s booth in Kansas City to confront the Royals’ announcer and the year before he was injured while being held back from attacking an umpire. Controversy has followed Bradley on every stop in his career, as he has very thin skin, and this bodes dangerously for the Cubs as the fans at Wrigley Field can be ruthless. However, when in the midst of a 100 year championship drought as the Cubs are, a chance to add a player of Bradley’s caliber cannot be passed up.

Alex Stepney - Manchester United

You’re probably aware of the expression “screaming your head off,” but here’s an incident of “screaming your jaw off.” Alex Stepney, a former Manchester United goalkeeper, was reaming out his defensemen in a match against Birmingham City in an effort to encourage a more spirited performance. He yelled so hard that he dislocated his jaw. Contrary to those who believe soccer is a slow sport, it does provide enough jaw-dropping plays.

Cal Ripken Jr. - Baltimore Orioles

Cal Ripken Jr. earned the nickname “Iron Man” for his impeccable toughness and endurance, both of which helped him to play in an MLB-record 2,632 consecutive games. But just because you’re made of iron doesn’t mean you will go without injury. In the 1996 All-Star Game’s pre-game photo session, pitcher Roberto Hernandez lost his balance and started to fall backward. He swung his arms in an effort to regain his balance and his forearm connected with and broke Ripken’s nose. In typical Ripken fashion, he still played — and started — the All-Star Game.

Derrick Mason - Baltimore Ravens

Most golfers scream the word “fore” during an errant shot, but NFL wide receiver Derrick Mason likely uttered a different four-letter word when playing golf during a charity tournament. Mason was teeing off when he made an awkward swing, causing his hand to twist and break his wrist. Unfortunately, a mulligan didn’t help in this situation.

Jaromir Jagr - New York Rangers

Enforcers are a dying breed in the new NHL, but the following example is one reason to keep them around. At the end of an ugly playoff loss to the rival New Jersey Devils, the New York Rangers’ goal-scorer Jaromir Jagr tried to punch Scott Gomez. Jagr used his left hand for the swipe but whiffed and dislocated his shoulder. Jagr has made many defenders and goaltenders look foolish with his stick, but the tables turned when he tried to use his fist.

Bret Barberie - Chicago Cubs

Brett Barberie, former baseball utility man and ex-husband of the foxy Jillian Barberie, obviously had good taste in women and seemingly had good taste in food. He was making nachos one night with all the mixings, including chili peppers and hot sauce, but he neglected to wash his hands after touching the spicy ingredients. He later went to put in his contact lenses and felt a severe burning sensation; consequently he missed a game. Talk about taking your eye off the ball.

Mark Smith - Milwaukee Brewers

By the time most of us reach the age of 3 we have been thoroughly lectured about sticking our hands into electrical sockets, fans or other potentially dangerous devices. Unfortunately, Mark Smith, a former MLB outfielder, must have missed that lesson. He was fairly average with his bat through his eight-year career, but he quite obviously didn’t excel in evaluating situations. When faced with a hotel room air conditioner that he thought was broken, Smith cut his hand after sticking it directly inside the unit to ascertain what was causing the malfunction. Maybe it was working fine after all.

Bill Gramatica - Miami Dolphins

They say NFL kickers are a dime a dozen, but Bill Gramatica found a way to stand out in an anonymous grouping. He wasn’t more skilled than your average kicker, but his exuberant celebration style made him stand apart. After one particular routine field goal with the Arizona Cardinals, he jumped high in the air for his typical superfluous celebration but landed awkwardly and tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his nonkicking knee. He claimed that he wasn’t doing it for show, but his reasoning for excessive celebration didn’t have a leg to stand on.

David Seaman - Manchester City

Soap operas are fictional and seemingly never-ending, but most addicts can’t stand to go one day without their fix. Chalk up goalkeeper David Seaman as a fiend and his bad habit cost him: While trying to tape an episode of Coronation Street, Britain’s longest running soap, Seaman pulled a back muscle reaching for the remote. In his defense, it is perennially one the UK’s highest-rated shows.

Gus Frerotte - St. Louis Rams

NFL touchdown celebrations have run the gamut from Merton Hanks’ funky chicken dance to Chad Johnson’s Riverdance, but none were as foolish as Gus Frerotte’s festivity. After scoring in the second quarter of a game for the Washington Redskins, Frerotte went to headbutt the padded wall just outside the end zone. Unfortunately, the stadium wall consisted of a thin layer of foam and a very thick layer of concrete, which put Frerotte into a woozy state. He was then quickly ambulanced to the hospital to get treatment for his head injury.

Kevin Johnson - Phoenix Suns

After a walk-off hit, shot or goal, most teams clear their bench and euphorically celebrate together in a mob. After Phoenix Suns guard Kevin Johnson netted a game-winning basket, teammate Charles Barkley greeted him with a big bear hug. Barkley squeezed him like a tube of toothpaste and clasped so hard that Johnson’s shoulder popped and dislocated, making the moment truly bittersweet.

The New York Yankees said goodbye to the original Yankee Stadium at the end of last year’s disappointing season. In 2009 they will be playing in a new version of the historic ballpark, creatively titled the new Yankee Stadium. To kick off the MLB season and to celebrate the new ballpark the Yankees have invited the Chicago Cubs for two exhibition games.

To honor the old stadium, and celebrate the new one, admission to these two exhibition games will be 25 cents for the bleachers and $1.10 for the grandstand. The two games will take place on April 3rd and 4th. Prices are set as such to match what they were on April 18, 1923, the first game at old Yankee Stadium, against Boston.

Every ticket for these games will be discounted, with none costing more than $50. This might not seem like a great deal to some, but consider that tickets will cost as much $2,500 for regular season games. This is a perfect opportunity for young, single men to take advantage of. The bleachers, and stadium, will be packed with tons of beautiful women who will have plenty of money left over for beer.

Major League Baseball player Mark Texeira is considered the biggest commodity on the free agent market since the signing of C.C. Sabathia last week. Texeira went from a respected hitter on the Texas Rangers, to dangerous hitter on the Atlanta Braves, and is now considered worth more money than Manny Ramirez after half a season in Anaheim. He is expected to get a deal around 200 million dollars, becoming only the second player to ever sign a contract of that size.

There is no doubt that Texeira has come into his own as a ballplayer. He has two Silver Slugger and two Gold Glove Awards in his career. He made the Angels the hands-down best team in the AL for the regular season after he was traded to Los Angeles.  However, his team lost handily in the first round after being the favorite to win the World Series.

With the free agents that are available this year, it is hard to justify Texeira even being a first choice in free agency. Manny Ramirez, a future hall of famer and greatest hitter in the game, is also available. He sparked the Red Sox to two World Series and carried the Dodgers to the playoffs after a mid-season trade. He is the kind of player that changes a whole team and wins titles.  If a team is looking for a superstar this is where they should go first.

There is no doubt that Texeira is a first class player and valuable commodity. However, he has done little to justify the second richest contract in MLB history. Teams with that much money to spend can get a package of good, professional players or a superstar in Manny Ramirez. Don’t forget, Barry Bonds, the greatest of all time, whether legally or not, is available too.