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.

Here are 5 reasons that Tiger Woods WONT be his old self in 09 and 5 reasons that he WILL be his old self in 09.

1) His Knee

Not Himself: Even Tiger admits his surgically repaired left knee won’t be in tiptop shape until 2010.
His Old Self: If he can win the U.S. Open on one good leg and one that might snap at any moment, he can and will, win a major or two after the injured leg has been repaired.

2) His Desire

Not Himself: Winning never gets old … unless you’re Tiger. If you can win the open with one leg… what else is there to do?
His Old Self: Questioning Tiger’s hunger is silly. He could always go for another win.

3) His Rival

Not Himself: It’s Padraig Harrington, who has won 3 of the last 6 majors (to Tiger’s 2)
by perfecting his Sunday impression on Tiger.
His Old Self: It’s one thing for Harrington to shoot 66-66 at the PGA to nip Sergio at the finish for the major, but the next time someone does that to Tiger, they will be next.

4) His Proteges

Not Himself: A successful Ryder Cup showing can spur a hot young player on to win a major.
His Old Self: Playing well in Louisville may have boosted the confidence of Kim and Co., but that won’t mean much when they find themselves on the first tee at Augusta, shaking hands with the best player ever.

5) His New Baby

Not Himself: Woods and wife Elin Nordegren are expecting their second child in late winter.
His Old Self: Baby No. 2 will be no match for the world’s No. 1. When Tiger’s record had at-least 7 wins while his first child was nearly 3 months old.

The 2009 schedule for the PGA tour was announced and five tournaments remain. The country’s economic difficult times is part of why the PGA Tour is suddenly feeling a push. Tournament officials suggest that another event may be scrambled together for a date in early November, but no one is holding on for that one.Events such as Atlanta tour and the Ginn Sur Mer are both canceled due to no sponsorships and real-estate meltdowns. Perhaps in 2010, with the regular-season tournaments currently sponsored by struggling automakers. Two Buick events, the Honda Classic and the Mercedes-Benz Championship, as well as the BMW Championship, a playoff tournament. Still to be determined are details on a revamped FedExCup, and whether to take a week off before the Tour Championship.

Once that it is decided, the Tour said it would release the rest of its Fall Series schedule.By announcing the majority of the schedule, the Tour put to rest speculation that some tournaments might be in jeopardy because of the economy. The title sponsors are under contract at least through 2010, and most of them have slight increases in prize money built into their agreements. Among those that kept prize money the same were the FBR Open and Travelers Championship, both at $6 million.Not counting the four majors, prize money for the regular season is $222.9 million, up from $214.4 million in 2008.

“I’m delighted to say that the demise of the PGA Tour has been overstated considerably,” Commissioner Tim Finchem said Monday night at the World Golf Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The Tour is currently discussing whether to reduce the size of the golf field to 125 players at The Barclays, 100 players at the Deutsche Bank Championship and 60 players at the BMW Championship, which returns to Chicago.

Who would have thought that a more amazing story than Tiger Woods winning the PGA U.S. Open on a broken leg would take the golf world by storm? The story surrounding women’s long drive championship makes Woods’ story look like a back page item. The RE/MAX World Champion, Lana Lawless, used to be a 245 pound swat officer in Rialto, California, one of the roughest, mot gang-infested areas in Southern California.

The USGA approved transgender participation in 2005 and Lawless was required to visit doctors and be tested before matches to make sure she met the “requirements” to officially be considered a woman. She has taken medicines to stop the production of testosterone, and despite insurance, has spent over $79,000 to become a woman inside and out. Regardless, some think that having a man’s frame and structure provide her a definite advantage.

There is no telling how Lawless would done had she been a woman all of her life. However, she has lost more tournaments than she has won and her World Championship win was credited to the wind more than her strength.  She is not the best in her sport, and regularly loses to full-time women. When she does, she is known to cry, but some men are sensitive right?

Tiger Woods has recently been taking full swings with irons and shorter clubs. None of these have been shots that have even surpassed 100 yards yet, but he is over a month ahead of schedule coming back from knee surgery. It will only be a matter of time before Tiger is back competing, but will he dominate again?

Over six years ago, Tiger was told he had barely 20% of his ACL left due to his violent golf swing. The fact that it lasted until the summer of 2008 was amazing, but it’s eventual tear has held Tiger out since the U.S. Open. His ligament has been repaired, the fractures have healed, and now Tiger has two healthy knees for the first time in years.  According to Tiger, “I’m actually stronger in my legs than I think I’ve ever been.”

When Tiger first appeared in professional golf it was his supreme athletic abilities that allowed him to dominate. He was a real athlete, rare in the golf world, and this is what separated him from the rest of the pack and allowed him to dominate. He quickly became one of the greatest athletes, a face of Nike and Buick, and a world-wide sensation.

As his physical skills faded gradually, he became the strongest golfer mentally, winning tournaments because of his mental fortitude and quick thinking. Now, with his body being stronger than ever, and his mind even stronger, Tiger is poised to come back even better than before. It is hard to beleive, but Tiger’s experience and renewed physical health have set him up for success unlike ever before. Expect Tiger to run away with this PGA tour season and separate himself even further from the pack.

Padraig Harrington received PGA Tour Player of the year. Which means he is the first European player to win this award since it began in 1990.

Even though Harrington only won twice this year, they were some doozies. They were the British Open and the PGA Championship. He is the first European to win successive majors in the same season.  Him and Tiger Woods are now the only players to do so in the last 20 years.

Some of the other contenders were Woods, Vijay Singh, Kenny Perry and Camilo Villegas

Andres Romero was voted PGA Tour rookie of the year, and Dudley Hart was voted comeback player of the year.

Over the weekend Tiger Woods‘ caddy, Steve Williams, made some disparaging comments about third-ranked golfer Phil Mickelson. With Tiger out for an extended period of time, perhaps William was trying to stir up some controversy in time for Tiger’s return. He said, “I don’t particularly like the guy. He pays me no respect at all and hence I don’t pay him any respect. It’s no secret we don’t get along either.”

Phil Mickelson has long been considered the PGA player most likely to challenge Tiger Woods’ dominance of golf. So far, he has more rolled over than stood up to Tiger. Head to head matchups have been dominated by Woods, and Mickelson falters under pressure even when Woods is already out of contention. Who can forget his double bogey at 18 on Sunday in the U.S. Open at Winged Foot? A bogey was all he needed for a playoff, a feat Tiger was able to accomplish this year weeks after major knee surgery. Of course, Woods went on to win the U.S. Open before shutting it down for the rest of the year.

It is no secret in the golfing world that Tiger and Phil are far from friends, and there is maybe even more than a little animosity. Woods has dominated Mickelson over their careers, almost doubling him on the career earnings list while being almost ten years his junior. Tiger also makes millions a year for Nike and Gatorade, and is the world’s richest athlete with the sport’s hottest wife. There is no doubt that this is where Mickelson’s ire originates, and maybe Tiger’s too. He is such a competitor that he was probably hoping that Mickelson would challenge him and make his victories that much harder and sweeter.

Maybe Steve Williams is trying to fire up Tiger’s competition for when he returns. Perhaps Mickelson is a jerk because he’s jealous. He should just let it go and be happy that he is only dealing with Tiger’s caddy right now.

Who would of that a sport reserved for older people and CEO’s could get ugly? Apparently Tiger Woods’ caddy, Steve Williams, and Phil Mickelson just plum don’t like each other.

While in New Zealand at an even Williams was caught by the Britain newspaper, The Guardian, saying  “I wouldn’t call Mickelson a great player, ’cause I hate the [expletive].” Who knew golf caddy’s had such a salty mouth? Whenever I imagine a golf caddy I think of a polite little british person saying calling everyone “Govna”. But that’s just me.

Williams cleaned up his language the next day with an interview for New Zealand’s Star Times when he said “I don’t particularly like the guy. He pays me no respect at all and hence I don’t pay him any respect. It’s no secret we don’t get along either.”

Mickelson responded by saying “After seeing Steve Williams’ comments all I could think of was how lucky I am to have a class act like Bones on my bag and representing me,” Bones being his caddy Jim MacKay.

According to Woods and Mickelson their relationship is “unique” and have no qualms with eachother. Mickelson has even said “I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to compete against him and I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to play with him as a partner,” Mickelson said, “the latter one probably being the better one.” Apparently it’s just a caddy thing.

If you blinked, you might have missed how the golf world neatly swept a potential firestorm of controversy under their proverbial rug. Kelly Tilghman, an anchor on the Golf Channel, said something about Tiger Woods that she hopes not too many people will hear about.

Speaking about how Woods dominates the golfing world, Tilghman said that young players on the PGA Tour should “lynch him in a back alley.” Yes, she really did say that.

While Don Imus’ remarks about the Rutgers women’s basketball team got him kicked off his show and made him public enemy #1, Tilghman received only a light slap on the wrist for saying Woods should be lynched. Imus, whose remarks were also totally unnecessary and in poor taste, to his credit didn’t say anyone should “lynch” the Rutgers players.

Tilghman, who received only a two week suspension from the Golf Channel, dodged any major punishment for her slip of the tongue. Is it because she’s a good looking female? Is it because it was an honest mistake? Even if you believe that it was an honest mistake, you have to admit Al Sharpton has a point.

Said Sharpton, when speaking to CNN: “If I got on this show and said I wanted to put some Jewish-American in a gas chamber, I don’t care what context I said it in, the entire Jewish community would have the right to say I should be put off this show or my radio show if I said it there. Or if I said I wanted to see a woman raped. This is an insult to all blacks. Lynching is not murder in general; it is not assault in general. It is a specific racial term.”

While it’s true that Sharpton can be a bit fanatical at times, I have to agree with his take. If the mainstream media is going to annihilate Imus for his remarks, Tilghman shouldn’t be able to get away with an obviously racial statement, even if it were an accident. A two month suspension – or maybe even a six month suspension – seems more apropos. Two weeks? That’s not a suspension, that’s a vacation.

By Kori Ellis