What were your best sports memories of this year? Usually I have had bad years -- and this year sure had its moments (Brew Crew failed to build on 2005 success; U.S. men's soccer underperformed in the World Cup ...)

But it was sensational overall.

Brett Favre returns to the Packers
After his Hamlet-like “to play or not to play”offseason – I’m sure glad he made the decision to come back. He’s still better than half the QBs in the league – too bad he has only one great WR (Driver) to throw to. And it’s fun reading the complaints about Madden or Kornheiser kissing his butt. Simple jealousy, I guess. He’s a three-time MVP and a Super Bowl winner. The QB on your team is not. Anyway, Brett can retire after this season.

Steelers win the Super Bowl
My partner is dyed to the bone Black and Gold – having been born and raised in the ‘Burgh. We had a great time watching their incredible playoff run at our neighborhood Steeler bar – and then threw a big Super Bowl bash at the house – made all sorts of Pittsburgh food (Primatti Bros. sandwiches, pierogis, this god-awful cocktail wienie recipe I got from the Heinz company website). Nice to send Bettis off to retirement on a high.

Marquette hoops: Welcome to the Big East
I’ve been following Marquette since I was a kid during the Al McGuire years. And my partner is an alum – so we’re big fans. Wasn’t too exciting during most of the last 10-15 years. MU was bounced from the Midwest Conf. to the Great Midwest to Conference USA – all definitions of Mid-Major. So great excitement when they entered the Big East. And their first conference game?: powerhouse, then #2 in the nation, Connecticut. Final score: MU 94 – UConn 79.

Wisconsin football exceeds expectations
The year started out on Jan. 2 with Auburn heavily favored over Bucky in the Capital One Bowl. “SEC teams are faster than Big Ten on offense”; “SEC teams are faster than Big Ten on defense.“ blah blah blah. They just hadn’t met the likes of Calhoun, Stocco and Williams. 24-10 final score -- and could have been much worse for AU – Wisconsin drove to the 1 on its last drive, and ran my favorite play: QB taking a knee.

[btw we were out of the country for New Years and I was worried about catching the game, knowing that ABC would not be on the local cable there. Thank god for Slingbox technology. We watched from an ex-pat bar whose owner has a house in Florida and uses the internet to access the cable there. Pulled up the Cap One Bowl – and every other bowl game that day.]

Badgers were able to build off that, find a successor to Calhoun in PJ Hill and stand at 11-1 now, ready to whip yet another SEC team on Jan. 1.

Badger hockey wins NCAA championship.
Yep – their sixth overall and first since 1990. We knew that the first round of the NCAA tourney would be held up in Green Bay – and if the Badgers were a #1 seed, they’d be assigned there. So in mid-January, with the team rolling along, I bought tickets. And then the bottom fell out – loss after loss. Had to hold our breath at the end of the season and a key Goof loss in the mighty Western Conference tourney got us there. And we were rewarded with great games in Green Bay, including a marathon triple-OT 1-0 win over Cornell. The Badgers got to stay in the state of Wisconsin for the Frozen Four in M’waukee. Put down Maine first, then BC. They may not be going so well this season, but the banner hangs high at the Kohl Center and they’ll be the national champs until April!

My three favorites...



3. Ohio State goes undefeated!

2. Outsporters pick my favorite team of which I've enjoyed rooting for immensely. Go Chargers!

1. WVU loses to Louisville!

Watching the Seahawks play Pittsburgh in our first ever Superbowl in January. Nevermind the outcome. Waited for this moment for decades!

Tops for me had to be the Twins run to the AL Central division title after trailing by 12 games or so in early June. Too bad Liriano had to be hurt for the playoffs. Would have loved to see what kind of damage the full-strength Twins could have done.

If the Vikings make a late season playoff push I might have something positive to say about them. I'm not holding my breath!

The Sabres' surprising run to the Eastern Conference Finals. They were widely criticized prior to the season for basically standing pat while other clubs made bold moves in the post lockout NHL. Worse yet, they were predicted to finish hopelessly out of the playoffs. So much for experts opinions....The team finished fourth in the conference, blew through Philly in the first round, then stunned top seeded Ottawa in the second round before falling to Carolina in a brutal seven game series which left them by series end without their top four defensemen.

It was more fun to watch than the teams' 1999 run to the finals. And they've continued on into this year with the best record in the East thus far.

Also the Detroit Tigers were an incredible story. Three years after setting the American League record for most losses in a season they stormed to the top of the AL Central on their way to their first postseason in almost twenty years. Just like me Sabres they had low expectations going in, and just like me Sabres they fell short of the ultimate goal. But who could forget their Division Series victory over the Yankees in which they celebrated by bringing the bubbly out to the field and spraying the fans within reach, and what a priceless shot of Kenny Rogers dousing the cop! Add to that the walkoff homer by Ordonez that sent Comerica into delirium....A great story all around.

(on a side note, I was actually quite ticked when Ordonez hit that homer....I had tix for game five!!!)

Worst story.....us losing Parking Lot Bowl III.*


*(this game ended in a tie....I crossed the plane of the goal line dammit!)

Amelie Mauresmo beats Justine Henin-Hardenne for the Wimbledon title. This was sweet justice after we saw the Belgian quit more than halfway through their Australian Open final.

Ohio State's big win over Michigan. That was great football to watch.

Andre Agassi in tears saying goodbye to his fans.

Candace Parker dunking twice in the NCAA women's tourney.

UW Badgers volleyball team beats a then undefeated Penn State 3-0.

How about in the Kona Ironman championships in October when Sister Madonna Buder at 76 years old crossed the finish line to become the last "official" finisher of this years championships with 57 seconds to spare from the 17 hour cutoff.

That is what sports for me is all about.

Team sports are great, but like the individual sports myself.

That's my 2 cents.

Drew

Love that! Made my eyes water and made me smile!

The last 9 Sundays watching LT pull off one of the greatest runs in NFL history.

Philip Rivers moxie in leading 17+ point comebacks in consecutive weeks.

A defense pulling together in the wake of missing 3-4 starters every game in a 6 week span.

An offense that refuses to panic when the game looks liek it could get away.

I almost don't want the year to end, but it has to for one reason.

The Super Bowl's in February.

My big memories will be.....

- Mickelson and Monty CHOKKKKKKIIIIIIING at the US Open
- The US getting railed at the Ryder Cup
- George Mason making the final four
- Notre Dame/UCLA and UCLA/USC
- John L Smith

This is the only one I cried at, so I guess this goes in at number one.

National Lacrosse League - first round playoff between the Colorado Mammoth and the Calgary Roughnecks. For some reason, Colorado forward Brian Langtry's wife ended up sitting right in front of us. We chatted with her a bit during the game, but it was such a nail-biter that all of us got really wound up in the game. The score was tied NINE separate times, and of course regulation ends in a 17-17 tie. Sudden death overtime. Brian Langtry makes his way down and makes a shot, which the goalie deflects...but not enough. The ball lands behind him and slowly rolls backwards. Defenders dive for it, but it's too late. The ball rolls in.

All 18,000 people erupt. Brian Langtry tears off his helmet and runs screaming over to our side of the field. He slams into the glass and starts screaming, "I love you Missy!" up to his wife. He's crying. The rest of his teammates slam into him from behind, screaming and hollering. Missy screams back at him, then turns to us. She's crying, too. Just like us. She hugs us both.

The championship game was cool - yes, the Mammoth won - but this is definitely the game that may never be topped.



LXN