Top 10 of the 2000's

As we enter the end of a decade, everyone in the sports world has been giving various top 10 lists of the past decade on many different topics...so in keeping with that theme here is my list. My list is based solely on things that I remember from the past decade. So without further delay:

10. Roger Federer wins 15th Major Championship

As a young tennis player that sprung onto the scene by defeating Pete Sampras early in the decade, he closed it out by winning his record 15th Grand Slam Championship to break Sampras' record of 14. He was truly as dominate a tennis player as there has ever been, and his rivalry with Rafael Nadal has certainly been good for a struggling sport. Even though I'm personally not much of a tennis fan, big props to Federer for what he has done!

9. Lance Armstrong wins 6 straight Tour De France titles (2000-2005)

In my opinion this is one of the more unbelievable streaks in all of sports and I would be shocked if it is ever matched. He actually won 7 in a row beginning in 1999, but that was last millenium! Armstrong is undoubtedly the greatest cycler of all time, and one of the greatest athletes of the decade. Not only did he win 6 straight titles, but then he retired and took up marathon running, which he was pretty decent at as well. A great memory of the decade!

8. Barry Bonds breaks MLB career home run record

On August 7, 2007 Bonds hit his 756th career home run, breaking the long standing record of 755 held by Hank Aaron. He finished the season with a career total of 762. Bonds retired after that season, but the controversy surrounding his career still swirls. Bonds' name has been in the same sentence as steroids from the moment the scandal broke in Major League Baseball and many believe that this record should either not stand or have an asterisk next to it. Despite the controversy Bonds solidified himself as one of the greatest hitters of all time and deserves his place in the Hall of Fame. As a side note Bonds also broke the single season HR record with 73 in 2001. Both of these are records that may never be broken. No matter how you feel personally about Bonds these are undoubtedly incredible records that he set this decade.

7. Emotional returns to the field

Tragedies dominate the American news headlines of the decade with 2 of the biggest being the 9/11 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina hitting the Gulf coast in 2005. Sports helped play a tremendous role in unifying a country and providing a sense of relief and hope to those cities hardest hit by such tragedies.

Baseball returned to New York City ten days after the 9/11 attacks as the New York Mets hosted the Atlanta Braves. In an emotional pre-game ceremony remembering those who were killed and honoring those who helped save lives, the game itself seemed an afterthought, but instead provided one of the lasting memories of the decade. The Mets trailed 2-1 entering the bottom of the 8th when local hero Mike Piazza stepped to the plate and in one swing, returned New York to normalcy for a split second and provided a small sliver of hope and joy, as he crushed the game winning home run as the Mets went on to win the game 3-2. What a fitting return of baseball and at the same time a great reminder that there is much more to life than sports.

When Hurricane Katrina hit in the late summer of 2005 and ravaged the Gulf coast particularly the city of New Orleans, it was merely days before the opening of the NFL season. However in New Orleans, football was the furthest from many citizens minds as homes were destroyed, hundreds were killed, and flooding was incredulous. The Superdome, which is home to the New Orleans Saints, was not only severely damaged structurally but it turned into the largest shelter the US has ever seen. Thousands of people lived here for weeks before they could return to look for their homes and loved ones. The arena was an absolute wreck and the Saints were displaced for the entire year, as they played and practiced in various places throughout the year. So on the night of September 25, 2006, football and the Saints returned to the Superdome to a sold out, rocking stadium! The buildup was "Super Bowl esque" and it did not disappoint. I remember very little about the game except that the Saints won, but the reaction of the fans to their beloved team coming home truly set chills down my spine, and you just had that feeling that there was no way the Saints would lose.

These 2 events are truly memorable not so much for the games themselves, but for the way the return of sports reunited a city and a fan base, and also brought a joy to a city that desperately needed something positive at the time!

6. Underdogs rising up

The decade was filled with huge upsets, with underdog teams making championship runs far beyond our wildest imagination, and teams putting forth unbelievable efforts. No way will I be able to mention them all but here are a few of the most dramatic and unbelievable underdogs that I remember of the decade.

• George Mason's run to the Final Four in 2006, defeating perennial powers Michigan State, North Carolina, and Connecticut along the way.
• Davidson's run to the Elite 8 behind the unbelievable Stephan Curry in 2008.
• The Tampa Bay Rays making the World Series in 2008.
• Appalachian State defeating Michigan at "The Big House" in 2007. Even though Michigan ended up not being the team everyone thought they would that year, this was undoubtedly on the top 5 greatest upsets of all time!
• Boise State defeating Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl. What an incredible game and all of the trick plays that worked to perfection was unbelievable! Not only did the game have a fairy tale ending but then the star player goes and proposes to the head cheerleader after the game!!!
• New York Giants defeat the previously undefeated New England Patriots to win Super Bowl XLII. One of the biggest Super Bowl upsets in history

5. Roy Williams returns to UNC and wins two NCAA Championships

I realize that for most people this wouldn't make your top 1o or even 100 of the decade. However for a UNC alum and fan who suffered through the worst season in UNC basketball history this is a huge deal, as Williams returned the glory to UNC basketball once again and led the team to championships in 2005 and 2009!

4. Great Super Bowls

A lot of times the "big game" ends up being a "big disappointment". However this decade that was not the case for the most part. It began with the 2000 game where the Titans came up 18 inches short of the tying touchdown. Two years later we see the beginning of the Patriots domination as they defeated the Rams by a field goal in their first of 3 titles in 4 years. Then the 2008 game saw the Giants end the Patriots pursuit of a perfect season on a Plaxico Burress touchdown in the final minute. Then last year as the Steelers won on a last second touchdown to defeat the Cardinals. Only 2 of the 10 games this decade were decided by more than 12 points, which is the way the "big game" should be!

3. Scandals

As much as I hate to put this in my top 10 it without a doubt encompasses many of the defining sports moments of the decade. The baseball steroid scandal that included the Mitchell Report, players testifying before Congress, and the fallout with players like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Alex Rodriguez being accused or being guilty to juicing. The BALCO situation that included Bonds but also many of the top US track stars. Then there was the Michael Vick dog fighting situation that ended with him serving 18 months in prison. NBA referee Tim Donaghy admitted to betting on games that he officiated and spent time in prison also. Ron Artest went into the stands during a game and started a brawl unlike anything that had ever been seen before. Then there was the Duke University lacrosse scandal, where several players were accused of raping a woman at a party. What actually happened may never be truly known but it turned into a circus with all the media attention and ended with District Attorney Mike Nifong being disbarred. Lastly just a few weeks ago we have the Tiger Woods admission of infidelity. These scandals and many others seemed to always be in the sports headlines during the past decade, and sadly it will probably only continue.

2. Great Comebacks

There were certainly many great comebacks throughout the past decade, but here are 3 that particularly stand out. First the 2006 Rose Bowl, as Vince Young led Texas to a last second comeback victory over USC as they overcame 12 points in the last 4 minutes of the game to win the National Championship. Then the 2008 men's basketball national championship as Kansas trailed basically the entire game, hit the typing 3 pointer as time expired to send the game to overtime and then eventually win in the extra period. Lastly and most impressively was when the Boston Red Sox overcame a 3 games to 0 deficit to win the 2004 ALCS over the Yankees. Not only was this an unbelievable comeback but a team trailing 3-0 had never won a series before then! Then the Red Sox went on to win the World Series and end their 86 year curse/drought.

1. The amazing 2008 Olympics

As a disclaimer, the Olympics are probably my favorite sporting event, but the 2008 Summer Olympics was something special. First there was Michael Phelps winning a record 8 gold medals, including several world record swims. Then there were 2 of the greatest moments I can ever remember as Jason Lezak charged from behind to win the 4x100 freestyle relay for the Americans, in a moment that I have personally cheered as much for as a UNC basketball championship. Followed by Michael Phelps winning the 100m butterfly by .01 seconds. Never have I been so excited for swimming in my life. This was followed by Usain Bolt blowing away the world records in both the 100m and 200m races. His 100m performance was as dominating as anything I have ever seen! Even just thinking about these moments excite me again!

That's my top 10 of the 2000's. If you feel that I left something out then let me know, I'd love to reminisce with you in your sports memories of the decade! Happy New Year!