Roll in the Top 10 Lists Starting with... The Top 10 Sports Moments of 2008

I love Top 10 Lists! For me, it's almost an obsession. What makes something "the best?" If anything, it's the subjectivity of such lists that I find fascinating. The arguments and debates that ensue after reading these lists are the real fun. Every film, every song, every television program, every sports moment, etc has its passionate following. Since most are generally in a pleasant and up-beat mood on December 25th, I thought that I'd muse over a subject that is generally uplifting, and that is the wonderful world of sports. If anything, sports can provide a thrilling look at the human spirit (Sara Tucholsky anyone?) and can also force one to reflect on the dark side of the human need to be successful (Roger Clemens anyone?). So what were Time Magazine's Top 10 Sports Moments of 2008? Below you will find them, in order (there are no Olympic moments here, as Time has an entirely separate list for that)...

1. Tiger's One-Legged Roar

2. Centre Court Classic (Nadal's upset over Federer at Wimbledon)

3. A Giant Grab (New York's Superbowl Victory)

4. Clemens Strikes Out

5. Big Brown Down

6. A Celtic Comeback

7. Spain Gets Its Own Ole!

8. Good Sports (My personal #1, which I'll explain below)

9. Memphis Blues (U of Kansas' upset comeback in the NCAA Basketball Championship)

10. Last Lap Lewis (referring to the Formula 1 phenom Lewis Hamilton)

I'm not a huge golf fan, but I must say that final putt by Tiger in the U.S. Open was pretty remarkable. My #1 sports moment of 2008 was actually Time Magazine's #8 however. This moment literally brought tears to my eyes when I saw it on Sportscenter, as it embodies everything sports should be about, but all too often is not in our money-driven society. Time's Sean Gregory sums up this moment very well in his article...

"Sometimes a simple act of sportsmanship can create real heroes on the field. In April, during the second inning of a Division II college softball game in the Pacific Northwest, Western Oregon University senior outfielder Sara Tucholsky hit the first home run of her life, a three-run blast that broke a scoreless tie with Central Washington. But as an elated Tucholsky rounded first base, she missed the bag. When she turned around to touch the base, Tucholsky's knee gave out. In a freak accident, Tucholsky tore her ACL; she fell to the ground, and couldn't move. If Tucholsky's teammates carried her around the bases, she'd be called out — an active runner cannot receive assistance from her own team. An umpire mistakenly ruled that if Western Oregon inserted a pinch runner, she would have to stay at first base, turning Tucholsky's surprise three-run blast into a mere two-run single (in fact, the NCAA rulebook says a pinch runner could have completed Tucholsky's home run trot). Then, Central Washington's Mallory Holtman, who was playing first base, spoke up. The senior offered to carry her opponent around the bases so that the home run would count; a player has every right to aid the opposition, an all too rare occurence in competitive sports. Holtman and shortstop Liz Wallace lifted Tucholsky and completed the inspiring home run trot. Western Oregon won the game, 4-2, knocking Central Washington out of playoff contention, and went on to win the conference title."

ESPN does an excellent job of capturing this moment, and you can watch it below.

On the final full week of 2008, here's a toast to the real heroes of sports, the truly good sports that understand what it's all about! You can read Time's full coverage of its Top 10 Sports Moments of 2008 by clicking here.