10 – Two NFL players lost at sea. In March, Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper and Detroit Lions defensive lineman Corey Smith drowned after their boat capsized during a deep-sea fishing trip. A third companion, William Bleakley, was also lost while friend Nick Schuyler was the sole survivor.
9 – Alex Rodriguez admits using steroids. With a quarter billion-dollar, contract the Yankees superstar went public in February saying he used performance-enhancing drugs from 2001-2003. A-Rod was the league’s MVP in 2003.
8 – New York Yankees win a record 27th World Series. The most championships won in any of the major sports belongs to the Yankees; they’ve also lost more World Series than any team with 13 losses out of 105 played.
7 – Los Angeles Lakers win their 15th NBA championship. Kobe Bryant gets his fourth ring and Coach Phil Jackson his NBA record 10th championship.
6 – Michael Jordan inducted into the Hall of Fame. Perhaps the greatest basketball player of all-time, his induction came with a controversial acceptance speech, which, like his career, stole the show.
5 – Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry killed after fall from pickup truck during a domestic dispute. Henry had numerous run-ins with the law but had made significant strides in turning his life around before his death. The incident shocked the NFL world.
4 – Pittsburgh Steelers win Super Bowl in dramatic fashion. A tiptoe catch by MVP Santonio Holmes in the closing seconds clinched their sixth title, the most by any NFL team.
3 – Michael Vick released from prison in May, signs with Philadelphia Eagles. It was the redemption story of 2009 after Vick served nearly two years in prison for dogfighting scandal.
2 – Retired Titans quarterback Steve McNair victim of a murder-suicide at the hands of mistress Sahel Kazimi on the Fourth of July. Husband and father of four, the death stunned family, friends and followers.
1 – Tiger Woods admits to infidelity and goes into seclusion. An icon in the sports world, Woods broke down racial barriers in the white, elitist sport of golf; and became an international symbol and first billionaire athlete before his fall from grace. –lenn durant
