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2009 Year in Review (A-List Edition)

AroDrive Team | Dec 13, 2009 | Comments 0

2009 has come and gone now the A-List looks back at the events that made the year exciting and memorable for sports fans. It was a year of epic rematches, admissions steroid use, Legends retiring and un-retiring, and infidelities shocked fans of two iconic athletes.

The A-List ranks the events of 2009 by popularity;

#20. Mine That Bird Miraculous Victory

Jockey Calvin Borel and Mine That Bird came into the 135th Kentucky Derby as 50-1 long shots. The win was the second biggest upset in Derby history, and the biggest in 85 years, and the 6 and 3/4ths lengths victory was the largest margin since 1946.

#19. Los Angeles Lakers wins NBA Championship.

Kobe Bryant lead The Los Angeles Lakers to their 15th title over the Orlando Magic in June. For Bryant, it was his fourth, and his first without Shaq.

#18. Pittsburgh Penguins wins Stanley Cup

Just a year after losing to Detroit in six games in the Stanley Cup Finals, the Pittsburgh Penguins were back in the finals again, rematches against the Red Wings. This time the series went seven games and the Penguins prevailed to take home their first cup since 1992 .

#17. Australian Open – Nadal vs federer Rematch

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer went toe-to-toe in the Australian Open. Although it wasn’t quite the epic match as last year’s Wimbledon battle, the two best players in the world put on an amazing show. Nadal was able to secure a victory after five grueling sets over more than four hours.

#16. Detroit Lions wins first game in 19 tries

The Detroit Lions lost every game they played in 2008, and the last game they played in 2007, and the first two games they played in 2009. All told, they were 0 for their last 19 when the Washington Redskins came into Ford Field on September 27. It wasn’t pretty but the Lions defeated the Redskins 19-14 for their first win since December 23rd, 2007.

#15. Mark Buehrle Perfect Game

Mark Buehrle is a left handed junkballer whose pitches have little lateral movement and even less velocity. Pitchers like Buehrle have been able to stick around and be effective pitchers by utilizing their control and intelligence, but seldom are they dominant. On July 23rd, Mark Buehrle was more than dominant, he was perfect. It took 116 pitches and an amazing catch by Dwayne Wise but Buehrle was able to set down all 27 Rays for only the 18th perfect game in Major League history.

#14. British Open’s Stewart Cink Thilling Victory over Tom Watson

Stewart Cink ended up winning the 2009 British Open, but Tom Watson was the story at Turnberry. The 59 year old Watson was able to force a four hole playoff after battling the field over four grueling days.

#13. Super Bowl XLIII

In early February Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers were able to secure their second Super Bowl in four years, knocking off the Cardinals 27-23.

#12. Tar Heels win Championship

OnApril 6, 2009, the University of North Carolina Tar Heels swept the brackets in the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Championship.

#11. Michael Jordan Hall of Famer

After 6 NBA titles, 5 MVP Awards, 12 scoring titles, 2 Olympic Gold medals and much more, Jordan was inducted into the Naismith memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on September 11, 2009.

#10. Tiger Woods victory at Bridgestone Invitational

On August 9, 2009, Tiger Woods won the Bridgestone Invitational World Golf Championships, earning $1.4 million and becoming the first person in PGA Tour history to win seven times on the course.

#9. Rio wins bid for 2016 Summer Olympics

On October 2, 2009, Rio De Janeiro won the bid to host the 2016 summer Olympics. Chicago projected as a favorite was eliminated in the first round of final voting.

#8. Caster Semenya is Male and Female!

In September, gender test showed South African runner Caster Semenya was both a woman and a man. The 18 year old won 800 meter in the IAAF World Championships in August.

#7. Vicks Second Chance in the NFL

On August 14, 2009, the Philadelphia Eagles gave Michael Vick his second chance in the NFL following his return from 18 months prison sentence for involvement in a dog fighting ring.

#6. Usain Bolt Record Breaker

On August 20, 2009, Jamaican runner Usain Bolt broke his own Olympic record with the time of 19.19 second in the 200-meter at the IAAF World Championships.

#5. New York Yankees wins World Series with an All Star Cast

It’s only been 9 years since the New York Yankees last World Series title, but for a team with 27 championships, that felt like a lifetime. The Bronx Bombers broke in their new stadium in style, winning the World Series over the Philadelphia Phillies in 6 games.

#4. Brett Favre Summer of Indecision.

Brett Favre’s off the field indecision consumed football fans for the better part of the summer, but his on the field performance has been the story of the NFL season.

#3. Steve McNair found DEAD

July 4, 2009 — Steve McNair, former Super Bowl quarterback for the Tennessee Titans, and an unknown woman were both found dead with gunshot wounds in a Nashville apartment. Police later declared the killing a murder-suicide after it was revealed McNair was having an affair with the woman, who became homicidal after things turned sour between the couple.

#2. Alex Rodriquez Steroids Admission

On Feb 9, 2009, Alex Rodriquez admitted he took performance-enhancing drugs for three years while playing for the Texas Rangers Starting in 2001.

#1. Tiger Woods matrimonial infidelity scandal.

Nov. 27, 2009 — The world’s top golfer, Tiger Woods, crashes his car in the early morning hours and is rushed to a nearby hospital. A few days later, reports surfaced that domestic violence played a part in the accident after Woods’ wife found out about infidelities. After the official investigation was closed, various media outlets uncovered a recorded voice message and numerous statements connecting Woods to a string of affairs.