2013 was a year marked by deep, dark tragedies as well as athletes and sports lifting the spirits of those affected. Unfortunately in 2013, legal battles dominated headlines for long stretches of time, as did injuries, but enough was done on the fields, courts, tracks and ice to counterbalance the dark clouda select few brought upon the collective heads of sports fans everywhere.
Here are the top 10 stories that grabbed everyone's attention.
10. NCAA Quarterback Controversies--Heisman Winners Johnny Manziel, Jameis Winston Battle Off-Field Problems, Produce Stud Seasons
Two Heisman Trophy winners, Johnny Manziel of Texas A&M, and Jameis Winston of Florida State found themselves in heaps of trouble this year before escaping nearly scot-free.
Manziel was facing a year-long suspension that threatened to cripple his draft stock for profiting off of autographed memorabilia in several instances. The NCAA was unable to prove his misconduct, and he eventually served a suspension for the first half of the Aggies' opening game.
Winston faced a far more serious allegation-that he sexually assaulted a fellow student at a party last year. After a long investigation, it was decided on December 5th that the Florida prosecutor didn't have enough evidence to file charges against the star QB, who eventually won the Heisman.
9. NBA Injuries--Former MVPs Derrick Rose, Kobe Bryant Battle Serious Injuries As Their Teams Flounder
Derrick Rose's torn ACL, and subsequently lengthy rehabilitation period was the most dominant NBA storyline off the court in 2013. Rose tore the ACL in the 2011 playoffs, then missed all of 2012 while healing from the injury. He had been cleared to return toward the end of the season, but refused to come back until he felt 100 percent healthy.
He suited up for opening night of the 2013 season, and struggled to regain his form through 10 games before sustaining a torn meniscus on November 24, knocking him out of action for the remainder of this season as well.
Meanwhile, Lakers star Kobe Bryant tore his Achilles toward the end of 2012, forcing him to miss L.A.'s opening round playoff sweep at the hands of the Spurs. Kobe returned quickly from such a devastating injury, but only lasted six games before fracturing his knee December 17th. He's expected to miss at least six weeks.
8. Manti Te'o Fake Girlfriend--Notre Dame LB's Inspirational Tale A Hoax, Te'o Catfished
This is somewhat forgotten now, but as the calendar changed few names were bigger than then-Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o. A Heisman candidate and one of the nation's top overall players, Te'o was in the news for a bizarre reason-a fake girlfriend.
Te'o earned national ridicule for being "catfished," an online phenomenon involving online relationships in which one of the people involved is masquerading as someone else. Te'o's fictional girlfriend was named "Lennay Kekua," and tragically "died" as the result of a car crash after heroically battling cancer. She died a short time after Te'o's real life grandmother passed away, creating a narrative of courage that helped his Heisman campaign.
In the end, a man named Ronaiah Tuiasosopo was behind the hoax, and Te'o was never proven to have been part of the lie.
7. Auburn Football--Miracle Deflection On Hail Mary, Longest Play Possible In Football Get Auburn To BCS Title Game
The Auburn Tigers were 3-9 one year ago under Gene Chizik, and had become an afterthought in the loaded SEC conference. Now, under Gus Malzahn, the Tigers have reached the BCS National Championship game with the help of some miraculous plays.
In their annual showdown with the Alabama Crimson Tide on November 30th, the Tigers stunned Nick Saban's pro-laden outfit in the final seconds by catching a failed field goal attempt and running it back the length of the field, 109 yards, for a game-ending score that shook the NCAA to its core.
The game before, on November 16th, quarterback Nick Campbell helped Auburn steal an almost equally dramatic win over the Georgia Bulldogs, by heaving a Hail Mary pass that was deflected in the air, then caught for a touchdown by Ricardo Louis. That grab is now referred to as the "Immaculate Deflection."
6. Alex Rodriguez, Ryan Braun Linked To Biogenesis Clinic--A-Rod Becomes Face Of MLB PED Scandal, Gets MLB's Hands Dirty
Steroids took over the game of baseball again this summer, as former NL MVP Ryan Braun accepted a 65-game suspension, while 11 other players took 50-game bans after their names were discovered on lists seized from the Biogenesis Clinic.
One more name was linked to Tony Bosch's anti-aging clinic--Alex Rodriguez. On August 5th, MLB slapped him with a 211-game ban for repeatedly lying about his alleged steroid use, as well as a concerted effort to hinder MLB's investigation.
A-Rod and a high-powered legal team are vigorously battling MLB on the matter and the case is ongoing, but fewer scandals in any sport have persisted as long as this one, or involved a bigger name.
5. Jason Collins Announces He's Gay--NBA Veteran Becomes First Openly Gay American Team Sport Athlete Ever
NBA veteran Jason Collins came out as the first gay professional male athlete in United States team sports to Sports Illustrated on April 29th. In a country where gay rights is one of the biggest hot-button issues in politics, the move from Collins was viewed as a major step in the acceptance of homosexuality in even the most testosterone-laden environments.
Many wondered whether Collins' announcement would affect his standing in the eyes of NBA executives. He is currently still not on an NBA roster, but his advancing age and declining statistics at the time of the announcement make it difficult to say whether or not his sexual orientation is the root of the problem.
4. World Cup Conditions--Workers Building Stadiums In Qatar For 2022 World Cup Treated As Slaves, Brazilian Citizens Protesting Prior To 2014 Tournament.
As Brazil prepares to host the World Cup in 2014, the sky high costs of hosting the tournament are allegedly sucking money away from important institutions like hospitals and schools. The people of Brazil, a "soccer-mad" country, are suffering because of the focus on getting the country ready for these games, and many Brazilians are too poor to even attend.
"Tonight this is about all of Brazil, we are moving against corruption. We have been suffering for too many years," said Tainara Freitas, a teacher and protester in a June CNN.com piece.
"And this year we rise. We have woken up. We are on the streets like in Turkey and Greece. They have made us wake up about this. The World Cup in Brazil is about too much money. There are too many poor people suffering. The World Cup isn't good for Brazil. It will bring tourists and money but this is not good for poor people."
Meanwhile in Qatar, workers building stadiums for the 2022 World Cup are literally dying because they're working in slave-like conditions, and being denied such simple necessities like food, water and rest.
3. Oscar Pistorius Murder Charge--"Blade Runner" Kills Girlfriend Under Murky Circumstances
Oscar Pistorius became one of the world's most famous athletes in 2012 when the "Blade Runner," a double amputee track star, competed in the Olympics with world-class able-bodied sprinters. He also took home a few gold medals at the 2012 Paralympics, inspiring millions the world over.
His story has taken a tragic turn since those triumphs, however, as he currently awaits trial on charges that he murdered his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in South Africa on Valentine's Day. Pistorius has admitted shooting Steenkamp to death in his home through a bathroom door, but claims he did so under the assumption that she was an intruder. Prosecutors allege he's lying, and he in fact shot her after the couple had gone through a particularly nasty argument.
2. Lance Armstrong Comes Clean--Lance Admits Systematic Doping, Taints All Tour De France Wins
This year, famed American cyclist Lance Armstrong finally came clean and admitted his systematic cheating in all of his Tour De France victories. The man who spearheaded the Livestrong campaign, and inspired masses with his triumphs over cancer, was revealed to have cheated his way to the top.
He admitted his transgressions on Oprah, and has now been banned from cycling, despite making it more relevant than it had ever been in the past.
1. Boston Sports--Tragedy & Triumph Boston Marathon Bombing (4-15-13), Red Sox Win World Series
Boston was a wild place to be for a fan of sports in 2013. The biggest news to come out of Beantown this year was the tragic bombings at the annual Boston Marathon on April 15, which claimed three lives and injured upwards of 200. In the wake of that bombing, however, Boston's sports teams lifted up the city's spirit.
Red Sox DH David "Big Papi" Ortiz delivered a memorable speech at Fenway Park, then had the series of his life in helping the team win the World Series over the St. Louis Cardinals. The Boston Bruins also represented the city well, reaching the Stanley Cup Finals before eventually succumbing to the Chicago Blackhawks.
The New England Patriots are doing a great job as well, minus a man considered one of the best tight ends in football. That would be Aaron Hernandez, whose arrest on murder charges stunned the entire country.
Hernandez is currently in jail for allegedly gunning down 27-year-old Odin Lloyd, a semi-pro football player and a man believed to be a friend of Hernandez's. His arrest led to digging into his past, which turned up a history of violence, drug abuse and troubles with the law dating back to his college days as a teammate of Tim Tebow.
Despite his absence, and key injuries to a multitude of important players, the Pats are 11-4, AFC East champions, and among the favorites to reach another Super Bowl.
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