This is an interesting time of the year in that we take a look back at 2008. We’re putting together top-story lists and, soon, will be looking over sections and stories for contest entries.
So, I’ll make this blog the first of a series about choosing the best stories of 2008. This one will be national, the Associated Press’ voting for the athletes and stories of the year. Later, I’ll do something on the Oregon sports awards, for which there were local people or those with local ties on the ballot, and the Mail Tribune’s own top stories list, for which we’re piecing together the ballot.
On the national scene, my votes were pretty simple. Top story: Michael Phelps winning eight Olympic gold medals. Top male athlete: You guessed it, Phelps. Top female athlete: golfer Lorena Ochoa.
My other top stories were ranked thusly: 2, Giants stun Patriots, ruin New England’s perfect season, with Super Bowl win; 3, Tiger Woods has knee surgery following US Open win; 4, Brett Favre retires, unretires, forces trade to Jets; 5, Americans snap Ryder Cup drought, beating Europe for the first time since 1999.
On to No. 6, U.S. men’s basketball wins Olympic gold medal for first major title in eight years; 7, Big Brown wins two legs of Triple Crowns but pulls up at Belmont; 8, After congressional hearing on Mitchell Report, feds investigate whether Roger Clemens lied in steroid denials; 9, Rafael Nadal upsets Roger Federer at Wimbledon, ends Federer’s record stay at No. 1; 10, Kansas defeats Memphis in a classic NCAA men’s basketball final.
In hindsight, I probably blew it with the female pick. Ochoa has credentials, sure, but in an Olympic year, I could have gone with basketball player Candace Parker or gymnast Nastia Liukin.
My rankings will likely differ from yours, so feel free to tell me where you think I missed the mark.
