Final 2010 World Cup Results

1. Spain (H): Key Players: Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Fernando Torres, David Villa, Cesc Fabregas, Iker Casillas, Gerard Pique, David Silva, Carles Puyol Final Result: World Cup Champions
2. Netherlands (E):  Key Players: Wesley Sneijder, Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben Final Result: Second Place
3. Germany (D):  Key Players: Miroslav Klose, Philipp Lahm Final Result: Third Place
4. Uruguay (A): Key Players: Diego Forlan, Luis Suarez. Final Result: Fourth Place
5. Brazil (G): Key Players: Kaka, Luis Fabiano, Dani Alves, Maicon, Julio Cesar, Lucio Final Result: Quarterfinals
6. Argentina (B): Key Players: Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero, Javier Mascherano Final Result: Quarterfinals
7. Ghana (D): Key Players: Kevin Prince-Boateng  Final Result: Quarterfinals
8. Paraguay (F): Key Players: Nelson Haedo Valdez Final Result: Quarterfinals
9. Portugal (G): Key Players: Christiano Ronaldo Final Result: Round of 16
10. England (C):  Key Players: Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, John Terry, Ashley Cole  Final Result: Round of 16
11. USA (C): Key Players: Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey Final Result: Round of 16
12. Mexico (A): Key Players: Giovani Dos Santos, Rafael Marquez  Final Result: Round of 16
13. South Korea (B): Key Players: Park Ji-Sung Final Result: Round of 16
14. Japan (E): Key Players: Yasuhito Endo Final Result: Round of 16
15. Chile (H): Key Players: Alexis Sanchez Final Result: Round of 16
16. Slovakia (F): Key Players: Marek Hamsik Final Result: Round of 16
17. Italy (F):  Key Players: Andrea Pirlo, Giorgio Chiellini, Daniele De Rossi Final Result: Group Stage
18. France (A):  Key Players: Franck Riberi, Thierry Henry, Patrice Evra, Karim Benzema, Yoann Gourcuff Final Result: Group Stage
19. Switzerland (H): Key Players: Alexander Frei Final Result: Group Stage
20. Australia (D): Key Players: Lucas Neill Final Result: Group Stage
21. Serbia (D): Key Players: Nemanja Vidic Final Result: Group Stage
22. Ivory Coast (G): Key Players: Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure Final Result: Group Stage
23. Denmark (E): Key Players: Nicklas Bendtner Final Result: Group Stage
24. Slovenia (C): Key Players: Milivoje Novakovic Final Result: Group Stage
25. Greece (B): Key Players: Vasilis Torosidis Final Result: Group Stage
26. Hondurus (H): Key Players: Wilson Palacios Final Result: Group Stage
27. Nigeria (B): Key Players: Nwankwo Kanu Final Result: Group Stage
28. Cameroon (E): Key Players: Samuel Eto'o Final Result: Group Stage
29. South Africa (A): Key Players: Siphiwe Tshabalala Final Result: Group Stage
30. Algeria (C): Key Players: Madjid Bougherra Final Result: Group Stage
31. New Zealand (F): Key Players: Ryan Nelsen Final Result: Group Stage
32. North Korea (G): Key Players: Hong Young-Jo Final Result: Group Stage

The past year might be called the return of the status-quo.  Think about it.  The Yankees finally captured their first title since the turn of the century, the Alabama Crimson Tide climbed back atop the college football universe to tie for the all-time leads for NCAA championships, Duke reassumed its perch atop college hoops, and now the Laker's have bested Boston to remain champs of the NBA.   There’s nothing more polarizing than a team that always seems to win.  So love em or hate em, here are the ten greatest team franchises in sports history. 

1. New York Yankees: In 1920, Babe Ruth joined the New York Yankees. In the 90 years that would follow, the pinstripes would appear in what would feel like almost every other World Series hence, en route to a mind-boggling 27 championships. The Bombers have sent enough brass to Cooperstown that they could open their own wing; 44 players enshrined to date with at least a handful more assuredly on their way. Key 5: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe Dimaggio, Mickey Mantle, Derek Jeter.
2. Boston Celtics: The Celtics have been piling up hardware ever since Auerbach and Russell began their epic run of 11 championships in 13 years way back when.  Today, the Green Men's 17 championships is tops in the NBA. A ridiculous 33 men with Celtic ties are enshrined in Springfield. Key 5: Bill Russell, Larry Bird, John Havlicek, Bob Cousy, Paul Pierce.
3. Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers: The absuredly inapt name isn't the only thing the Purple and Gold carried over from the "Land of 10,000 Lakes." Though they got whipped by #2 for much of the sixties, its hard to argue that since 1980, the Lakers have reigned supreme.  Their 31 finals appearances is just plain stupid nasty, and at 16 championships, it may not be long before their cross-country rivals get overtaken.  Key 5: Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, Kobe Bryant.
4. Montreal Canadiens: Though the Habs have been looking more like the Hab-nots as of late, history is clearly on their side.  Canada's finest have won an astounding 24 championships, essentially a quarter of all Stanley Cups won throughout history. They've also sent a stupifying 44 members to the Hall of Fame. Key 5: Guy Lafleur, Jean Beliveau, Henri Richard, Maurice Richard, Patrick Roy.
5. UCLA Bruins Men's Basketball: Behind arguablely the greatest coach that ever lived, UCLA epitomized dominance in the sixties and seventies en route to an overall 11 national championships and 30 conference titles.  After falling out of favor for much of the eighting and nineties, the Bruins seized back their prominance under Ben Howland with 3 consecutive final four appearances from 2006-2008. Key 5: Lew Alcindor, Bill Walton, Gail Goodrich, Ed O'Bannon, Sidney Wicks.
6. Brazilian National Soccer Team: In the world of international soccer, Brazil is the gold standard-bar none. Of the 18 World Cups that have been held, Brazil has starred in seven finals, capuring a whopping five Cups. They've also raked in three Confederations Cups and eight Copa America Cups to boot. No surprise they will enter South Africa this year as the number #1 ranked team in the world. Key Five: Pele, Ronaldo, Garrincha, Zico, Rivaldo, Kaka.
7. Notre Dame Fightin Irish Football: Though the glory days of Notre Dame football are behind us (last championship was 1988), the Fightin' Irish will always hold a special place in college football lore. Notre Dame leads all schools with 48 alumni in the College Football Hall of Fame, and positively churns out NFL talent like no other, having produced nearly 500 NFL draft selections and ten pro football hall of famers (Did someone say Joe Montana?). Though national championships are always a bit murky to conclusively determine pre-BCS (and even post, sadly enough) many credit the school with 13 national championships, good for tying the Tide for tops all-time. Key 5: Joe Montana, Leon Hart, Paul Hornung, Joe Theisman, Alan Page.
8. Alabama Crimson Tide Football: UCLA had John Wooden, Notre Dame had Knute Rockne, and Alabama had one Paul "Bear" Bryant." From '58-'82, Bear took the Tide to six of their thirteen (again, this is up for debate) national championships. Over their 114-year history, Alabama Football has captured 26 conference titles and appeared in more bowl games than any other NCAA school with 57. Perhaps their greatest acheivement was managing to somehow take 113 years before finally producing a Heisman winner. Key 5: Harry Gilmer, Lee Roy Jordan, John Hannah, Ozzie Newsome, Mark Ingram.
9. Soviet National Hockey Team: When most of us think of the Soviet National Ice Hockey Team, one phrase comes to mind, “Do you believe in miracles?!!” Well believe me when I tell you that that win for the Americans was a miracle and then some. From the mid-fifties to the early-nineties (when the communist empire crumbled), Soviet hockey ruled with an iron fist, winning just about everything there was to win for an international hockey team including seven gold medals over nine Olympics and another 19 golds at the World Championships. Key 5: Vladislav Tretiak, Vyacheslav Fetisov, Valeri Kharlamov, Sergei Makarov, Aleksandr Maltsev.
10. Tennessee Lady Vols: Though the UConn women are all the rage today, when it comes to women's college hoops, one school stands above all the rest, Pat Summit's Lady Vols. In the 28 march tournaments that have taken place, the white and orange have appeared in 27 sweet sixteens, an astounding 18 final fours, and have won eight championships. Key 5: Holly Warwick, Bridgette Gordon, Deadra Charles, Chamique Holdsclaw, Tamika Catchings.

                                                                                                          Honorable Mentions:
      USC Trojans Football, UNC Tarheels Women's Soccer, Iowa Hawkeyes Wrestling, Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, UCLA Rugby, Duke Blue Devils Basketball, Chicago Bulls, St. Louis Cardinals, Real Madrid, San Francisco 49ers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, UConn Huskies Women's Basketball, USA National Men's Basketball, Juventus, AC Milan, FC Barcelona, Manchester United, Kentucky Wildcats, Oklahoma St Cowboys Wrestling, Texas Longhorns Baseball, USC Trojans Baseball.

The UEFA has a new top dog, and it is none other than Italian powerhouse Inter Milan.  Can't give these guys enough credit.  The Black and Blue rolled past Chelsea and Barcelona before setting the stage for Diego Milito to cast his name into futbol immortality with his 2 goal effort over the Germans. Still, their victory was not enough to edge past Bayern Munich on the all time list.  A look at the 10 most successful club teams of all time.

1. Real Madrid (1902) La Liga, Spain: 31 La Liga titles, 9 Champions League titles, 2 UEFA Cups, and 3 Intercontinental Cups.  Best Players: C. Ronaldo, Raul, Kaka, Ramos, Van Nistelrooy, Casillas, Higuain, Benzema
2. Juventus (1897) Serie A, Italy: 27 Serie A titles (most in history), 2 Champions League Cups, and 2 Intercontinental Cups.   Best Players: Del Piero, Buffon, Trezeguet, Cannavaro, Chiellini
3. AC Milan-(1899) Serie A, Italy: 17 Serie A titles, 3 Intercontinental cups, 1 Fifa Club World Cup, 7 Champions League titles (2nd all time).  Best players: Ronaldinho, Ambrosini, Gattuso, Zambrotta
4. FC Barcelona-(1899)-La Liga, Spain: 20 La Liga titles, 25 Spanish Cups, 3 Champions League titles, 4 UEFA Winners Cups. Best Players: Henry, Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol, Hernandez, Alves, Pique, Toure
5. Manchester United (1878)-Premier League, England: 18 First Division/Premier League Titles, 11 FA Cups, 4 League Cups, 3 Champions League titles, 1 Intercontinental Cup, and 1 Fifa Club World Cup.  Best Players: Neville, Rooney, Vidic, Griggs, Ferdinand, Owens, Evra
6. Liverpool (1892)-Premier League, England: 18 Premier League titles, 7 FA Cups, 7 League Cups, 5 Champions League titles and 3 UEFA Cups. Best Players: Garrard, Torres, Mascherano,
7. Bayern Munich (1900)- Bundesliga, Germany: 22 Bundesliga Championships, 4 Champions League titles, 1 UEFA Cup, and 2 Intercontinental Cups. Best Players: Robben, Schweinsteiger, Klose, Lahm, Van Bommel, Ribery, Toni
8. Inter Milan (1908)-Serie A, Italy: 18 Serie A Championships, 3 Champions League titles, and 2 Intercontinental Cups. Best Players: Milito, Materazzi, Zanetti, Eto’o, Sneijder, Maicon, Cordoba, Cesar, Lucio,
9. Arsenal FC (1886)- Premier League, England: 13 First Division/Premier League Titles, 10 FA Cups, and 2 League Cups. Best Players: Fabregas, Gallas, Van Persie
10. Chelsea (1905)- Premier League, England: 4 First Division/Premier League Titles, 6 FA Cups, and 4 League Cups. Best Players: Lampard, Drogba, Essien, Ballack, Terry, Anelka, Cole

Another Masters in in the books, and it was good ole boy Phil Mickelson who ultimately captured the green jacket. And how fitting that Lefty took the top prize in gold; the perfect gallant to Tiger's goofus.  Heck, in contrast to Tiger's recent debacle, the last time Phil took a significant leave of absence from the game it was to care for his ailing wife upon being diagnosed with breast cancer.  Talk about an upstanding husband and father.  Ever a fountain of smiles and handshakes, he couldn't be further from the often cold and distant demeanor of Woods. Phil's victory today wasn't just one for the Mickelson family, but one might even say mankind itself.

Lefty is now among legendary company as the eighth player to win three Master's championships. Here is a look at the sixteen who have won it at least twice.

1. Jack Nicklaus (6) United States
2. Tiger Woods (4) United States
3. Arnold Palmer (4) United States
4. Phil Mickelson (3) United States
5. Gary Player (3) South Africa
6. Sam Snead (3) United States
7. Jimmy Demaret (3) United States
8. Nick Faldo (3) England
9. José María Olazábal (2) Spain
10. Ben Crenshaw (2) United States
11. Bernhard Langer (2) Germany
12. Seve Ballesteros (2) Spain
13. Tom Watson (2) United States
14. Ben Hogan (2) United States
15. Byron Nelson (2) United States
16. Horton Smith (2) United States

Star Athletes today have it all. Money, women, expensive sports cars, and over-sized mansions to stuff flat screen TV’s, pool tables and stripper poles to flaunt their success. As sports fans, we love when athletes succeed in pressure-packed situations. To me, there is nothing better than watching a buzzer-beating three pointer, a game winning touchdown pass or a sparkling defensive play to end a game. High profile athletes often relish in pressure-cooker moments to help propel their careers and help their respective team win. Crosby, Kobe, Brady, Jeter and athletes of this caliber have been known to come through when it matters most and because of this, they are loved and respected for their ability to make plays when the game is on the line. But winners like these got me thinking, what about athletes that would rather run and hide when their team needs them? I decided to rank the top-five most afraid athletes in sports today. High profile characters that would rather let someone else have the limelight, afraid of failure or negative press.

1) Floyd Mayweather Junior

-Best boxer alive, eh? Please. Mayweather is no doubt extremely talented and uses his mouth to get inside of the head of his opponent – except when it comes to Manny Pacquiao. Mayweather/Pacquiao would have been a fight for the ages and drawn in more hype than Lebron in his rookie season. At times, Floyd seems unstoppable and has proven to be a gifted boxer. But Floyd seems to have misplaced his spine when it comes to Pacquiao. All of a sudden, Mayweather wants blood testing for performance enhancers and will not fight until justice is served. Floyd is all of a sudden ethical now? Riiiight.  Floyd is flat-out afraid to get his ass beaten by an equally talented fighter and has taken the high road in this one. Floyd is scared of Pacquiao, end of story.

2) Nomar Garciaparra

-Nohhhhhmaaaaaaar. Now I know Ramon-spelled-backwards had a fabulous career playing short-stop-up in Beantown and has had plenty of special moments in his solid career as a major leaguer. But the lasting image of Nomar sitting in the dugout of the old Yankee Stadium, giving off the look of an eight-year-old girl who’s hamster died is reason enough for me. The rest of the Sox on the top step of the dugout, taking it on the chin as the Yankees continued their dominance spelled the end of Nomar in Boston. In my opinion, he never fully recovered from this moment. He was shipped off the next season and the Sox began their mini-run of World Series titles. Number Five will never be viewed in Boston as a hero, but more as the end of the Sox’ run of despair and disappointment. I’m pretty sure that your average horror movie gives Nomar nightmares.

3) Patrick Ewing

-As a die-hard Knicks fan (yes, we still do exist) it was never good enough for old number 33. Pat Ewing was as solid as they come in terms of NBA centers. He is an all-time great, racking up high scoring totals and giving off an aura of tough defensive presence in the paint. But Patrick Chewing never seemed to relish in the moment. He evaporated in big moments and never got the ring. He was also a surly gentleman who did all he could to disappoint Knick fans in the post-season. He let Hakeem have his way in the 1994 finals against H-Town and it became the watershed moment of his career. Ewing will always have a special place in my heart, but not the part that pumps adrenaline and pride throughout my disgruntled Knicks veins. This is the same Ewing who will Coach Dwight Howard to be the same type of player: Great Numbers, Zero Rings.

4) Peyton Manning

-How could you!!? Peyton is a sweetheart for most Americans, outside of Boston and Baltimore that is. He is a funny, energetic and spectacular player who has revolutionized the position of Quarterback. I am convinced he may retire the greatest to ever stand under center. But by the standards of winning Lombardi Trophies, Peyton has become a tragic figure. Yes, he does have a title. Yes, he silenced his critics when the Colts beat the awful Bears in the rain in Miami. But in retrospect, Peyton has failed in MANY big spots. The Patriots owned young Peyton until the AFC Championship game in 2006, making him Mister Interception and causing him to point fingers at the offensive line, coaches and play-calling in these games. And who could forget this past Super Bowl, when the Colts who were picked by everyone to win were slapped back down to Earth by the virtue of a pick-six. The normally unflappable Manning looked like a child again against a Swiss-cheese Saints defense. Peyton needs to win another Super Bowl before I take this posting back.  And I bet Peyton would trade ALL of his MVP trophy’s for another ring.

5) Phil Mickelson

-The unlucky lefty. Phil seems like a good enough guy for a pro golfer. He has been through hell with his wife’s condition, keeps a positive attitude when the going gets tough and best of all, tanks when it matters most. Phil has had more than a few chances to kick the stigma of being a loser. Is there anyone better at blowing it in a big moment? How many majors has Phil taken himself out of with poor shots and mental errors? Too many to count.  I almost feel bad calling this guy out for being such a bum in a big spot, but it helps out with this post. Now that Tiger has fallen like a weather balloon, maybe Phil can rise up and prove me wrong. But until then, the unlucky lefty closes out the top five of scared athletes.

Some quick Olympic notes:

--Its always bugged me how they rank the countries by the total number of medals won.  That is why Definitive Dose has devised the AOMR, or Actual Olympic Medal Rankings (patent pending).  Each medal is weighted according to it's worth (3 points for gold, 2 for silver, 1 for bronze) and then a new total is formulated. Using this system, the US led the way in both total medals (37) and AOMR (70).  Although Germany had six more medals than host-nation Canada, the two tied for second place with an AOMR of 61 apiece.  Norway and South Korea round out the top 5 with AOMR's of 49 and 32 respectively. 

--For the first time in its history, Canada won gold at an Olympic Games that they played host-nation to, having failed to do so at both the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. Not only that, Canada also became the first host nation since Norway in 1952 to lead the gold medal count.  Their 14 broke the record for the most gold medals won at a single Winter Olympics.  The United States' 37 medals broke the record for the most medals won at a single Winter Olympics.  Boo-yah!

--Blame Canada. Vancouver had what can only be described as a less-than-savory time hosting the game s in 2010.  First Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili is killed during a training run moments before the Opening Ceremony.  Queue Olympic torch statue to raise from ground.  Hello?  Anyone?  Then we have breakdowns of ice resurfacers that delay speedskating events, bad weather that delays a host of others, and thousands of voided tickets and angry would-be spectators.  Then again, Sid Crosby did win Olympic gold for Canadian hockey, so I’m guessing there aren’t too many Vancouverians (?) that are all that concerned. 

--Speaking of hockey, how good was that gold medal hockey game?! Although the US fell short in the end, it was everything you could have asked for and then some.  And how fitting that Sid the Kid got the game-winner in OT; 23-years-old and he's the best hockey player on the planet.  Sorry Ovechkin, but if we learned anything from this Olympics, its that Sidney Crosby is the heir-apparent, hand-down.  And congratulations to hockey itself; you've officially sold me.  And I suspect there are a lot more casual fans out there who feel the same.

If you missed it, here is the Tiger Woods press conference in its entirety for your viewing pleasure. No big revelations to speak of, ("I do plan to return to golf one day. I just don't know when that day will be. I don't rule out that it will be this year") but you still probably owe it to yourself to take a look.                                                                            


And now to Bill Simmons of ESPN.com for the insta-nalysis:

"...Trust me, you should have gone with 'I got married too soon, I should have sowed my oats first, I didn't, I'm an ass.' Much better...

...In a few weeks, or a few months, Tiger will start hitting golf balls and everything will be fine again. I just want to get there. For now, we apparently have to put up with a few more weeks (and possibly months) of the Tiger Woods Rehabilitation Tour. There will be more rehab, more staged photos, more secrecy and eventually a carefully planned interview with the right person who won't be a threat to ask him anything interesting. Wake me up when he plays a tournament..."

Read Simmons' full speech here

I listen to a lot of sports radio.  Probably a little too much for my own good.  Listening to the daily Patriots-related bitching and moaning this morning, it occurred to me that this has got to be the only team in football (with the possible exception of the Colts) that could head into the postseason with an assured first round home game and still incur daily abuse from its fanbase.  Every day, there is endless complaining, that the coach has lost his magic, the star receiver is dogging it,  the running game is garbage, the defense is too young, and the team as a whole is essentially a big fat disappointment and the signaling of the end of a dynasty.  And it was then it occurred to me how truly far this city has come.  With all the decade-in-retrospect articles flowing out of every publication on the planet, I thought it would be nice to put this little situation in perspective.  Lets take a look back to where Boston’s three major sports teams were on the eve of December 31, 1999.

The year 2000.  I was a typical tortured Boston sports fan in my first year of high school, which I guess made me a typical tortured high school freshman to boot.  The Red Sox were neck deep in their (then) eighty-two year World Series drought.  The Celtics were positively attrocious and the Patriots were still without a single ring to show for themselves.  Looking back, it feels like another lifetime.  Probably because in the past decade, every Boston sports fan has enjoyed literally a lifetime of golden sports memories, and that’s a good lifetime at that.

So it was the dawn of the 21st century, and the Celtics had won their last championship fourteen years earlier when I was less than a year old.  Then Len Bias died (on my first birthday), and then Reggie Lewis died seven years later.  Then the Garden closed up shop, and then Rick “all the negativity that's in this town sucks” Pitino took over the reigns.  From the 93-94 season until we landed Allen and Garnett in ‘07, the Celts posted a dismal 472-645 record.  And then it all changed.  The Green Men (well, black men if you wanna split hairs) won 66 regular season games in 07-08 en route to their first title of my conscious lifetime, and from there, anything less than another championship was a disappointment.  Literally.  With this squad, its #18 or bust.  

Then there’s the Red Sox.  In 2003, when Aaron bleepin Boone’s towering home run landed in the upper deck of Yankee Stadium to send the piteous Sox home in the 12th inning of game seven of the ALCS, I was sure I’d never watch another game of baseball again.  Cowboy up, my ass.  In 2004, it looked like it was all happening again, as the Sox lost game three of the ALCS to the Yankees 19-8, falling to 0-3 in the series.  And then Mr. Dave Roberts stole 2nd base, and the rest is history.  I still get goosebumps just typing that sentence.  The curse had been broken, and three years later the Sox would once again sweep the series en route to title #8.  Today, like the Celtics, its World Series or bust.

And finally there’s the Patriots.  The year I was born, the Pats would go to their first Super Bowl, in which they would get destoyed 46-10 by da Bears.  A little over a decade later, they would again fall in the Super Bowl, this time to Brett Favre (cringe) and the Green Bay Packers.  From 1998-2000 the Pats would finish 4th, 4th, and 5th in the AFC east.   And then Mo Lewis clobbered Drew Bledsoe  into the sideline, and a little-known 6th round pick named Tom Brady took the field.  3 Super Bowls, 6 division championships, and 1 perfect regular season later (sadly, they canceled the Super Bowl that year), the Patriots are the cream of the NFL crop. 

Well, almost.  The Patriots are a team in transition, a team that is undeniably a shadow of their middle-of-the-decade selves.  Ten years ago, just making the playoffs alone would have been cause for celebration.  But times have changed.  Boston sports fans have gotten accustomed to success of the highest order, and they’ve grown to become quite fond of it.  For the big three in Boston, anything but the top of the mountain is simply, for better or worse, unacceptable.

Ok.  I'm sick to death of this story already, but I feel like I've gotta weigh in here. And maybe its a little ironic that the last time I did an editorial, it was on Steve Phillips and his sorry excuse for venturing outside the bonds of matrimony. Well, at least I guess you can say Tiger knows how to pick 'em.

So on the way to work this morning one of the radio jockeys I happened to be listening to suggested that this Tiger debacle might be the biggest sports story of the decade. Really? Personally, I feel like this has got to be the biggest non-story since the bubble boy. So Tiger Woods cheated on his wife. I’m not saying that what he did wasn’t wrong, but why is this considered an earth-shattering, Extra-Extra-Read-All-About-It news story? Tiger Woods is famous. Tiger Woods is rich. This has got to be the 87th time a rich, famous person has cheated on their wife in the past year.  We've gone through this so many times, I've just been desensitized to it at this point.  He is certainly not the first star athlete to go “rogue,” and he certainly won’t be the last.

Now alright. I know there’s people out there who will say this is different. Tiger was supposed to be the good one. The squeaky-clean poster boy for all that is right in athletics. He had about a trillion endorsements and was just about the last person anybody would suspect of such a transgression. But did we really know Tiger? All he was for us was a soft-spoken guy who pretty much only talked about golf, stayed out of the limelight, and kept his personal business personal. He was a blank slate for us to fill with the qualities we all desired out of a sports hero, and so we did. So it turns out Tiger wasn’t all that we had imagined. Now this might be a big deal for Nike, but I frankly remain unfazed.

And back to that whole “biggest sports story of the decade” claim. Um, remember Michael Vick. The guy electrocuted dogs! Now, I suppose if he had had sex with them, this might have been a contender. A better comparison would have to be Kobe, and lest we forget that that whole scandal broke with a rape allegation! Turned out he merely cheated on his wife, and for awhile his rep took a beating. And then he won another championship and just like that, Kobe was back. America is a fickle nation. Trust me, once Tiger wins another green jacket or two, maybe passes Nicklaus, we’ll all be saying “who cares about a little infidelity. That guy can mash it.” As far as I’m concerned, that day can’t come soon enough. 

In honor of the retirement (or not? stay tuned...) of basketball's OG Allen Iverson, we fondly recall his greatest moment.  And no, its not a game...not a game.....   Here are the the eight greatest press conference moments in recent memory.  Enjoy...