 | Slide show |
 | Week in Sports Pictures Pain on the skating rink, flying high on the hardwood, upsets on the football field, and more. more photos |
The Red Sox steamrolled the Colorado Rockies to sweep the World Series and made the Yankees so nervous that they fired Joe Torre and rehired Alex Rodriguez. The New England Patriots look like a Super Bowl lock after knocking out all comers through the first 14 games of the NFL regular season. And adding Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen make the Celtics look versatile enough to plow through the NBA’s Eastern Conference, yet swift enough to steal the crown from defending champion San Antonio or anybody else out of the West.
Florida’s Gators, meanwhile, are in need of a larger trophy case. They pulled off an unprecedented calendar sweep of the college football and basketball titles, both at the expense of Ohio State. The feat was even more impressive, considering that Florida’s successful defense as hoops champion marked the first time it had been done in 15 years.
But this being 2007, both towns arrived at celebratory dinners only to find a fly in the soup.
“Spygate” gave Patriots-haters a stick to hack at, rather than measure, the accomplishments of Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and Co. and inspired talk of asterisks from the likes of Don Shula.
Florida basketball coach Billy Donovan had problems with cameras, too. Every time he stepped in front of one, he was either stuffing his foot in his mouth or pulling it out.
“I think this team should go down as one of the best teams in college basketball history. Not as the most talented and not on style points — but because they encompassed what the word ’team’ means,” Donovan said after winning the title.
Not long after that, though, Donovan opted out of that “team” and bolted to the NBA’s Orlando Magic for a 5-year, $27.5 million deal. Then he quickly opted back in at Florida.
“I feel sorry and have apologized. It was my decision. It was my mistake. I have to take responsibility for that, which I’m trying to do,” Donovan said.
Talk about changing your mind. When the new year dawned, aging Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre was choking back tears. He’d just hammered the Chicago Bears in a meaningless 2006 regular-season finale that was billed as a possible farewell appearance.
Fast forward to this season. The point is moot. The 38-year-old has rarely been better, leading the Packers into the postseason with a first-round bye and claiming sole ownership of just about every important career mark for a quarterback.
“Tremendous player. Best competitor I’ve ever seen,” said Packers icon and Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr. “I think he’s meant more than I have words to describe.”
That was rarely a problem for NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, if only because of how many times he had to send players — Pacman Jones, Chris Henry, Tank Johnson, Vick — to their rooms for violating a personal-conduct policy he helped draw up.
His NBA counterpart, David Stern, spent the previous few seasons mandating how the league’s players should behave and even dress, then discovered he might have been lecturing the wrong group of employees. Donaghy was snared by an FBI investigation, then charged with betting on games, including some he worked, and providing inside information to others to help them win bets.
All the momentum generated by a faster-paced product, LeBron James’ first foray deep into the playoffs and the most promising draft duo in years, Greg Oden and Kevin Durant, skidded to a halt.
“My reaction was I can’t believe it’s happening to us,” Stern said.
The same sentiment bugged baseball commissioner Bud Selig all summer. As Bonds relentlessly ran down Hank Aaron’s home-run mark, Selig was asked repeatedly whether he planned to be on hand for No. 756.
“All of this will have to be played by ear,” he replied. “I do have a day job.”
So naturally, Bonds hit the big one at night, in San Francisco without Selig in attendance, then declared: “This record is not tainted at all. At all. Period.”
Three months later, he was indicted on charges of lying to a federal grand jury about steroid use.
- Discuss Story On Newsvine
-
Rate Story:
LowHigh - Instant Message
MORE FROM OTHER SPORTS |
 Other sports Section Front |
| Add Other sports headlines to your news reader: |
Sponsored links