The Cubs were the NL favorites, and if they had won, there’d be no question about 2008 being not just the greatest sports year we’ve ever seen, but without question the greatest we would ever see. But the Cubs choked as only they can, opening up the playoffs for the Phillies. They met the Rays in a World Series whose final game took three days to complete. It wasn’t a seven-game classic, but any time any Philadelphia team can call itself champions is a year for the history books.

It didn’t matter what kind of auto racing you were a fan of, 2008 delivered for you. Danica Patrick became the first woman to win in an Indy Car early in the season in Japan. She didn’t win again, but she did get in fights with other drives, both male and female, and kept attention focused on the sport. In F1, the void left by Michael Schumacher’s retirement was filled by the 23-year-old Lewis Hamilton. The British driver wrapped up the championship at the Brazilian Grand Prix in November, suffering racial taunts in becoming both the youngest F1 champion and the first black champion.

And in NASCAR, Jimmie Johnson, who had started the season slowly, roared back in the season-ending Chase for the Cup. In the process, he joined Cale Yarborough as the only man to win three straight NASCAR championships.

We’re still not done, but it really doesn’t matter what happens in the year’s final weeks. Alabama won’t play for a national championship, but the Tide went 11-0 and was ranked No. 1 before losing the SEC championship game to Florida. And the University of Buffalo, recently the worst team in Division I college football, had won the MAC championship and was going to the first bowl game in school history.

Okay, so it’s not one of the greatest stories ever, but it kind of fits in the greatest year ever, a year that decades from now you’ll be telling your great-grandchildren you were lucky enough to witness.

Just don’t mention Kimbo Slice.

Also on NBCSports.com PFT’s Picks: Bears will claw 49ers on Thursday Howard: Look at what Agassi is now, not was NCAA FB: Ready for player exodus?  |    Top juniors MLB blog: A look at the top 111 free agents NCAA hoops: Who scored in early signing period? Twitter: Follow us @nbc_sports

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