Walters' 25 favorite moments of 2008
Some stories are unforgettable; these are worth special reminders
 | Hugh McCutcheon's bittersweet story from the Beijing Olympics stands out as one of the most difficult, but touching moments of '08. |
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Those were unforgettable moments and so, by definition, you need not be reminded of them. But time erodes the details. So many memorable moments occur over the course of twelve months that, beyond a certain limit, we cannot remember them all.
That's where we come in. Below, 25 moments or people from 2008 that we wanted to revisit, or remind you of, or even introduce you to, before welcoming the new year:
1. Happy 'Leap' Year
The year was only minutes old when Australia’s Robbie Maddison set a new world-record with a motorcycle jump of 322 feet in Las Vegas. Robbie Maddison, putting our 25-push-ups-a-day New Year’s resolution to shame.
2. Matthias Lanzinger
It’s a wonder he wasn’t injured more severely. How many times have you seen a World Cup skier crash and had that very thought? Last March in Kvitjfell, Norway, Matthias Lanzinger of Austria was not so fortunate.
During a super-G run Lanzinger, a former Junior World Champion, crashed into a gate and sustained an open fracture to his left leg. The severity of the injury was compounded by the steepness of the slope and the fact that his binding failed to release immediately (his broken leg failed to provide enough resistance to trigger the mechanism).
Kudos to commentator Scott McCarthy, who understood the severity of the crash instantly.
"Actually," said McCarthy, "I'm not watching that replay."
Two days later, after three surgeries failed to restore adequate blood circulation, Lanzinger, 27, had his leg amputated below the knee.
3. Hitler for Springtime
Nothing quite grabs your eye like the words "Nazi-Style Orgy". Last spring Max Mosley, the president of Formula One racing, was nabbed on video with five prostitutes engaging in what one tabloid described as a “depraved Nazi-style orgy in a torture dungeon."
The revelation set off a, well, furor. Mosley was literally throwing his own Nazi party. And though he admitted to the highly inappropriate -- on so many levels -- misdeeds, Mosley was allowed to retain his position as head of F-1.
Ah, but life has a funny way of working out. In November Lewis Hamilton clinched the 2008 F-1 world championship. The British-born Hamilton, 23, is not only the youngest series champion in F-1 history; he is also the first black one.
4. Bissinger-Leitch 24/7
HBO devotes tons of hours, talent and energy to airing not only boxing, but also such appetite-whetting programming as its "Countdown" and "24/7" documentaries.
That said, the most captivating bout on HBO in 2008 was the verbal smackdown between H.G. “Buzz” Bissinger (Friday Night Lights) and Will Leitch (Deadspin) on “Costas Now”. Bissinger, clearly buzzed off even before taking the stage (blowing off Leitch’s attempt at a green room greeting), came out fuming, full of spittle, and pointedly told the creator of Deadspin that he is “full of (word you can print on Deadspin, but not here)."
Leitch attempted to fend off the barrage of blows with self-deprecating humor and charm ("To my surprise, I find you very palatable in person," Costas told Leitch), but Bissinger never stopped frothing. Who won? Probably depends on whether or not you’re on Facebook.
5. The Honeymooners
In June, golfer Greg Norman, he of the two major titles, married tennis legend Chris Evert, she of 18 Grand Slam wins. It was quite the event: Corey Hart, of nocturnal sunglasses fame, was a guest.
The happy couple, both 53, later celebrated by nearly giving a new meaning to the term "senior moment". Norman, who had not entered a major in three years, found himself atop the leader board at the British Open heading into the final round. The Shark finished in a tie for third, but after so many disappointing Sundays at a major, this one felt like a triumph.
Besides, at the end of the day he was still married to Chris Evert.
6. The Joy of TV Programming Chaos
A third-round men’s singles match at the Australian Open between Lleyton Hewitt and Marcos Baghdatis ends at 4:33 a.m. Melbourne time.
Arguably the greatest U.S. Open finish in history occurs on a Monday afternoon.
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The most highly anticipated moment of the Olympics -- from the host nation’s perspective -- ends before it begins when hurdler Liu Xhiang retires with an injury before the first heat.
And the deciding evening of the World Series turns out to be a 3-inning continuation of a game that began two nights earlier ... meaning that youngsters on the East Coast could actually see a team win the Fall Classic before their bed time.
The best things in life are those you cannot plan for.
7. Bad Timing Award
What if you invaded a sovereign nation and then had to attend an event later that very day with the "leader of the free world" (who, yes, did that very thing five years earlier)? That was the dilemma facing President Vladimir Putin of Russia, whose tanks rolled into Georgia on Aug. 8 ... the day of the opening ceremony at the Beijing Olympics.
That evening Putin arrived at the Bird’s Nest for the awe-inspiring spectacle, as did U.S. President George Bush and a host of other world leaders. It made for intriguing split-screen viewing from NBC to MSNBC, as cameras showed scenes of war-torn Georgian streets, of Bush conferring with Putin ("Laura, why don’t you and I switch seats?"), and of thousands of Chinese volunteers putting on a spectacle that ironically championed the concept of overwhelming strength and unity.
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