Mark J. Terrill / AP Patriots quarterback Tom Brady hands off to running back Antowain Smith during New England's 32-29 victory over the Carolina Panthers in the Super Bowl.

1 – The Super Bowl in Houston brought together two great defensive teams, the Panthers and the Patriots. But instead of what everyone thought would be an epic defensive struggle, the game turned into a fourth-quarter shootout that made a hero in defeat of former NFL Europe quarterback Jake Delhomme. To the surprise of few, Adam Vinatieri won it, 32-29, with a field goal at the end. Tom Brady was the MVP for the second time in as many Super Bowl appearances. It was New England’s 15 win in a row.

1 - The halftime of the Super Bowl might have stolen the show, as Justin Timberlake ripped away part of Janet Jackson's outfit during a dance number, revealing her nipple for a second before CBS cut away. CBS later was fined $550,000 by the FCC, and as a result networks included delays during later live broadcasts.

1 – After replacing Andy Roddick as the top tennis player in the world rankings earlier in the tournament, Roger Federer beats Marat Safin in straight sets to win the Australian Open.

1 - Martina Navratilova, playing one last year of Grand Slam tennis in mixed doubles with Leander Paes, loses in the finals of the Australian Open in straight sets to Elena Bovina and Nenad Zimonjic.

6 – Lennox Lewis, whose last fight was a June 2003 victory over Vitali Klitschko, announces his retirement from the ring. Rocky Marciano in 1956 had been the last fighter to retire while still holding the heavyweight championship.

8 – Vijay Singh wins the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the first of nine victories in what will be a record-setting season in which he will surpass Tiger Woods as the world’s No. 1 golfer.

12 – A federal grand jury indicts Victor Conte on charges of dealing in steroids. Conte is the head and founder of BALCO, Bay Area lab specializing in “supplements.” Also indicted are BALCO executive James Valente, Barry Bonds’ friend and trainer Greg Anderson and track coach Remi Korchemny. The indictments unleash a chain of accusations and charges that will dominate headlines for the rest of the year.

16 – Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig approves the trade of Alex Rodriguez to the Yankees, who give up second-baseman Alfonso Soriano in the deal. A giddy George Steinbrenner says, "It ranks with when we signed Reggie," referring, of course, to the 1977 signing of Reggie Jackson.

19 – Three years after his father lost his life on the last lap of the Daytona 500, Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins the race, overtaking Tony Stewart with 20 laps to go and taking it home from there.

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