Closing the Books on 2012
By Nick Ostiller
It's a new year, which means the Mayans were wrong. Although with the craziness of the 2012 sports scene, it sure seemed as if the world was coming to an end. As teams, athletes and everyone else embark on 2013, let's take a look back at the good, the bad and the ugly highlights from the sports year that was.
It was a great year for Bay Area native Jeremy Lin, who finally got off the bench for the New York Knicks in February and never looked back. "Linsanity" became a nationwide phenomenon, and the point guard parlayed the hype into a $25 million contract with the Houston Rockets.
While Lin rose to stardom, there were several others who took a major fall from grace over the course of 2012. After being fired following Pennsylvania State University's child sexual abuse scandal, longtime Penn State football coach Joe Paterno died of lung cancer in January. There's not much worse than covering up a pedophile, being fired after 46 years of success on the field, vacating 111 of those coaching victories and then dying amid scorn.
A blemish was permanently left in the American sports consciousness due to the Penn State scandal, but national pride in athletics did not waver over the summer. The U.S. once again topped the medal count, while Michael Phelps become the most decorated Olympian ever.
However, the world's most successful Tour de France champion, Lance Armstrong, did not ride off into the sunset as Phelps had swum. In June, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency stripped Armstrong of all titles won since 1998 and banned him from further competition after charging the cyclist with having used illicit performance-enhancing drugs throughout his career.
The Los Angeles Kings and San Francisco Giants both overcame the odds to become champions in 2012. The Kings were heavy underdogs heading into the playoffs as the eighth and final seed, but proceeded to capture the franchise's first ever Stanley Cup.
The Giants, even before making the playoffs, had to deal with the suspension of their best hitter, Melky Cabrera, for using performance-enhancing drugs. Once in the postseason, the Giants were without their "Melk Man" but still had enough calcium in their bones to sweep the Detroit Tigers to win their second World Series in three years.
Whether it was boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao being knocked out cold or New Orleans Saints players and coaches getting suspended for institutionalizing dangerous tackles, the sports world definitely got rocked in 2012. It's hard to imagine what 2013 will bring, but that's exactly why we watch.
Nick Ostiller is a junior communication major.