The Year that was 2006

From T.O suspected of having an overdose on pills to the St. Louis Cardinals winning the MLB World Series, this has been a wacky year in sports.

In January, we saw the thrilling national championship in NCAA football between the University of Southern California Trojans against the Texas Longhorns. What a game! USC seemed to have the game under control, with Matt Leinart at the helm and LenDale White, not Reggie Bush, running wild. Then came the ultimate turning point in the game. After making a nice catch and run of 31 yards, Reggie Bush tried to lateral the ball to another USC player but ended up coughing up the ball and losing possession. From that point onward, the tide had turned and it was Vince Young's moment to shine. He scored three touchdowns in total, two in the final quarter and the Texas defense stopped the Trojans on a fourth and two from USC's 45 yard line with two minutes left to capture the victory and snap the Trojans' 34-game winning streak.

In February, came the NBA All-Star weekend, where Dirk Nowitski, a seven-foot power forward, won the three-point shooting contest and lil' Nate Robinson, at five feet nine inches, won the slam dunk contest. In the all-star game, King James took charge, leading the East to a come-from-behind victory, 122-120, over the West.

In March, the NCAA basketball tourney was underway, and my, was there a shocker! The number eleven seed in the Washington D.C. region, the George Mason Patriots of the Colonial Athletic Association, went all the way to the Final Four, upsetting #7 Witchita State Shockers first, then #6 Michigan State, then #3 North Carolina, with Freshman Tyler Hansborough leading the Tar Heels, and lastly, beating #1 UConn in overtime before losing to the eventual National Champions, the Florida Gators, led by the powerful center Jokakim Noah. (Who shares the same birthday as me!)

In April, the NFL draft was held. The Houston Texans chose defensive end Mario Williams as the first pick in the draft, a surprising move given that Reggie Bush is a more explosive player. The Denver Broncos moved up from the fifteenth pick in the draft to the twelfth pick to select Jay Cutler, a quarterback out of the University of Vanderbilt. The steal of the draft was a three-way tie: Chicago, with the 57th pick, choosing speedy kick returner and punt returner Devin Hester from the U, Jacksonville, with the 60th pick, choosing pinball Maurice Jones-Drew from UCLA, and New Orleans, choosing Marques Colston, from Hofstra, with the 225th pick in the Draft. All had excellent seasons with their respective teams.

In May, Barry Bonds passed Babe Ruth for second all-time in career home runs, hitting 715 on May 28. Also, the NBA playoffs were at its peak, with the Phoenix Suns coming back from a 3-1 game deficit against the L.A. Lakers to beat them and, in the second round, beating the L.A. Clippers. The best series, though, was between the best two teams in the Western Conference - the Dallas Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs. The Miami Heat advanced to the Conference finals against the Detroit Pistons, and the Mavericks faced the Suns in the Western Conference finals.

In June, the FIFA World Cup started, as well as the NBA Finals. In the World Cup in Germany, the following teams made it to the round of sixteen: Germany, Sweden, Argentina, Mexico, Italy, Australia, Ukraine, Switzerland, England, Ecuador, Portugal, Netherlands, Brazil, Ghana, Spain and France. By the semifinals, the teams left were Germany and Italy and Portugal and France. The Germany-Italy game was a game of the ages. Italy ended up winning the entire tourney, defeating headbutting Zinedine Zidane and the French team, in penalty kicks, after the score was tied 1-1 after regulation and overtime.

In July, the Tour de France started, but there was no final victor. The winner, Floyd Landis, tested positive for an illegal substance and had his prize taken away. Also, the MLB All-Star game was played, with the American League coming back from 2-1 to win 3-2, thanks to Texas Rangers' shortstop Michael Young, who won it on a game-winning double in the bottom of the ninth inning.

In August, the NFL preseason and the NCAA football season were underway.

In September, the NFL season started, while the MLB season came to an end. The Chicago Bears held the Green Bay Packers scoreless, 26 - 0, The Baltimore Ravens held the Tampa Bay Bucs scoreless, 27 - 0, sacking the Bucs' QB three times and picking him off three times, The Seattle Seahawks won 9-6, thanks to a last-second Josh Brown field goal, and Peyton Manning defeated his brother, 26-21 in the first week of the NFL regular season.

Sang to the tune of "12 Days of Christmas," this is how the NFL regular season went:

"On the first week of the season, the NFL gave to me: Peyton defeating Eli on National T.V."

"On the second week of the season, the NFL gave to me: T.O. breaking his hand, and Peyton defeating Eli on National T.V."

"On the third week of the season the NFL gave to me: Chris Simms losing his spleen,
T.O. breaking his hand, and Peyton defeating Eli on National T.V."

"On the fourth week of the season, the NFL gave to me: Santana Moss catching a 68 yard bomb in OT, Chris Simms losing his spleen, T.O. breaking his hand, and Peyton defeating Eli on National T.V."

"On the fifth week of the season, the NFL gave to me: Reggie Bush's first TD, Santana Moss catching a 68 yard bomb in OT, Chris Simms losing his spleen, T.O. breaking his hand, and Peyton defeating Eli on National T.V."

"On the sixth week of the season, the NFL gave to me: two Redskins tickets, Reggie Bush's first TD, Santana Moss catching a 68 yard bomb in OT, Chris Simms losing his spleen, T.O. breaking his hand, and Peyton defeating Eli on National T.V."

"On the seventh week of the season, the NFL gave to me: A Matt Bryant GW 62-yard FG, two Redskins tickets, Reggie Bush's first TD, Santana Moss catching a 68 yard bomb in OT, Chris Simms losing his spleen, T.O. breaking his hand, and Peyton defeating Eli on National T.V."

"On the eighth week of the season, the NFL gave to me: LT running wild, A Matt Bryant GW 62-yard FG, two Redskins tickets, Reggie Bush's first TD, Santana Moss catching a 68 yard bomb in OT, Chris Simms losing his spleen, T.O. breaking his hand, and Peyton defeating Eli on National T.V."

"On the ninth week of the season, the NFL gave to me: A Nick Novak GW FG against the 'Boys, LT running wild, A Matt Bryant GW 62-yard FG, two Redskins tickets, Reggie Bush's first TD, Santana Moss catching a 68 yard bomb in OT, Chris Simms losing his spleen, T.O. breaking his hand, and Peyton defeating Eli on National T.V."

"On the tenth week of the season, the NFL gave to me: Devin Hester's 108-yard TD run, A Nick Novak GW FG against the 'Boys, LT running wild, A Matt Bryant GW 62-yard FG, two Redskins tickets, Reggie Bush's first TD, Santana Moss catching a 68 yard bomb in OT, Chris Simms losing his spleen, T.O. breaking his hand, and Peyton defeating Eli on National T.V."

"On the eleventh week of the season, the NFL gave to me: two 80-yard Lee Evans TD's, Devin Hester's 108-yard TD run, A Nick Novak GW FG against the 'Boys, LT running wild, A Matt Bryant GW 62-yard FG, two Redskins tickets, Reggie Bush's first TD, Santana Moss catching a 68 yard bomb in OT, Chris Simms losing his spleen, T.O. breaking his hand, and Peyton defeating Eli on National T.V."

"On the twelfth week of the season, the NFL gave to me: Jason Campbell's first win, two 80-yard Lee Evans TD's, Devin Hester's 108-yard TD run, A Nick Novak GW FG against the 'Boys, LT running wild, A Matt Bryant GW 62-yard FG, two Redskins tickets, Reggie Bush's first TD, Santana Moss catching a 68 yard bomb in OT, Chris Simms losing his spleen, T.O. breaking his hand, and Peyton defeating Eli on National T.V."

"On the thirteenth week of the season, the NFL gave to me: Four Reggie Bush TD's, Jason Campbell's first win, two 80-yard Lee Evans TD's, Devin Hester's 108-yard TD run, A Nick Novak GW FG against the 'Boys, LT running wild, A Matt Bryant GW 62-yard FG, two Redskins tickets, Reggie Bush's first TD, Santana Moss catching a 68 yard bomb in OT, Chris Simms losing his spleen, T.O. breaking his hand, and Peyton defeating Eli on National T.V."

"On the fourteenth week of the season, the NFL gave to me: No Colts' run defense, Four Reggie Bush TD's, Jason Campbell's first win, two 80-yard Lee Evans TD's, Devin Hester's 108-yard TD run, A Nick Novak GW FG against the 'Boys, LT running wild, A Matt Bryant GW 62-yard FG, two Redskins tickets, Reggie Bush's first TD, Santana Moss catching a 68 yard bomb in OT, Chris Simms losing his spleen, T.O. breaking his hand, and Peyton defeating Eli on National T.V."

"On the fifteenth week of the season, the NFL gave to me: LT breaking three NFL records, No Colts' run defense, Four Reggie Bush TD's, Jason Campbell's first win, two 80-yard Lee Evans TD's, Devin Hester's 108-yard TD run, A Nick Novak GW FG against the 'Boys, LT running wild, A Matt Bryant GW 62-yard FG, two Redskins tickets, Reggie Bush's first TD, Santana Moss catching a 68 yard bomb in OT, Chris Simms losing his spleen, T.O. breaking his hand, and Peyton defeating Eli on National T.V."

"On the sixteenth week of the season, the NFL gave to me: A Bengals' botched extra-point attempt, LT breaking three NFL records, No Colts' run defense, Four Reggie Bush TD's, Jason Campbell's first win, two 80-yard Lee Evans TD's, Devin Hester's 108-yard TD run, A Nick Novak GW FG against the 'Boys, LT running wild, A Matt Bryant GW 62-yard FG, two Redskins tickets, Reggie Bush's first TD, Santana Moss catching a 68 yard bomb in OT, Chris Simms losing his spleen, T.O. breaking his hand, and Peyton defeating Eli on National T.V."

"On the seventeenth week of the season, the NFL gave to me: A Detroit Lions victory, A Bengals' botched extra-point attempt, LT breaking three NFL records, No Colts' run defense, Four Reggie Bush TD's, Jason Campbell's first win, two 80-yard Lee Evans TD's, Devin Hester's 108-yard TD run, A Nick Novak GW FG against the 'Boys, LT running wild, A Matt Bryant GW 62-yard FG, two Redskins tickets, Reggie Bush's first TD, Santana Moss catching a 68 yard bomb in OT, Chris Simms losing his spleen, T.O. breaking his hand, and Peyton defeating Eli on National T.V."