Examiner.com's top sports stories of 2010

Like any year, 2010 had its share of memorable sports moments. From thrilling victories to off-field incidents and everything in between, here's a look at the major sports stories of the past year and some of the many angles Examiners took on them.

We are the champions
The top titles in football went to the Deep South in 2010. First the Alabama Crimson Tide capped their undefeated season by defeating Texas for the BCS National Championship, then the New Orleans Saints upset the Indianapolis Colts for the first Super Bowl victory in that franchise's history.

The Duke Blue Devils won their fourth men's NCAA basketball title, but the bigger story from the tournament was the surprising run of the Butler Bulldogs to the title game. On the women's side, the Connecticut Huskies topped Stanford to complete their second straight undefeated season and continue their run at basketball history.

The Chicago Blackhawks dispatched the Philadelphia Flyers for their first Stanley Cup in 49 years, while the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Boston Celtics in seven games for their second straight NBA championship.

An exciting baseball postseason saw the San Francisco Giants capture the World Series for the first time since 1954 when the team still played in New York City. The NASCAR champion hadn't gone quite as long between titles, as driver Jimmie Johnson took home his unprecedented fifth straight Sprint Cup.

International incidents
The Winter Olympics in Vancouver got off to a tragic start, as Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili died in an accident during a training run. Shaun White won his second consecutive snowboarding gold medal in the men’s halfpipe while skiers Lindsey Vonn and Julia Mancuso battled on the slopes and in the press. The Games concluded in stirring fashion, with the Canadian men's hockey team avenging an earlier defeat to the United States in an overtime victory that secured the host country's 14th gold medal -- a new record.

A few months later in South Africa, the United States managed to get past the qualifying round of the World Cup with a dramatic win over Algeria but fell in the first game of the elimination round. Spain would claim their first World Cup title with a 1-0 victory over The Netherlands, but the tournament may be better remembered for introducing vuvuzelas to the globe.

Comings and goings
LeBron James kept a nation of basketball fans in suspense before finally announcing his plans to leave Cleveland and sign with the Miami Heat. The two-time NBA MVP was widely criticized in large part for allowing the process to become a media spectacle, culminating in an hour-long ESPN special.

Following a sterling college career, Florida quarterback Tim Tebow was taken in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft to the surprise of many. His jersey immediately became the top seller among all NFL players, not just rookies. Tebow has yet to make as much of an impact on the field, playing only a handful of snaps for the Denver Broncos thus far.

New Jersey forward Ilya Kovalchuk didn't technically go anywhere, but staying with the Devils became an issue after the NHL balked at his initial 17-year deal with the team. The contract was then rejected by an arbitrator, but the sides were able to work out a new agreement.

Longtime New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner passed away in July at the age of 80. A polarizing figure, under Steinbrenner's ownership the Yankees won seven World Series and saw the value of the franchise increase from $8.7 million in 1973 to an estimated $1.6 billion today.

Questionable judgment
Athletes continued to make headlines for transgressions off the field, most noticeably the sordid details of Tiger Woods' serial infidelity that led to his divorce from wife Elin and likely contributed to him failing to win any tournaments the entire year, a career first.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger escaped criminal prosecution after allegations of sexual misconduct in a Georgia bar, but didn't escape a suspension from the NFL. Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre spent another offseason keeping people in suspense as to whether he was going to retire, but his return to the field was overshadowed by allegations that he sent lewd cell phone messages to a Jets co-worker while playing in New York.

New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush forfeited his 2005 Heisman Trophy amid an NCAA investigation of improper benefits he allegedly received while at USC. That scandal likely contributed to several writers not voting for Auburn's Cam Newton to win this year's Heisman after repeated rumors of past infractions.

Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas was suspended indefinitely by the NBA in January for bringing an unloaded handgun to the Verizon Center. Arenas has since been reinstated.

At least one athlete seemed to have finally put his troubled past behind him, as Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick exceeded expectations with his stellar play.

The fight that never was
Most of the media attention in the boxing world this year centered around the potential combatants in a fight that has yet to take place -- Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. Initial negotiations reportedly fell apart due to a disagreement over blood testing. Each went on to soundly defeat other opponents, then Pacquiao successfully ran for congressional office in his native country of the Philippines. Mayweather released a bizarre online video attack on Pacquiao in September, then proceeded to backtrack from his comments. The fight itself? Boxing fans are still waiting ...

Growing concern over head injuries
As the understanding of the impact of head trauma continued to grow, coaches and officials at all levels from high school to college to professional stepped up their efforts and shared their thoughts on how to minimize such injuries. The NFL started handing down stiffer fines and suspensions for helmet-to-helmet hits, while the NHL implemented a new rule regarding blindside hits to the head.

Year of the pitcher
For evidence that the steroid era in Major League Baseball may finally be over, fans needed to look no further than the dominance of pitchers in 2010. Philadelphia's Roy Halladay threw a perfect game during the regular season and a no-hitter in his first playoff start, while Detroit's Armando Galarraga was robbed of a perfect game due to an umpire's admitted blown call. The Colorado Rockies even had a pitcher throw a no-hitter. And after a dominant postseason of his own, Texas Rangers pitcher Cliff Lee has become the top prize of this offseason's free agent market.

College conference shake-ups
Rumors about schools switching conferences ran rampant for much of the offseason, and some of them ended up panning out. Nebraska left the Big XII for the Big Ten, while rival Colorado also left the conference for the Pac-10. No conference saw as much change as the Mountain West, which lost Utah, BYU and TCU but gained Boise State, Nevada and Fresno State.

Which sports stories will you remember most from the past year? Share your thoughts in the comments below!