And...we're back. First thing's first: there is a zany rumor circulating around campus faster than the pig illness that there are 500 days of summer, which may or may not have to do with that new movie with Roger from "Angels in the Outfield." This rumor is, of course, ludicrous, because as some of us hopefully know, there are only 365 days of the year, rendering the rumor of 500 days of summer impossible.
Now that I have dispelled said rumor, I can tell you that from the final exam day of last spring to our first day of classes here at Bowdoin back on September 3, there are actually just 108 days of summer; 392 days less than what director Marc Webb will have us believe. But I'm not here to talk about disappointing, Garden State-esque films, because within those 108 days lay some of the most notable sports moments of 2009. They are, as follows, the top ten moments of the summer (and no, for all of our sakes, the latest quarterback to sign with the Minnesota Vikings will not be mentioned on the grounds of self-defamation, unprecedented annoyance and sheer stupidity).
10. June of the Penguins
Upon receiving a 5-0 shellacking on the road at Game 5 in Detroit, courtesy of the defending champion Red Wings who increased their series lead from three games to two, the men from the Steel City and their loyal fans looked to be heading home empty handed for a second consecutive year in this Finals rematch. But Pittsburgh returned home to the Igloo (I refuse to refer to it as Mellon Arena) where near impeccable defense and goaltending from Marc-André Fleury propelled the Pens to a Game 7 back in Motown, where similar flawless and courageous play and two Maxime Talbot goals led the team to back-to-back 2-1 wins and captain Sidney Crosby's—who is my age—first Stanley Cup. It was Pittsburgh's first since 1992, when Sid the Kid was five.
9. Perfect Buehrle
In an article following the White Sox ace's perfect game against the Rays on July 23, ESPN's Buster Olney described Mark Buehrle as "breathtaking," and while I agree, I think a more accurate term might be...oh, I dunno...perfect? The veteran southpaw's remarkable performance successfully extinguished the first 27 batters he faced, and took little more than 30 minutes on the mound. Its culminating moment came in the ninth when defensive replacement DeWayne Wise robbed Gabe Kapler of a home run with a circus catch to preserve only the 18th perfect game in MLB history and Buehrle's second career no-hitter.
8. "Win a Ring for the King"
Shaquille O'Neal's message was simple as he sat down at the press conference introducing him as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Big Diesel, whose floor dominance has waned in recent years, issued the aforementioned sound byte in reference to his mercurial new teammate LeBron James, after the Phoenix Suns shipped the center to the Mistake by the Lake, effectively solidifying the two future Hall-of-Famers as the greatest duo to hit Cleveland since Rick Vaughn and Willie "Mays" Hayes did back in 1989.
7. Busted Big Papi
I guess it was only a matter of time until David Ortiz tested positive for...whatever it was. I think performance-enhancing drugs is the term we can use here to encompass just about everything that has stained baseball so mercilessly over the past decade, and the Beantown hero is no different. Ortiz and former teammate Manny Ramirez were two names released on July 30 off of a 100-person list of players who tested positive for PEDs back in 2003 during survey testing. But seriously, who was genuinely surprised by this news? Ortiz, who some might have called the perfect hybrid of DH and pinch-hitter before arriving in Boston, smashed only 58 home runs in six seasons for Minnesota, and then exceeded that total over the next two seasons for the Sox (31 in 2003; 41 in 2004), not to mention slugging 47 and 54 in the subsequent two years. But as far as the 2004 postseason goes, what's done is done. This makes me feel a little bit better about it though.
6. Kobe back on top
Before the 2009 NBA Playoffs, my preference between the league's two best players was clear: I would have taken LeBron over Kobe in a heartbeat. But the Los Angeles icon's valor and leadership that he exhibited so palpably throughout the duration of the postseason, combined with LeBron's callowness in storming off the court upon being ousted by Orlando in the Eastern Conference Finals, and a generally sorry attitude, Kobe Bryant rose from the ashes to conquer the world once again, this time without assistance from Shaq—something few, especially myself, thought was possible. Now about that scowl...
5. Yankees thump Red Sox
Examining the current standings and the vast chasm of nine games that separates these two foes, it's difficult to believe that only a month ago we were talking about how the Bronx Bombers had yet to defeat Terry Francona & Co. this season. That all changed when New York pulled an unexpected four-game sweep out of their hat, highlighted by an A-Rod walk-off bomb in the 15th inning of a scoreless tie, a moonshot of a homer by MVP-candidate Mark Teixeira, and dazzling pitching performances from newcomers A.J. Burnett and CC Sabathia. And the Yankees have never looked back, and I, for one, cannot wait for October; Red Sox fans may not be quite so lucky.
4. Real Madrid ushers in the next Galáctico era
What economic crisis? For Real President Florentino Perez, the terms "credit" and "crunch" don't dovetail so well, if at all. The boss man of world football's most storied club doled out an exorbitant ?228 million (about $332 million) on superstars Kaká (?65 from AC Milan), Karim Benzema (?35 from Lyon), Xabi Alonso (?34 from Liverpool), and the globe's most prodigious talent Cristiano Ronaldo (?94 from Manchester United), and that was just the total spent on transfer fees.
Real still has several kinks to smooth out, as was evident in their shaky opening 3-2 victory over visitors Deportivo de La Coruña. But make no mistake—these Galácticos will give every club a nightmare on the attacking side of things...who cares if they concede five or six goals per game?
3. Federer and Roddick at Wimbledon
If you didn't enjoy watching tennis before, it suddenly became your favorite sport to watch after this match. It went back and forth for hours at a time, the sure-handed Swiss Federer against the American underdog Roddick, the vital fifth set lasting a record 30 games, until the former finally sealed the win, effectively capturing his 15th Grand Slam title and simultaneously surpassing Pete Sampras for most all-time Grand Slam titles in a final few will ever forget.
2. Tedy Bruschi retires
While this wasn't an event to be extolled by any means, especially for Patriot fans, the player and all that he represents unquestionably does. Upon hearing that their leader in the middle was hanging it up, I imagine that all of New England felt as all of New York will probably feel when Derek Jeter decides it's time to move beyond baseball. Bruschi is a legend in this neck of the woods, and even as a Jets fan I have a tremendous amount of respect for this number 54, and hope to hear his name called when it comes time for Canton.
1. Team USA at the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa
They got thrashed by Italy and Brazil. Then they somehow pulled a 180 and crushed Egypt 3-0, miraculously sneaking into the semifinals thanks to a 3-0 win by Brazil over the Italians. Then they stunned Spain—then the world's best team—with a 2-0 win to book their place in the final.
In the championship game, they were leading the reigning champion Brazilians 2-0 at the half. However, it wasn't meant to be as Luis Fabiano and the men in yellow rallied to defend their crown 3-2. But rest assured, Team USA's performance yields only auspicious skies leading up to the World Cup this summer in South Africa.
Honorable Mention: Eric Bruntlett's unassisted triple play in the ninth to beat the Mets...again
It's just fun to make fun of the Mets.
And just in case you'd like to see my NFL Predictions this year, here they are. AFC: New England, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, San Diego, New York (wild card), Tennessee (wild card); NFC: Philadelphia, Minnesota, Carolina, Arizona, New York (wild card), Chicago (wild card). Super Bowl: Pittsburgh over Chicago.