AT-TEN-TION MUST BE PAID

From the Sentimental to the Surreal, the Subtle to the Sensational

The Top Ten Black Sports Stories of 2006

By William I. Dawson

It was a banner year for Black sports. A Hall of Fame year. A championship year. A record-setting year. A year for all of us to be proud of. So here they are, the top ten black sports stories of 2006.

#10 – Long Overdue.

The feel good stories. The ones who cashed in their chips and won ‘ships. 2006 saw three veterans finally reach the sports promised land. Both Alonzo Mourning, long-time NBA center, and Gary Payton, future Hall of Fame point guard, played pivotal supporting roles in the Miami Heat’s June championship run. And the ultimate warrior, Jerome Bettis, was able to finally capture the championship ring that eluded him for many years as his Pittsburgh Steelers marched into his hometown of Detroit and routed the Seattle Seahawks in his final professional game – the Super Bowl.

#9 – Mr. Impact.

See Reggie Bush run into the record books of college football. After winning the 2005 Heisman trophy and being defeated in the Rose Bowl, Bush was ready to fly into the NFL. We saw the impact he had on his college team, the University of Southern California Trojans. But to have an entire city crying foul because you were not selected by their team, as well as having multiple teams attempt to get the top draft pick by any means necessary, just to draft you … now THAT’S impact. It’s not bad being Reggie Bush.

#8 – Boxed In.

He’s pound-for-pound, one of the greatest fighters in the history of boxing. Except that he’s never challenged. It didn’t help that the one highlight of his two fights this year was his uncle Roger jumping into the ring to defend his getting hit below the belt by Zab Judah, who he summarily dismissed soon after the incident. His other fight, against also-ran Carlos Baldomir, was a non-contest. His name is Floyd Mayweather, Jr. And he’s proven he’s great. Now all he needs is a great fight.

#7 – “Touch”-ing the Sky.

He’s the heart and soul of his football team, with his head coach calling him possibly the greatest running back he’s ever seen play. He’s LaDainian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers, and his 31 total touchdowns broke the single season record while leading his team to a number one seeding for the AFC playoffs. Those type of seasons are special, and with Tomlinson healthy, he has a chance to take his team to the playoffs and beyond. (We Patriots’ fans had other ideas--POV Publisher.)

#6 – Second To One.

Eighty-one points. Most in a regular season game since Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 in a game in 1962. What started out as a ho-hum January weekend game turned into a Sunday Night Special as Kobe Bryant shredded the Toronto Raptor defense for the second most points ever scored. Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers cruised to a 122-104 victory. And with that signature game, Kobe cemented his legacy as one of the NBA’s greatest players ever.

#5 – Moon Over Canton.

Over 49,000 yards passing. More than 1,700 yards rushing. 291 touchdowns thrown. A completion percentage of 58.4 over 18 years in the NFL. Those are the stats of Warren Moon, who this year was the first black quarterback enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Just take a look around the League today and you’ll see his impact. More black quarterbacks than at any time in history, all aspiring to great heights, knowing that the Moon’s the limit.

#4 – Head of State.

This year, he was the best in all of college football. And after leading his Ohio State Buckeyes to an undefeated season and consensus #1 status, quarterback Troy Smith topped it all off with the 2006 Heisman Trophy. A look at his statistics this year – a 67% completion rating, 30 touchdowns and over 2,500 passing yards – show that it was well-deserved.

#3 – See Him Roar.

It was a long year for Eldridge “Tiger” Woods. His father died in March, and just weeks later he suffered his first-ever non-qualifying event. It was the Master’s. However, after that, he was flawless, running off a six tournament winning streak that put the world on notice that Tiger was still standing, still strong.

#2 – Bringing the Heat.

His team was down two games to the Dallas Mavericks and heading home. And he never allowed his team to lose another game. Dwyane Wade carried the Miami Heat to their first-ever championship, putting up superhuman numbers in the process. In games 3, 4 and 5, Wade scored 42, 37 and 43, points respectively. His scoring average of 34.7 was the third-highest ever for the Finals. Of course he was named Finals MVP.

#1 – Only for the Young.

What a year for Vince Young. In January, he led his Texas Longhorns into the Rose Bowl against heavily-favored, two-time defending champion USC, and put on a show for the ages, single-handedly bringing the championship back to Austin. His stats for the game – 467 total yards (267 passing, 200 rushing), and three rushing touchdowns – were the stuff of legend. A Wonderlic score of six out of fifty had experts believing that Young would not be able to handle the complexity of an NFL playbook. He was still drafted third by the Tennessee Titans and has thrived in his rookie season, proving all the experts wrong. Vince Young is #1 at what he does best – winning games.

Reprint permission from www.bstmllc.com.