Red Sox top list for 2004
The year in sports for 2004 had good and bad stories, as does almost every year, but first I'd like to focus on some remarkable record-breaking performances.
What could top the breaking of the 86-year old "Curse of the Bambino?" The Boston Red Sox finally overcame all odds and won baseball's World Series again, and no team had overcome the odds of winning after being 0-3. Especially not to the Yankees! There were so many outstanding moments and performances but the batting of David Ortiz and the pitching of Curt Schilling were most memorable to me.
This wasn't the only outstanding and record-breaking performance in baseball. Ichiro Suzuki broke George Sisler's 84-year record of hits in a season by dropping 262 hits into places no fielder could catch them. I'm a lifelong baseball fan, and I will admit that I had not heard of George Sisler. But it was another record that nobody expected would be broken.
Football's Dan Marino saw his single-season touchdown pass record of 48 broken, and it was as surprising to Marino as to everyone else who expected it to stand indefinitely. Of course, that record had only been around for 20 years, so it pales in comparison to the others. Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts is at 49 and counting with another opportunity to add to his total this weekend.
Roger Federer won three Grand Slam titles in tennis, the first person to do so in 16 years. Vijay Singh of the PGA Tour captured nine wins on his way to a record-breaking $10 million year on the golf course, but what should stand out even more is that the LPGA's Annika Sorenstam won eight times, and made $2.5 million. The gap of inequity in prize money between men's and women's sports continues to grow.
The Olympic Games in Athens broke a record for costs - $11.6 billion and still climbing. Amazingly there were no terrorist attacks, the venues were finished or at least mostly finished the way they were planned, and there were many outstanding performances. Morocco's El Guerrouj cemented his place in middle-distance running history by capturing the double of the 1,500 and 5,000 meter golds for the first time since 1924.
Lance Armstrong won his sixth straight Tour de France in cycling, a feat almost Herculean considering his comeback from cancer. His U.S. Postal Service team sheltered him when they could, and allowed him to excel in the mountainous regions where he has no peers. His yellow wrist band, with the inspirational "Live Strong" words imprinted on them, have sold for $1 to over 20 million fans, with the proceeds going to the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which provides information and support to cancer victims. He continues to assure fans that he has not used any performance-enhancing drugs to achieve his results.
The same cannot be said for baseball, football, and track and field athletes that were involved with the BALCO steroids scandal. The use of drugs puts a black mark on so many sports and so many athletes that the fallout will likely continue for years to come. For lack of a better slogan or a simpler statement, I'll borrow Nancy Reagan's "Just Say NO!"
Don't even get me started on the NBA! There are so many positive things about sports, that it's a shame to see the bad surface.
For 2005 I wish athletes more common sense, and less greed and ego. More good and less "hood." More appreciation, and less demands. Now, that would be reality TV worth watching. Happy new year!
Alice Ritzman is a pro golfer from Kalispell and head coach of the Flathead High School golf program. She can be reached by email at ritzman@dailyinterlake.com