1. 2001
In February 2001 Dale Earnhardt one of the best and well-known NASCAR racers was killed in a collision. The seven-time champ wrecked into a wall on the race’s last lap. The crash was shocking and heartbreaking but it led to improvements in the sports safety. Well if you can call race-car driving a sport.

2. 2001
Tiger Woods victories in the 2001 Masters was something to behold. The first billionaire athlete was the first golfer to win the four current majors in succession. And he won eight more majors in the last ten years. Woods is just four short of topping Jack Nicklaus’ record.

3. 2003
Kobe Bryant faced allegations of rape. Apparently the incident took place between Bryant and a hotel employee. Allegedly it was consensual, but Kobe and his wife were able to solve out their problems and move past the betrayal issue after she got a $4 million ring. The criminal charges were soon after dropped and the civil suit was settled in private with the compromise undisclosed.

4. 2003
In 2003, steroid scandals were all over. Some of baseball’s most well-known and least known players were caught. Players like Alex Rodriguez and Andy Pettitte and Jason Giambi confessed to using but others have constantly denied the accusation. Some were even called before Congress for questions.

5. 2004
Pat Tillman was presented a $3.6 million contract to play for the Cardinals but decided to enlist as an Army Ranger. The NFL wanted him but he chose to serve his country. He was sent to Afghanistan and was killed in what was later resolved as friendly fire.

6. 2004
On of the greatest moments in the last 10 years was when Boston won the World Series for the first time since 1918. This triumph ended the “Curse of the Bambino” which was what supposedly kept the team from winning previously. It only took 88-years to get past, but it did happen.

7. 2005
Not only did Lance Armstrong beat cancer but also won his seventh straight Tour de France. The victory was pleasing for the seven time winner; considering that no one else has won the title more than five times. Is he the best athlete?

8. 2007
This was the year of the infamous Michael Vick incident. His image changed and he faced federal charges and a prison term for 21 months, plus two more years of home confinement. He was released from prison on July 20, 2009 because of dog fighting and he now plays in Philadelphia. The crime and prison sentence weren’t sufficient to keep this athlete off the field.

9. 2008
Phelps succeeded in earning eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics. He was unstoppable and swam his way into Olympic history. He was able to capture eight gold medals in all of the eight events. He worked hard to achieve his dreams and he could do no wrong until his image was stained by a video of him using drugs.

10. 2009
When Tiger slammed his Cadillac Escalade he probably didn’t realize his image, career, and marriage were also going to take a blow. Now everyone’s waiting to see what Tiger will do next. His ‘transgressions’ have come to bite him in the behind. Now we’ll see how Tiger claws his way out of this mess.

Are you interested in sports? If so, then a Master of Science in Entertainment, Sports and Recreation Management Degree or general online education could help you.

There are some good ones here, and the top 5 are in the right places, but i am not sure about the rest, what do you think?

1. American Football – of course, been around since the 1800’s.
2. Baseball – A sport that nobody knows how to play, unless you already know how to play it.
3. Basketball – Most famous in America but played all over the world by almost half a billion people.
4. Hockey – Although not an American Based sport this has been a fast growing one.
5. Golf – Really let go for everyone, many thanks to Tiger Woods for making Golf even more famous.
6. Wrestling – Americans gather in their millions to watch this, but is it a real sport.
7. Tennis – Americans have always performed well in Tennis, with stars like the Williams and Roddick.
8. Skateboarding – America launched this sport from nothing to everything, now being taken up around the world.
9. Surfing – Enjoyed by all around the world, but made great by America.
10. Ice Skating – A very big American sport, also big in Russia too, these are great competitors.
11. Boxing – Loved by the Americans and loved by the world, needs to be more frequent.
12. Soccer- Although no where near as big as American Football, still a growing sport.
13. Archery – A guaranteed final spot in the Olympics for the Americans with the likes of Geena Davis, training harder than ever.
14. Volleyball – No man or Woman can go far wrong, watching or getting involved in a game.
15. Cycling – Now some consider this a British and French sport, But the Americans show a lot of strength in it.
16. Track and Field – Americans have always taken this seriously and produced some great Athletes.
17. Horse Racing – Great for all to watch and the Americans have turned it into a massive sport industry.
18. Rock Climbing – An American Past Time, although not as much as other activities, this is tried by a lot of people.
19. Extreme Sports – The sports in this category have always grasped the nation, not always in a good way.
20. Auto Racing – Is very popular, but it doesn’t come high because of the different opinions across America.

So what do you think of these sports? What do you think of the top 5? What a great way to find out – try Las Vegas holidays or New York holidays to really find out