Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin will be going head-to-head for year's to come. (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
Italy boots France in World Cup: With French star Zinedine Zidane ejected in extra time for head-butting defender Marco Materazzi, the Italians convert all of their kicks in the penalty shootout to beat France 5-3. Italy becomes just the second country to win the World Cup four times, while Zidane is left to retire from soccer in shame.
Nadal upends Federer: In a growing rivalry pitting the two top seeds in the world, Rafael Nadal rebounds from a dismal start to defeat No. 1 Roger Federer in four sets at the French Open final. The Spaniard earns a record 60th consecutive victory on clay and prevents Federer from claiming a fourth straight Grand Slam title. Sidney Crosby vs. Alexander Ovechkin: Ovechkin gains the upper hand early, assisting on two goals as Washington takes an early 4-0 lead over Pittsburgh. Refusing to be outdone during the NHL’s showcase game, Crosby replies with a goal and an assist to rally the Penguins in the third. He then watches teammate and rookie sensation Evgeni Malkin secure the win in the shootout. Young leads Texas to national title: This memorable Rose Bowl matchup exceeds the enormous hype with the top-ranked USC Trojans and the No.2 Texas Longhorns staging one of the greatest title games in NCAA history. Trailing by five points, Longhorns QB Vince Young scrambles for an eight-yard touchdown with 19 seconds remaining to upset the defending two-time champions 41-38. Molina’s HR powers Cards into World Series: The St. Louis Cardinals overcome a spectacular home-run stealing catch by New York Mets outfielder Endy Chavez in Game 7 to win the NLCS by a 3-1 advantage. Yadier Molina smacks the game-winning homer in the top of the ninth and closer Adam Wainwright survives a bases-loaded jam by striking out Cardinal nemesis Carlos Beltran. St. Louis goes on to win its first World Series in 24 years. Pacquaio reaches legend status: Manny Pacquiao's awesome power cements his reputation as boxing's most dynamic fighter against the legendary Erik Morales in Las Vegas. Pacquiao avenges an earlier loss by knocking down Morales twice in the 10th round, becoming the first boxer to stop the Mexican. For good measure, the Filipino warrior runs over Morales in three rounds during the ensuing rubber match. Gibson supplants Pain at Olympics: Heated rivals prior to the start of the skeleton season, little-regarded Calgarian slider Duff Gibson edges favourite and fellow countrymen Jeff Pain by 22/100ths of a second to earn an Olympic gold medal. Gibson, 39, who is Canada’s oldest-ever gold medallist at the Winter Games, announces his retirement immediately following his victory. Hurricanes survive depleted Sabres: The injury-riddled Sabres play Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final against Carolina without four of their top defencemen. Leading 2-1 to begin the third period, Buffalo fails to hold off the surging Hurricanes. Carolina scores three unanswered goals and moves on to claim the franchise’s first championship in a seven-game classic over Edmonton. Miracle TD propels Bombers over Eskimos: What began as just another regular season contest turns into one of the wildest finishes in CFL history. The Edmonton Eskimos appear headed for a win after taking a 22-19 lead with 15 seconds remaining in the game. However, Winnipeg Blue Bombers receiver Milt Stegall completes a catch and run of 100 yards, leading his team to a shocking victory in front of a stunned Commonwealth Stadium crowd. Menard surprises Howard at Brier: Quebec skip Jean-Michel Menard steals four in the first two ends and withstands a rally to upset Ontario’s Glenn Howard 8-7 on his way to his first Brier title. Menard and his team become the first Quebecers to capture the prestigious curling tournament since Jim Ursel’s rink claimed the championship in 1977.
