The world watched Zinedine Zidane lose his cool. (Lars Baron/Getty Images)

1. Zinedine Zidane loses his head
It was the head-butt heard around the world. With 10 minutes left in extra time of the World Cup final on July 9, French midfielder Zinedine Zidane turned to face Marco Materazzi and head-butted the Italian defender in the chest, knocking him to the ground. Zidane's act of lunacy cost France its best scorer in the shootout and Italy claimed its fourth World Cup title. A media feeding frenzy ensued – news agencies around the globe tried to find out what Materazzi said to set off Zidane – and the retiring Zizou left the game in disgrace.
Story: FIFA suspends Zinedine Zidane

2. Floyd Landis stripped of Tour de France title
Doping allegations plagued the 2006 Tour de France. Four days after Floyd Landis rolled down the Champs-Élysées to claim the title on July 23, word surfaced that the American cyclist tested positive for an elevated level of testosterone during a stunning effort in Stage 17. In the worldwide media storm that followed, Landis maintained his innocence, claiming he has naturally high testosterone levels. Even if he isn't eventually of stripped of the crown – the case is currently in the hands of the United States Anti-Doping Agency – Landis's positive result is the latest blow to a sport that continues to struggle with tarnished reputations.
Story: I'm innocent: Tour champ Floyd Landis

Chandra Crawford was one of Canada's surprise success stories at the Torino Olympics. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

3. Canada earns a record 24 medals at the Torino Olympics
The Canadian Olympic Committee raised eyebrows when it boldly proclaimed that it would have a Top 3 finish and a minimum of 25 medals at the Torino Games in February. Canada fell just short but still exceeded expectations when it won 24 medals – seven gold, 10 silver and seven bronze – to shatter its previous record of 17 set at Salt Lake City in 2002. Only Germany (29) and the United States (25) earned more medals in Italy, a sign that there's greater things to come for Canada when the 2010 Vancouver Olympics roll around.
Story: Canada: Olympic powerhouse?

4. Resilient Oilers push Hurricanes to the brink in Stanley Cup final
Down 3-1 in the Stanley Cup finals, the Edmonton Oilers reeled off two straight wins before succumbing to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 7 on June 19. Though they failed – narrowly – to win their first Stanley Cup in 16 years, the Oilers still managed to capture the hearts of Canadian hockey fans with their grit and determination. Seeded eighth going into the playoffs, Edmonton was the underdog in every series, yet managed to upset Detroit, the NHL's best club, in the first round and beat San Jose and Anaheim before coming within a game of winning the Cup.
Story: Hurricanes beat Oilers in Game 7

5. Operation Slap Shot uncovers NHL betting ring
The NHL suffered a major PR black eye when Phoenix Coyotes assistant coach Rick Tocchet was charged with financing a gambling ring in which current NHL players placed bets. The police investigation, dubbed Operation Slap Shot, into the nationwide sports gambling ring unearthed the processing of more than 1,000 bets, in excess of $1.7 million US, on professional and college sports in the United States – but not NHL hockey. The story took a frenzied turn when Janet Jones, the wife of Phoenix coach Wayne Gretzky, became enmeshed in the scandal.
Story: Wayne Gretzky: 'I've done nothing wrong'

For the second straight year, Steve Nash was the NBA's best. (Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

6. Nash crowned the king of the NBA...again
In May, Victoria's Steve Nash was voted the NBA's most valuable player for the second consecutive season – an amazing feat for a Canadian in a sport historically dominated by Americans. Winning consecutive MVP awards is impressive enough, but in Nash's case, it's especially remarkable – the Phoenix Suns star joined Magic Johnson as the only point guard in NBA history to win back-to-back MVP honours. Nash, 32, is also the first Canadian to be named league MVP and the ninth player overall to win the honour in back-to-back seasons.
Story: Steve Nash repeats as NBA MVP

7. Barbaro suffers horrific injury
Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro had a very a good chance at becoming American horse racing's first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978. But in the early stages of the Preakness Stakes — the second race of the Triple Crown — Barbaro pulled up lame after shattering his ankle. Experts said horses who suffer similar injuries are usuallyeuthanized on the track, but a top veterinarian spent six hours operating on Barbaro, and the three-year-old colt started on down the road to recovery. Barbaro's racing career is over, but he's expected to be released from the hospital in the near future and his recovery has garnered more attention than any race he was ever in.
Story: Barbaro injured in Preakness Stakes

8. Sweden stuns U.S.; wins silver in Olympic women's hockey
Sweden sent shockwaves throughout women's hockey with its "miracle on ice" victory over the United States in the semifinals at the Torino Games and went on to claim the silver medal after being defeated by Canada on Feb. 20. The magnitude of Sweden's accomplishment can't be overstated: Canada and the U.S. had met in the finals of every major tournament in the last 15 years and had never lost to any other team except each other in international competition. Prior to the semifinals, the U.S. had defeated Sweden 25 straight times and held a 102-0-2 record against teams not wearing Canadian jerseys.
Story: Swedish 'Miracle on Ice'

9. Justin Morneau joins Larry Walker in MVP club
Justin Morneau of New Westminster, B.C., first baseman for the Minnesota Twins, made history on Nov. 21 by being named the American League's most valuable player. Morneau, 25, joined Larry Walker as the only Canadians to win baseball's MVP award – Walker was cited by the National League in 1997. Morneau slumped through the first two months of the 2006 campaign, but sported the best batting average (.362) and recorded the most hits (145) in the Majors during the final months of the season to help the Twins win the AL Central crown.
Story: Justin Morneau wins AL MVP

10. Did you hear? Bonds beat the Babe
Barry Bonds clubbed his 715th career home run on May 28 to move past baseball legend Babe Ruth for second place on the all-time list. Under normal circumstances, Bonds' feat would have been celebrated, but the San Francisco Giants slugger's career has been darkened by allegations that he has used performance-enhancing drugs. As a result, the expected buzz around Bonds passing Ruth was muted. Bonds finished the season by bashing his 734th career home run and needs only 22 more to surpass Hank Aaron's all-time record. Will he receive a similar low-key treatment if he beats Aaron's mark next year? Stay tuned.
Story: Bonds passes Ruth on homer list