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Most Dominant Sports Performances Of The Decade (PHOTOS)

2009-12-28T03:00:13Z

With the decade coming to a close, we've looked back at the most dominant sports performances since 2000. Check out our top contenders below, and email us with people we missed: sports@huffingtonpost.com.

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Redskins Revenues Highest Of Any U.S. Pro Sports Team

2009-12-28T02:32:06Z

As the Redskins close out a decade of losing, one thing is undeniable: off the field, the team has been a roaring success. The Washington Redskins make more money than any other professional sports franchise in the United States. Their estimated annual revenue is $345 million, according to Forbes. Their closest contender, the New York Yankees, bring in somewhere around $320 million a year--but the Yankees bring home championships, 27 and counting.

Tom Benson Celebration VIDEO: Saints Owner Celebrates Prematurely

2009-12-28T02:18:12Z

(SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO)

The New Orleans Saints had a chance to win their game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers late in the four quarter yesterday. With nine seconds left on the clock, Saints kicker Garrett Hatley attempted to break a tie with a 37-yard field goal. The kick hooked to the left, costing the team an opportunity to seal a 14th win, but this development was not noticed by team owner Tom Benson. The Saints owner began to celebrate and hug his guests in the owner's box before discovering that his team was on its way to overtime against its downtrodden division foe.

As it turns out, the lowly Bucs took control in overtime and upset the Saints with a 47-yard field goal, likely ruining Benson's day and rendering his premature celebration all the more untimely. Of course, Benson is not the only NFL owner to embark on a regrettable journey toward the end of a game this year. In October, Titans owner Bud Adams gave the finger to Bills fans, a gesture that wound up costing him $250,000. Scroll down for video and screenshots of Benson's episode.

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Cowboys vs. Redskins: Dallas Clinches Playoff Spot With Win At Washington

2009-12-27T23:55:40Z

LANDOVER, Md. — The Dallas Cowboys returned to the playoffs Sunday night, dominating their 100th meeting with the Washington Redskins and setting up an NFC East title showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Tony Romo threw for 286 yards, Jason Witten had a career-long 69-yard reception to set up a score, and the defense pitched the rivalry's first shutout in six years in a 17-0 win over the Redskins.

49ers vs. Lions: Niners Cruise, Defeat Detroit 20-6

2009-12-27T23:50:38Z

SAN FRANCISCO — Frank Gore scored on a 1-yard run and topped the 1,000-yard mark for the fourth straight year, and the San Francisco 49ers moved within one win of avoiding a seventh straight losing season by beating the Detroit Lions 20-6 Sunday.

Alex Smith threw a touchdown pass to Vernon Davis and the Niners (7-8) forced six turnovers to close out the home season with a victory. San Francisco was eliminated from playoff contention with a loss last week at Philadelphia, but still can end its string of losing seasons by winning at St. Louis.

Cardinals vs. Rams: Arizona Shuts Down St. Louis, 31-10

2009-12-27T23:47:40Z

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Kurt Warner again reminded the St. Louis Rams of the remarkable passer who once was their No. 13.

The 38-year-old quarterback threw for 196 of his 313 yards in the second quarter and the Arizona Cardinals went on to beat the Rams for the seventh time in a row 31-10 on Sunday.

COLTS LOSE: Jets Top Indy, End Record Streak

2009-12-27T22:12:58Z

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts kept saying a perfect season didn't matter.

They meant it.

Browns vs. Raiders: Cleveland Beats Oakland For Third Straight WIn

2009-12-27T17:10:05Z

CLEVELAND — Eric Mangini has given Cleveland's new boss more to chew on.

Jerome Harrison had 148 yards rushing and the Browns won their third straight, 23-9 over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, extending a surprising streak that Mangini can use to strengthen his case to Mike Holmgren that he deserves to remain Cleveland's coach.

Falcons vs. Bills: Atlanta Dominates Buffalo, Wins 31-3

2009-12-27T17:06:43Z

ATLANTA — Matt Ryan threw three touchdown passes, including a 42-yarder to Roddy White on Atlanta's first play from scrimmage, and the Falcons were never challenged in their 31-3 win over Terrell Owens and the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

Owens became the sixth player in NFL history with 1,000 career receptions. He reached the milestone with an 8-yard pass from Brian Brohm in the second quarter.

Steelers vs. Ravens: Pittsburgh Tops Baltimore, 23-20

2009-12-27T16:58:48Z

PITTSBURGH — Jeff Reed's 38-yard field goal put Pittsburgh ahead with 5:25 remaining and the Steelers finally managed to hold a fourth-quarter lead, beating division rival Baltimore 23-20 on Sunday to remain in playoff contention and further jumble the AFC postseason race.

The Steelers (8-7), their season seemingly ended by a late-season five-game losing streak, won their second in a row and will go into the final weekend of the season with a chance to sneak into the playoffs if they win at Miami and get some help.

Texans vs. Dolphins: Houston Beats Miami 27-20

2009-12-27T16:47:08Z

MIAMI — By the second quarter, the Houston Texans were running up the score. By the fourth quarter, they were struggling to run out the clock.

Houston raced to an early 27-point lead Sunday, then held on to beat the Miami Dolphins 27-20.

Bucs vs. Saints: Buccaneers Stun New Orleans In OT, 20-17

2009-12-27T16:43:55Z

NEW ORLEANS — The moment Garrett Hartley's foot drove through the ball, the Louisiana Superdome crowd erupted and Saints owner Tom Benson raised his arms in triumph.

The presumption was that these Saints, in this magical season, were going to pull out another win in the clutch.

Packers vs. Seahawks: Green Bay Demolishes Seattle, 48-10

2009-12-27T16:34:02Z

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers are going back to the playoffs, forcing four interceptions by Matt Hasselbeck to beat the Seattle Seahawks 48-10 on Sunday – then getting a big boost from the Carolina Panthers.

Sunday's victory, combined with the New York Giants' blowout loss to Carolina, put the Packers (10-5) back in the postseason after going 6-10 last season and getting off to a disappointing 4-4 start this year. The Panthers beat the Giants 41-9.

Bengals vs. Chiefs: Cincinnati Edges Kansas City, Wins AFC North

2009-12-27T16:17:58Z

CINCINNATI — Five days after burying a teammate, the wrung-out Bengals had barely enough to win a title.

Carson Palmer's touchdown pass to Chad Ochocinco completed a 98-yard drive in the closing minutes Sunday, sending Cincinnati to a 17-10 victory that secured the AFC North championship at the end of a rough week.

Panthers vs. Giants: Carolina Embarrasses New York, 41-9

2009-12-27T16:11:25Z

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Matt Moore and the Carolina Panthers turned the New York Giants' farewell to Giants Stadium into one of their ugliest moments in franchise history.

Playing in front of Lawrence Taylor – possibly their greatest player – and knowing they still had a shot at a fifth straight playoff berth, the Giants (8-7) embarrassed themselves against the Panthers, a team with nothing at stake. Moore threw three touchdown passes, Jonathan Stewart rushed for a career-best 206 yards and the Panthers (7-8) shredded New York's defense with scores on six of their first seven possessions in a 41-9 victory before a disgusted final sellout crowd Sunday.

Patriots vs Jaguars: Pats Destroy Jags, 35-7

2009-12-27T15:53:54Z

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tom Brady and his teammates reached the playoffs with a performance worthy of the once dominant Patriots.

Brady threw four touchdown passes, three to Randy Moss, and the young defense put together its third straight solid game as New England beat Jacksonville 35-7 on Sunday, further dimming the Jaguars' slim postseason chances.

Most Gruesome Sports Injuries

2009-12-26T12:49:43Z

Athletes are always putting themselves and their bodies on the line in the name of pride, glory and victory, but sometimes their bodies breakdown. Or, in some cases, they suffer terribly gruesome injuries at the hands of others.

Chargers vs. Titans: San Diego Crushes Tennessee, 42-17

2009-12-25T22:43:01Z

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The San Diego Chargers have their first-round bye, and Philip Rivers is still perfect in December.

Tennessee's bid for NFL history? The Titans lost that right along with their postseason dream, looking like a throwback to the team that started the season 0-6.

Sports Stadium Boom Adds To Municipal Woes As Revenue Plunges

2009-12-25T01:33:38Z

From New Jersey to Ohio to Arizona, the stadiums were sold as a key to redevelopment and as the only way to retain sports franchises. But the deals that were used to persuade taxpayers to finance their construction have in many cases backfired, the result of overly optimistic revenue assumptions and the recession.

Albert Haynesworth, Brandon Jacobs Fined By NFL

2009-12-24T23:56:34Z

Click HERE for video of the fight.

(AP) NEW YORK — Washington Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth has been fined $10,000 by the NFL and New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs has been hit for $7,500.

The players were fined Thursday for an altercation late in New York's 45-12 victory at Washington. Haynesworth struck Jacobs after a play ended and Jacobs struck back.

Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall also was involved, but was not fined.

"I guess they did it, but that was expected," Jacobs said of the fines.

The league also fined Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Kevin Williams $5,000 on Thursday for a tackle at the knees on Carolina Panthers quarterback Matt Moore.

Sports Deaths Of 2009 (PHOTOS)

2009-12-24T11:33:08Z

(SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOS)

(AP) Sports in 2009 looked down the barrel of a gun.

From Tennessee to Georgia to Nicaragua, gunfire crackled in July. The causes differed -- a romance gone wrong, a robbery botched, a self-inflicted wound -- but the outcome did not. A gun was the weapon of choice, and all were dead: a former star quarterback and two ex-boxing champions.

Steve McNair was dozing on his sofa in his Nashville condo one weekend when his 20-year-old girlfriend shot him four times. McNair was married with four sons. Police say the woman, Sahel Kazemi, was "spinning out of control" and suspected McNair was seeing someone else. The carnage did not end there. Kazemi turned the semiautomatic pistol on herself.

McNair was 36 and had left the NFL a year earlier. He spent 13 seasons in the league and was the heart of the Tennessee Titans. His closing drive in the 23-16 loss to St. Louis in the 2000 Super Bowl was one of the most riveting finishes in the history of the title game. He was a Pro Bowl player four times. He shared the MVP award in 2003. McNair was fierce on the field and generous off it.

"I'm going to miss you, No. 9," Titans coach Jeff Fisher said.

Vernon Forrest grew up in Georgia and fought in the 1992 Olympics with Oscar De La Hoya. He became a three-time champion and was the first to beat Shane Mosley. His manager said he was at a gas station when approached for money. Atlanta police said the 38-year-old boxer exchanged gunfire with two robbery suspects and was shot several times in the back. In a sport where bravado rules, Forrest had been known for his modesty and keeping the volume low.

"I viewed Vernon as a great competitor in the ring and an even greater man outside the ring," De La Hoya said.

Weeks earlier, Alexis Arguello was found dead at his home in Managua, the city where he was elected mayor a year earlier. Investigators said a single gunshot wound to the chest pointed to suicide. Arguello was dead at 57 after a career in which he galvanized boxing fans. He won titles in three divisions. His two bouts with Aaron Pryor in the early 1980s were pulsating, brawling tests of will.

"Those were great fights we had," Pryor said. "This was a great champion."

Boxing is brutal every year, but especially so this time. In July, former champion Arturo Gatti died at 37 at a Brazilian resort. Police initially suspected his wife but later determined Gatti hanged himself. Months later, in a grisly parallel, Darren Sutherland, who won a boxing bronze medal for Ireland at the Beijing Olympics, was found hanged at his home.

The sport also lost Ingemar Johansson at 76. The Swede jolted boxing by knocking out Floyd Patterson to win the heavyweight title in 1959. Greg Page, another heavyweight champ, died at 50 of complications from a brain injury during a 2001 fight. Jose Torres, the inspirational light heavyweight champ from Puerto Rico who became a writer, died at 72.

Baseball could fill a lineup card with its departed from 2009: On the mound, Nick Adenhart, Mark Fidrych, Carl Willey and Tom Sturdivant throw to Johnny Blanchard behind the plate. George Kell, Whitey Lockman and Woodie Held make the plays in the infield, while "Old Reliable" Tommy Henrich roams the outfield with Dom DiMaggio and Dusty Rhodes. Herman Franks, Preston Gomez and Danny Ozark direct the moves from the dugout, with Carl Pohlad watching from the owner's box.

Carl Pohlad

And Harry Kalas announces from the booth that the ball is "outta here!"

The promise of youth resonated with the deaths of Adenhart and Fidrych, days apart in April. Fidrych brought a burst of life to the game. He was Rookie of the Year in 1976 for the Tigers, talking to the ball and smoothing the mound with his hands. Nothing was the same after that season, injuries exacting a toll. He died at 54, suffocated in an accident while working under a dump truck in Massachusetts.

Adenhart was a 22-year-old rookie for the Angels, having finally made it to the big leagues. Hours after throwing six scoreless innings, he was killed in a car crash. His death became a rallying point for his teammates all the way to the postseason, his jersey with the team every day.

"It makes you take into consideration that not every day is promised," Angels pitcher Jared Weaver said. "And you have to go out there, every out, and give it everything you have."

Chicago Bulls fans had a rough day on Feb. 26. They learned of the deaths of former coach and broadcaster Johnny Kerr at 76 and Norm Van Lier, 61, one of NBA's best defensive players in the 1970s.

Randy Smith, a blindingly fast guard, died at 60. Marvin Webster, the shot-blocking "Human Eraser," was gone at 56. College basketball coach Kay Yow's gallant fight with cancer was over at 66. The NBA said goodbye to two owners: Bill Davidson of the Pistons and Abe Pollin of the Wizards, whose name he changed from the Bullets because of the ties to violence.

Kay Yow

Bill Davidson

Abe Pollin

Wayman Tisdale, the former Oklahoma All-American who spent a dozen years in the NBA before shifting rhythms and becoming a jazz musician, died at 44.

"He was the nicest man in the world with the biggest heart and an even bigger smile," former Pacers teammate Reggie Miller said.

In football, Jack Kemp, the star Buffalo Bills quarterback who went on to a life in national politics, died at 73. Doc Blanchard, the 1945 Heisman Trophy winner and Army's Mr. Inside, was 84. Lou Saban had one of the fullest resumes in sports - the longtime NFL and college coach and New York Yankees president died at 87.

Jack Kemp

The Detroit Lions mourned former coach Monte Clark, 72, and Hall of Fame lineman Lou Creekmur, 82. Forest Evashevski, the former Michigan star who coached Iowa to two Rose Bowl victories in the 1950s, was 91. Dante Lavelli, the receiver who helped the Cleveland Browns build a post-World War II dynasty, was 85.

Jasper Howard and Chris Henry didn't see old age. Howard, a 20-year-old cornerback for Connecticut, was stabbed during a fight outside a school dance. Henry, the Cincinnati Bengals receiver, died at 26 near the year's end, falling from a pickup truck during what police said was a dispute with his fiancee.

NCAA president Myles Brand, who tried to contain the "arms race" in college sports but might be best remembered for firing Bob Knight while at Indiana, died of pancreatic cancer at 67.

Tennis lost a giant in Jack Kramer at 88. He won Wimbledon in 1947 and the forerunner of the U.S. Open in 1946 and '47. He went on to promote the sport for more than a half century, an industry unto himself.

In horse racing, Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel died at 68, running his stables while concealing his cancer from most of his colleagues. The race also ended for two Kentucky Derby winners: Alysheba (1987) and Lil E. Tee (1992).

Reggie Fleming, who played a gritty 12 seasons in the NHL, died at 73. The New York Times reported he had had brain damage stemming from repeated head trauma, linking hockey for the first time to a condition usually found in boxers.

Germany was shaken by the suicide of Robert Enke, the 32-year-old national goalkeeper who stepped in front of a train. Toni Sailer, the mighty Austrian skier who won three gold medals at the 1956 Olympics, died at 73.

This year also marked the last swings for Jerry Sacharski at 93. He was the architect of T-ball, introducing baseball to millions of kids. Sacharski also taught public school in Michigan and coached high school baseball.

"Everything that he did," son Will Sacharski said, "the purpose was to teach something."

___

Contributing to this report were Associated Press Writers Lucas L. Johnson II in Nashville, Tenn.; Jonathan Landrum Jr. in Atlanta; Filadelfo Aleman in Managua, Nicarauga; and James Prichard in Albion, Mich.

Olin Kreutz Career With Chicago Bears Seems To Be Ending

2009-12-24T08:58:55Z

If general manager Jerry Angelo wasn't afraid to take linebacker Brian Urlacher to task for talking about how the offense had lost its identity, it's reasonable to assume he would have scolded Olin Kreutz after the veteran center was critical of the organization after the team's eighth loss in 10 games.

Brett Favre: Brad Childress Feud Is 'Resolved'

2009-12-23T17:19:42Z

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — Brad Childress and Brett Favre talked twice this week about moving forward from their animated disagreement on the Minnesota sideline last week over the coach's suggestion his grizzled quarterback should come out of the game.

Conflict over?

Michael Vick Wins Courage Award

2009-12-23T13:12:05Z

PHILADELPHIA — Michael Vick's peers appreciate his tough journey back to the NFL.

Vick won the Ed Block Courage Award, voted on by his teammates on the Philadelphia Eagles. The once-disgraced star quarterback returned to the league after spending 18 months in a federal prison for his role in a dogfighting ring.