Felt it was appropriate to christen the 100th post in the long, storied history of "The Other B.S. Report" with my annual column, in which I basically take Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year pick, rip the decision to shreds, and give my 12 Sportsmen of the Month, from each of the 12 calendar months (duh).
But this year's different. For once, I actually agree with SI's pick. Derek Jeter might be getting this award as somewhat of a 'Lifetime Achievement', but you know what? He had an awesome year offensively, he saved his best for last, he won a championship, and most importantly, he embodies everything that is right with sports - and not to mention, he did it in a near-impossible position to do so, as a prominent figure in New York sports. Can't disagree with SI's call one bit.
But is that gonna stop me from doing the 4th annual Sportsman of the Month column???
Here they are: your 2009 SPORTSMEN OF THE MONTH...
January: Larry Fitzgerald
Five games, including the Super and Pro Bowls. 33 catches. 627 yards. Nine - nine! - touchdowns. And he's a nice guy! See, he's just like Jeter. Without the rings and army of gorgeous babes by his side.
February: Rafael Nadal
He won a scintillating Australian Open men's final against Roger Federer, putting everyone on notice that Federer's pursuit and overtaking of Sampras' 14 Grand Slam titles is much like Barry Bonds in the home run race: yeah, you're now the leader, but don't get too comfortable, because you know A-Rod and Rafa will hold those records before long.
March: Team Japan, WBC Champs
Like Nadal, they also won a great championship victory, this time in the World Baseball Classic against bitter, bitter foe South Korea. Stars such as Ichiro and Daisuke Matsuzaka were rare on a roster with just five MLB players.
April: Crazylegs Classic Record-Setters
Cruddy weather wasn't enough to chase away 18,541 crazy souls ... er, noble men and women who braved the elements and completed the Madison, Wisc. course, one of the great annual athletic events in Mad-town not directly involving a certain group of Badgers.
May: Calvin Borel
It might be freezing in December, but let's not forget that horse racing was the "in" thing last spring. The little man who rides horses fast was responsible for that. Borel won the Kentucky Derby (atop 51-1 underdog Mine That Bird) and the Preakness (riding slightly-less underdogish Rachel Alexandria.)
June: Ed Thomas
A legendary football coach out of Aplington-Parkersburg High in Iowa, Thomas was tragically shot down by a former player in his own weight room, putting a perspective-ridden spell on the entire 2009 football season. Thomas' impact was felt on such a widespread scale that he graced the cover of Sports Illustrated just weeks after his death.
July: Roger Federer
For setting the all-time record with 15 Grand Slams. Until Nadal shows he can stay healthy and win majors consistently the same way Federer has, Roger is officially the greatest tennis player in history. The sickest statistic that people don't know about, besides those 15 titles, is making 22 consecutive Grand Slam semifinals.
Let me repeat that in all caps and bolded font for you. ROGER FEDERER HAS MADE TWENTY-TWO CONSECUTIVE GRAND SLAM SEMIFINALS. That, to me, is even greater than the Yankees' 27 championships or the Braves' 14 straight division titles. Making 22 straight Grand Slam semifinals would be like, I don't know, the Lakers playing in 12 straight NBA Finals, or Tiger Woods placing in the top five in 15 straight majors or Michael Phelps winning eight golds a piece at four different Olympic Games and never losing a single important race. It's that dominant. The tennis world will be shocked the next time Roger loses before the quarterfinals.
August: Danny Macaskill
He just had a sick video. Here, I'll post it again. Needless to say, August was a slow sports month.
