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Cress Pass: The best and worst of ’08 in sports

By Kenny Cress/Staff Writer

Here are some assorted thoughts and ramblings to start 2009.

First, a belated thank you, and best wishes for the New Year and beyond, to all the stat keepers who helped me do my job last year — and in years past. There are far, far too many of you to single out here, but your contributions are valuable and you know who you are.

Thanks again, and those of you who are high school seniors — keep fighting that good fight against senioritis.

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Now, we move to nominations for some of the best and worst the sports world in 2008 had to offer. You can send in those nominations to kcress@times

pressrecorder.com or phone 739-2237 with them. Your vote will be valued and appreciated. Selected responses will be printed in a column in the very near future, with a summary of the winning nominee in each category. I’d love to hear from you.

Categories are:

National Story of the Year: Michael Phelps winning eight Olympic swimming gold medals? Something else? I’d lean toward the Associated Press Story of the Year, which is Phelps’ Olympics. If you have another selection in mind, though, please send it along.

Turkey of the Year: Roger Clemens. Plaxico Burress. O.J. Simpson, among others. There’s no shortage of worthy candidates.

Most Inspirational Story: Western Oregon senior Sara Tucholsky hit her first career home run in this softball game, then collapsed in a heap at first base with what a school trainer believed was a torn ACL. Mallory Holtman and Liz Wallace of opposing Central Washington picked her up and carried her around the infield so Tucholsky could touch each base with her foot and the homer would stand.

That episode won a 2008 ESPY Award for Great Sportsmanship. It was one inspirational story for 2008. Former Buffalo Bill Kevin Everett, in a wheelchair after taking a hit in a 2007 game, is walking again. That’s another gripping story. There were others. Nominations, please.

Most Underachieving Pro Franchise: Some VERY worthy candidates here, though I lean toward the Dallas Cowboys.

After all that Super Bowl hype, and all that money spent to build the squad that got that hype, America’s Team goes 9-7 with a 44-6 wipeout at Philadelphia to end the season. Happy new year, Jerry Jones.

Best Reversal of Fortune: The San Diego Chargers were 4-8, including having a deserved win taken from them thanks to a blown referee’s call. They won their final four games to make the playoffs. They’d be a good choice. There are others out there.

Best Underdog: The Tampa Bay Devil Rays may run away with this one, but there may be other good candidates out there.

Best comeback: Josh Hamilton turned to religion, broke his crack cocaine addiction and was an All-Star with the Texas Rangers this past baseball season. Any other candidates in mind?

Those are the categories. As I said, I’d love to here from you.

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Here are some poll questions to mull over. I’ll publish selected responses to these, too.

1. Who will win the Super Bowl this year?

2. Florida and Oklahoma will play for the BCS Championship. Are they the two most deserving teams in the title game?

3. Will this be the year Brett Favre retires?

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Finally ... As a San Francisco 49ers fan, I say a big “Thanks,” to the organization for keeping Mike Singletary as the team’s head coach. Singletary deserved to be retained as coach, but I was wondering if the 49ers’ higher-ups would do the right thing. They did.

Happy New Year, everyone.

kcress@timesprsesrecorder.com