Tiger Woods will win the Masters in 2013, the fifth of his career. (Photo: Debby Wong, USA TODAY Sports) Story Highlights - Where will Dwight Howard, Chip Kelly and others wind up?
- Ray Lewis won't retire, but other NFL greats will
College basketball
- Two teams from mid-major conferences make the men's basketball Final Four.
- The NCAA announces that a future Final Four will be held at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
- Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim retires.
College football
- At least two head coaches are hired to coach NFL teams.
- The Pac-12 has five teams in the final top 25 and is the nation's strongest league.
- Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel wins another Heisman trophy — but not in 2013.
Golf
- Tiger Woods wins the Masters.
- The players of the year on the PGA and LPGA tours are a couple of different faces, Dustin Johnson and Paula Creamer.
- Rory McIlroy keeps his No. 1 ranking, though the margin is narrow.
MLB
- Teams that paid big dollars for massive change (Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Angels) struggle. Meanwhile, teams painstakingly built through player development (Baltimore Orioles, Oakland A's, Washington Nationals) again overachieve.
- New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera comes back from a season-ending knee injury to add at least 20 saves to his record career total.
- Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds makes a serious run at a Triple Crown, a feat accomplished last season by the Detroit Tigers' Miguel Cabrera.
Ronda Rousey and women's mixed martial arts is an investment the UFC feels is worth making. (Photo: Neil Davidson, AP) MMA
- The UFC embraces its upstart women's division as newly crowned champion Ronda Rousey and challenger Liz Carmouche bring new fans to February's UFC 157.
- Some of the year's biggest fights shift to free TV. While pay-per-view will always be the cash cow, the UFC boosts the quality and depth of its cards on Fox .
- One top regional promotion — Legacy FC, XFC, RFA, Invicta FC or a similarly positioned fight organization — takes the spot vacated by the UFC-owned Strikeforce and thrives on Showtime.
NASCAR
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins multiple races, make the Chase for the Sprint Cup and finally win the championship.
- Drivers follows in Brad Keselowski's Twitter footsteps, pushing the envelope in social media interaction with fans. Clint Bowyer is the first to get fined by NASCAR for inappropriate tweets.
- Danica Patrick wins a Nationwide race, but not a Sprint Cup race in her full-time debut on that series.
NBA
- Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant wins his first MVP award.
- Center Dwight Howard weighs his options, including joining the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets or Atlanta Hawks, before signing with with the Los Angeles Lakers.
- The Washington Wizards win the top pick in the NBA draft and select Kentucky center Nerlens Noel.
NHL
- Owners and players reach an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement that will save a partial season.
- Seth Jones, the son of former NBA player Popeye Jones, is the first African American to be selected No. 1 overall in the draft.
- Brendan Shanahan steps down as the NHL's discipline czar to become president and/or general manager of an NHL team.
NFL
- With the first pick in the draft, the Kansas City Chiefs select Geno Smith, quarterback, West Virginia. Many will argue that a player who dropped out of the Heisman Trophy race isn't worthy of being picked No. 1 overall. But the success of the 2012 rookie quarterback crop will help his stock.
- The Philadelphia Eagles try to lure Chip Kelly to replace Andy Reid, but the Oregon coach chooses to stay on the West Coast and take the San Diego Chargers job.
- Brian Urlacher, Ed Reed and Tony Gonzalez retire, while Ray Lewis returns for an 18th season with the Baltimore Ravens.
Tennis
- Serena Williams adds two majors, upping her career total to 17, one short of Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert.
- Rafael Nadal comes back strong — he hasn't played an official match since Wimbledon — adding his eighth French Open crown and his third Wimbledon title.
- The U.S. men's record drought at majors, at 36 in a row, continues. INo American man will even reach a major quarterfinal.
The Bulls' Derrick Rose collapses to the floor in Game 1 of an NBA playoff game against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 28, 2012.
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The "not impressed" face McKayla Maroney made after winning a silver medal on vault endures as one of the most memorable images of the London Olympics.
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To the delight of fans, Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III jumps into the stands after scoring a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings.
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Bubba Watson's incredible hooking shot out of the rough on the second sudden death playoff hole lead to his 2012 Masters win in April.
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The USA's Alex Morgan celebrates with teammates after scoring the winning goal in extra time against Canada in the semifinals during the London 2012 Olympic Games.
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Fans of the Knicks' Jeremy Lin show excitement during a home game against the Los Angeles Lakers in February, during the height of Linsanity.
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Xiang Liu kisses a hurdle after competing the mens 110m hurdles heats during the London 2012 Olympic Games. Liu crashed with an Achilles injury during the heat.
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Serena Williams leaps for joy after capturing the women's singles title at Wimbledon.
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Victor Cruz caps his incredible breakout season with a Super Bowl ring.
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The image of South Carolina's Marcus Lattimore being carted off the field after a horrifying knee injury will no doubt linger with college football fans.
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Sergio Romo of the San Francisco Giants celebrates striking out Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers in the tenth inning to win the World Series in four straight games.
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Felix Baumgartner jumps out of a capsule more than 24 miles above the Earth during the final manned flight for Red Bull Stratos. Baumgartner shattered the sound barrier while making the highest, fastest jump ever.
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Gymnast Gabrielle Douglas performs on the balance beam during the women's individual all-around competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Douglas won the gold medal.
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Jonathan Quick, goalie for the Los Angeles Kings, smiles with his daughter next to the Conne Smythe Trophy for the Most Valuable Player in the NHL Playoffs after the Kings defeated the New Jersey Devils to win the Stanley Cup.
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San Diego State guard Chase Tapley sets to shoot as Syracuse defends during a college basketball game on the deck of the USS Midway.
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A double rainbow shines over AT&T park during the first inning between the San Francisco Giants and the Arizona Diamondbacks on September 5, 2012.
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(14) Replacement refs: The NFL’s moment of the year was the “MNF” debacle.
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South Africa's Oscar Pistorius crosses the line to win gold in the men's 400m final at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
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In a hotly anticipated match, Manny Pacquaio falls in stunning defeat to Juan Manuel Marquez.
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A pitch invader embraces Lionel Messi during the la Liga match between FC Barcelona and Club Atletico de Madrid at Camp Nou stadium on December 16, 2012.
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New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady leaps into the endzone for the game-winning touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship game.
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Sarah Attar became Saudi Arabia's first female Olympian. She competed in the 800m.
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Miami Heat forward LeBron James reflects with his sons in Miami on December 15, the day after the Sandy Hook tragedy.
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R.A. Dickey waves to the fans after recording his 20th win of the season.
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After a Super Bowl loss, Tom Brady is comforted by his wife Gisele Bundchen before facing the media.
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