Sports Figures of the Year

In the past few days, we've had Barbara Walters' final "Most Fascinating People of the Year" special, as well as Peyton Manning's selection as Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year.  That got me thinking about the year in sports and what sports figures truly had the biggest, most compelling, or most newsworthy stories of the year.  And believe me, there were plenty to choose from.  But I've compiled a list of the 13 individuals who I think stand out the most, for a number of reasons...

13. Diana Nyad, Marathon Swimmer: The only woman on my list, Nyad gets the nod over Andy Murray for my final spot.  She made history by swimming unaided from Cuba to Florida in September.  While not strictly a "sports" moment, what she did was certainly a monumental athletic achievement, and it was one that transcended sports.  That's why I think she absolutely qualifies as one of the top "Sports Figures of the Year."

12. Oscar Pistorius, Paralympic Sprinter: In 2012, Pistorius was all over the news because he represented South Africa at both the Olympics and Paralympics.  In 2013, he was all over the news for a totally different reason.  Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend on Valentine's Day and is still claiming "self-defense."  (How he thinks anybody is stupid enough to believe that is a different question.)  It completely changed the public perception of the "Blade Runner," as well as raising questions about the South African legal system.  This is the O.J. trial for a new generation, and this story will continue to make headlines throughout the 2014 murder trial.

11. Lance Armstrong, Retired Cyclist: After all these years, and a scathing USADA report, Lance Armstrong finally admitted to years of blood doping and performance-enhancing drug use, including all seven of his Tour de France victories.  For many, it was confirmation of what they long suspected.  For others, his admission (on a made-for-TV special) wasn't nearly enough.  I'm still not sure how I feel.  I was among the supporters who was duped for so long and now feels like a fool.  But I also agree with claims he made in last week's ESPN The Magazine that he was singled-out because people didn't like him.  I also think that once some time passes, Lance Armstrong can be a very valuable tool in cleaning up a long-dirty sport that desperately needs some healing.

10. Tim McCarver, MLB Broadcaster: I start the Top 10 with a selection that might seem a little out-of-the-blue.  But Tim McCarver's retirement was certainly a big story, if not the biggest, in sports media this year.  "Who will replace him?" became a season-long question that still hasn't been answered.  Love him or hate him, watching a baseball game without Tim McCarver will be very different.  And all of the various tributes to McCarver during the season were very touching and heart-felt.

9. Mariano Rivera, Yankees Pitcher: Then there was the Mariano Rivera Farewell Tour.  One of the classiest men ever to play the game went out in a very classy way, with nothing but respect and admiration from fans in every stop along the way.  There were the Hollywood Mo-ments (the standing ovation and MVP award at the All*Star Game top the list), even if there wasn't a Hollywood ending (although Derek Jeter and Andy Pettitte removing him from his final game was perfect, and something I'll never forget).  The last man to wear No. 42 deserved every minute of it, too.

8. BCS Commissioners: I grouped them all together because I didn't think it would be fair to single-out just one.  The BCS may be in its final season, but the entire landscape of college sports has been changed because if it.  Conference realignment (and the dissolution of the original Big East), massive TV contracts, potentially an entirely new business model.  These are all a direct result of the BCS conferences.  And we're probably in for more.  Especially if the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC get the additional autonomy within the NCAA that they're seeking.

7. Roger Goddell, NFL Commissioner: Of all the NFL-related stories this year, one man was at the center of them: the commissioner.  From the concussion lawsuit to the New York Super Bowl to Beyoncé making the lights go out to every player-discipline case, Goddell's stamp is firmly all over the NFL, which has maintained its status as the king of American team sports.  This position easily could've gone to Richie Incognito and/or Jonathan Martin, but even in that situation, who was at the forefront?  That's right.  Roger Goddell.

6. Vladimir Putin, Russian President: He's not a sports figure, so why is the President of Russia on this list?  Well, it's because he had as much of an impact on the sports world as any athlete in 2013.  Russia passed a controversial "anti-gay" law earlier this year.  The law has plenty of critics, some of the most outspoken of which competed at the World Track & Field Championships in Moscow in August.  More importantly, with the Sochi Olympics coming up in February, there are plenty of concerns about discrimination against athletes and fans who travel to Russia for the Games.

5. Alex Rodriguez, Yankees Third Baseman: The poster boy of MLB's war against PEDs, A-Rod was nailed the hardest when punishments were handed down in the Biogenesis case, but he was the only one to appeal.  I'm not saying anything about my opinion on that suspension, but he was well within his rights to appeal it, which is why I think the reaction that he got from players and fans while playing through his appeal was completely ridiculous.  We still don't know how the whole thing is going to play out, and the lawsuit against MLB seems a bit frivolous, but whatever the ultimate decision is will be significant in this landmark case.

4. Peyton Manning, Broncos Quarterback: Sports Illustrated had him at No. 1, put I only have Peyton at No. 4.  I'm not saying he's undeserving of Sportsman of the Year honors, but I personally feel there are three other sports figures who had a bigger impact in 2013.  As for Peyton, he's having one of his best years yet, one of potentially historic proportions.  He started it by throwing an NFL-record seven TD passes on opening night, has led the Broncos to the best record in the AFC, will probably break the touchdown record, and is the likely MVP.  All with the same class that has defined his entire career.  As for the reports of Peyton Manning being done, they were greatly exaggerated.

3. Thomas Bach, IOC President: In September, the German Bach was elected to perhaps the most powerful position in international sports.  The first Olympic gold medalist to become IOC President, he inherits a very healthy Olympic movement that's in great shape.  He wants to make plenty of changes, though, most notably streamlining the bid process, as well as reviewing the process by which sports are added to/removed from the program.  He also wants to start an Olympic TV network.  Then there's the Olympics themselves.  And Bach has had to deal with plenty of fallout regarding the new Russian law leading up to the Sochi Games, his first as President.

2. David Ortiz, Red Sox DH: While I never have been, never will be, and never can be a fan of David Ortiz, my respect for him grew tremendously in 2013.  First, there was his speech at the Red Sox' first home game after the Boston Marathon tragedy, when he summed up the feelings of the entire city in five simple words: "This is our effing city!"  Then he carried the team throughout the season and all the way through the playoffs.  And in the World Series, when they trailed 2-1 and were losing Game 4, there was that dugout speech that rallied the team together and sparked the comeback.  Oh yeah, and he was more locked-in during the World Series than I've ever seen from anyone before.

1. Jason Collins, NBA Forward: To me, the narrative-changing storyline in all of sports that came out in 2013 was a literal coming out.  That of Jason Collins in a Sports Illustrated cover story in April.  When Collins publicly announced that he's gay, he became the first active athlete in a men's team sport to do so.  It was a complete game-changer.  He received an incredible outpouring of support, and his announcement proved, if nothing else, that America was finally ready to accept an openly gay professional athlete.  In the days, weeks and months following Collins' announcement, a number other gay athletes to come out.  Somebody needed to be the first, and he made it OK for the rest of them to get that burden off their chests.  It's no longer a stigma.  Or something that needs to be hidden.  Because sexuality has nothing to do with athletic ability.  We can all thank Jason Collins for helping us realize that.

The great thing about lists like this is that they're completely subjective.  These are my Top 13 Sports Figures of 2013.  Yours might be different.  That's the beauty of it.  But in my eyes, there's no debate.  In a year where gay rights were in the news for a number of reasons, Jason Collins stands out.  Not just because he came out, but because of the courage it took for him to make the announcement, and how comfortable he was about it.  I really admire that.