Year in Sports: 2012

In this Aug. 2, 2012, photo, U.S. gymnast Gabrielle Douglas performs on the balance beam during the artistic gymnastics women's individual all-around competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Douglas won the gold medal.

In this Aug. 5, 2012, photo, Jamaica's Usain Bolt crosses the finish line to win gold in the men's 100-meter final during the athletics in the Olympic Stadium at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

The San Francisco Giants celebrate winning Game Four of the World Series at Comerica Park on Oct. 28, 2012, in Detroit, Mich. The Giants swept the series over the Detroit Tigers, 4-0.

In this June 30, 2012, photo, Andy Murray of Britain struggles to try and return a shot to Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus during a third round men's singles match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon, England.

In this Aug 5, 2012, photo, South Africa's Oscar Pistorius starts in the men's 400-meter semifinal during the athletics in the Olympic Stadium at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Pistorius became the first double leg amputee to participate in the Olympics.

In this Aug. 31, 2012, photo, Spain's Xabi Torres jumps next to his prosthesis as he leaves the swimming pool after training ahead of the competition at the 2012 Paralympics Olympics in London.

In this July 22, 2012, photo, Bradley Wiggins, winner of the 2012 Tour de France cycling race, celebrates as he crosses the finish line of the last stage of the the Tour de France over 74.6 miles with start in Rambouillet and finish in Paris, France.

In this Oct. 14, 2012, photo provided by Red Bull Stratos, pilot Felix Baumgartner of Austria jumps out of the capsule during the final manned flight for Red Bull Stratos. In a giant leap from more than 24 miles up, Baumgartner shattered the sound barrier while making the highest jump ever with a tumbling, death-defying plunge from a balloon to a safe landing in the New Mexico desert.

Graham Hughes,AP Photo/The Canadian Press

Lance Armstrong speaks to delegates at the World Cancer Congress in Montreal Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012. The cycling's world governing body, the UCI, ratified the United States Anti-Doping Agency's decision to ban Armstrong from cycling for life and to strip him of his seven Tour de France titles for doping offenses.

Eli Manning holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy — Getty Images/Al Bello

Eli Manning (10) of the New York Giants holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy during the New York Giants' ticker tape victory parade down the Canyon of Heros on Feb. 7, 2012 in New York City. The Giants defeated the New England Patriots 21-17 in Super Bowl XLVI at Lucas Oil Stadium on Feb. 5, 2012 in Indianapolis.

Alabama's AJ McCarron celebrates after the BCS National Championship college football game against LSU, Jan. 9, 2012, in New Orleans. Alabama won 21-0.

In this April 2, 2012, photo, Kentucky's Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (14) celebrates in front of Kansas' Tyshawn Taylor at the end of the NCAA Final Four tournament college basketball championship game in New Orleans. Kentucky won 67-59.

Dustin Brown holds up the Stanley Cup — AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

Los Angeles Kings right wing Dustin Brown (23) holds up the Stanley Cup after the Kings beat the New Jersey Devils 6-1 during Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals, June 11, 2012, in Los Angeles.

NBA legend Bill Russell presents the most valuable player award to the Miami Heat's LeBron James (6) after Game 5 of the NBA finals basketball series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, June 22, 2012, in Miami. The Heat won 121-106 to become the 2012 NBA Champions.

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland holds up the Wanamaker Trophy after winning the 94th PGA Championship at the Ocean Course on Aug. 12, 2012, in Kiawah Island, S.C. McIlroy was voted PGA Tour player of the year after winning four times, including his second major championship.

Serena and Venus Williams of the United States react after they beat Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual of Spain 6-2, 6-0 during their Gold medal doubles match of the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Aug. 17, 2008.

President Barack Obama jokingly mimics U.S. Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney's "not impressed" expression while greeting members of the 2012 U.S. Olympic gymnastics teams in the Oval Office, Nov. 15, 2012, at the White House in Washington, D.C.

U.S. gymnasts McKayla Maroney, Kyla Ross, Alexandra Raisman, Gabrielle Douglas and Jordyn Wieber bite their gold medals at the artistic gymnastics women's team final at the 2012 Summer Olympics, July 31, 2012, in London.

From left: U.S. swimmers Matthews Grevers, Brendan Hansen, Michael Phelps and Adrian Nathan pose on the podium with the gold medal after winning the men's 4x100 medley relay final during the swimming event at the London 2012 Olympic Games on Aug. 4, 2012, in London.

Former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky is driven from the Centre County Courthouse after being sentenced in Bellefonte, Pa., Oct. 9, 2012. Sandusky was sentenced to at least 30 years in prison, effectively a life sentence, in the child sexual abuse scandal that brought shame to Penn State and led to coach Joe Paterno's downfall.

In this Aug. 9, 2012, photo, Line judge Shannon Eastin takes the field during an NFL preseason football game between the San Diego Chargers and the Green Bay Packers in San Diego. Eastin was a replacement official making her NFL debut in the exhibition game. The regular officials had been locked out by the league after their contract expired.

Jim Hudelson,AP Photo/The Shreveport Times

In this Jan. 7, 2012, photo, New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton yells from the sideline during the first half of an NFL wild card playoff football game against the Detroit Lions in New Orleans. The NFL suspended Payton for the 2012 season, and former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is banned from the league indefinitely because of the team's alleged bounty program that targeted opposing players.

Former Major League Baseball pitcher Roger Clemens smiles as he speaks to members of the media outside federal court in Washington, June 18, 2012. Clemens was acquitted on all charges by a jury that decided that he didn't lie to Congress when he denied using performance-enhancing drugs.

Canadian freestyle skier Sarah Burke died on Jan. 19, 2012, nine days after crashing at the bottom of the superpipe during a training run in Utah. Burke, who lived near Whistler in British Columbia, was 29. She was injured Jan. 10 while training at a personal sponsor event at the Park City Mountain resort.

Alex Morgan (#13) of the United States celebrates with her team-mates after scoring the winning goal in extra time during the Women's Football Semi Final match between Canada and USA, on Day 10 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Old Trafford on Aug. 6, 2012, in Manchester, England.

Workers handle the statue of former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno before removing the statue Sunday, July 22, 2012, in State College, Pa. The famed statue of Paterno was taken down from outside the Penn State football stadium Sunday, eliminating a key piece of the iconography surrounding the once-sainted football coach accused of burying child sex abuse allegations against a retired assistant. (AP Photo/John Beale)

After receiving his gold medal for the men's 4x100m medley relay, Michael Phelps was called back to the podium by the governing body of swimming, FINA, to receive one more award - a silver trophy commemorating his standing as the most decorated Olympian ever, at the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 4, 2012 in London.

Serena Williams reacts after beating Victoria Azarenka, of Belarus, in the championship match at the 2012 U.S. Open tennis tournament, Sunday, Sept. 9, 2012, in New York. Williams was voted WTA player of the year after winning Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and a gold medal at the London Olympics.

In this March 16, 2012, photo, Indian students hold a large poster of Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar after Tendulkar batted for his landmark 100th century, at a school in Chennai, southern India. Tendulkar, who had been stuck on 99 centuries for a year, became the first cricketer to score 100 international centuries in the Asia Cup.

In this July 27, 2012, photo, the Olympic rings light up the stadium during the Opening Ceremony at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Kerri Walsh Jennings (R) and Misty May-Treanor of the United States celebrate winning the Gold medal in the Women's Beach Volleyball Gold medal match against the United States on Day 12 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Horse Guard's Parade on August 8, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)