SPORTS EXTRA SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2009 THE GRAND RAPIDS PRESS WWW PAGE C3 THE DECADE IN REVIEW LOCALLY SPEAKING Beyond the headlines TIGER TALES TAILS of the 2000s WOODS: FROM GOLFING GREAT TO HUSBAND WITH A LOT OF TRANSGRESSIONS DAN THE MAN Grand Haven’s Dan Bylsma became the 14th rookie coach to win the Stanley Cup when the Pittsburgh Pound-for-pound The Tiger Woods saga Penguins defeated the Detroit Red Wings in Game 7 of the 2009 finals. punisher The good news: Tiger Woods was the most Grand Rapids native RITZ ON THE RUN Floyd Mayweather beat dominant golfer and top commercial endorser of It was quite a decade for Rockford Oscar De La Hoya in the the decade. And who can forget the 2008 U.S. Open, native Dathan Ritzenhein: 2000 biggest pay-per-view national high school cross country boxing event ever, then won by Woods on a gimpy knee? The bad news: champion; ’03 NCAA cross country retired. He returned to champion; qualifier for ’04 Athens the ring after nearly Woods apparently isn’t the squeaky-clean family Olympics; USATF 12K cross country two years to dismantle man everyone thought. As the decade came to a champion in ’05; runner-up at ’07 Manuel Marquez on Olympic Marathon Team Trials; Sept. 19, 2009, to remain close with Woods on an indefi nite leave from golf highest American finisher (ninth) in undefeated. Now looms ’08 Beijing Olympics; winner of ’08 a mega-bucks fight after his many extra-marital affairs were revealed, U.S. Cross Country Championships; with Manny Pacquiao to his professional and personal life remain in limbo. third at ’09 IAFF Golden League prove, once and for all, Meet , where he set the American his worth as pound-for- He’s back: Floyd Mayweather, left, returned to record in the 5,000. pound world champ. boxing to flatten Manuel Marquez in September. FROM FIRST TO FINISHED The Grand Rapids Rampage became kings of the Arena Football League, winning the 2001 championship. At the end of decade, there is no Grand Rapids Rampage — and no AFL. GRIFFINS ON ICE The Grand Rapids Griffins won the International Hockey League regular-season title in 2001 and an AHL regular-season crown in 2006. WHITECAPS ARE WINNERS The West Michigan Whitecaps, the Class A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, won Midwest League titles Same ’ol Lions in 2004, ’06 and ’07 and earned playoff berths in 11 of their 14 years. After missing the playoffs in 2000 by a . BEST OF THE BEST field goal , Detroit Lions Grand Valley State won six The death owner William Clay Ford consecutive Sears Cup trophies Sr. hired Matt Millen as dating to 2004 as the best athletic of Dale president and CEO. In program in NCAA Division II. That Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s death 2001, ’02 and ’03, the success included four football cast an indelible pall on Lions did not win a national championships, an ’09 the world of auto racing, road game. Over seven women’s soccer title, an ’05 and sports in general, seasons under Millen, volleyball championship and an ’05 when the legendary Detroit went 31-81, women’s basketball title. good ’ol boy of NASCAR including an NFL-record Calvin College claimed the died from a skull fracture 0-16 mark last season. Division III men’s basketball title as a result of a crash in This season, after Millen in 2000, and the men’s national Turn 4 on the final lap of finally was fired, the cross country championships in the 2001 Daytona 500. Lions are 2-12. Sigh. 2000, ’03, ’04 and ’06. Hope College won the ‘06 Division III women’s hoops title. Ride of the Tigers Grace Bible College was the men’s basketball champ of the In 2000, the Detroit Tigers vacated National Christian College Athletic historic Tiger Stadium for Comerica Association in ‘06 and ’09. Park. Then came good and bad The highs Grand Rapids Community history, like: a 2003 season and a College won three National Junior 43-119 record — the worst in American (get it?) College Athletic Association League history and the third-worst in and lows of Division II baseball championships major league history; a 2006 season from 2003-05. under manager Jim Leyland that saw Phelps Detroit enjoy its first winning season Phelps was THE man EAST RULES since 1993 with its first playoff berth at the 2008 Beijing East Grand Rapids won state since ’87; a 2006 American League Olympics while earning championships six times in football, pennant, only to lose to St. Louis in eight gold medals. five times in boys lacrosse and girls the World Series; an injury-riddled and Thanks to modern tennis, three times in girls cross non-playoff ’07 season highlighted technology, he was country and boys tennis, twice in girls by Justin Verlander’s no-hitter ; and, knocked down a peg or swimming and soccer, and once in last season, which came down to the two after camera boys swimming and diving, baseball, Tigers losing a 6-5, 12-inning, one- phone pictures showed boys golf and girls water polo. game playoff game to Minnesota to him smoking marijuana decide the AL Central Division. from a bong. — Howie Beardsley STATE OF THE STATE WINNERS & LOSERS Hoops royalty: Drew Neitzel Cup. It denied 2000. But it was the Spartans’ Winner: Roger Federer became coach at Notre Dame. of Wyoming Park (2003-04) the Red Wings runner-up finish at the ’09 Final the top player in Grand Slam and David Kool of South and the NHL Four in Detroit that proved to tennis history in 2009 when Winner: Danica Patrick was the Christian (2005-06) were back-to-back be one of the decade’s he defeated Andy Roddick Rookie of the Year for the 2005 named Mr. Basketball, and titles for the feel-good stories. in five epic sets for his sixth Indianapolis 500 and the ’05 Allyssa DeHaan of Grandville first time since Wimbledon championship IndyCar series season . (2005-06) and Kellie Watson Detroit in 1997 Record breakers: Central and 15th major crown. AP FILE PHOTO of Ionia (2007-08) were and 2008. Michigan quarterback Dan The Man on wheels: Loser: NBA referee Tim Miss Basketball winners. Lloyd Carr LeFevour and wide receiver Losers: It was The Malice at The Lance Armstrong ruled the Donaghy resigned from the Lloyd leaves Bryan Anderson (Rockford) Palace on Nov. 19, 2004, when Tour de France. league on July 9, 2007, before Pistons’ rollercoaster ride: Michigan; RichRod arrives: set NCAA records in 2009. the Detroit Pistons and Indiana an investigation by the FBI Successful coaches such as Rick After leading the Michigan LeFevour’s 148 combined Pacers slugged it out on the David Harris (Ottawa Hills) for allegations that he bet on Carlisle, Larry Brown and Flip football team to five Big touchdowns (passing, rushing, court and in the stands, giving and Joe Staley (Rockford), games he officiated . Saunders came and went amid Ten titles, a 1997 national receiving) and Anderson’s the NBA a lasting black eye. NFL; Allison Fouch (East Grand controversy. Good players came championship and a 122-40 consecutive games with a Rapids), LPGA and Mike Knuble Winner: Lance Armstrong won and went. There were 50-win overall record, coach Lloyd Carr reception (53) both are tops in Winners: The Boston Red Sox (East Kentwood), NHL. the Tour de France a record seasons, a 2004 NBA title, a retired after 13 seasons. The the college ranks. ended an 86-year-old drought seven consecutive years, from franchise-best 64-18 record in critics said his style of play had when they won the 2004 Loser: Congressional hearings 1999 to 2005. 2005-06 and six consecutive become stale as they welcomed See ya, Shock: A poor economy World Series. in 2005 looked into major Eastern Conference final berths the arrival of Rich Rodriguez and the state’s lack of interest league baseball’s past history that ended in 2008. Last from West Virginia. After in the WNBA forced the Detroit Loser: The NHL turned off even of steroid use and forced the season, the consecutive sellout leading the Wolverines to 3-9 Shock to pack up in 2009 for some of its true-blue fans by game to clean up its act. crowds ended at 259. So did and 5-7 seasons, was RichRod Tulsa, Okla. locking out in 2004-05. winning seasons . the right man? Winner: Coach Brian Kelly won DETROIT RED WINGS God bless Chuck Daly: Even the Winners: Several Grand Rapids- two NCAA Division II football vs. CHICAGO Heartbreak in Hockeytown: MSU among the best: Bad Boys couldn’t help but cry area athletes made names for championships at Grand Valley BLACKHAWKS The Pittsburgh Penguins Coach Tom Izzo and his when well-respected Detroit themselves by making the State. He then left to rebuild the SUN. AFT. JOE LOUIS $ 00 shocked the hockey world Michigan State men’s basketball Pistons coach Chuck Daly died big leagues: Chris Kaman program at Central Michigan, JAN. 17 ARENA 120 EA. with a Game 7 win against the program advanced to four Final at age 78. He left behind a (Tri-unity Christian), NBA; and then departed to turn 3549294-01 heavily favored Detroit Red Fours (2000, 2001, ’05 and ’09) winning legacy, including two Katie Feenstra-Mattera things around at Cincinnati. Wings to win the 2009 Stanley and won the national title in NBA championships. (Grand Rapids Baptist), WNBA; He now has his dream job as www.msportstours.com.