Top 10 national stories of 2010

<p>The image of the New Year's baby was never as appropriate as it was in 2010, as rebirth emerged as the overriding theme of the sports world.</p><p>LeBron James was reborn as a member of the Miami Heat, and the Heat immediately were transformed into a super-team. Michael Vick didn't win over every animal lover in America, but he certainly was reborn as an athlete as he went from third-stringer to Pro Bowl quarterback. Brett Favre pretty much moved in the other direction. The city of New Orleans, already in the process of reinventing itself after one of the nation's worst natural (and man-made) disasters, finished the job with a Super Bowl victory.</p><p>NCAA conferences like the Pac-10 and Big Ten were reborn, too, complete with silly names for their divisions. And Tiger Woods, who dominated headlines with his sex scandal in 2009, attempted to deliver a healthy new image — with mixed success.</p><p>Here is a look at these, and other major stories of the past 12 months:</p><p>1. THE KING'S DECISION</p><p>“I'm going to take my talents to South Beach.” Uttering that sentence in a televised spectacle, LeBron James made the Miami Heat the team to beat in the NBA, while simultaneously sending the city of Cleveland into a prolonged funk. The nation couldn't wait to see LeBron matched up with the Heat's other free-agent signees, established Dwyane Wade and newcomer Chris Bosh.</p><p>2. REHABILITATING THE QB</p><p>A year and a half after being released from federal prison, Michael Vick turned himself into a candidate for NFL most valuable player. Vick's rise from the depths of a vicious dogfighting ring unexpectedly gained momentum when he took over as the Eagles' starting quarterback and played the best football of his life.</p><p>3. THE GUNSLINGER AT TWILIGHT</p><p>No one moment made Brett Favre the weirdest story of 2010.</p><p>Taken in total, his exploits added up to an epic soap opera. Favre began the year by taking the Minnesota Vikings to the NFC Championship Game. His teammates later talked him into returning for one more year. Then he was accused of sending crude texts and photos to a Jets employee in 2008. Then he played poorly for the struggling Vikings and got coach Brad Childress fired. Then a shoulder injury ended his NFL-record starting streak at 297 games.</p><p>4. TIGER BY THE TAIL</p><p>Cam Newton went from junior-college transfer to sensation in one year— for all the right and wrong reasons. Newton won the Heisman Trophy after passing and running Auburn to a date with Oregon in the BCS championship game. He also endured withering scrutiny after it was reported that his father had previously tried to sell the QB's services to Mississippi State.</p><p>5. THE WIZARD BIDS FAREWELL</p><p>Each year brings death to the sports world. But there has never been a coach like John Wooden, who led UCLA to 10 national titles and spawned a generation of protégés through his blend of humanity and fundamental basketball.</p><p>He died June 3 at the age of 99.</p><p>6. ICE, ICE BABY</p><p>Short-track skater Apolo Ohno became the most decorated Winter Olympian in U.S. history. Ohno passed Bonnie Blair's six medals by winning bronze in the 1,000 meters at the Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C., then made it eight with another bronze in the 5,000 relay.</p><p>7. TOP DOGS</p><p>The UConn women capped their undefeated 2009-10 season by beating Stanford in the NCAA tournament final on April 6, then outpaced Wooden's Bruins by winning their 89th straight game on Dec. 21.</p><p>8. YEAR OF THE NO-NO</p><p>There were five no-hitters during the MLB regular season, including perfect games by Philadelphia's Roy Halladay and Oakland's Dallas Braden. Halladay then went one better and no-hit the Reds in the NL playoffs. Perhaps most memorable, though, is the one that got away. Detroit's Armando Galarraga had his perfect game stolen by first-base umpire Jim Joyce's blown call on June 2.</p><p>9. BUTLER (ALMOST) DID IT</p><p>Fifth-seeded Butler became everyone's favorite mid-major as it knocked off higher seeds Syracuse and Kansas State en route to the NCAA title game. The Bulldogs then threw a scare into powerhouse Duke, but lost 61-59 when Gordon Hayward's halfcourt shot bounced off the rim as time expired.</p><p>10. FOUR FRENCH QUARTERS</p><p>In their first 42 seasons, the New Orleans Saints won a total of two postseason games. They won three after the 2009 season, including the biggest of all — a 31-17 victory over favored Indianapolis in the Super Bowl on Feb. 7. It was a huge gift to a city that still bore the scars of Hurricane Katrina and the failed levees of 2005.</p><p>HONORABLE MENTION</p><p>Jimmie Johnson overtakes Denny Hamlin in final race to claim his fifth consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup ... USC football program is placed on two-year probation, and Reggie Bush stripped of 2006 Heisman Trophy ... Canada beats the U.S. in overtime for men's hockey gold medal in Winter Olympics ... Flurry of college football realignment bloats Big Ten and sends Utah and Colorado to Pac-10 ... Stephen Strasburg exceeds hype by striking out 14 in MLB debut on June 8, then blows out arm in late August ... NFL suspends Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger for four games after he is accused of sexually assaulting college student ... Coveted pitcher Cliff Lee signs with Phillies on Dec. 14 ... After long, scandal-imbued absence, Tiger Woods addresses hand-picked media on Feb. 19, then makes his return at Masters ... Derek Jeter re-signs with Yankees ... Long-time Yanks owner George Steinbrenner dies ... Alabama beats Texas for national football title as excluded Boise State finishes 14-0 ... Florida State forces legendary football coach Bobby Bowden into retirement ... Baseball managers Lou Piniella and Joe Torre announce retirements ... Lakers beat Boston in seven games, repeat as NBA champions.</p>