Jimmie Johnson set his sights on a 3rd championship, while Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards continued to duke it out both on and off the race track. In July, Tony Stewart was released from his Joe Gibbs Racing contract to become the driver and owner of Stewart-Haas Racing.
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WWE
In 2008, RAW celebrated 800 episodes and WWE Smackdown remained the most watched show for three weeks in a row. In April, Triple H won the WWE Championship and in November, Chris Jericho took home the World Heavyweight Championship title.
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Olympics
The world turned their eyes to Beijing this year for the Summer Games. Michael Phelps set a world record when he won 8 gold medals, and sprinter Usain Bolt shattered three world record times. After much speculation, the Olympics committee investigated the ages of the gold medal-winning Chinese women’s gymnastics team and declared them old enough to compete.
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MLB
This was a season of change for Major League Baseball. For the first time, umpires used instant replay to review home run balls. The Philadelphia Phillies won their first World Series in nearly 30 years, beating out the Tampa Bay Rays who had the worst record in 2007. And after 85 years, 6,581 regular season games and countless Bronx cheers, the lights went dark on Yankee Stadium.
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NFL
In January, the New England Patriots’ perfect season was spoiled when the NY Giants won Super Bowl XLII. With Tom Brady out for the season, there was no second chance for the Pats in the fall, and the Tennessee Titans became the final remaining undefeated team of the 2008-2009 season.
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NBA
Doc Rivers led the Boston Celtics to win the NBA Finals for the first time since 1986. After 31 years in Seattle, the Supersonics packed their bags and moved to Oklahoma City where they became the Thunder.
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UFC
Ultimate Fighting Championship has come along way since its days as an underground sport. Now, the mixed martial arts organization is recognized as the largest in the world. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira won the UFC heavyweight title and BJ Penn became the lightweight champion. In September, fighter Evan Tanner was found dead in the desert.
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NHL
In June, the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins to win the Stanley Cup. Barry Melrose left his job as an ESPN commentator to coach the Tampa Bay Lightning. In October, 19-year-old Alexei Cherepanov died suddenly on the bench of unspecified causes.
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PGA
In May, Tiger Woods was forced to shorten his season due to a knee injury. Other golfers enjoyed a special treat in September when the Ryder Cup came to Kentucky. With Paul Azinger as captain, Team USA won by the largest margin since 1981.
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NCAA
College sports are always popular searches among alumni and students. Kansas won the NCAA tournament under the leadership of most outstanding player Mario Chalmers. In the BCS Championship, No. 2-ranked LSU upset Ohio State.