Top-10 Comebacks of 2009
by Tim Furious
10. Michael Vick – Philadelphia Eagles (NFL)
Whether he properly “paid his dues” is up for discussion, but anytime a guy goes from behind bars and bankrupt, to starring on an NFC contender and making over a million bucks in a year, he gets a nod. If he’d have had a bigger affect on the Eagles statistically, then he would’ve undoubtedly moved up the board.
9. New York Yankees – MLB
The Yankees opened the decade with a World Series victory, then closed the decade with one. This team has always been able to spend the necessary dollars to get the best of the best in the majors, but they couldn’t get over the hump against teams like Florida, Detroit, Cleveland, the LA Angels, Boston and Arizona through the past ten years.
A 4-2 series victory over a riley Philadelphia team from the National League proved that the Yankees are back, and with CC Sabathia, A-Rod and Jeter bolstering their always star-studded lineup, the Yankees are still the team to beat in 2010.
8. Vitor Belfort – UFC
Belfort disappeared from the UFC for over four years and came back in September to blast Rich Franklin down to size. With that single victory, he has catapulted to the front of the middleweight contender line and will fight Anderson Silva when the Brazilian is ready to fight once again while he recovers from a mysterious elbow injury. Not bad for a guy who’s 32 and has just one UFC fight under his belt in 2009.
7. Detroit Lions – NFL
They won two games! Isn’t that enough to give them credit after going winless in 2008? It’s a 200% increase in productivity! Do you know how many bosses would kill for those kinds of results?
6. Ricky Williams – Miami Dolphins (NFL)
From NFL exile, to yoga master to vegetarian, the saga of Ricky Williams has been one mired by bad decisions, selfishness, distraught and encapsulated by a strange quest for a man to simply find peace. With Ronnie Brown in the backfield for Miami, Williams became a stunning tour-de-force in the NFL using the wildcat system.
The man who many considered “washed up” in the NFL ranks made everyone who doubted him eat their words as he breached the 1,000 yard mark and scored double-digit touchdowns for just the second time in his ten-year football career.
5. Sean Payton – New Orleans Saints (NFL)
From the NFC South basement in 2008, to the top of the NFC mountain in 2009. Anymore questions?
4. Vince Young – Tennessee Titans (NFL)
Vince Young was a running gag for the most part last season. He was lost on the bench with Kerry Collins carrying the Titans in 2008 to the best record in the NFL. When Collins and the Titans faltered to open the season with six straight losses, it was time to see what Young could do.
Mostly everyone had written Young off as a “draft bust”. Though they won’t make the playoffs, the fact that Young could muscle the Titans to a 7-2 SU record as a starter is nothing short of heroic. If he can do it in 2010, then he will forever be a threat to defensive coordinators across the league.
3. Kobe Bryant – LA Lakers (NBA)
Hard to call it a comeback when he never really left, but Kobe’s MVP and NBA Championship brought him back to the limelight that he lost when Shaq up and bolted for Miami so many years ago. Kobe’s place as an all-time great has been questioned because of his inability to win a championship without Shaq. Sure, he won in 2009 because Pau Gasol was sold to L.A. for thirty-cents on the dollar, but nobody seemed to care. Bryant’s championship play, his maturity as a leader and his killer instinct remind us of another great NBA player – Michael Jordan.
2. Tom Brady – New England Patriots (NFL)
Arrogant. Cocky. Self-righteous. Call him what you will, but we’ll call Brady what he deserves to be: deadly. After watching his Patriots stumble with him on the sidelines from an ACL injury, Brady came back and performed beyond expectation. It takes two-years to heal from an ACL injury (just ask Carson Palmer) and now Brady is in the playoffs, a place where he has always thrived.
1. Tiger Woods – PGA
You’ve been bored to death with Tiger Watch 2009 so I’ll just cut to the chase:
The fewest amounts of tournaments played, the most won. Two-time FedEX Cup Champion. Second most all-time wins in major tournaments.Third most all-time wins on PGA Tour.
All this after coming back from an ACL injury. Screw all the tabloid crap. I’m not here to talk about the sociological and political impact of a guy who cheated on his wife. I’m here to talk about athletes doing great things in their element. No athlete had a bigger year than Tiger, and he did it all on a wobbly knee.
