SportsCentre 2012 Year In Review

The year 2012 has been a memorable one in the world of sports.

From Canada's Olympic women's soccer team capturing our hearts and minds to the ups and downs of the NHL, this year had it all.

That said, TSN is set to announce its annual list of the top sports stories of the year as chosen by a panel of commentators, reporters and producers from Canada's Sports Leader.

From the Super Bowl to Lance Armstrong's fall from grace, the last 12 months were full of triumphs, turnarounds and turmoil.

And TSN will count down the top stories during the annual year-end special, SPORTSCENTRE: YEAR IN REVIEW on Christmas Eve at 8pm et/5pm pt.

See Thee Rise The Canadian Women's national soccer team had an historic and controversial run to the bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games. While the Canadian women captured the nation's first medal in a traditional summer team sport since the 1936 Berlin Summer Games with a dramatic 1-0 victory over France in the bronze medal game, it was a controversial, extra-time loss to the number one ranked United States team that thrust them into the headlines. After overcoming a partisan crowd to eliminate Great Britain in the quarter-finals, Canada lost a contentious, 4-3 extra-time game to the Americans. Following the semi-final game that included a penalty call that allowed the USA to tie the game at three, FIFA launched an investigation into the Canadian team's post-match comments. No punishment was announced during the tournament and Canada was able to carry its full team into the bronze medal match-up. Reflections from TSN's Jason deVos

Deja Big Blue Following a similar script as they did in their last Super Bowl victory in 2008, the New York Giants got hot at the right time and thanks to a clutch quarterback and a dominant defensive line, parlayed that into the franchise's fourth championship. As he did four years ago, Eli Manning brought his team from behind in the fourth quarter on a drive highlighted by a spectacular, 38-yard sideline catch by Mario Manningham and culminated with an uncontested Ahmad Bradshaw six-yard touchdown run. The path New York took to the big game in Indianapolis was almost as spectacular as the comeback in the game itself. The G-men dropped five of six games after a 6-2 start, but regrouped to win their final six, including four straight road playoff contests. With his second straight Super Bowl MVP award - won in brother Peyton's old house no less - Manning cemented his reputation as one of the greatest pressure performers in NFL history, while Tom Coughlin, at age 65, became the oldest head coach to win an NFL championship.

The King Gets His Crown It took a year longer than he expected, but after dispatching the upstart Oklahoma City Thunder in five games, LeBron James finally clinched his first NBA title after two previous failed attempts. Arguably the most scrutinized man in NBA history, James transformed himself from someone who deferred to his lesser-talented teammates in the clutch, into a primetime performer able to impact games in whatever way he wanted, and in doing so, gained an esteemed status previously occupied by only a small number of NBA greats. He brought his team back from series deficits against the Indiana Pacers and most memorably, the Boston Celtics, when he poured in 45 points in a road performance for the ages to force a seventh game that the Heat would win at home. His supporting cast was also vital, as his fellow "Big Three" members, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh took turns contributing at crucial times, while secondary players Shane Battier, Mario Chalmers and Mike Miller took turns stepping up at various times throughout the finals. Reflections from TSN's Jack Armstrong

Pursuit Of Peyton The decision on Mar. 7 by Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay to release his four-time NFL MVP rather than pay him the $28 million roster bonus due to him, touched off nearly two weeks of what would become one of the most frenzied pursuits of a free agent in recent history. The courting of Peyton Manning involved no less than 10 NFL teams, but as the process wound down, the club that was among both the first to contact the future Hall of Famer and also pay a visit to him - with current Canton member John Elway in tow - left an initial impression that Manning could not end up ignoring. When he made his decision on Mar. 20 and was introduced as a Denver Bronco, it was apparent Elway may have made the difference, convincing the 37-year-old Manning that he could follow in his footsteps and win multiple Super Bowls just as he did following his own 37th birthday. Reflections from TSN Football Insider, Dave Naylor

California's Cup After reaching the playoffs as an eighth seed, the Kings were not on many people's radar as Stanley Cup contenders. But from the drop of the puck in their first round series with the President's Trophy-winning Vancouver Canucks, Los Angeles proved they would be a team to be reckoned with thanks to stellar goaltending, stingy defence and balanced scoring. Following their upset win over Vancouver, the Kings made the physical grind that is the Stanley Cup playoffs look like a cakewalk, rolling over the Blues and Coyotes and leading New Jersey 3-0 in the finals before closing out the Devils in six games to earn the franchise's first championship in 45 years of existence. Their run to the Cup served to highlight Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Quick as one of the league's best netminders, while defenceman Drew Doughty was a force, leading all rearguards with 16 points in the playoffs. Both players, along with forwards Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown, give the Kings a young nucleus that should be Cup contenders for years come. Reflections from the NHL on TSN's James Duthie

Here We Go Again For the second time in the span of a decade NHL players and owners were unable to reach common ground in search of a new collective bargaining agreement. Gary Bettman announced that the players would be locked out on Sept. 15 without a new CBA and not a game has been played since. Like the 2004-05 lockout, the two sides have gone through the fall unable to reach an agreement, forcing a current total of 526 games to be cancelled. While the union and the league have met regularly since the late summer, the two sides remain divided on contentious issues including the division of revenues, maximum contract length and the length of the CBA itself. Reflections from TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie

Centennial Celebration One of Canada's greatest sports prizes celebrated a big birthday in grand style as the 100th Grey Cup game came to Toronto on November 25. The home town crowd got a huge thrill when the Argonauts stunned the favoured Montreal Alouettes in the Eastern Final to earn a trip to their first Grey Cup in eight years. The Argos would ride outstanding rushing by Grey Cup Most Outstanding Player Chad Kackert to a 35-22 victory over the Calgary Stampeders, bringing a rare championship parade to the streets of Toronto. Reflections from CFL on TSN analyst Matt Dunigan

Going All In After a season highlighted by injuries, struggles and questionable decisions made by on- and off-field players and staff, GM Alex Anthopoulos headed into the 2012 off-season realizing serious moves had to be made in order to turn his club's fortunes around. What started modestly with the signing of a middle-of-the-road utility infielder, quickly turned into a winter to remember for Jays' fans, as the GM made a series of ground-breaking moves that remade the team into one considered to be a legitimate playoff contender. The announcement of a 12-player trade with the Miami Marlins shook the baseball world, as Anthopoulos seized upon an opportunity to take advantage of a Marlins team that was looking to rebuild and unload. The fire sale allowed the Jays to acquire two top-shelf starters in Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle and one of the most dynamic players in baseball in Jose Reyes. Anthopoulos followed up that move by signing All-Star outfielder Melky Cabrera and capped the off-season with the acquisition of reigning National League Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey. The series of moves created a buzz last heard nearly two decades ago when Toronto was in the midst of back-to-back World Series championships, giving Jays' fans hope of a return to the glory days of the early '90's. Reflections from TSN Radio 1050's Scott Ferguson

Surrendering France After years of fighting to clear his name and preserve his image in the face of allegations of doping at the Tour de France, Lance Armstrong finally gave up. After a federal judge upheld the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency's assessment that Armstrong had been doping during his seven consecutive Tour de France victories between 1999 and 2005, the USADA stripped Armstrong of those titles on Aug. 24 and banned him for life from cycling. A day before the USADA's ruling, Armstrong released a statement surrendering in his fight to clear his name, declaring: "There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, 'Enough is enough.'"

Kings of England As the curtain rose on the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, predictions abounded that new blood such as Yohan Blake and Ryan Lochte were primed to challenge some living legends take the games by storm. Apparently Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps missed that memo. Bolt thrilled London with his trademark style and swagger before historically defending his gold medals in both the 100- and 200-metre sprints and capping it with another gold in the 4x100 metre relay. Bolt set an Olympic record in the 100 metres (9.63 seconds) and contributed to Jamaica's world-record time in the team relay (36.84). Phelps, meanwhile, became the most decorated Olympian of all-time by finishing the London Games with four gold medals and two silvers. He eclipsed all swimmers at the London games to bring his career medal count to a staggering total of 22, including 18 gold. Reflections from TSN and CTV personality Brian Williams