The 10 Biggest Sports Stories of Summer 2012

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Date: July and August 2012
The Los Angeles Dodgers surprised everyone when they dealt for Hanley Ramirez and Shane Victorino at the end of July. Little did we know, they had some more tricks up their sleeve. The Dodgers went all Yankees on everybody's ass when they picked up Boston's Josh Beckett and Adrian Gonzalez off waivers a couple days ago. They then worked out a deal and threw Boston outfielder Carl Crawford in for the fuck of it (even though he's out for the season), ultimately picking up about a quarter of a billion dollars in payroll.

Before this blockbuster move, the Dodgers were about three games back of the San Francisco Giants (who've just lost their "best" player in Melky Cabrera to suspension) in the West and about three games out of a Wild Card spot. If Beckett is able to get his game back on track L.A. will have a nice 1-2 punch with him and Clayton Kershaw. Adrian Gonzalez hit a 3-run shot in his first at-bat as a Dodger in an 8-2 win vs. Miami, waisting no time getting acclimated. The Dodgers are going to be dangerous in the month of September.

Date: 4/28/2012
"The Mickey Mantle of Millville" is one of those special players that don't come around often. He's a five-tool player just like the legend in his nickname—Trout can run, hit for average and power, field and throw at a Hall of Fame level. He has taken the majors by storm and is looking to make history. Mike is having one of the best seasons ever by a non-pitcher according to baseball-reference.com's WAR statistic, which combines offense, defense and baserunning.

Through 101 games, Trout has a .340 BA (currently third in the majors), 25 HR, 74 RBI and 41 SB making him a lock for AL Rookie of the Year and a candidate for AL MVP. If he continues this pace, Trout will have one of the greatest seasons by an official rookie since the deadball era. The L.A. Angels now have two of the biggest bats in all of baseball. Too bad it hasn't translated into wins due to the team's subpar pitching.

Date: 8/15/2012
The New York Yankees traded Melky Cabrera in 2009 because he was a bad influence on their star second baseman Robinson Cano. Turns out they were right—it didn't always seem like that, though. Cabrera was looking like he was turning his career around the last two seasons. He finished 2011 with a .305 BA, 18 HR, 87 RBI and 20 SB (all career highs) as a member of the KC Royals. This year, he was batting a major league best .346 with 11 HR, 60 RBI, 13 SB and was named the 2012 All-Star Game MVP.

Shortly after dominating the mid-summer classic, he was suspended 50 games for testing positive for high levels of testosterone. He then reportedly tried to cover it up with a fake website to no avail because the MLB investigative team isn't the campus police. Shortly thereafter Bartolo Colon was busted for testosterone as well, making his amazing comeback a fluke. Looks like the Melk Man has been delivering spoiled milk. It's been nearly 15 years since the 'roid chase of '98 and baseball is still struggling to get their shit together.

Date: July and August 2012
The Los Angeles Lakers have a front office full of goons. They snatched Steve Nash like thieves in the night from the Knicks and followed that move up by trading for Dwight Howard a month later without giving up Pau Gasol. They now have arguably the best starting five in the game. Throughout their history, the Lakers have proven to have one of the best front offices in sports.

Howard and Nash can now join the likes of Magic, West, Chamberlain, O'Neal and Abdul-Jabbar in Laker lore, but only if they win rings. The stakes are high for this squad, especially for Kobe. He needs one more ring to tie MJ and solidify his legacy. And just think, before L.A. swapped Gasol brothers with the Grizzlies, Bryant wanted out. #itwasallbadjustfiveyearsago

Date: 6/21/2012
LeBron James finally earned his "King" title. The three-time regular season MVP put on a performance for the ages during the 2012 NBA Playoffs. James scored 697 points, grabbed 224 rebounds and dished out 129 assists—the highest total in history—and joins Larry Bird and Charles Barkley as the third player to record 600+ points, 200+ rebounds and 100+ assists in a postseason.

The Heat embarrassed the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2012 NBA Finals by disposing of the inexperienced squad in five games. But the Miami Heat experiment can't be deemed a success yet. The "Big Three" lost to the Mavs in 2011 and still have about seven more championships to win—remember, they promised. We kid. With the additions of Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, we expect them to be the favorites out of the East once again though. 

Date: 8/9/2012
People were starting to doubt Usain Bolt, especially after his teammate Yohan Blake beat him in the 100m and the 200m at the Olympic trails. Bolt then silenced critics with his performance at the 2012 London Games. He repeated his success at the 2008 Beijing Games by winning gold in three separate sprinting events—becoming the first man to accomplish this feat in back-to-back Olympics. Yohan Blake gave him some competition during the 100m race, but Bolt wasn't about to give up his title as The Fastest Man Alive. Usain then went on to win the 200m easily and he helped team Jamaica set a new world record in the 4x100m relay. After his dominate performance, Bolt said, "I'm now a legend. I'm also the greatest athlete to live." #getoffme #stunt101

Date: 7/31/2012
Doubters everywhere thought Michael Phelps would go from a world class athlete to a slacker after that infamous picture of him taking a bong rip hit the net. Then he lost a couple races to Ryan Lochte (and his douchey ways) leading up to the Olympics, and folks really started to sleep on the amphibious God.

After winning an Olympic record eight gold medals in 2008, Phelps made history again during the 2012 London Games by becoming the most decorated Olympian ever. He surpassed Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina when he anchored the U.S. men's swimming team to gold during the 4x100 m medley relay, giving him a total of 19 medals. Phelps then went on to win another three medals, raising that total to 22. He says he's done with the Olympics and will retire from swimming. At least he'll be able to toke up now and forever.

Date: 8/23/2012
For nearly 10 years Lance Armstrong has fought the World Doping Agency on allegations of cheating. About a week ago he gave up his fight against those allegations and was subsequently stripped of his seven Tour de France titles, his 2000 Olympic bronze medal, and all other titles, awards and money he won from August 1998 on.

After beating testicular cancer at the age of 25, he went on an unprecedented run of winning seven consecutive Tour de Frances and became a global icon. Now, he will be marred in controversy until concrete evidence arises that he didn't use performance enhancing drugs. Yes, he never failed a drug test, but neither has Barry Bonds. Armstrong says the process has taken a toll on his family and charity work. He was quoted as saying, “There comes a point in every man’s life when he has to say, 'Enough is enough.' For me, that time is now," and that the doping agencies have been on an, "unconstitutional witch hunt."

Date: 8/2/2012
Two nights after helping team USA win their first team gold medal since 1996, she continued her historic Olympic run: Gabby became the first African-American woman to win a gold medal in all-around gymnastics and the first American to win gold in both events in the same Olympiad.

She has dealt with a lot since being thrust into the spotlight. Ignorant people made fun of her hair on Twitter, NBC picked a bad time to air a certain commercial, and she recently told Oprah during an interview that she was bullied and called a "slave" at her old Virginia Beach gym. That's a lot for a 16-year-old girl to be going through. On the bright side, Gabby will have her own special-edition Corn Flakes box in the fall and is a role model for children of color everywhere.

Date: 7/23/2012
The NCAA slammed Penn State's football program after the Freeh Report revealed University president Graham Spanier, head coach Joe Paterno, athletic director Tim Curley and vice president Gary Schultz tried to cover-up Jerry Sandusky's behavior for nearly a decade. The sanctions resulted in a $60 million fine, a four-year bowl ban, loss of scholarships and a vacation of wins dating back to 1998.

As a result of those vacated wins, Joe Paterno is no longer the winningest coach in NCAA football history and his statue at the university has been taken down. The higher-ups allowed Sandusky to use the facilities after he retired and turned a blind eye whenever he had a kid with him. The tarnishing of Paterno's legacy will never amount to what they let happen to those children. Penn State is lucky to still have a football program.