SPORTS 101

It was the year that ABC decided to bring Dennis "what is he talking about?" Miller on board; the unheralded St. Louis Rams shocked the NFL by winning Super Bowl XXXIV; and tennis star Venus Williams became the first American to win Wimbledon, the US Open, and two Olympic gold medals. Other memorable events of 2000 include:

1. Tiger rules

Tiger Woods became the second golfer, after Ben Hogan in 1953, to win three major professional tournaments in a single season. At 24, Woods is the youngest of five golfers to complete a career Grand Slam. Woods has brought fresh energy to the game. Let's face it, he makes golf exciting.

2. Night Knight

On Sept. 10, Indiana University basketball coach Bobby Knight was fired by university President Myles Brand for physically confronting a student on campus. He violated a "zero tolerance" behavior policy instituted in May. Mike Davis, formerly Knight's assistant, is now head coach.

3. The Subway Series

In October, New York's two baseball teams met in a dramatic World Series that split families with divided loyalties. The Yankees beat the Mets in five games to win their third straight championship and 26th overall.

4. Sydney 2000 Summer Games

Marion Jones fell short of five gold medals, but still earned three golds and two bronzes in her first Olympic appearance. Overall, the United States took home 98 medals, 41 of them gold. For NBC, it was disappointing. Viewers failed to tune in, which could be blamed on tape delay.

5. The $252 million man

The Texas Rangers signed Alex Rodriguez to a 10-year mega-deal. He will earn about $49,000 per at-bat, and the shortstop will make more money than all the players on the Minnesota Twins or the Milwaukee Brewers or the Kansas City Royals. The deal set a new precedent and some observers predicted it may alienate baseball fans.

(c) Copyright 2000. The Christian Science Publishing Society