Top Sports Stories of 2008

2008 was a bittersweet year for New York sports. Early in the year, it saw the Giants make an incredible run in the playoffs, all the way to winning the Super Bowl in one of the NFL's biggest upsets. But 2008 also saw the final days of two stadiums, one more beloved than another, the rebuilding of the Knicks and Nets, playoff misses for both local baseball teams, the welcoming of a NFL great and several other compelling stories.

Farewell to Shea Stadium The last pitch ever thrown at Shea Stadium was bounced. Hall of Famer Tom Seaver delivered a toss in the dirt to future Hall of Famer Mike Piazza. This ceremony followed the last ever game at Shea, a loss to the Marlins as the Mets missed the playoffs on the season's last day for the second straight year. Shea's last season didn't get the attention paid to Yankee Stadium's in the Bronx. It may not have had the same history as its older counterpart, but Shea did give fans a place to love. No park that hosted a baseball team since 1964 could vanish without fans' missing it. Yes, the upper-deck sightlines were atrocious. No, people won't regret the move to Citi Field. But 44 years is a long time, and the sight of its piece-by-piece destruction from the Grand Central Parkway isn't a pleasant one. - Tom Boorstein (AP)

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