The Biggest Sports Stories of 2007

19) Return of the Yellow
Floyd Landis still has one appeal left, but he was officially stripped of his 2006 Tour de France championship and banned from racing in France until 2009. Landis had made character a centerpiece of his defense. But that tactic crumbled when former Tour champ Greg Lemond testified at a hearing that Landis's business manager had tried to keep Lemond from appearing by threatening to reveal incidents of sexual abuse in Lemond's childhood. Meanwhile, the 2007 Tour was marred by more drug incidents, and even the winner, Spaniard Alberto Contador, faced allegations of links to a drug scandal in his home country. Meanwhile, former Danish star Bjarne Riis revealed he used illegal drugs in winning the 1996 Tour. Sponsors fled cycling in droves.

18) Tracks of Our Cheers
America's Tyson Gay restored sprinting supremacy to America by winning the 100 and 200 meters at the World Track and Field Championships in Osaka, Japan. But the biggest double came at longer distances, where America has not competed successfully for ages. Bernard Lagat, a native Kenyan who became an American citizen in 2004, became the first U.S. runner ever to win the 1,500 meters at worlds. Then he stunned the field by cruising to victory again at 5,000 meters. "A dream come true," said Lagat, who hopes to help rekindle distance running in this country.

17) The Spitz Challenge
We are heading into an Olympic year, which means swimming will once again glide onto the sports radar. Michael Phelps, the biggest pool star in Athens, with six golds and eight medals overall, is just 23 years old and ready again to challenge the legend of Mark Spitz. At the 2007 world championships in Melbourne, Phelps matched Spitz's seven gold medals from the 1972 Olympics—and broke five world records to boot.

16) Soccer Spice
The biggest name in international soccer washed up on American shores to play in the humble MLS. The big question: at 32 was David Beckham washed up? The former captain of England's squad couldn't provide much of answer, as he was injured most of the season and his L.A. Galaxy didn't even make the playoffs. But he and his wife, Posh Spice, were certifiable A-list celebrities on the L.A. circuit, hanging out with the likes of Tom Cruise. Beckham, after being unceremoniously dumped by his national team, was recalled by England for critical qualifying matches for the European championships. Alas, England flopped, losing a 3-2 heartbreaker to Croatia (at Wembley, no less) to miss out on the big tournament. In another sport Americans care even less about, England disappointed too, this time with more of an excuse. At the rugby World Cup final in Paris, England was defeated 15-6 by a powerhouse South Africa team.

15) A Terrible Gamble
NBA basketball, with its combination of speed and physical play, is a challenge for any NBA referee. But former NBA ref Tim Donaghy wasn't always trying to get it right—just to deliver the goods. Donaghy pleaded guilty to two federal felony charges related to gambling and admitted that he not only sold information to gamblers but tried to fix the outcome of certain games. The NBA and the feds concluded that the Donaghy case was no more than one rotten apple, but any rot leaves a stench. Basketball was not alone in possible gambling woes. Tennis is investigating allegations of match-fixing. And at year's end the Big Tenfootball conference was looking into a possible refereeing scandal.

14) Spurred On to New Heights
They are sports' least sexy champions in a league that has celebrated better days. Still, the Spurs, behind Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, embody the best of the modern game: team-oriented and top-to-bottom international. The two don't appear to be unrelated. Winning their third NBA championship in the past five seasons, the Spurs boasted players from the U.S. Virgin Islands, France, Argentina, the Netherlands and Slovenia. It was all too much for LeBron James, who, at 23 and in his fourth year in the league, showed his brilliance by leading an ordinary Cleveland Cavs team all the way to the finals.