What Were the Top 10 Boston Sports Stories in 2008? Help Decide!

A star quarterback out for the season. A return to glory. A season full of injuries. A beloved player exiting amid national controversy.

And that was just the last 12 months.

As anyone who lives in the region knows, the Boston sports scene continues to be white-hot for topics. Fueled by a competitive local media, fan base and haters alike, even the smallest transaction is fodder for discussion with the larger events creating "special event" coverage.

But for all of the complaining, the volume and the furor we deal with regularly following the local beats, I wouldn't have it any other way. It certainly beats talking about politics.

Having said all that, it's a time of year for lists and as a blog that keeps a watchful eye on the New England scene, it seems apropos that we put together the top 10 Boston sports stories of 2008.

You can voice your opinion here by leaving a comment or by emailing josh@smallwhiteball. com. The honorable mentions will run on Wednesday, Dec. 17 and on Thursday, Dec. 18, the full Top 10 will be revealed right here on Bleacher Report!

Based on singular games, storylines, events, and players — and in no particular order — here are 18 nominees from another incredible year in Boston sports. Let your voice be heard!

- Powered by trades for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, the Boston Celtics returned to glory and won their 17th NBA championship, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in six games. A vindicated Paul Pierce averaged 21.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 6.3 assists to win the Finals MVP trophy.

- Rolling through the season undefeated and torching offensive records along the way, the New England Patriots were heavy favorites to defeat the New York Giants in the Super Bowl. That didn't happen as the Pats lost, 17-14, ending their dream season at 18-1.

- Just minutes into the regular season and playing for the first time since the Super Bowl, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (left) was awkwardly tackled by Kansas City Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard. Brady tore both his MCL and ACL, requiring season-ending surgery and parts of the region still haven't recovered. By the way, the Pats won the game, 17-10.

- We'll just call this "The Manny Affair." From the will they-or-won't they regarding his option years to the Jack McCormick shove to the trade for Jason Bay to the knee "injuries" and the whirlwind of stories emerging since the deal, Manny Ramirez wasn't just a player. He WAS the story.

- Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz missed a significant portion of the season with a wrist injury and hit .264 with 23 home runs and 89 RBIs in just 109 games, never getting into a groove the entire season. The question of whether fans have seen the best of him is an ongoing debate with many believing we're a lot closer to the bottom than the top of Ortiz's offensive capabilities.

- The Boston Bruins showed that hockey matters in Beantown again, compiling an 11-1-1 record in November. As of Dec. 8, the Bruins had won nine of their last 10 to lead the Eastern Conference, led by goalie Tim Thomas, Phil Kessel, Marc Savard and a rebuilt defense.

- Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia shrugs off the idea of a sophomore slump and wins the 2008 AL MVP to go along with Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards, all firsts. He is later rewarded with a six-year, $40.5 million contract, cementing his place as an anchor tenant in the Boston infield for seasons to come.

- Boston sports radio giant WEEI began to expand its regional reach throughout 2008. Most notably, it began "mirroring" its signal in Portland, Maine, Keene, N.H., and Bangor, Maine, in September and relaunched its web site with more content and writers than ever before. As NESN and Comcast Sports New England expand their reach, WEEI is right alongside them with the rights to Red Sox, Celtics, and Boston College games and hosts that have become stars in their own right.

- Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester has a breakthrough season in compiling a 16–6 record with a 3.21 ERA, highlighted by an emotional no-hitter in May against the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park. It is almost universally agreed that he was the staff ace for the 2008 season.

- The story known as Spygate becomes national news and former videotaping assistant Matt Walsh's (right) negotiations to meet with NFL Commish Roger Goodell are daily conversation for the national media. Bill Belichick and the team are each disciplined and Herald writer John Tomase writes an apology for unproven claims that a Patriots official videotaped the St. Louis Rams' walk-through practice prior to Super Bowl 36 in 2002. The amount of ink and effort spent on ESPN discussing Spygate could have made up its own 24-hour channel at one point.

- Following the team's second World Series win in four seasons, the Red Sox invite the man unfairly blamed for their 1986 loss in the sixth game of the World Series — Bill Buckner — to throw out the first pitch at Opening Day. It was an emotional moment, to say the least.

- The Celtics start out the 2008-09 season with a 20-2 record, tying the franchise record for their best start ever.

- The Red Sox opened the regular season in Japan, splitting two games with the Oakland Athletics that were aired live at 6 a.m. here in New England — the ultimate Breakfast with the Sox.

- After 15 seasons and three Super Bowl rings, Troy Brown (left) retired as a New England Patriot. The ultimate team player, Brown played wide receiver, returned kicks and even was a defensive back when asked. The 37-year-old played his entire season with Foxborough as a home address and owns the team record in receptions with 557.

- In the lean years before all of the titles, new owners, and nice stadium, there was linebacker Andre Tippett. After 12 years and 151 games with the Patriots that included five Pro Bowls and 100 sacks, Tippett was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008. At the time of his retirement in 1993, he ranked seventh all-time in sacks and third all-time among linebackers.

- After two straight seasons losing in the final game, Boston College finally broke through the ice and won the 2008 Frozen Four with a 4-1 win over Notre Dame, the third title in school history.

- Amidst the wreckage of Tom Brady's injury, backup Matt Cassel finally got the chance to start after having not done so since high school. The USC product struggled early, but caught on midway through the season in back-to-back 400-yard games. As he continues to run the Patriots offense toward a hopeful playoff berth, it's all but assumed the impending free agent will get a large contract in 2009 to run someone else's offense.

- With the Red Sox' catching situation in dire straits following an unproductive offensive season by free agent Jason Varitek, and with nothing ready to go in the pipeline, the question of whether to re-sign the captain or bid him adieu has been a daily topic of conversation this offseason. Everyone has an opinion of what to do, ranging from Tek apprenticing a young TBD prospect to signing for just one season to leaving altogether. There are no easy answers...but everyone seemingly has a solution.

Get your feedback into [e-mail] or by logging a comment here on Bleacher Report. Thanks for your help!

Josh Nason - josh [at] smallwhiteball [com] - is the publisher and main writer of Small White Ball, an all-encompassing sports blog that began in 2007. You can also read on mixed martial arts, boxing and pro wrestling at brother site RopesRingandCage.com. If you're using any part of this post, please link back to www.smallwhiteball.com. Thank you!