Sports Rewind: The Top Sports Stories of 2012
BET.com recaps 2012's biggest sports stories.
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Take a Look Back - From the amazing Williams sisters epic year to Gabby Douglas' gold-medal performance to the Jovan Belcher murder-suicide, BET.com recaps the biggest sports stories of 2012. — Britt Middleton
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Top Picks at the 2012 NFL Draft - Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck was drafted as the No. 1 pick to the Indianapolis Colts at the NFL Draft in April. Quarterback Robert Griffin III of Baylor University followed as the No. 2 pick of the Washington Redskins. (Photos left to right: Sean O'Kane/BET)
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Eli Manning Clinches Second Super Bowl Title - The long rivalry between the New York Giants and New England Patriots was settled — for one season, at least — when the Giants bested the Pats 21-17 in Super Bowl XLV in February. (Photo: Rob Carr/Getty Images)
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New Orleans Saints Bounty Scandal - In March, the NFL released findings proving the New Orleans Saints had engaged in an illegal pay-per-hit program targeting their opponents between the 2009 and 2011 seasons, spurring the suspensions of head coach Sean Payton, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and several players. Payton is still negotiating his contract to return next season. (Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
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University of Kentucky Wins NCAA Championship - The University of Kentucky were crowned NCAA Champions in March after besting the University of Kansas 67-59. (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
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Junior Seau Suicide - It was a sad day for the NFL on May 2 when San Diego Chargers great Junior Seau was found dead from an apparent suicide at his Oceanside, California, home. The former lineman was 43 years old. (Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
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Miami Heat Clinch NBA Championship - LeBron James got his long-awaited NBA championship ring in June when the Miami Heat beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-106. (Photo: Lynne Sladky/AP PHOTO)
Photo By Photo: Lynne Sladky/AP PHOTO
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Tony Parker Suffers Eye Injury in Club Brawl - San Antonio Spurs Tony Parker was one of a number of bystanders injured in a New York City club brawl involving the entourages of Chris Brown and Drake in June. Parker suffered a laceration to his cornea from a shard of flying glass. (Photos from left: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images, John Ricard / BET, PacificCoastNews.com)
Photo By Photos from left: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
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Amar’e Stoudemire Tweets Gay Slur at Fan - New York Knicks star Amar’e Stoudemire came under fire in June after tweeting a gay slur at a fan who criticized his performance. He was quick to offer remorse over the incident, telling TMZ, "I am a huge supporter of civil rights for all people." (Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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Dream Team Celebrates 20th Anniversary - In June, the 1992 U.S. men's Olympic basketball team — dubbed the Dream Team — rang in its 20th anniversary of its gold-winning performance at the Olympic Games in Barcelona. The star-studded squad included legends Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Charles Barkley. (Photo: Brian Snyder /Landov/REUTERS)
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Mike Tyson's Broadway Run - Mike Tyson has turned his tumultuous life experiences into an one-man show this summer. Originally opening in Las Vegas, Undisputed Truth earned a short run on Broadway, with Spike Lee signing on to direct. (Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
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Penn State Sanctioned in Wake of Sandusky Scandal - Penn State University was hit with $60 million in fines and sanctions on football scholarships and bowl game appearances in July in connection with former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky's child-sex abuse scandal. Sandusky was convicted on 45 counts of child sex abuse and sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison. (Photo: Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Photo By Photo: Rob Carr/Getty Images
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Gabby Douglas' Golden Moment - At 16, U.S. gymnast Gabby Douglas, at the London Olympics in August, became the first African-American to win gold in the all-around competition. (Photo: Scott Halleran/Getty Images for Kelloggs)
Photo By Photo: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
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Michael Phelps Goes Out on a Bang - In his final Olympics before retirement, U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps racked up an impressive four gold and two silver medals in London, adding to his 22 overall medals and becoming the most decorated Olympian of all time. (Photo: Al Bello/Getty Images)
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Usain Bolt Is Still the Fastest Man in the World - "I'm now a legend. I'm also the greatest athlete to live," Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt proclaimed at the London Games, having won gold in the 100 and 200-meter races and the 4x100 relay race. (Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
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Williams Sisters Sweep Doubles Competition - Teaming up with her sister Venus, the Williams sisters, at the London Olympics in August, took home their third gold medal in the women's doubles competition. (Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
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The Summer of Serena Williams - After winning Wimbledon in July, Serena Williams punctuated her Olympic gold medal in the women's singles competition with a truly memorable victory dance. She went on to win her fourth U.S. Open title in September. (Photo: Julian Finney/Getty Images)
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Chad Johnson Convicted of Domestic Abuse - Former NFL star Chad “no longer Ochocinco” Johnson was arrested for head-butting his wife Evelyn Lozada and pled "no contest" a domestic battery charge on Sept. 21, just days after the couple finalized their divorce. (Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Photo By Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
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The Call Seen Around the World - The months-long NFL referee lockout was resolved in September after replacement refs botched a game-deciding call in a match up between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks in September. Fueled by public outcry, the official refs were back on the field days later. (Photo: Joshua Trujillo/AP PHOTO/seattlepi.com)
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"The Greatest" Awarded Liberty Medal - In September, boxing legend Muhammad Ali added another accomplishment to his exhaustive record when he was honored with the Liberty Medal, an award recognizing his contributions to civil rights and religious freedom. (Photo: Tim Shaffer/REUTERS)
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Mayweather and Pacquiao Make Nice - Is it a sign that the two will soon meet in the ring? Boxing adversaries Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao settled a defamation lawsuit in September. Pacquiao waged the lawsuit in 2009 after Mayweather suggested he used performance-enhancing drugs. (Photos from left: Chris McKay/Getty Images for BET, Jeoffrey Maitem/Getty Images)
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Condoleezza Rice Breaks Barriers at Augusta National - Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice became the first African-American woman admitted into the prestigious Augusta National Golf Club in August. It admitted its first Black member in 1990. (Photo: Joe Songer /Landov/Birmingham News)
Photo By Jamie Squire/Getty Images for Golfweek
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Brooklyn Nets Move to New Home - The Brooklyn Nets settled into their new home at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn in September with the help of team part-owner Jay-Z. Hov treated fans to a series of performances with wife Beyoncé. The music mogul also had a hand in designing team uniforms. (Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
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Michael Strahan Joins Live! With Kelly - Former New York Giants star Michael Strahan traded in his cleats for the spotlight in September when he was named morning co-host with Kelly Ripa on Live With Kelly! (Photo: Ray Tamarra/Getty Images)
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O.J. Simpson Trial Reopened - A Nevada judge agreed to re-open the armed robbery and kidnapping case against O.J. Simpson in October to determine if the embattled former athlete will be released from prison and given a new trial. Simpson is currently serving nine to 33 years in state prison. (Photo: Steve Marcus-Pool/Getty Images)
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