2008 is almost upon us, a time for new beginnings, fresh stories and things yet to come that we can’t even imagine yet (like, for instance, a team we have interest in not choking when games start becoming meaningful?) Alas, it is not yet 2008; we still have one day left in what has been a pretty wretched year for fans of *major* Minnesota sports teams. Because no year can properly be given its due without a list that boils it down to nothing but glossy highlights, we have decided to *treat* you to a list of our 10 favorite storylines from this year. These aren’t necessarily the biggest stories (hence nothing about steroids or New England-area sports) or even the ones we wrote about the most. They are definitely hastily researched, and there is almost certain to be a glaring omission or two. But everyone loves lists. It’s been proven by the same doctors who recommend certain pain relief medication over others. So let’s have at it:

10. Gophers wrestling wins third NCAA title this decade: It didn’t end up being overly dramatic or pretty, but there’s a lot to be said for a team that carries the burden of expectation and follows through with a championship.

9. Golden State over Dallas in the NBA playoffs: How much fun was that?

8. Mike Vick. It was disgusting, awful and fascinating all at the same time to watch it all unfold.

7. Boise State. Remember when they won that bowl game on a 122-yard triple reverse in which the pluto-back was shot out of a cannon? Man, that was awesome.

6. Pat Williams producing a badge during the whole Dwight Smith pot bust a couple weeks back. No need to intervene, officers. Pat has this thing under control.
5. Dennis Green seeking a U.S. trademark on the phrase, “They are who we thought they were.” It doesn’t get much better than that.

4. The saga of KG. It made for an interesting summer and closed the book on a major chapter in recent local sports history.

3. Isiah Thomas, Stephon Marbury and the Knicks. They put the fun in dysfunctional, that’s for sure.

2. Pacman Jones. We’ll never be able to go to the bank and exchange copious amounts of large bills for singles and put them in a trash bag and take them to a strip club and get into a potentially deadly situation ever again without thinking about Pacman Jones. He gave us the No. 1 phrase that pays for 2007: Making it rain.

1. Purple Jesus. It ended with a thud, as it always does, but for eight games he was magic.

Fasola-link! This was almost good enough for the top 10. Seriously.

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