by Keith Staines

Created on: January 05, 2009

When you are talking about sports in the year 2008, there are quite a few athletes who stepped up their games and broke out into the spotlight. It is somewhat hard to narrow it down to a small number to consider for best athlete of the year, let alone to actually pick one. But we shall do our best.

There are those who had great years, but don't quite make the cut into the top echelons of individual performances in 2008.

Eli Manning burst out of the enormous shadow of his older brother, taking the New York Giants to the Super Bowl win in 2008, and continuing the winning ways in the following season. Everyone remembers the Helmet Catch, but forgets that Eli should have been tackled two or three times before even throwing that ball.

Padraig Harrington won two majors on the PGA Tour, successfully defending his British Open Championship and also picking up the PGA Championship. He moved up to third in world rankings and deservedly was honored as the PGA Tour Player of the Year.

Candace Parker won a second straight women's NCAA basketball championship, was the MOP of the tournament, was drafted first overall into the WNBA, became only the second woman to dunk in a WNBA game, and won both the rookie of the year and MVP honors in her first WNBA season.

Lebron James singlehandedly carried a team yet again that had no business being remotely competitive and gave the eventual champs, the Boston Celtics, a run for their money. His numbers are consistently mind-boggling and he continues his ascent up Mt. Jordan in his quest to be the best player ever.

Rafael Nadal finally burst through, winning Wimbledon, the first major tournament he has won outside of the French Open. He shook off the mantle of being the best second-rated player ever, finally passing Roger Federer to be ranked number one in the world.

All great performances, but none of them make the final three of the best athletes of 2008. These next athletes stood head and shoulders above everyone else. One, a man who has withstood the spotlight for seemingly forever, surprising us yet again. The other two amateur athletes, giving it their all for four years for their one shot at glory. And so we begin.

Tiger Woods has been an international superstar and icon for years now. We knew his name since he started walking, and he has been the greatest thing to happen to the PGA tour in its history. This is a man who doesn't compete against his peers, but history itself. He went into the year having won 13 majors, while most players

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