Year in Review: Sports

Throngs of fans young and old — most clad in kelly green, some sporting oversized hats — turned out for the June 19, 2008 “rolling rally” celebration honoring the Boston Celtics’ 2008 NBA championship, the perfect end to a remarkable turnaround that saw Boston reclaim its spot atop the basketball world. (Amanda Montgomery photo)

Former New England Patriots linebacker Andre Tippett (right) uncovers his bronze bust with Patriots owner Robert Kraft (left) at the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, Aug. 2, 2008, in Canton, Ohio. (AP photo/Mark Duncan)

Former NBA players Patrick Ewing (left), who played high school ball at Cambridge Rindge and Latin, and Hakeem Olajuwon (center) and coach Pat Riley share a light moment during a news conference at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., on Friday, Sept. 5, 2008. All three were among those inducted into the Hall in the 2008 class, which also included Dick Vitale, Adrian Dantley, Bill Davidson and Cathy Rush. (AP photo/Nathan K. Martin)

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt (right) celebrates after winning the gold medal in the men’s 100-meter final during the athletics competitions in the National Stadium at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2008. The Jamaican sprinter blew away the competition and set a new world record with his victory by running the 100-meter dash in 9.69 seconds; later in the games, he set another record by running the 200 meters in 19.30 seconds. (AP photo/Odd Andersen)

New England Patriots wide receiver Troy Brown addresses the media as he announces his retirement from football at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough on Sept. 25, 2008. Brown was originally drafted by the Patriots in the eighth round in 1993 and played for the team for 15 seasons, starring on offense, special teams and even defense. The Pats honored Brown on Nov. 13 when they played the New York Jets. (AP photo/Robert E. Klein)