What makes a special event eternal in sports is that it not only is remembered for the moment itself but also for what affect it has on the future. Without Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier, Barry Bonds never hits number 756. Without Lou Gehrig, Cal Ripken Jr.’s streak is just a number. Without Jack Nicklaus, no one would care how many majors Tiger Woods wins. What makes all of these moments unforgettable is that some day something else will happen that reminds us of why they were so special in the first place.

(10) HOUSTON ROCKETS WIN

22 STRAIGHT GAMES

On Jan. 27, the Houston Rockets fell to the Utah Jazz 97-89. It would be the last time Houston would lose until March 18. In between, the Rockets won 22 consecutive games, which earned them the second-longest win streak in NBA history. What made the feat even more outstanding is that Houston won the final 10 without star center Yao Ming, who was out for the year with a stress fracture in his left foot in February.

(9) REDSKINS’ SAFETY SEAN TAYLOR IS SHOT AND KILLED AT AGE 24

In one of the most shocking and horrifying stories in NFL history, young star Sean Taylor was shot after having his house broken into on Nov. 26, 2007. The next morning, Taylor died. The entire NFL was in mourning after losing one of its best young players, but clearly no one was affected more than his teammates on the Washington Redskins. The team paid tribute to its fallen star by wearing his number 21 on its helmets and playing with 10 men rather than the usual 11 on defense in the first play after his death.

(8) DAVIDSON WILDCATS MAKE RUN INTO ELITE EIGHT

This year that face of the tournament belonged to Stephen Curry, the sophomore scoring machine from Davidson. Behind Curry, the Wildcats knocked off perennial basketball powers Gonzaga, Georgetown and Wisconsin before falling to eventual national champion Kansas 59-57 in the Elite Eight. In the four games, Curry averaged 32 points per contest and was the first player in 14 years to play for a losing team and be named Most Outstanding Player of a region.

(7) APPALACHIAN STATE KNOCKS OFF MICHICAN AT THE BIG HOUSE

On the first of September 2007, the Appalachian State Mountaineers pulled off perhaps the greatest upset in college football history when they went into Michigan and knocked off the No. 5 ranked Wolverines 34-32. Michigan had a chance to win the game as time expired with a 37-yard field-goal attempt, but the Mountaineers blocked the attempt and sealed the victory. It was the first time in the history of college football that a Division I-AA team had ever beaten a ranked Division I-A team.

(6) COLORADO ROCKIES WIN 22-OF-23 GAMES EN ROUTE TO THEIR FIRST WORLD SERIES APPEARNCE

On Sept. 15, 2007, the Rockies were 76-72 and found themselves 4.5 games out of a playoff spot with 14 games to play. Over the remainder of the regular season, Colorado lost just one more game and was able to tie the San Diego Padres on the last day of the regular season for the Wild Card. What followed was a one-game playoff, which was one of the most exciting contests in MLB history. After a thrilling win in 13 innings where Matt Holliday may or may not have touched the plate to win the game, the Rockies were playoff bound. Colorado then swept both the Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks to win its first ever National League pennant. Unfortunately for the Rockies, the dream ended there, as they were then swept by Boston Red Sox in the World Series.

(5) THE YEAR OF BRETT FAVRE

In the last eight months of Brett Favre’s career, he may have made more headlines than any every other NFL quarterback has in his career. It started off with the season that no one thought he had left. Favre threw for 4,155 yards and 28 touchdowns while leading the Green Bay Packers to NFC championship game. In the process, Favre broke the record for the most wins and touchdown passes by any quarterback in NFL history. With such a great season to build on, most of America felt he would return for another year. However on March 4, Favre announced that he was retiring from the NFL. While Favre looked sincere at his press conference, he has admitted that he has yet to fill out the paperwork for retirement and admits that he will probably get the urge to play again, so do not be surprised if he makes this list again next year.

(4) A SEASON TO REMEMBER

(AND FORGET) FOR THE PATRIOTS

There was never a season in NFL history like the one the New England Patriots had. It started off with accusations from the New York Jets that the Patriots were videotaping their defensive signals. The Patriots were eventually found guilty of these actions, were fined and forced to forfeit their first-round pick. New England took out its anger on the rest of the NFL, as it went undefeated in the regular season. During the year, Tom Brady and Randy Moss set the single-season record for touchdown passes and touchdown catches, respectively. Despite a season full of records, the Patriots quest to be the first undefeated team since 1972 died when they fell to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl.

(3) KANSAS JAYHAWKS RIDE MIRACLE SHOT TO NCAA TITLE

While the Final Four gave us predictability by having all four No. 1 seeds for the first time ever, the National Championship game provided more twists and turns than the college basketball fan could handle. The Memphis Tigers led by nine with under two minutes to go, but by only converting one of their final five free throws, they allowed Kansas back in the game. However, it was not until Mario Chalmers made a 3-point shot for the ages did Kansas finally tie the game. The Jayhawks rode the momentum through overtime and captured the title.

(2) THE NEW YORK GIANTS WIN

SUPER BOWL XLII

History was going to be made in Glendale, Ariz. The Patriots were 18-0 and one win away from becoming immortal legends. However, the New York Giants proved that they were not just a worthy opponent but the better team. Behind an incessant pass rush, the Giants were able to contain the Patriots’ offense. Yet, it was not until a heroic drive that featured a miracle play by Eli Manning and David Tyree and culminated with a touchdown to Plaxico Burress for the Giants that they gained the title of Super Bowl champions.

(1) THE MITCHELL REPORT CHANGES BASEBALL FOREVER

On Dec. 13, 2007, the Mitchell Report was released to the public. The 409-page report detailed the steroid use of many current and former baseball players. Among the players named in the report were Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Miguel Tejada. What followed were months full of accusations and denials, which culminated with a hearing for Clemens in front of Congress.