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TodaysAdvisorSportinglifei Rafael Nadal: 2010 Athlete-of-the-Year  He dominated the men's tennis circuit, all the time keeping his wits about him and when the time came to finally win the US Open, the one Grand Slam title that had eluded him, he got the jhob done against a game Novak Djokovic, fresh off his stunning upset of Roger Federer in the semi's. Nadal is gracious, level headed and centered. Still terained by his uncle he still oives at home on Majorca off the coast of Spain, but not on the coast, in the center of the island, in the same complex he's lived in for years. Mom's donwstairs and his Uncle is there too. In fact the whole family sticks together. Is it any wonder taht this guy never gets into trouble. He works like a mad man and then doesn't fall for the bright lights of the big city that is the downfall of so many once they have achieved some modicum of fame. Like Federer before him it is great to see this gentlemanly, sincere, earnest and honest approach to athletics. This is the true Olympian ideal, many thought most likely lost forever, but brought back by Rafa and Roger. No rap albums, no club VIP rooms, no guns, no cops, no arrests, no trouble, just a single minded pursuit of excellence. Co-Runners Up: Bode Miller and Lindsey Vonn Gold Medal Winners Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, US Alpine Ski Team Bode Miller: After having been annopinted as the official Next Big Thing with a TIME cover prior to the 2006 Olympic Winter Games, Bode Miller proceeded to say that medals meant little to him, proceeded to tank and wound-up with none. Continuing to march to the beat of his own drum, he shows up for years later in Vancouver, with little expected of him (Ted Liggety was supposed to be the US MEn's Alpine Skiing star) and winds up dominating. He got his gold and a few others to go with it, and he did it his way, seeming to say, to the world, I'm not going to define my performance or myself by your standards and certainly not by howmany chunks of metal I win. I live by my rules, but just in case any of you are wondering, and on my terms, here you go. Total domination versus the worlds best. Yes, he's a unique guy and certainly a prickly one at that. he won't be what you want, the perfectly policshed, perfectly behaved corporate spokesman and the Next Big Thing on Madison Avenue. He's content being who he is - without the fanfare, but, just in case you wondering about all the talent, come on out to the mountain and see. It's on display everyday - just not the way you want. Lindsey Vonn: The opposite of Bode and a darling of the media, the 2010 version of Miller having been annointed this Olympic's Next Big Thing (much to the consterantion of some her female US Alpine Ski Team members who thought they were every bit as talented as Lindsey, just without the flowing blond hair and sexy pics in Sports Illustrated - and would tell every reporter within earshot at every opportunity) all eyes were on her from even before he arrival in Vancouver. Still, with all of this pressure on her, Lindsey came though. Injuries or not, she got it done and brought home gold in the women's downhill. Anyone who stands up to the kind of pressure and media attention that she did, while being injured and still gets the job done and brings home the gold, certainly deserves some kind of award - so here it is. One of many for the Next Big Thing that came through and got the job done. Now, back-up the Brinks truck! It's endorsement time, baby! _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Zenyatta: Can she win the Breeders Cup and Finish Undefeated? Zenyatta's a great, great horse. Her jockey, a long time veteran of horse racing, says she's the best ever. But how would she stand-up against...Read More __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2009 - TodaysAdvisor SportingLife's Athlete-of-the-Year: Usain Bolt Yes, 2008 was also a great year for Jamaican sprinter and arguably, world's greatest athlete, Usain Bolt. He went to Beijing and just hapened to win three gold medals, the first man to ever win three gold medals in three sprinting events in one Olympics - but, just for good measure he set two world records in the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash and was a part of a third, running the anchor leg of the victorious 4 X 100 meter relay. As good of a year 2008 was for the laid-back Jamaican, who didn't beat his competitors so much as destroy them (he reaches speeds in the sprints of about 30 mph), 2009 proved even better as he lowered his world records in the 100 and 200, even further. In fact, if he was not as dominant as he is (he has a tendancy to pull up prior to the finish in order to begin the celebration early - as much as 20 meters before the finish too early), he could challenge the un-thinkable mark of breaking, yes breaking, a nine-second 100 meters. He's only a hal-second away, which, granted, is forever in sprinting terms. Physiologists and other scientists have been dispatched to answer the question, now being begged, what is the fastest a human could run a 100 meters? The results have varied, but, one thing seems certain: it's as fast as Bolt can run it. Some put it at around 9.3 to 9.4 seconds. Now, we've all been disappointed before, and, of course, when any human dominates the way Bolt has, the whispers of steroids or other enhnacers invariably pops-up. After all, cheaters, it seems, always seem to be one step of those doing the testing. Bolt has, of course, denounced such talk and denied taking anything that would enhance his performance, going so far as to say what a disgrace it would be to do such a thing. He goes on to mention a previous Jamaican sprinter, caught cheating, who fell into such disrepute and shame after being caught, as to have to move-off the island and take up residency elsewhere. Such is the wrath of the Jamiacan community for any one of their people caught chea,ting. At any rate, so far so good. He's been tested and tested and tested and there has never been a problem. And we hope there never will be. He's got the charisma to be a superstar on the world stage, not just in his home country - and then there's the name - Usain Bolt - the modifications to personify his athletic achievements seem endless. Of course there's Usain "Lightning" Bolt, which is the most popular and seems almost too easy, but then there's my favorite - "Insane" Bolt - because that's what it is every time this guy runs. He's so good, that on top of all of it he has crossed-over into the pop-culture world with TIME Magazine naming him a runner-up for TIME's Man-of-the-Year in 2009. And that's in the entire world and from any any field, not just athletics (which is what the rest of world outside of the U.S calls Track and Field). In any event, the sky is the limit for Bolt, and he needs to take advantage of it, for the life span of a sprinter to run at his peak is short. By London in 2012 he will be only in his mid-twenties, so, barring injury, we should see him again in an Olympics. The question will be, could he possibly be approaching an 8.99 hundred meters by that point? Runner-Up: Derek Jeter Seriously, who's had a better year than Derek Jeter? Sports Ilustrated's Sportsman-of-the-Year (the first Yankee ever to win that honor), a top three finish for major league baseball's MVP award, another World Series championship (that's #5 for Jeter at this point, and still counting), and he just also happened to pass a guy named Lou Gehrig for the leader in all-time base hits as a Yankee. That's more than Ruth, more than DiMaggio, more than Mantle, more than Berra. The names he has passed seems like saying that Achilles, back in ancient Greece, just passed Zeus, Apollo and Posieden on the all-time greatest powers list. He's the Iceman, coming through in clutch situations over and over again. Who can forget his game-saving flip against the A's in Oakland back in the 2001 play-off's? Who will ever forget his reckless abandon as he ran, full-bore after a pop-fly in a tight regular season game against the Red Sox in Yankee Stadium, culminating with him crashing, at full speed, into the stands, flying head-over heels into the second row, but holding onto the ball to make the out in a game where he had to come out, but in which the Yankees ultimately prevailed. Or his annoiting as "Mr. November" after his 12:01 homer, also in 2001, in extra-innings to win the game for the Yankees in the Series at home against the Diamondbacks? And, when it's over, his next stop, on a sure first ballot, will be Cooperstown, to take his rightful place among the other Yankee immortals. Now, Jeter would be the first to say, he's got a lot to do before any of that is going to take place. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2010 America's Cup 2010 America's Cup Defender: Société Nautique de Genève: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Alpine Ascents: Satisfy Your Inner Need to Explorei Job not enough? Something missing? Done the 'Weekend Warrior' thing and the beer league softball thing and you are left unsatisfied? Need more from life or at the vewry least, one grand adventure? Than look no further: Ever consider mountaineering? Yes, climbing a mountain, but not just any mountain, but rather, one worthy of deeming your final ascent a true summit, rather than just your ordinary making it to the top. Alpine Ascents (www.alpineascents.com) can get you there and make it happen. Sounds exciting to us. Everyone should "summit" at least once in their lives. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Glamour of Formula 1 Racing Comes to Life    GPTours Want an unforgetable experience that will combine the best elements of travel adn the Sporting Life? Try GP Tours at www.gptours.com for packages to virtually any formula Formula One Grand Prix race event around the globe. Nothing like feeling like a Jet-Setter to give one a sense of confidence. To find out more about Formula 1, go to www.f1.com and watch 2010 races on SPEEDtv. Check local listings for channel, dates, and times TOP NEWS: Michael Schumaker to return to Formula 1 for 2010 campaign! Former World Champion ends three-year retirement to join Mercedes Team Alonso goes to Ferrari. Already makes appearance at McLaren's year-end party despite still being under contract to Renault until Jan.1 Click hereWorld Champion Jenson Button joins Louis Hamilton at McLaren, making it a team of the last two World Champions. But, who's number one? USF1 begins operations in Charlotte, NC, with an eye towards testing in 2010, will use English Cosworth engines 2007 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen to take a break in 2010; will not race. Is this the end for "The Iceman?" Raikkonen says 'no.' Mercedes buys 2009 world championship team Brawn GP. Will still hold 40% of the McLaren team, but McLaren will re-acquire that interest in 2 yrs.
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