NEW YORK -- The Boston Marathon bombing was selected the sports story of the year Friday in an annual vote conducted by The Associated Press. Two pressure cooker bombs exploded near the finish line of the April 15 race in an area packed with fans cheering the passing runners. Three people were killed and more than 260 injured, including at least 16 who lost limbs. Authorities say brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, ethnic Chechens from Russia who emigrated to the United States as children, planned and carried out the bombings in retaliation for U.S. involvement in Muslim countries. Ninety-six ballots were submitted from U.S. editors and news directors. Voters were asked to rank the top 10 sports stories of the year, with the first-place story receiving 10 points, the second-place story nine points and so on. The marathon attack received 761 points and 67 first-place votes. It was also second in APs national/international story of the year poll. The No. 2 sports story, Lance Armstrongs admission of doping, had five first-place votes and 517 points. The top five stories were grim: terrorism, performance-enhancing drug use, legal settlements, murder charges. The first on-field action came in at No. 6 -- the Boston Red Soxs worst-to-first World Series title, though even that was tinged by the citys heartache less than seven months earlier. Here are 2013s top 10 stories: 1. BOSTON MARATHON BOMBINGS: The throngs of spectators lining the streets at a storied big-city marathon were once a wholesome scene of civic pride and friendly support. Aprils attack came as a haunting reminder that the crowds at a high-profile event are also a vulnerable target. Bag searches and metal detectors were a common sight at games the rest of the year. As victims persevere on prosthetic limbs, the 118th edition of the worlds oldest marathon is set for the spring, with security undoubtedly heightened but runners determined to take part. 2. LANCE ARMSTRONG: The disgraced cyclist was also the No. 2 sports story last year. In 2012, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency stripped him of his record seven Tour de France titles, releasing mounds of evidence that he used PEDs to win them. In January, after years of defiant denials, Armstrong finally admitted it, telling Oprah Winfrey: "Its this myth, this perfect story, and it wasnt true." 3. NFL CONCUSSION SETTLEMENT: The NFLs settlement of lawsuits brought by thousands of former players will cost the league $765 million but wont end the turmoil over head injuries in football -- or the litigation. The retirees, who had accused the NFL of concealing the long-term dangers of concussions, will be eligible for compensation for certain neurological ailments. The league did not admit to any wrongdoing after mediation resulted in a settlement in August. 4. BASEBALL DRUG BANS: Alex Rodriguezs 211-game suspension was the longest of the 13 announced in August for players connected to a Florida anti-aging clinic accused of distributing banned PEDs. The Yankees slugger was the only one to contest the penalty, and the year ends with an arbitrator yet to rule. In July, Ryan Braun, the 2011 NL MVP who had previously denied using banned substances, accepted a 65-game suspension. 5. HERNANDEZ ARREST: On Jan. 20, New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez had nine catches for 83 yards in an AFC championship game loss to Baltimore. Just more than five months later, he was charged with murder. Prosecutors accuse him of shooting a friend to death on a secluded gravel road for talking to the wrong people at a nightclub. Hernandez awaits trial amid revelations of a history of violence by the player. 6. RED SOX WIN: Bostons 2011 season ended with a collapse and tales of fried chicken and beer in the clubhouse; 2012 ended with a last-place finish and 93 losses. New manager John Farrell and his bearded sluggers embraced "Boston Strong" and tied for the best record in the majors in a turnaround few predicted. With timely hits up and down the lineup throughout the playoffs, the Red Sox beat the St. Louis Cardinals in six games for their third World Series title in a decade. 7. RAVENS SUPER: The power came back on, and Baltimore held on. Ravens coach John Harbaugh beat younger brother Jims San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in the Super Bowl in an unprecedented sibling showdown. But the game will be remembered most for the 34-minute outage at the Superdome in New Orleans. Baltimore star linebacker Ray Lewis rode into retirement with a ring. 8. AWESOME AUBURN: The Tigers turnaround from a 3-9 record to the national title game was stunning enough. Even more shocking was how they did it. A deflected 73-yard touchdown pass with 25 seconds left gave Auburn a 43-38 win over Georgia on Nov. 16. The play that ended their next game will go down as one of the most memorable in college football history: Chris Davis return of a missed field goal attempt more than 100 yards to beat No. 1 Alabama 34-28. 9. TEO HOAX: Heisman Trophy runner-up Manti Teo struggled in Notre Dames lopsided loss to Alabama in the national title game Jan. 7. Nine days later, his name became forever linked to a most bizarre sports story. That tragic tale about his girlfriends death told over and over as the linebacker starred for an undefeated team? She didnt exist. Teo insisted he was duped into believing the woman he never met in person was real. 10. HEAT TITLE: One more free throw or one more defensive rebound, and the San Antonio Spurs prevent Miami from repeating as champion. Instead, Ray Allen made one of the biggest shots in NBA Finals history, knocking down a second-chance 3-pointer with 5 seconds left to send Game 6 to overtime. The Heat won in the extra period and again in Game 7 to give LeBron James another title. Asics Gel Sight Desert Rose . Artturi Lehkonen, Joni Nikko and Ville Leskinen had the other goals for Finland (1-0) while Juuse Saros stopped 28 shots. Tim Robin Johnsgard had the lone goal for Norway (0-2). Asics Gel Lyte v Femme Noir .Y. - Free agent outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, fresh off winning the World Series with Boston, reached agreement with the rival New York Yankees on a seven-year contract worth about $153 million, a person familiar with the negotiations said Tuesday night. http://www.onitsukatigerasics.fr/asics-gel-lyte-france/gel-lyte-iii.html . -- Washington Redskins tight end Fred Davis was charged Thursday with driving while intoxicated, a day after he was suspended for an NFL substance-abuse policy violation. Asics Gel Lyte v Noir .com) - The game was all punts and field goals before Kodi Whitfields catch. Asics Onitsuka Tiger Femme . Brett Kulak and Jackson Houck of the Vancouver Giants were each charged with assault causing bodily harm on Aug. 18, according to the B.C. court services.PHOENIX - As his team endured what turned out to be their most disheartening loss of the young season, Masai Ujiri followed along on his iPad. Accompanied by a couple of his scouts, the Raptors general manager was returning from a road trip to Syracuse, where he watched the Orange defeat the Hoosiers Tuesday evening. All the while he kept an eye on what was unfolding on the opposite end of the country. With the Raptors on the verge of a historic collapse, all he could do was watch the score, as a 27-point lead morphed into a nine-point loss in 21 minutes of game time. Ujiri watched the game in its entirety when he got back home, not because hes a glutton for punishment but because he has work to do, which is becoming more and more clear with each passing loss. "Obviously, theres something that we have to fix," Ujiri told Macko and Cauz in a Thursday morning interview on TSN Radio 1050. Listen to the entire interview here. "One thing Ill tell you and the fans," he said, "we will not be caught in no-mans land in the NBA. We all know what no mans land is. Were going to really evaluate this team and see how we can go forward." To the dismay of the reigning NBA Executive of the Year, the Raptors have been and continue to be in the centre of no-mans land. Theyve been trapped there for half a decade - or longer depending on your definition of "no-mans land" - without a clear or easy way of escaping. At 6-12 they sit comfortably in 10th place, exactly where they finished last season. Theyre too good to be bad in a truly terrible Eastern Conference but theyre a long ways from being good enough to compete. So what now? Tuesdays loss - as painful as it was - is just one game. As Dwane Casey put it, "Its a long season and one game doesnt define us." The game doesnt but what it represents does. The roster is fundamentally flawed. A loss like Tuesdays makes Ujiris decision easier, while making his job that much more difficult. Whether hes watching from the stands, the tunnel or his iPad, Ujiri has been watching closely, and waiting. For lack of a more prudent solution at the time he took the gig, he gave this group - mostly assembled by his predecessor - an opportunity to sink or swim. Now, over a month into the season, hes seen what he needs to see. "Its not rocket science," he said. "Im not trying to deceive anybody here. Were evaluating our team and well continue to field calls, make calls [and] see how we can make our team better or figure out what direction we go with this team." Theres no question Ujiri has been and will continue to be a busy man (he and his wife welcomed their first child on Saturday). December 15th is a date most, including Ujiri, have circled on their caleendar.dddddddddddd That will be the first day in which offseason signees are eligible to be traded, widening the market and thus increasing Torontos options. At that point, the clock starts and its only a matter of time before Ujiri pulls the trigger. Who goes, what comes back and when does it all happen? Ujiri may not even have those answers yet. Its important to remember that wanting to dance is not enough, you need a willing partner. Not surprisingly, the primary areas of evaluation for Ujiri and his staff leading up to Dec. 15 are focused around redundancy in the roster and a general lack of chemistry amongst this group. "For me, guys should be willing to play with each other, for each other," Torontos GM insisted. "I dont think our guys are selfish, its not something in terms of, I dont want to pass to that guy, or I wont pass to that guy, I dont really think its that. I think its the style of player, the way they are constructed as players." Two players who are under the microscope, largely because of their hefty salaries and similarities to one another on the floor, are Rudy Gay and DeMar DeRozan. That duo, both high-volume scorers and subpar defenders, account for the bulk of Torontos usage offensively. Both players tend to operate best in isolation, which has practically flatlined the teams offence this season. It has become clear to the organizations primary decision-makers that this pair has to be broken up, regardless of the path the franchise chooses to take going forward. Although theyd prefer to part ways with Gay, according to a team source - not a surprise, given his on-court regression and the $19.3 million hes owed next year (assuming he opts in) - that may prove to be an impossible task. Gay is shooting 39 per cent from the field and committing 3.4 turnovers per contest, both marks are the worst of his career, and his league-wide value is believed to reflect that. Meanwhile DeRozans value is trending upwards, averaging career-highs in points (21.8), assists (2.8) and three-point shooting (39 per cent). Therein lies the conundrum for Ujiri and company; sell high on player with optimum value, or take whatever you can get for the other. At least for now Casey appears to be safe. Using the coach as a scapegoat is often the easiest answer but its not one that fits Ujiris style. Hes too rationale and too patient. He knows Casey, like the rest of the team, is handcuffed by the roster, a flawed group, pieces that just wont and never will fit together. With each passing game Ujiri is reminded of that. Theyre not good enough. Theyre not bad enough. They are precisely where he refuses to be; in no-mans land. The day of reckoning for this team, as we know it, is just around the corner. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '