Cheek Leads List of '06 Sports Stunners

Joey Cheek, of the United States, reacts after competing against Jeremy Wotherspoon of Canada (not seen) during the men's 500 meter speedskating during the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy in this Feb. 13, 2006. Cheek won gold after finishing with the best time after the second race. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham) (Matt Dunham - AP)

-- Joey Cheek grabbed a seat at the head table after the greatest race of his athletic career, very much aware that all those folks in front of him, with their cameras and microphones and notepads, would be hanging on his every word.

What did Cheek do with his moment in the spotlight at the Turin Olympics? Let's spice things up with a multiple-choice quiz:

A) He jumped on top of the table and unleashed an obscenity-filled rant about being the greatest speedskater in the history of the world.

B) He used the time to rip a rival, rattling off all sorts of perceived slights that showed a lack of respect.

C) He screamed out a shameless marketing ploy that lined his wallet with a wad of Benjamins. "Hey, everyone, I'm going to Disney World!"

And the answer is ... none of the above.

Instead of those tried-and-true tactics, Cheek announced to a stunned gathering that he was giving away his Olympic bonus _ all $25,000 _ to help refugees of a devastating war in Africa.

"I do a pretty ridiculous thing. I skate around in tights," he said. "But because I skated well, I have a chance to bring exposure to bigger things."

In this era of self-aggrandizing, where every act seems calculated to land a spot on SportsCenter (did someone say T.O.?), Cheek's selfless act might have been the biggest stunner of the year.

Not that there weren't plenty of surprises across the sporting landscape. The Pittsburgh Steelers rode a Bus all the way to a Super Bowl title. The Atlanta Braves failed to make the baseball playoffs for the first time since Dubya's daddy was president. The University of Florida _ deep in the heart of football country _ won a national championship in men's basketball, of all things. The New Orleans Saints inspired their hurricane-ravaged city to get back on its feet, returning to the Big Easy in time for an unexpected run to the NFL playoffs.

As always, the games and those who play them found plenty of ways to veer away from the projected script, which makes it a little easier to comprehend how the World Series could include the Detroit Tigers, just three years removed from a 119-loss season, and not the New York Yankees, whose bloated payroll and all-star roster was only good enough to earn a first-round exit from the playoffs.

Even those who surprised got a chance to see how the other half lives. After reaching the Fall Classic for the first time since 1984, the Tigers suddenly took on the look of a favorite. Alas, Detroit was shunted aside in five listless games by the St. Louis Cardinals, who barely made the playoffs and wound up having the fewest regular-season wins (83) of any Series champion.