This Century Has Marks All Over It

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By Norman Chad

Monday, July 6, 2009

So Roger Federer has passed Pete Sampras, which means I now will make a statement -- of somewhat sound mind, with a good night's rest behind me -- that is inarguable, indisputable and incontrovertible:

This is the greatest century ever for sports.

Sure, the 20th century had Babe Ruth, Jim Thorpe, Jesse Owens, Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan, but it took, like, 100 years for all that greatness to emerge.

We're not even a decade into the 21st century and look what's happened:

-- Michael Phelps swims to a record eight gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

-- Lance Armstrong wins the Tour de France for a record seven straight years, ending in 2005.

-- Tiger Woods captures 14 major championships in golf, 12 coming since 2000.

-- Federer topples Sampras's record with his 15th Grand Slam tennis title.

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