2002 Professional Athlete of the Year.

It's only November, so technically there's still time for somebody to turn in a phenomenal athletic performance and beat everybody else. Barring that, here's my list of nominees for Professional Athlete of the Year. Keep in mind that I'm only picking athletes from the U.S…just because I can.

Tiger Woods - He had everyone believing that he would win the Grand Slam this year, after his dominating performances in the Open and the TPC. His weather-administered British Open comeuppance only made him look human, something none of his competitors have been able to accomplish. On the links, he's the man.

Lance Armstrong - His fourth straight Tour de France win wasn't as exciting as his first and second…but, Good Lord, FOUR STRAIGHT WINS?! He has NO competition. On the road, he's the man.

Serena Williams - This was the year that she fully stepped out of the shadow of her older sister, Venus. Her decisive win over sis at the US Open was only topped by that form-fitting catsuit she wore. On the court, she's the woman.

Ricky Carmichael - He was the absolutely dominating force in the little-known sport of motocross, achieving the unachievable by winning EVERY SINGLE MOTO IN EVERY SINGLE RACE in the Outdoor National Championship series this year. That's 24 races out of 24! To top it off, out of a total of 365 laps run, Ricky led 352! A stunning performance. On the track, he's definitely the man.

And the award goes to…Ricky Carmichael! If you know how I feel about motocross, you probably saw that coming. Let me know who I left out, and maybe I'll post them.

More later…
Paul