Not many would have expected Michael Vick to come out of his dog-dueling slump to kick the Washington Redskins all the way back to the locker room of Fed-Ex field.

Just a few months ago, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup was all that anybody could talk about. The spirit of unity that came with the tournament was fleeting; the minute the World Cup ended, the competition to become the next host country started heating up.

This year, the World Series spilled over into November, an event that is not startling on its own but is emblematic of a greater problem in sports.

Gilbert Arenas used to be the face of the Wizards, a happy-go-lucky young superstar who drained game-winning threes and was truly loved by fans across the nation.

On Sept. 20, Denver Broncos’ Wide Receiver Kenny McKinley was found dead in his Colorado home from an apparent suicide.