LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Kings Stanley Cup victory was named the top sports moment of 2012 at the 8th Annual LA Sports Awards, held March 3 at The Beverly Hilton.
The Kings defeated New Jersey 4 games to 2 in the Final for the franchise’s first championship in their 45-year history.
The LA Sports Awards are presented annually by the Los Angeles Sports Council to celebrate the greatest moments of the year in sports in the Los Angeles/Orange County area.
In other award presentations, Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick was honored as 2012 Sportsman of the Year and beach volleyball Olympic gold medalists Misty May-Treanor andKerri Walsh Jennings were named the Sportswomen of the Year. Darryl Sutter of the Kings received the Coach of the Year award and AEG President & CEO Tim Leiweke was the recipient of the Sports Executive of the Year.
During the gala the overall Top 10 moments of 2012, as selected by a blue-ribbon media panel combined with on-line fan voting, were revealed in ranked order. They are:
1. Kings Win the Cup (June 11): The Kings beat New Jersey in six games to win their first Stanley Cup .
2. Galaxy Win MLS Cup (December 1): The Galaxy defeated Houston, 3-1, at the Home Depot Center to win its second consecutive Major League Soccer championship.
3. Mike Trout Wins AL Rookie of Year Award (November 12): The Angels outfielder batted .326 with 30 home runs and was named the League’s top rookie.
4. Clippers Win 17 Straight (November 28 – December 30): The Clippers put together the greatest winning streak in franchise history.
5. Guggenheim Buys the Dodgers (May 1): Guggenheim Baseball Management purchased the Dodgers for a whopping $2.15 billion.
6. Steve Nash and Dwight Howard Join the Lakers (July 4 and August 10): Over the summer, the Lakers acquired two of the NBA’s top superstars via trade.
Kim Rhode. Courtesy of USA Shooting
7. Kim Rhode Medals at Her 5th Straight Olympics (July 29): Rhode, from Monrovia, won a gold medal in women’s skeet and became the first American athlete to medal in an individual or team event in 5 consecutive Olympic Games.
8. UCLA Beats USC to Win Pac-12 South Football Title (November 17): The Bruins defeated the Trojans, 38-28, at the Rose Bowl to clinch the Pac-12 South championship.
9. Clippers Beat Memphis in Dramatic Playoff Series (May 13): The Clippers defeated the Grizzlies 4 games to 3, rallying from 27 points behind in Game 1 and winning Game 7 on the road.
10. Allyson Felix Sprints to 3 Gold Medals in London (August 8, 10 and 11): The Los Angeles native won gold in the 200 meters and as a member of the 4×100 and 4×400 relay teams.
Prime Ticket will televise the star-studded awards show on Sunday evening, March 10 at 9:30 pm PST (with multiple airings to follow).
Kim Rhode. Photo courtesy of Winchester
During the festivities, 14 additional awards also were presented to each of the major local teams and universities recognizing the greatest moment of 2012 for each one, as determined by on-line fan voting. The complete list of winners will be posted Monday, March 4 on the Sports Council’s website, www.lasports.org.
A “moment” refers to anything from a specific instant in time — such as a winning goal, hit or shot — to a special event, individual or team record, or career achievement. Nominated moments must have taken place in the local area or have involved a local athlete or team.
The L.A. Sports Council is a non-profit organization and will utilize the event’s proceeds to further its mission of promoting economic development through sports in Southern California. For further information, please visit the Sports Council website atwww.lasports.org.
The Women's Outdoor News, aka The WON, features news, reviews and stories about women who are shooting, hunting, fishing and actively engaging in outdoor adventure. This publication is for women, by women. View all posts by The WON
