Young Guns Come out Blazing - by Ryan Maloney

Profound young talents whose skills reminded us of all that is beautiful in the world of sports was an enduring theme in 2008.

Starting with our top-searched athlete: 23-year-old footballer Cristiano Ronaldo. Love him or hate him, few can deny this darling of both Manchester United and the Euro 2008 Portuguese national team wrote sweet poetry on the pitch. And if the spike of interest from Canadian sports nuts is any indication, it seems even fans on this side of the pond are taking note of the FIFPro World Player of the Year for 2008.

NHL star Sidney Crosby, not yet old enough to grow a full playoff beard, captained his Pittsburgh Penguins to a surprise Stanley Cup finals birth with flashes of brilliance and leadership well beyond his 21 years. A boy among men no longer, this was the year Crosby proved to speckled naysayers (what few remain) he's just as good as advertised.

Without debate, the Beijing Olympics belonged to two young guns: U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps and Jamaican running phenom Usain Bolt. Phelps, 23, looked every bit a kid in a candy shop each of the eight times he struck gold during the last days of summer. I repeat: he won gold eight times. And the aptly named Bolt, at just 22, scooped three golds himself, solidifying his place as both the fastest man on Earth and the biggest thing to emerge from Jamaica since those delicious, spicy patties.

And what of Danica Patrick? In a year where the world watched a woman score 18 million votes for U.S. president, Patrick, 26, became the first female to win an IndyCar race, silencing every 'girls can't drive' under the screeching roar of her burning tires.

It doesn't stop there.

Lewis Hamilton, 23, became the youngest F1 world champion. Tennis goddess Maria Sharapova, 21, won three major single titles. Filipino boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao, 29, was crowned the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet. And, a hard-knock journeyman named Kimbo Slice made a massive debut in the ever-expanding world of professional fighting.

Now, at 34, Slice doesn't exactly fit the mould of this carefully crafted young gun motif, but 2008 was the year his sport - mixed-martial arts - moved from fringe infancy to the grown-up limelight of mainstream television.

Now, sure, there were searches for Tiger Woods, David Beckham and others who make up the pantheon of pro sports. But if 2008 is remembered for anything it must be the surge of young stars whose exceptional skills and remarkable composure made the world stand up and take notice.

And to those stars comfortably resting in the old guard, 2008 showed that objects in the mirror are closer than they appear and that the future may very well be now.