Another Pitt News year is coming to an end, which means one thing: the Newsy Awards.

Ah,… Another Pitt News year is coming to an end, which means one thing: the Newsy Awards.

Ah, yes. The Newsy Awards. Something I just made up to reminisce about the collegiate journalism year that was: a year that gave us Olympic hockey, Tiger Woods and bargain bin wide receivers. T

he Dennis K. Rodman “Thank You for Existing” Award

This award goes to the one athlete every columnist can thank for supplying near-constant fodder when he or she just can’t think of anything opinionated about which to write.

Without further ado, congratulations to Brett Favre. Favre took it to another level in 2009-10. He supplied sports columnists with enough material to make poorly worded puns for nearly seven years, and he’s thinking about doing it again next year.

Just two weeks ago, smack in the middle of the off-season, Favre whipped up a midnight snack for the media when he announced that his 21-year-old daughter Brittany gave birth to a healthy baby boy. He’s now a grandfather. Sometimes you don’t even need a punch line with Favre.

“Send It In, Jerome” Pitt Moment of the Year

Ashton Gibbs’ three-point shot to tie it up late in the game against West Virginia edges out Dan Hutchins’ game-winning field goal in the Meineke Car Care Bowl as well as Pitt basketball’s comebacks against Louisville and Providence.

The play — a steal by Nasir Robinson, followed by a string of passes from Brad Wanamaker (walking the sideline tightrope) to Travon Woodall to Gibbs — led to a marathon three-overtime session that gave Pitt its biggest win against the Mountaineers since “13-9.”

The Revisionist History Cup

The Butler Bulldogs were a half-court shot away from beating Duke, but Murray State was a basket away from knocking off Butler in the second round.

In reality, the Bulldogs defeated the Racers, 54-52, but the Racers kick off the Newsy Awards’ Revisionist History Cup. In a “what if?” scenario, they knock off Butler, but then fall to the Syracuse Orange, who advance to the Final Four. Butler coach Brad Stevens, instead of signing a 12-year extension, moves to Connecticut to replace Jim Calhoun, who opts to retire.

The shockwaves even stunned the Connecticut women’s team, which then loses to Stanford in the women’s Tournament. Michael Jordan also becomes a Trail Blazer.

The Gary B. Bettman Hyperventilation Award

The Newsy for making NHL commissioner Gary Bettman panic goes to Canada.

Bettman’s league saw record television ratings when the Pittsburgh Penguins, Detroit Red Wings and Washington Capitals battled it out in the playoffs. This year, though, the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators each stole game one on the road from the Capitals and Penguins, respectively.

Montreal, especially, looks like it could ruin Bettman’s dream of another Capitals-Penguins series. The Canadiens have better goaltending and better special teams than Washington, and they beat the Capitals twice in the regular season. I jumped on le bandwagon last week, and an added audience of one million passionate Quebecois sound great for the league, but Canadians don’t help Bettman’s American ratings.

I’ve also been wondering whether Bettman wants the Phoenix Coyotes, who the league actually owns, to defeat big television draw Detroit in the first round. The Coyotes receive an honorary Newsy for Conflict of Interest.

Sauerkraut Saul Unnecessarily Long Season Award

In the past three months alone, sports has bestowed upon us March Madness, Olympic hockey, Tiger Woods, the NHL Playoffs and that one Steelers fan who keeps telling me how good Limas Sweed is. Add in the NBA postseason (I guess) and this Newsy goes to Major League Baseball.

After Opening Night, baseball lurks in the background like a D+ student in an 11th grade math class.

The first two weeks of baseball were only important if you were Baltimore and decided to fall 7 1/2 games behind the Yankees.

The architects behind Target Field in Minneapolis built in special areas where fans can gather under space heaters. It gets pretty cold there in April and somebody said they had to play baseball.

Ubaldo Jimenez of the Rockies threw a no-hitter Saturday night — too bad I was watching playoff hockey.

Major League Baseball should trim off a few weeks from each end of the regular season instead of playing second fiddle.

The Eldrick Tont Woods Grant for Off-Field Contribution to Society and Culture

This new Newsy goes to, and is named for, former Buick spokesman and all-around classy guy Tiger Woods. His firm determination to achieve his dreams and rise above the rest shows that anybody, no matter how many people are shooting you down, telling you to quit and yelling at you for what you’ve done, can reach for the stars … of porn.

The Newsy Awards share no similarity to the 1992 Disney musical “Newsies”, starring Christian Bale. The Pitt News regrets this fact and wishes it did.