As the New Year approaches, it’s time to summarize 2011. On MSNBC’s Moring Joe, The Nation‘s sports editor Dave Zirin picks the top sports stories of the year. Jerry Sandusky’s scandal tops the list as “the greatest fall from grace in the history of sports in the US.” In comparison, Tiger Woods’ scandal was “quaint,” Zirin says, and points out the institutional corruption of NCAA that’s behind what happened at Penn State. Also on Zirin’s list are the NFL’s lockout and the Boston Red Sox’s dramatic defeat against the Tampa Bay Rays.

—Jin Zhao