Maybe it's my increased exposure to it since I'm copy-editing
over at Bleacher Report, but 2009 appeared to have an unusually
high amount of buzzworthy sports moments during its first half. 
Not all of these will be considered among the most memorable
when the year is all said and done, but for now they're all
still strongly on the mind of sports fans.  A few guidelines
first...    • This isn't a list of top performances for the
year. A story could be almost entirely unrelated to what's on
the field. Instead, it just generated so much attention,
conversation, media buzz, etc. that it stands out among the
athletic landscape this year.   • The mid-year caveat prevents a
lot of usually compelling events (MLB playoffs, offseason NBA,
the majority of the NFL season) from being considered.   • In
general, the list is based on what I as a sports fan was
genuinely interested and compelled by. Historical value,
television ratings, the prize at stake can all be taken into
account but they aren't necessary for a top sp