This week saw Ray Lewis sign off in style as Baltimore beat San Francisco in the Superbowl's battle of the brothers. Elsewhere Italy shocked France, while there was also a surprise or two as Super League XVIII got underway and plenty more besides.
Bad Week...
St Helens
It proved to be an unhappy start for St Helens boss Nathan Brown as his first Super League outing at the Saints helm
ending in an embarrassing home defeat by former club Huddersfield.
Indeed, it was a case of the master being toppled by his apprentice as Paul Anderson - the man Brown recommended to replace him at the Giants - led Huddersfield to a resounding 40-4 triumph.
Brown and his troops found themselves 22-0 down at the interval and only avoided being shut out at home for the first time since 1982 when Mark Flanagan went over for a late consolation try.
Pakistan's batsmen
West Indies endured a day to forget with the bat as they were skittled for just 70 by Australia - their lowest-ever one-day total against the Baggy Greens - on the way to an emphatic nine-wicket defeat in the opening ODI in Perth.
However, Pakistan's batting order found the going even tougher in South Africa as
Dale Steyn ran riot to help dismiss them for their lowest Test total - a meagre 49.
Steyn took 6-8 in that first innings and, despite a better effort from the tourists in their second innings, would eventually finish with 11 wickets in the match as South Africa completed a comprehensive 211-run triumph in the opening Test of the series in Johannesburg.
Chelsea
Rafael Benitez's reign at Chelsea seems to be lurching from one calamity to the nest at present with the Blues' latest setback
a last-gasp 3-2 defeat at Newcastle.
The Londoners had showed good character to come from a goal down to lead at St James' Park, but would ultimately leave empty-handed as Newcastle's new French signing, Moussa Sissoko, stole the headlines with a second-half double.
It signalled a fourth consecutive match without victory for Chelsea who are now just a solitary point ahead of Tottenham in third, and ensured Benitez found himself on the end of yet more criticism from the Blues faithful.
Spain
Five-time champions Spain will not be adding to their Davis Cup tally after slumping to a
surprise 3-2 defeat against Canada over the weekend.
Although they were without the services of stars such as Rafael Nadal, David Ferrer, Fernando Verdasco and Nicolas Almagro, the Spaniards were still expected to come through the tie in Vancouver.
However, an inspired Frank Dancevic beat Marcel Granollers to help put the hosts on the way to a victory which was confirmed when Milos Raonic beat debutante Guillermo Garcia-Lopez to record his second win of the tie.
