Big Shots for February 25, 2010

It's always nice to return from vacation to be greeted by so many great sports pictures just waiting to be published. On the other hand, plowing through over 20,000 images to get caught up was daunting. Even more daunting would be trying to look at the over 60,000 images from the Vancouver Olympics already in our database as I write this. Thankfully my colleague Alan Taylor over at The Big Picture has already posted pictures from the Olympics, so I can prepare an upcoming post on baseball's spring training. It's great to be back, neck-deep in great sports photography. ( 38 photos total)

Ion Banner loses control on a giant wave during the first heat of the Mavericks surfing contest February 13 in Half Moon Bay, Calif. The Mavericks event is one of the big-wave contests that draw elite surfers from the world over, with wave faces topping 40 feet. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Kiteboarder Keahi de Aboitz sails through the air during competition at the Australian National Freestyle Championships at Melbourne's St. Kilda Beach February 12. (WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty Images) #

Parker McLachlin plays a shot on the ninth hole during round two of the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am at Pebble Beach Golf Links February 12 in Pebble Beach, Calif. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images) #

A member of the Harlem Globetrotters dunks during a game against the Washington Generals at a Central Park ice rink in New York February 9. (REUTERS/Lucas Jackson) #

Frederic Michalak practices his tackling during a training session at the National Rugby Center in Marcoussis, France February 10 ahead of the Six Nations rugby union international match against Ireland. (AP Photo/Francois Mori) #

Participants compete in the 15th annual Wrestling Tournament on Snow in Velikoy, Turkey February 20. For the first time in the tournament's history, the participants will wrestle in an arena not covered with snow due to freak weather which locals blame on global warming. (REUTERS/Umit Bektas) #

Southampton's Kelvin Davis fails to stop Portsmouth's Jamie O'Hara's attempt during the FA Cup fifth round football match between Southampton and Portsmouth at St Mary's Stadium, Hampshire, England, February 13. (GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images) #

Oklahoma's Abi Olajuwon (daughter of former NBA center Hakeem Olajuwan) goes for the ball between Colorado's Brittany Spears (left, no relation to the has-been pop star of the same name) and Courtney Dunn during an NCAA college basketball game in Norman, Okla. February 13. (AP Photo/The Oklahoman, Bryan Terry) #

Samuel McLernon of Christchurch runs up Arthur's Pass on day one of the Speight's Coast to Coast February 12 in Greymouth, New Zealand. (Hannah Johnston/Getty Images) #

Camilo Villegas reacts to his approach shot on the 14th hole during round four of the Match Play Championship at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club February 20 in Marana, Ariz. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images) #

A skier wearing a bear costume joins some 2,500 during the 30th Sapporo Ski Marathon in Sapporo on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido February 14. (TAKAFUMI NOGUCHI/AFP/Getty Images) #

Athletes take part February 20 in the Kenya National cross country championships 12km men's race in Nairobi's Uhuru gardens. (TONY KARUMBA/AFP/Getty Images) #

Young girls watch the peloton during the second stage of the first-ever Tour of Oman cycling race from Nizwa to Samail February 15. (DAVID FURST/AFP/Getty Images) #

Kyrgyz men play the traditional central Asian sport of Kok-Boru (Ulak-Tartysh) in Bishkek February 17. The players on horseback compete for points by throwing a stuffed sheepskin into a well. This competition was a contest between teams comprised from members of the Kyrgyz Interior Ministry. (VYACHESLAV OSELEDKO/AFP/Getty Images) #

Competitors take part in oxcart races in Thailand's Phetchaburi province February 16. The annual event, which locals date back to the time of King Rama V, is a recreational activity for local farmers during post-harvest season in Thailand. (REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom) #

A villager competes in a bullock cart race during the Kila Raipur sports festival on the outskirts of Ludhiana, India February 19. The festival, also known as the 'Rural Olympics', is held annually and attracts athletes from all over India. (REUTERS/Munish Sharma) #

Silvio Staub, pulled by Luberon (right) and Yves von Ballmoos, pulled by Abu Ardash, compete during the Skikjoering Grand Prix race on the frozen lake of St. Moritz during the third weekend of White Turf races in St. Moritz, Switzerland February 21. (AP Photo/KEYSTONE/Arno Balzarini) #

New Orleans Saints quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees grabs the reigns of the horse on his float as he prepares to ride in the Bacchus Mardi Gras in New Orleans February 14. (AP Photo/Bill Haber) #

Cory McClenthan gets ready for a run in Top Fuel at the Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals drag races at Auto Club Raceway February 13 in Pomona, Calif. (AP Photo/NHRA/Marc Gewertz) #

Drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr. (right) and Greg Biffle crash during the NASCAR DRIVE4COPD 300 Nationwide series race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. February 13. (AP Photo/Mark Young) #

Danica Patrick looks at a sparkplug through a magnifier in her garage after NASCAR Nationwide Series auto racing practice at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. February 10. (AP Photo/John Raoux) #

A golf ball sticks in a cactus on the first hole during a practice round for the Match Play Championship golf tournament in Marana, Ariz. February 16. (REUTERS/Matt Sullivan) #

A mouse runs onto the pitch during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and West Ham United at Old Trafford in Manchester February 23. (ANDREW YATES/AFP/Getty Images) #

Nate Robinson, then of the New York Knicks, attempts a dunk during the Slam Dunk Contest on All-Star Saturday Night at American Airlines Center February 13 in Dallas, Texas. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) #

Wales' Jamie Roberts (top) and Adam Jones (bottom right) tackle Scotland's Jim Hamilton during their Six Nations rugby union match at the Milennium Stadium in Cardiff February 13. (REUTERS/Phil Noble) #

Ukrainian men face off against each other wielding knives during popular street fighting training in a city park in Kiev February 13. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) #

Hayden's Treyben Letlow (top) reacts after defeating Burlington's Mike Satterly to claim the title in the Class 2A, 215-pound championship match in the Colorado high school wrestling championship in Denver February 20. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) #

East All-Star Dwight Howard (left) of the Orlando Magic blocks a shot by West All-Star Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets during the first half of the 2010 NBA All-Star Game in Dallas, Texas February 14. (REUTERS/Jed Jacobsohn/Pool) #

Netherlands batsman Tim Gruijters prepares to hit a delievery against Kenya at Gymkhana sports club during the second One Day International match in Nairobi February 18. (SIMON MAINA/AFP/Getty Images) #

Bob Fisher works on his basketball free throws February 10 in Vermillion, Kan. Last month Fisher earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records by making 50 free throws in a minute. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner) #

Children wait to catch a glimpse of tennis champion Serena Williams at Wee secondary school February 23 in Makueni district, Kenya, where she arrived to inaugurate the school built through her assistance. The school, built in collaboration with another charity, Build African Schools, is her second since she commissioned her first in the same region of eastern Kenya in 2008. (TONY KARUMBA/AFP/Getty Images) #

People play soccer February 11 at Durban's Golden Mile Beach. The $26 million improvements along the beach are part of a broader transformation near the new Moses Mabhida Stadium, venue for seven upcoming World Cup matches. (RAJESH JANTILAL/AFP/Getty Images) #

Sports

Big Shots for February 25, 2010