As the calendar winds down for 2012, it's that time once again to wistfully look back on the year that was at AA.  We start our retrospective on the last 12 months with our favorite clips from 2012.  While it was tough work for the AA selection committee to select a Top 10, we hope you'll enjoy some of our favorite moments from the past year.  These are the best, funniest, most awkward, and most random clips from the year that was in 2012.  Bon appetit!

10) David Locke Loses His Mind

In April, the Utah Jazz trailed the Memphis Grizzlies by 3 in the final seconds.  As Utah's Derrick Favors missed a layup for a potential 3 point play to tie the game, play by play man David Locke took the opportunity to speak in tongues on the air.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=pWBGlvpAjlk

9) The Most Disastrously Funny Segment Of 2012

The Dan Patrick Show's Andrew "McLovin" Perloff gave us a couple memorable moments in 2012.  There was the time he broke his own glasses trying to spin a basketball (a nominee for the bloopers of the year coming next week) and this Against the Grain segment from March where everything that could go wrong did go wrong.  You can't possibly watch this clip without laughing.

8) Hawk Harrelson Combusts

We debated whether the following clip belonged on our "favorites" list or our "bloopers" list.  In a surprising, if not shocking turn, Hawk's infamous viral rant against umpire Mark Wegner makes it onto our favorites list because of the hilarious and surreal nature of his White Sox fandom reaching its breaking point.  (Video via Business Insider)

7) The Magisterial Ray Hudson

Lionel Messi has scored 86 goals in 2012 for Barcelona and Argentina, a new world record.  Thankfully for us, the incomparable Ray Hudson of GolTV and later beIn Sport was there to call most of them.  The best Ray Hudson montage came from a Messi hat trick back in January in a 4-1 win over Malaga when he invoked the Immaculate Conception, Shakespeare, and Dr. Spock all in one game to describe Messi's genius.  How many announcers around the world can pull that off?

6) The Botched Handshake Heard Round The World

The 2012 Masters gave us one of our favorite calls of the year with David Feherty telling Louis Oosthuizen's double eagle to "come to papa."  But, the best clip from The Masters came from Butler Cabin when Bubba Watson and Augusta chairman Billy Payne engaged in the botched handshake to end all botched handshakes during the sacred green jacket presentation.  A made for TV moment for the ages.  Yes, there is a frame by frame breakdown if you're interested.  (GIF via SBNation)

bubbashake

5) "The Lakers Have Just Pooped Their Big Boy Pants"

The funniest call of the year goes to Houston Rockets radio announcer Craig Ackerman.  Earlier this month he delivered this timely gem when the Rockets held on for a dramatic victory against the Lakers.  There may be no better way to describe this current incarnation of Showtime.

4) Charles Barkley Is Really Excited For Hardcore Pawn

One interesting element of the NCAA Tournament was the crossover advertising the CBS and Turner basketball guys had to do for some of truTV's more ridiculous reality shows.  Just watch the tomfoolery that unfolded when Ernie Johnson attempted to do a promo for Hardcore Pawn and Charles Barkley just couldn't resist…

3) Brian Snow Makes Gus Johnson Look Like Ben Stein

Chicago high school hoops announcer Brian Snow became a household name with this excitable, high pitched call of a winning three pointer by Lexus "Hot Rod" Williams for Marist High School.  It still ranks as the most excited we've ever heard an announcer.  Last year, a Marist football announcer made #1 on our list with the legendary "PYROTECHNICS" call.  This call doesn't climb quite that high, but it's amazing that one high school in Chicago could produce one of our favorite clips in consecutive years.

2) "COME ON MO!!!"

2012 was an Olympic year and one of the most indelible memories was British distance runner Mo Farah winning two gold medals in front of the home fans in London.  Farah was one of the stars of the Olympics, but what we'll always remember is the BBC's studio crew of Denise Lewis, Colin Jackson, and American gold medalist Michael Johnson cheering and willing him on to victory while watching the races as fans.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=dW7J4J4Bh5I

https://youtube.com/watch?v=-oLlosK4znA

1) "I Swear You'll Never See Anything Like This Ever Again!"

Quick – what was the most exciting sports moment in 2012?  It wasn't anything from the Super Bowl or March Madness.  It wasn't from the NBA or NHL or MLB Playoffs.  It wasn't even a gold medal winning moment from the Olympics.  It was the final Sunday of the English Premier League season when the entire world watched Manchester City come from 2-1 down in stoppage time to defeat QPR 3-2 and win their first title since 1968 by a single point.  (Bonus strawberries and cream to you if you had our top 2 clips coming from England this year.)  Sergio Aguero scored the title winning goal that produced memorable calls from all around the world, but the best call of that goal and the best call of 2012 came from the great Martin Tyler.  His call of Aguero's goal is our favorite clip of 2012…

https://youtube.com/watch?v=_qwoAIqynBc

If you enjoyed our favorite clips, make sure to check out our top bloopers, gaffes, and screwups from 2012 as well!