The day has arrived.

April Fool's Day is the time to dish out my Fool of the Year Award for the past 12 months in sports.

And, as usual, there are plenty of candidates.

Among those failing to make my Silly Seven are Arlen Specter, Bill Belichick, Bobby Knight, Cedric Wilson, Keyshawn Johnson and the New York Mets. The Steelers defense, for allowing numerous last-minute game-winning drives last season, and the media, for their handling of the Terrelle Pryor college signing, also deserve mentions here.

If the Penguins don't sign Marian Hossa, expect to find Ray Shero on this list next year.

Without further ado, here are the Silly Seven of the past year:

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Seventh — Roger Clemens. All you had to do was come clean, man, and a sporting public waiting to forgive you probably would have done so. Does being a professional athlete really mean never having to say you're sorry?•

Sixth — Joey Porter. Once the Steelers released you, there was plenty of time to cut a deal for yourself elsewhere, Joey. You opted for Miami, which qualifies as the City of Fools for the past year.The Dolphins were an NFL-worst 1-15. The Heat are an NBA-worst 13-60. The Florida Panthers aren't going to maker the NHL playoffs and the Florida Marlins traded away two of their best players for prospects when nobody comes to their games as it is.•

Fifth — John Daly. A two-time winner of PGAmajors, Daly hasn't finished in the top 10 of a PGAevent since 2005, failed to make the cut in four of seven events this year, focuses more on drinking than golfing and has become the clown of the Tour.•

Fourth — West Virginia University football. All you had to do was beat your backyard rival — a sub-.500 Pitt team — on your own field and you're playing for the national championship. But you lose.You were a 28-point favorite, too. That's not stubbing your toe. That's falling off a cliff.•

Third — Marion Jones. She went from winning three gold medals in the Olympics to serving a jail term. Enough said.•

Second — Adam "Pacman"Jones. He just doesn't get it. Since being the sixth overall pick in the 2005 NFLDraft, he's been arrested six times. While still under suspension by the NFL's commissioner, he's signing autographs using the No. 21 — because he wants to wear Deion Sanders' number in Dallas.Yeesh!•

First — drum roll, please — Isiah Thomas. Here's a guy who made the NBA's top 50 all-time players list, but who, in an incredibly short period of time, has shamed and disgraced the once-proud New York Knicks franchise.As the Knicks' president of basketball operations, Thomas dragged the franchise through an embarrassing sexual harassment suit.On the court, he's coached the team to a 20-53 record and has the Knicks 11 games out of fourth place in the Atlantic Division.The only fool bigger than Thomas in sports these days is the Knicks' ownership — because he still has a job.John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle.