By Jon Waterhouse, Special to AJC.com

Faux hamsters and mind-powered games may be snagging the holiday toy spotlight. But action figures remain boy-toy staples. And since I’ve a been an action figure collector dating back to the original “Star Wars” era, I still get giddy when trolling the toy aisles. Here are a few action figure items I’ve found dripping with cool.

Figures from the film "Avatar" feature interactive computer technology.

Avatar (Mattel)

There’s huge anticipation behind what may be director James Cameron’s most groundbreaking film yet. The CGI technology used to create the alien creatures and their homeland is supposedly off the hook. So Mattel stays in step by adding a computer element called i-Tag.

The figures are available in standard 3 3/4-inch ($8.99) size and the more-than-6-inch Movie Masters size ($14.99). Using a webcam, …

Continue reading Christmas Toys: Action figures dripping with cool »

More than 4,800 readers voted for the AJC Story of the Year, and the resounding winner was Greenville High School football coach Jeremy Williams

Williams led the Patriots to an undefeated season, while battle ALS. The coach’s inspiring tale received 42 percent of the votes, besting Georgia Tech’s run to the ACC title by 555 votes.

Tiger Woods’ demise came in third with 25 percent of the votes.

You can read more about Coach Williams in the following AJC stories:

Greenville coach fights Lou Gehrig’s disease

Greenville football coach plans return to sidelines

Greenville coach a rock – so’s his wife

Greenville’s inspiring journey ends in playoffs

Congrats to all the candidates, and thank you to everyone that participated.

May 2010 be your best year yet … AJC.com’s sport staff.

Continue reading AJC Story of the Year: Coach with ALS inspired players, fans and readers »

We’re taking nominations for the 2009 AJC Sports Story of the Year.

As a starting point, here are the top 10 most-read sports stories on AJC.com through December 7. (Page views rounded off).

1. Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez, wife get naked for PETA ad (175,000).

2. Steve McNair found dead (150,000).

3. Uga VII dies (123,000).

4. Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno declare for NFL draft (120,000).

5. Steve Spurrier banned from recruiting at Tucker High School (117,000).

6. UGA defensive coordinator Willie Martinez fired (110,000).

7. John Smoltz signs with Red Sox (102,000).

8. Ken Griffey Jr. turns down Braves, signs with Seattle (91,000).

9. Should UGA shake hands with Oklahoma State? (86,000).

10. Ex-Falcon quarterback Randy Johnson dies (85, 000).

Again, those are just a starting point.

Let us know which sport stories rocked your world in 2009 by posting your nominations below.

The vaunted AJC.com sports staff will be taking your nominations until 4 p.m. EST, …

Continue reading 2009 AJC Sports Story of the Year »