Telephoto Lenses for Nikon D5000?

I'm really into taking pictures of sports and wildlife. I was wondering what the best Telephoto lens would be at a reasonable price? Under $500 preferably.

The entry level telephoto zoom 55-200mm will do. Its only about $250.

Amazon is currently selling the Nikon 55-300mm AF-S VR for about $365. The 70-300mm AF-S VR is being marked down to about $510. The extra cost is mainly because the 70-300mm is compatible with full frame cameras. Some say it has some advantages, although so far there's a shortage of professional comparison tests. Both will autofocus with the D5000.
I don't think you will find a good lens greater than 300mm new in your budget.

The best lens (I love it how americans always ask for the best but don't want to pay the price) in this case would most likely be Nikon's 200-400mm zoom.

Thebest lens somewhere near your pricerange will be the 70-300. A 55-200 does not cut it for wildlife

You can consider buying Nikon 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR AF-S DX NIKKOR Lens
+ Excellent Image Quality
+ Solid build with metal mount
+ Significantly better in all ways than the Nikon 55-200mm VR
http://www.amazon.com/...B003ZSHNCC
http://rover.ebay.com/...m270.l1313