Happy Monday everyone, here's my Top 5 for June 20, 2011 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
- 22-year old Rory McIlroy from Northern Island won the U.S. Open in a romp, shooting a record 16-under par 268. He won by a whopping eight shots.
- Wimbledon is underway.
- Who needs interleague play? The owners, that's who. The Yankees and Cubs set a Wrigley Field attendance record for their three-game series.
- No age limit. The Florida Marlins are looking to 80-year old Jack McKeon to reclaim the Florida managerial job after Edwin Rodriguez resigned.
- What's a New Year's Day without bowl games? We'll find out on January 1, 2012. Of the 35 college football bowl games, none will be on New Year's. That's a Sunday. They don't want to compete with the NFL.
2. U.S. Open
I was dead wrong. I thought the U.S. Open would be a "Tiger-free zone," and then Rory McIlroy happened. His performance was so dominating that all anybody could talk about was Tiger Woods. Sure McIlroy broke Tiger's Open records, but is he as good as Tiger? Can Rory be the new Tiger? Can he be the one who eclipses Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major victories? Are you kidding? This kid wins one major and they're speculating whether he can become one of the all-time greats, even better than Tiger? Damn you, Rory McIlroy. Just when we thought the golf world was safe from always talking about Tiger Woods, you had to come along and mess everything up. Well done.
3. U-S-A, U-S-A
With the end of the U.S. Open and the beginning of Wimbledon, one thing is perfectly clear. American men don't rule the roost.
No American has won a major golf tournament since Phil Mickelson at last year's Masters. And in tennis, you have to go back eight years to Andy Roddick winning the 2003 U.S. Open. Not that this is a bad thing. When you see Rafael Nadal battle Roger Federer, do you say to yourself, "Yeah, but they're not American?" And when golf fans were chanting "Rory, Rory" at Congressional, were they thinking, "Yeah but he's Irish?" Of course not. They were watching amazing athletic feats. So who really cares if the U.S. is not leading the way in sports? Just sit back and enjoy the show.
4. What's Fair is Fair
Israel won one at the European Women's Basketball Championships. No, not on the court. They lost to the Czech Republic 72-56, keeping their 20-year losing streak intact. But Naama Shafir scored three points in 10 minutes. And therein lies the victory. Naama could only play because of a last-minute deal. She wanted to cover her shoulders with a t-shirt under her jersey, but that was nixed. All uniforms must be, well uniform. But they compromised and allowed her to sport skin-toned elastic sleeves. Fine. But it still doesn't help the Iranian women who were disqualified from the Olympics qualifying tournament for wearing tightly bound scarves. C'mon people. Let everyone be true to their beliefs, and let 'em play. We're talking sports here.
5. Wardrobe Malfunction?
I report, you decide. Do you like Serena Williams' tie-dyed warm-up leggings which she brought to Wimbledon? Look closely. Nike actually slapped its logo on it. Just wondering if they have those in my size?
Happy Birthday: Super Bowl IV MVP, former Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson. 76.
Bonus Birthday: Actress Nicole Kidman. 44.
Today in Sports: Quite a day for the Say Hey Kid. Willie Mays graduated from high school and immediately signed with the New York Giants for a $6,000 bonus. 1950.
Bonus Event: Lizzie Borden gets off. She is acquitted of hacking her father and stepmother to death. 1893.
To sign up for Len's free daily Top 5 email click here.