Happy Wednesday everyone, here's my Top 5 for February 8, 2012 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
- The Giants are honored with a parade in NYC. The highlight at City Hall was the recreation of their plane trip home from Indianapolis, "I got a ring."
- The L.A. Clippers have lost Chauncey Billups for the season with a torn Achilles.
- Paul Pierce surpasses Larry Bird as the Boston Celtics #2 all-time scorer. John Havlicek is #1.
- Memphis is joining the Big East conference in 2013 for all sports.
- Tiger Woods has a solution to get rid of long putters. He says a rule should make putters no longer than the shortest club in the bag (a sand wedge). Why stop there? Let's really level the playing field and make the same rule for drivers.
- In two weeks the Yankees will unveil two official fragrances called "New York Yankees" and "New York Yankees for Her." We'll have to wait to smell what they've come up with, but nothing beats the pungent aroma of the clubhouse or the unique scent of pine tar.
2. Recount
Top 5 subscriber R.M. has a great memory. He writes, "Wasn't Tom Coughlin voted the coach 'least desirable' to play for? Who wouldn't want to play for a Super Bowl winner?"
You are correct sir! A mid-season poll of players rated Tom Coughlin "The Coach They'd Least Like to Play For." Bill Belichick came in third. Moral of the story, play for a coach you think you'd like and you can sit home with him and watch the Super Bowl on television.
3. You Go Girl!
Gisele Bundchen is receiving bi-partisan support. After throwing hubby Tom Brady's teammates under the bus, M.O. says cut her some slack. "She was just a wife who was upset, and was feeling bad for her husband and his team. I guarantee there were a lot worse things said (and yelled) by loyal Patriots fans when Wes Welker didn't make that catch!"
And P.M. an admitted "Giants fan and Patriots hater" writes, "Gisele, and all sports spouses, should be off limits. Minutes after a crushing loss, harassed by Giants' fans... she wasn't even speaking 'on the record.' Leave her alone."
Wow, you're asking the media and Internet to show some respect and restraint? Isn't the intrusive blowing things out of proportion the essence of today's journalism?
4. Wednesday eMailbag
Yesterday I wondered what the nearly 200 million Americans were doing who weren't watching the Super Bowl on television? Top 5 subscriber J.I. wrote, "I was at the movies, and then dinner at a usually busy restaurant that was empty."
Editor's Note: The perfect night for those hard-to-get reservations!
D.R. wasn't very impressed with the game. "This was a dreadful game to watch until the final five minutes. It was poorly played and dull. At times I thought I was watching the Rams and the Browns (to pick on my own team). I know that the NYC media will proclaim this to have been a great game, but it wasn't. It was a stinker, until the end."
Editor's Note: You mean like an NBA game?
Patriots fan M.C. said there was terrific sportsmanship among the fans at the Super Bowl in Indianapolis. "During the whole weekend we met many Giant fans and not one derogatory remark was made. We afforded them the same respect."
With NFL owners considering the possibility of a Super Bowl being played in England, subscriber S.S. writes, "Why don't they send the PRO BOWL over to London and keep the Super Bowl HERE?"
5. Brilliant!
This promises to be an entertaining torch relay this summer in Britain. In the traditional run up to the Olympics, when the torch passes through towns, the locals will be doing all sorts of stuff. It includes cheese-rolling contests, wool-sack races and shin-kicking competitions. Come to think of it, those might make for interesting Olympic events. Would you rather watch fencing or two guys whacking each other in the lower extremities?
Happy Birthday: Former NBA all star center Alonzo Mourning. 42.
Bonus Birthday: Best selling author John Grisham. 57.
Today in Sports: Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics becomes the first to grab at least 50 rebounds in a single game (51). His record was later broken by Wilt Chamberlain (55). 1960.
Bonus Event: The NFL staged its first draft. The first Heisman winner Jay Berwanger, a halfback from the University of Chicago, was the first player chosen by the Philadelphia Eagles. He never played a game in the NFL. 1936.
The Top is going on winter break. We'll return Thursday February 16th.
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