Happy Monday everyone, here's my Top 5 for April 2, 2012 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
- Kansas will play Kentucky tonight for the NCAA men's basketball title in New Orleans. Kentucky is a 6 1/2 point favorite.
- The women's championship game between Notre Dame and Baylor is tomorrow night in Denver.
- Linsanity is now officially over. Knee surgery for the Knicks Jeremy Lin.
- 49-year-old pitcher Jamie Moyer has made the roster of the Colorado Rockies.
- Former Cosmos soccer star Giorgio Chinaglia is dead at the age of 65.
2. The Final Two
We know the story line tonight. Kansas will start all juniors and seniors, Kentucky's starters are all underclassmen. Kansas will fall behind Kentucky and they'll make a comeback. But as I've said before Kentucky looks unbeatable. And then we can begin the argument about changing the rules so that "student-athletes" pay a modicum of lip service to the "student" part before bolting for the NBA. Of bigger importance, good luck to the 63 Top 5 subscribers who picked Kentucky and the 19 who picked Kansas to win it all before the tournament began. Looks like I'll have to hire a high-powered accounting firm to sort through the tiebreaker. (Final score.)
3. Listen Up
Finally the people who run women's tennis are taking a stand. The shrieking has got to go. Their plan is to indoctrinate youngsters that excessive grunting is a no no and will be penalized. But in a typical case of the inmates running the asylum the current crop of noise makers like Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka will get a pass because that's part of their game. Oh really? The New York Times quoted the great Bud Collins, "You don't hear a peep from them when they're practicing. It's gamesmanship."
4. Tweet Tweet
I mentioned last week Tim Tebow proves he can make fun of himself with the best of them. After saying he was excited 44 times in his Jets news conference, he ended his 18 day Twitter silence @TimTebow by tweeting, "I've already said it 44 times so here goes number 45: I'm really excited to be a Jet! Haha! All joking aside it's truly an honor to be a Jet and I'm anxiously looking forward to going to work with all of my new teammates and coaches." By the way his nearly 1.5 million followers puts him in 464th place on Twitter. If he could only complete a few more passes.
5. I Wish I Said That
Perhaps a new feature for the Top 5, perhaps not. Anyway, here are a few quotes I wish that I had thought of.
* Dwight Perry, Seattle Times: At least six racehorses have been named after the Jets' new backup quarterback: Tebowing, Tebowmania, Tebow Go, Tebow Gator, Tebow Time and Tebows Big Play. And if they want to make them all run faster? Just name the next one Here Comes Manning.
*Dan Daly, Washington Times: I'm all for Magic Johnson owning the Dodgers, by the way, especially if he puts pitchers and batters on a 24-second clock.
*Reader Joseph Tout to Phil Mushnick of the New York Post: We conquered polio, defeated the Nazis, put a man on the moon... My question is this: Why can't we stop the 'Get in the hole!!!' guy at golf tournaments?
Happy Birthday: Hall of Fame pitcher Don Sutton. 67.
Bonus Birthday: Country singer Emmylou Harris. 65.
Today in Sports: Bombs away! The NCAA adopts the three point shot. 1986.
Bonus Event: After playing in the majors for 1,096 games, Cecil Fielder of the Tigers steals his first base. 1966.
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