Top 5 Sports Stories

Happy Wednesday everyone, here's my Top 5 for June 27, 2012 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.

1. Quick Hits

• Major college football will have a four-team playoff to decide the national championship starting with the 2014-15 season.
• Larry Bird reportedly steps down as president of the Indiana Pacers as 71-year-old Donnie Walsh joins the Pacers front office.
• The NBA has fined Amar'e Stoudemire of the Knicks 50,000 for using a gay slur on Twitter.
• Spain plays Portugal today in the semifinals of Euro 2012.
• The new hockey Hall of Famers are Joe Sakic, Mats Sundin, Adam Oates and Pavel Bure. Oates was also named the new coach of the Washington Capitals.

2. A Playoff at Last

I have to admit I was never in favor of a playoff in college football. My standard line when two or three teams were laying claim to the title was, "what and spoil all the fun?" Even with four teams in this new system which starts in three years, the fifth team is going to complain. But at least this has a chance to succeed and crown one college football champion. All the other sports do it, so I guess it's time for college football to join the party?

3. Replay

After last night's legerdemain at Yankee Stadium, instant replay has to be a little closer on the horizon. Yankees left fielder Dwayne Wise leaped into the stands and didn't make the catch. Here's a photo taken by a fan, Nick Maraventano, and sent along by Top 5 subscriber M.K. The ball is clearly out of his glove. On TV, you could see a fan holding up the ball. And here's the best part, when Wise emerged from the stands, there was no ball in his glove. Umpire Mike DiMuro ruled it an out anyway. Oh well, sometimes they get murder convictions without bodies too.

4. Spitting Image

You have to agree that the wax figure of the Knicks Carmelo Anthony that was unveiled yesterday at Madame Tussauds in New York looks quite lifelike. You could say stuff like, "sure he's looking to shoot," and "that's the way he always looks on defense," but those would be cheap shots and the Top 5 would never stoop to that sort of behavior.

5. Broadway Bound

Mike Tyson's one-man show on Broadway next month is not a musical, but if it was, he could sing:

"It's a Hard Knock Life" (Annie)

"Cell Block Tango" (Chicago)

"Another One Bites the Dust" (Queen)

Or simply, "Eat It" (Weird Al Yankovic)

Happy Birthday: Former Red Sox third baseman Rico Petrocelli. 69.

Bonus Birthday: Khloe Kardashian. Who? 28.

Today in Sports: Bobby Hull signs a 10-year $2.5-million dollar contract to be the player coach for the Winnipeg Jets in the World Hockey Association. 1972.

Bonus Event: Sonny and Cher go splitsville. 1975.

Spanning the World airs tomorrow morning on NBC's Today Show in the 9 a.m. hour.

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