Happy Tuesday everyone, here's my Top 5 for July 24, 2012 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
- The Big Ten adds its own penalties to Penn State. The Nittany Lions will not be eligible for the Big Ten championship game the next four years and won't share in millions in bowl revenue.
- The Paterno family calls the NCAA punishment "a panicked response," and that the sanctions "defame" Joe Paterno's legacy. Oh.
- The Yankees acquire Ichiro Suzuki from Seattle for a couple of minor league pitchers.
- Have the Mets set a record for bullpen ineptitude? On successive days they yield five runs in the 12th to the Dodgers, and six in the 10th to the Nats.
- In hockey, the New York Rangers acquire Columbus star forward Rick Nash for three players and a draft pick.
- Two strikes you're out. The Detroit Lions release cornerback Aaron Berry after his second arrest in a month. The first was for DUI, the second for pointing a loaded handgun at three people.
2. Ichiro
A couple of thoughts about the Yankees picking up Ichiro Suzuki from Seattle. First, the Yankees know how to put on a show. For nearly 100 years they've been making a splash and they haven't stopped. Secondly, so much for all the "experts." How much air time and newspaper space is wasted with the "rumor mill?" And yet, nobody saw this coming. Not one "expert." You gotta love it. As for the baseball aspects, sure Ichiro isn't the hit machine he once was, yes his batting average has plummeted and he's 38 years old, but he still had 105 hits this season in Seattle. Only two Yankees have more. Last night, Ichiro bowed to the crowd in Seattle and then singled his first time up against his old team as the Yankees beat the Mariners 4-1.
3. Your Turn
You comments came fast and furious after the NCAA leveled its penalties against Penn State.
*D.R. This was a death penalty in reality. Penn State will not recover from the loss of bowl participation and 10 scholarships a year for a long, long time. I doubt they will field a winning team for a decade.
*P.C. They deserved it. (The sanctions.) But I have a problem taking the wins away from Paterno. The players won them.
*R.F. on Facebook at "Len Berman's Top 5. I think the NCAA got it right and I applaud them. And I hope we don't have to endure a single word from the Paterno family.
Editor's Note: Amen to that
*And from J.S. You can only hope that Penn State will cause some leveling off -- or at least some thoughtfulness -- to college sports. These are no longer educational programs... if they ever were.
Editor's Note: Amen to that, too.
4. Token Gesture
The IOC has repeatedly refused to honor the memory of the slain Israeli athletes and coaches. This marks the 40th anniversary of Munich, and still the IOC will ignore it in the Opening Ceremony despite world wide appeals. The IOC doesn't want to "break the mood" of the joyous occasion not to mention offend Arab countries. But yesterday in the athlete's village, IOC President Jacques Rogge led a moment of silence to remember the Munich massacre. Perhaps he was hoping his Arab friends didn't notice.
5. Sir Paul
In the old days (the last Olympics) the details of the Opening Ceremony would be a surprise. But with thousands of performers, each with a cellphone and Twitter account, nothing is secret any more. So if you're curious, Friday night's Ceremony will have nods to history, literature and best of all music. Apparently the Ceremony will end with Paul McCartney leading the singing of Hey Jude. Oh, by the way, all the athletes will be on hand too.
Today's Birthday: Home run "champion" Barry Bonds. 48*
Bonus Birthday: Jennifer Lopez. 43.
Today in Sports: Billy Martin resigns as Yankee manager after uttering his famous quote about Reggie Jackson and George Steinbrenner. "One's a born liar, the other's convicted." 1978.
Bonus Event: Speaking of Martins, it was splitsville for the team of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. 1956.
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