Happy Wednesday everyone, here's my Top 5 for September 12, 2012 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com
1. Quick Hits
- With the clock ticking toward a lockout, NHL owners and players will meet today in New York.
- The last place Red Sox beat the Yankees at Fenway 4-3 dropping New York into a first place tie with Baltimore.
- The U.S. soccer team beat Jamaica 1-0 in a World Cup qualifying match. The U.S. lost in Jamaica last week 2-1.
2. You Do the Math
On this fine Wednesday, two teams are tied for first in the American League East and four teams are within 2 1/2 games for the AL wild card. Meanwhile four teams are within 2.5 games in the National League. Two wild cards in each league will make it. I'm rooting for a tie for the AL East and a three or four-way tie for the wild card in both leagues. I'm just curious how after 162 games they're going to resolve this thing before Christmas. Coin toss? Rock-paper-scissors?
3. Turning Crimson
Ho hum, yet another college athlete will reportedly drop out of school because he got in trouble. Yup, Kyle Casey who led his team to its first NCAA berth in 66 years could be gone in a vast cheating scandal. Typical Harvard. No... wait... Harvard?
4. A Kiss Is Just a Kiss?
And on the subject of campus hijinks, the football coach of the North Dakota State College of Science (Really? A science school has a football team?) tossed a gay player off the team. The why, is a matter for debate. The player, linebacker Jamie Kuntz, did not suit up for a game and was seen kissing his boyfriend in the press box. When the coach asked him about it Kuntz lied twice, saying there was no kiss and that he wasn't gay. He later admitted to the coach that he lied on both counts and he was kicked off the team for conduct detrimental to the team and for being a distraction. Kuntz points out that other players have had run-ins with the law and remained on the team. So if you take Kuntz's point of view you can play football despite criminal behavior, but being gay? That's where they draw the line.
5. Jerry Wipes
During the Cowboys opening night win over the Giants, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was seen on camera having his son-in-law wipe his glasses for him. Well he's received so much ribbing he now wants to have the last laugh. His name is Shy Anderson and he says "Jerry Wipes" will soon be available on the Cowboys website. Anderson says they can be also used for "spontaneous shoe shining." What else might he tend to for his father-in-law? Never mind.
Happy Birthday: Colts rookie quarterback Andrew Luck. 23.
Bonus Birthday: Singer Jennifer Hudson. 31.
Today in Sports: The Brooklyn Dodgers clinch the pennant, the earliest clinching in National League history. 1953.
Bonus Event: Senator John F. Kennedy married Jacqueline Bouvier. 1953.
To sign up for Len's free daily Top 5 email click here.