Happy Tuesday everyone, here's my Top 5 for February 12, 2013 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
- Pitchers and catchers. By tomorrow all teams will have reported.
- Former Braves outfielder Michael Bourn agrees to a four-year, $48 million deal with the Cleveland Indians.
- Quarterback Michael Vick restructures his deal and stays with the Philadelphia Eagles.
- Power shift. Boston College now rules the hockey roost in Beantown, not Boston University. B.C. won the Beanpot Tournament for the fourth straight year.
2. Turnaround
Cleveland sports fans can skip to the next item. Wasn't it only yesterday that LeBron James was public enemy number one? The Top 5's stock in trade seems to be sifting through all the negativity out there in the sports world. From A-Rod to hoaxes to Lance Armstrong. So let's take time out to salute the best player in basketball. While LeBron James is not averaging a triple-double you get the feeling he could. All he needs is three more assists and two more rebounds per game. Did I mention he's shooting a career best 56 percent? He has made 49 of his last 65 shots, a stunning 75 percent! Not only that, his image has been nicely burnished. So drop LeBron from your "most hated" list, sit back and admire his skills. And you guys from Cleveland and now enjoy the rest of the Top 5.
3. Pinned
So what's a sport? According to the Olympics, rugby and golf but not wrestling. Wrestling got the heave-ho for the 2020 games. It was thought that modern pentathlon would get whacked, after all what kid says "I wanna be a modern pentathlete when I grow up?" In fact, who can even name the five events in that sport? Here's a hint, they're the skills required to be a 19th century cavalry soldier. Now there's some solid relevance right there. OK, the five sports: fencing, horse riding, swimming, running and shooting. Maybe the NRA lobbied to keep it alive.
4. In Case You Missed It
Trust me, it's not easy filling dead air time in broadcasting. But in case you missed how the Super Bowl telecast handled the 30-minute blackout, here's how it was done... Saturday Night Live style! Enjoy.
5. And the Winner Is...
Sorry to keep you hanging so long, but we have our winner in the Top 5 Super Bowl contest. Doug H. from Jacksonville, Florida nailed it exactly. He had Baltimore winning 34-31. And who is most annoyed at the Ravens late safety? Joan K. from South Plainfield, New Jersey. She would have won with a prediction of Baltimore winning 35-28. So congrats to Doug, and wear your ThatsSports.com baseball/golf cap proudly. Hey maybe you can take it over to TPC and drop it in the water by the famed island green. And for the rest of you, start thinking about the NCAA basketball tournament. More coveted caps are to be won!
Happy Birthday: Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III. 23.
Bonus Birthdays: Boston Celtics great Bill Russell. 79. And Abe Lincoln was born on this date in 1809.
Today in Sports: The National League joins the American in awarding $1,000 to the MVP. The winner: Brooklyn pitcher Dazzy Vance. 1924.
Bonus Event: The NAACP was founded. 1909.
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