Happy Monday everyone, here's my Top 5 for March 18, 2013 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
- Louisville is the overall #1 seed in the NCAA basketball tournament. The other top seeds are Kansas, Indiana and Gonzaga.
- The defending champs, Kentucky, didn't make the tournament.
- It's now 22 straight wins for the Miami Heat matching the second longest streak in NBA history. The '71-'72 Lakers lead the way with 33 straight wins.
- There will be a new champion of the World Baseball Classic. Two-time winner Japan was ousted yesterday by Puerto Rico. The Netherlands plays the Dominican Republic tonight.
2. U-S-A, U-S-A
So the USA baseball team flames out of the World Baseball Classic and America yawns. Three Classics, no titles. That's a Major League whiff. The question is, should the U.S. do what they did in Olympic basketball? In hoops, they wanted to show the world who's boss so they went nuclear. U.S. baseball could train all winter and use their best players. Hey Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic, try a little Justin Verlander and Clayton Kershaw on a steady diet. Actually is it really that important? I never thought it was in basketball. Why play the big bully? Let the other countries have a little joy at our expense. That's what international cooperation is all about.
3. Raffles for Sale
There's a Little League in the Illinois villages of Atwood and Hammond in Central Illinois. Last year they held a fund-raiser with the raffle prize being half of a hog. They raised $10. So this year, they upped the ante. For the grand prize they're auctioning off what any self-respecting Little League would offer, an assault rifle. And that's not all. They'll throw in a 30-round magazine clip. Yup. Nothing says the America's Pastime for kids like hot dogs, Cracker Jack and assault weaponry.
4. Look at Me
This video surfaced on YouTube over the weekend. It doesn't say where it's from. A Little Leaguer preening after belting a homer. While you're musing where a kid learned to do such a thing (duh), the first viewer comment under the video reads, "I hope the next pitch he saw was in his ear." Hopefully his coach sat him down, discussed sportsmanship and he never saw another pitch.
5. March Madness
Want to know the true definition of March Madness? That so many of you entered my Top 5 contest without knowing the brackets. Sure, all you have to do is pick the two teams in the final game, but until last night you really didn't know if your two teams had a chance of facing each other. For example those of you who picked Louisville and Gonzaga or Indiana and Georgetown are already out of luck. But hey, since I make up the rules around here, if you're one of those whose pick is already stymied, I'll let you re-enter the contest. If not, good luck with your semi-final matchup! If you haven't been following the contest, here it is:
Last chance! Enter the Top 5 NCAA Basketball Tournament contest. All you have to do is pick the two teams (Men's Division 1) who will play in the final game. Every person who correctly picks the final pair will receive a That's Sports baseball/golf cap. Just email me your response with your two "winning" teams in the subject line. Only one entry per person. The deadline is today. Good luck.
Happy Birthday: Speedskating great (five Olympic gold medals) Bonnie Blair. 49.
Bonus Birthday: Maroon 5's Adam Levine. 34.
Today in Sports: So much for baseball. Michael Jordan announces he's coming back to the NBA. 1995.
Bonus Event: Schick came up with a newfangled electric razor. 1931.
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