Happy Wednesday everyone, here's my Top 5 for August 26, 2009 from
LenBermanSports.com
1. Quick Hits
Mets ace Johan Santana is done for the year. He'll undergo
arthroscopic elbow surgery to get rid of bone chips.
Plaxico Burress tells ESPN that after jail he wants to go back to
the NFL.
Roger Federer and Dinara Safina are the #1 seeds for next week's
U.S. Open. So I guess everybody doesn't know who the real # 1 is,
Serena.
2. Meet the Me$$
Where do you begin? I guess it's always safe to follow the money.
Mets ownership lost a king's ransom with Bernie Madoff. An expensive
new ballpark opened up, but pricey tickets remain a tough sell. The
organization has just gotten around to honoring its history. And it
seems as if the entire team is hurt which must set a world record for
"most money on the disabled list one franchise, one season." There
have been some rough patches in Mets history from Bobby Bonilla to
Vince Coleman to Mo Vaughn. But this one takes the cake.
3. Going Public
Here's a TV series with no shortage of material. VH1's "Celebrity
Rehab with Dr. Drew." The New York Daily News reports that the series,
which begins in January, has singer Mindy McCready on one episode.
She'll dish the dirt on her relationship with Roger Clemens. Dennis
Rodman is scheduled for another episode. Only one? He could be a whole
month. It's not a sports series, but it could be. The possibilities
are endless. Why not get Mike Tyson or Rick Pitino? And for the season
finale, they should feature sports fans who have to suffer through
this endless parade of sports deviants.
4. Working Hard for the Money
It takes the average Amercian a bit less than 4 years to earn
$100-thousand. The Wall Street Journal figued out how long it takes
some athletes to earn a hundred grand. NBA star LeBron James has to
play 21.2 minutes. A-Rod has it easier. He only has to face 6 pitches.
But it appears Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has the best
gig. He earns a hundred thou every 3.6 snaps. By comparison, Tiger
Woods has to play 11.2 holes. No wonder he doesn't smile that much.
5. Is that Cricket?
Apparently this was a first. A team of eunuchs beat a team of "full
genitalia" players in a cricket match in Pakistan. Eunuchs are
considered social outcasts in Pakistan so this did wonders for their
collective pride. And it also proved that balls are no longer needed
to play the game of cricket.
Happy Birthday: Celtic great (and former broadcast partner of mine)
Tommy Heinsohn. 75.
Bonus Birthday: Home Alone actor Macaulay Culkin. 29.
Today in Sports: Can PSL's be far behind? The New York Giants
football team bolts the Bronx for the Meadowlands. 1971.
Bonus Event: Hey Mike, wanna carve a statue? Michaelangelo is
commissioned to sculpt the "Pieta." 1498.