Top 5 Sports Stories

TGIF everyone, here's my Top 5 for October 30, 2009 from www.LenBermanSports.com.

1. Quick Hits

The Yankees win game 2, 3-1 and even the World Series at 1 game apiece.

Today is an off day. The World Series resumes tomorrow night in Philadelphia. 7:57pm ET FOX

Martina Navratilova takes Andre Agassi to task and equates him with Roger Clemens for lying about drug use.

FOX will use a "Favre-cam" to follow Brett Favre's every move in his return to Green Bay on Sunday. Not to be outdone, CBS will employ a "barf-cam" to check out what Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez is eating on the sidelines.

2. Game 2

So what are Yankee fans focusing on today? A.J. Burnett's game winning pitching performance or A-Rod? Human nature being what it is, Yankee fans know that A-Rod has struck out 3 times in each World Series game, but they couldn't tell you how many strikeouts A.J. Burnett recorded last night. (9) Before the game, Commissioner Bud Selig said he's not in favor of expanding instant replay. And then his umps went out and blew another call.

But the biggest headline is that the World Series will go at least 5 games. It hasn't gone 6 in 6 years. Could this be the year for a real "Fall Classic?"

3. Sportsmanship

A big controversy in France. A mostly Muslim soccer team refused to play a team that welcomes gay soccer players. Of course we know about Iranian athletes who wouldn't compete against Jews. So I guess we gotta change all those baseball cards to include religion and sexual persuasion. Or maybe we just gotta ban the bigots.

4. Friday Mailbag

As for this World Series being the Mets fan's worst nightmare (the two teams they hate the most,) J.B. pointed out to me on Facebook that "As a diehard Yankee fan, I faced the same dilemma in 1986. (Mets vs Red Sox)"

Editor's Note: Touche

I wasn't alone in my dislike for the Jets throwback jerseys. B.V. wrote: "As an original ground crew worker for the NY Titans I cringe every time I see the Jets wear those throwback jerseys."

As for quarterback Mark Sanchez eating a hot dog on the bench during the game, G.C. writes: "I guess right now the public doesn't think he's a proven wiener."

Editor's Note: Oy.

R.B. writes "Perhaps the cracks in the ramps at Yankee Stadium were caused by the excess weight of the moneybag players."

Editor's Note: Or the fans who had to carry cash to buy stuff at the game!

C.F. has some advice for the new Cardinals hitting coach. "Hopefully Mark McGwire will show Cardinal hitters how to grip a bat and not how to grip a syringe."

Editor's Note: Hey buddy, leave the cynicism to me.

And the Soupy Sales remembrances just keep coming. A couple of you passed along this gem. "Soupy writes the letter 'F' on a chalkboard. He asks White Fang what letter it is? Fang answers 'K'. After three Fang replies that it's 'K', Soupy gives up & asks Fang, 'Why is it every time I write F you see 'K'?"

5. The Devil is in the Details

An animal rights group has forced a town in New Zealand to cancel its annual dead rabbit-throwing contest. They complained it sent the wrong message to kids. The contest is held each year to coincide with the annual pig hunt. Hey, killing defenseless animals is fine and dandy. Just don't go tossing 'em around.

Happy Birthday: Super Bowl champion coach Dick Vermeil (Rams). 73.

Bonus Birthday: "The Fonz," Henry Winkler. 64.

Today in Sports: A perfect strike. President George W. Bush throws out the first pitch before game 3 of the World Series, less than 2 months after 9/11, 2001.

Bonus Event: "Martians land in New Jersey!" Orson Welles presents "The War of the Worlds" on radio. Thousands thought it was a true story. 1938.

 

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