Top 5 Sports Stories

Happy Monday everyone, here's my Top 5 for November 16, 2009 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.

1. Quick Hits

Thanks to a strange gamble by Patriots coach Bill Belichick, the Indianapolis Colts staged an improbable comeback to beat New England 35-34 and run their record to 9-0.

While USC and Notre Dame hit the skids, Ohio State will hit the road for the Rose Bowl for the first time in 13 years.

They were celebrating in the Phillipines, as Manny Pacquiao stopped Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas in the 12th round. Pacquiao won the WBO welterweight crown, his 7th title in 7 different weight classes.

On the undercard Yuri Foreman won the WBA Super welterweight championship. He's studying to become a rabbi. A boxing rabbi. Is that kosher?

20-year old Michelle Wie wins her first LPGA tournament, the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Mexico.

Way to go Knicks. They passed over Brandon Jennings in the draft. He scored 55 points for Milwaukee Saturday night. Maybe the Knicks should just turn off the lights.

2. The Numbers Game

Wow. LeBron James says he wants to stop wearing # 23 and wants the number retired league-wide in honor of Michael Jordan. He will switch to #6 next season. Let the conspiracy theories begin. Is he going to play for Chicago? Does he hope to sell more jerseys? The only players retired league-wide in sports are Jackie Robinson's # 42 in baseball. (When Mariano Rivera retires, nobody will wear it.) And Wayne Gretzky's #99 in hockey. But Michael Jordan? Why not Wilt Chamberlain? How about Babe Ruth? Retired numbers are getting like the Hall of Fame. Watered down.

3. Crime and Punishment

You've probably heard that the NFL fined Chad Ochocinco of Cincinnati $20-thousand. Ochocinco had a dollar bill in his hand and was thinking about offering it to the refs while they were reviewing a replay. The league cited the rulebook, in part the rule that prohibits abusive, threatening or insulting language or gestures toward officials. They also have this thing about players carrying props. OK, I get it. But you have to admit what Ochocinco did was amusing. There's a reason the NFL stands for No Fun League.

4. Wardrobe

Tiger Woods won the Australian Masters golf tournament, so he got the coveted "Golden Jacket." His winning share was $252-thousand. Pocket change for him. Then again his appearance fee was $3-million. So not a bad haul down under, $3.25 million AND a sport coat. At least if you hit a homer off the Abe Stark sign at the old Ebbets field, you won the entire suit.

5. Fore or Two?

Here's the perfect gift for the golfing lady in your life. A bra that turns into a putting green. Leave it to the Japanese. The bra is adorned with a golf ball, tee, and miniature flag. You unroll it (stretches to 5 feet), lay it on the floor and putt away to your heart's content. You have two cups to aim at. It also comes with a cute little skirt that has the words "Be Quiet" written on the rear. Oh, when you sink your putt, you hear "nice shot" from a built in speaker, in Japanese. By the way the same company brings you the Solar Power Bra, and the Chopsticks Bra. Don't ask.

Happy Birthday: Dr. K, former Met and Yankee pitcher Dwight Gooden. 45. Bonus Birthday: Cosby Show actress Lisa Bonet. 42.

Today in Sports: Bill Russell sets an NBA record with 49 rebounds against the Philadelphia Warriors. His record was broken (Wilt, 55), but his 32 rebounds in one half that night is a mark that still stands. 1957.

Bonus Event: LSD is first created in a lab in Switzerland. It took 5 years to realize that LSD was hallucinogenic. What were they smoking? 1938.

 

Follow Len Berman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/lenbermansports

Comments

[EminemsRevenge]

#6 is Doctor J!!!

But i DO think #23 should be retired, along with Air Jordans...because the only message both ever sent to ghetto youth was it's alright, even stellar, to be SELFISH!