TGIF everyone, here's my Top 5 for November 20, 2009 from Len Berman
at www.ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants wins the National League Cy
Young award for the 2nd straight year.
Starting today, baseball free agents are free to sign with any team.
Who will be shopping in this economy?
Ireland's demand is rejected that their World Cup qualifying soccer
loss to France be replayed. France won the game thanks to an obvious
handball. Major League baseball umpires are relieved that for once it
wasn't their fault.
2. Crime and Punishment
It only took 7 years but it looks like former NBA star Jayson
Williams will finally head to jail for shooting his limo driver to
death. He will reportedly plead guilty today and get 3 years (a
minimum of 18 months). I can't help but feel sad. Jayson was one of my
favorite all time interviews. Right behind O.J. Simpson. Am I a great
judge of character or what?
3. Homework
Here's your weekend assignment boys and girls. Steve B. messaged me
on Facebook at "Len Berman's Top 5" with an interesting question. He
wondered if there was another pair of athletes like the Yankees'
Mariano Rivera and the Devils Martin Brodeur? Two of the all time
greats in the same market, at the same time, who played their entire
careers with one team. I can think of Ted Williams and Bill Russell in
Boston. Anyone else?
4. Friday Mailbag
In response to the suggestion that if football players didn't wear
helmets they would play less violently and there would be fewer head
injuries, S.V. sarcastically writes: "We could stop requiring seat
belts in our cars, and maybe we would all drive more carefully."
But rugby player D.L. points out that rugby players don't wear
helmets, he writes: " If you looked at the concussion rates between
football and rugby at each level I will bet that rugby would be
significantly below football." And D.A. says: "If you really want to
eliminate reckless play, have them go without cups. you could turn
hockey into ice dancing.
Editor's Note: Ooh, with the Olympics right around the corner, ice
dancing rears its ugly head.
In response to the New York sports fan who wrote: "The Giants suck,
the Jets suck, the Knicks suck, the Nets suck and I cannot watch
hockey." J.F. responds from Chicago: "Oh cry me a river. New York is
more competitive in every sports league every year than any other city
on the country. Try being a fan in a town that only has one or two
franchises that always stink, say Kansas city. NY'ers don't know how
good they have it."
As for The Who (whose music is used on CSI) playing at halftime of
the upcoming Super bowl, "dances_w_vowels" tweeted me
@LenBermanSports, "So what we know, the Super Bowl is on CBS, in
Miami, starring The Who at halftime. Is David Caruso investigating
replays?"
Editor's Note: I always wanted to dance with vowels.
And from B.B. "If the Knicks get Iverson, maybe they'll have some
"Curry-ier & Ives-rson" moments for the upcoming holidays..."
Editor's Note: Groan, Groan, and more Groans.
5. What's Your Moment?
In conjunction with my new kids book "The Greatest Moments in
Sports," fans are voting for their favorite all time moment at my
website. So far you've voted for lots of baseball with Jackie
Robinson, the Red Sox comeback against the Yankees and a couple of
Derek Jeter moments (His flying catch into the stands and his November
World Series homer). And many of you voted for the "Miracle on Ice,"
the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team. We chose that as the #1 sports
moment of all time in my book.
If you want to join the party, go to http://tinyurl.com/ye7bfo4
.
Happy Birthday: Red Sox right fielder J.D. Drew. 34.
Bonus Birthday: The perfect "10," actress Bo Derek. 53.
Bobby Kennedy would have been 84 today.
Today in Sports: The late great Walter Payton of the Bears sets the
record by rushing 275 yards against Minnesota. (The current record
holder is Adrian Peterson of the Vikings 296). 1977.
Bonus Event: 7 year old Drew Barrymore hosts Saturday Night Live.
1982.
I have a book signing tomorrow at noon at the Barnes and Noble in
Manhasset on Long Island.