TGIF everyone, here's my Top 5 for December 4, 2009 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
* Tiger Woods and his wife have reportedly reworked their prenup so that she gets immediate cash and a bigger buyout if and when she splits. And rumor has it Woods paid off Rachel Uchitel to keep mum. Good thing he's a billion dollar athlete so he can afford all this hush money.
* The Jets are undefeated in Canada. They beat Buffalo in Toronto last night 19-13. But quarterback Mark Sanchez hurt his knee. So now both knees are dinged up.
* The Red Sox have yet another shortstop. Toronto's Marco Scutaro.
* Oregon beat Oregon State 37-33 to earn its first Rose Bowl in 15 years.
* Get me rewrite! January's issue of Golf Digest has a cover story, "10 Tips Obama Can Take From Tiger."
2. Crime and Punishment
So here's how the Tiger Woods careless driving ticket will play out according to Top 5 subscriber David R. "I am an attorney in Florida, familiar with traffic court. He will not be pleading guilty, paying $164 or getting 4 points. A junior associate at the firm he retains will enter a not guilty plea and the case will go to trial. Woods will not attend the trial. There will be no witnesses to testify against him and the judge will grant the lawyer's motion to dismiss the ticket for lack of prosecution."
Whew, what a relief. I wouldn't want Tiger to have to actually face any music.
3. End of an Era
There will never be another feel good football story out of Hofstra like wide receiver Wayne Chrebet overcoming all odds to make the Jets. Hofstra has eliminated football just like Northeastern. The economy strikes again. Will there come a day when only players from football powerhouses will make the big time?
4 Friday Mailbag
Clearly Tiger Woods dominated your emails. From S.D. "Just like Kobe and a lot of others, we continue to embrace these people as role models instead of rich immature children... By the time this is through Elin should have enough settlement money to buy Sweden."
Many of you couldn't resist sending jokes. From Bob G. "Woke up this morning feeling pretty good. I realized I can outdrive Tiger."
When I talked about Ari Fleischer helping the BCS to tidy up its image, I joked that "if he could help explain what President Geo. W. was doing, the BCS should be a piece of cake." I received this response: "Hey! I'm a subscriber...Taken with a sense of humor - I always enjoy reading your updates. It's the best, fastest one minute in sports reporting. Signed, Ari Fleischer."
Editor's Note: Ari likes what W. did, and what I'm doing. Is that a compliment? But seriously, happy to have Ari on board.
As for Charlie Weis making over $1 million per win at Notre Dame, J.M. points out: "Weis was a bargain. For their money, the Yankees paid Carl Pavano $4,438,888.89 per win."
And C.M. wrote: "I went out and bought a Mets ornament for my tree this weekend. It's broken. Go figure......"
5. Health and Fitness
We close things out with our tip of the week. It seems in Britain, some women executives are injecting botox into their heels. For beauty? Nah. Helps them get through the holiday party season wearing high heels. It costs them $400 as opposed to a gel-filled pad which runs $3.30. Hey it's the holiday season..... talk about expensive stocking stuffers!
Happy Birthday: New Jersey Nets part-owner Jay Z. 40.
Bonus Birthday: Supermodel Tyra Banks. 36.
Today in Sports: What a guy! Latrell Sprewell was suspended one year for choking his Golden State Warriors coach P.J. Carlesimo. 1997.
Bonus Event: The beginning of one of the greatest comebacks in history. General George Washington says goodbye to his officers at the end of the Revolutionary War and departs New York to leave public life. 6 years later he's sworn is as the nation's first President. 1783.
I have a book signing for The Greatest Moments in Sports (New York Times Best Seller) in Port Washington N.Y. at the Dolphin Bookshop tomorrow at 1pm.
Have a great weekend everyone!