Happy Thursday everyone, here's my Top 5 for January 28, 2010 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
* Washington Wizards teammates Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton have been suspended without pay for the rest of the season for brandishing guns in the locker room. NBA commissioner David Stern said guns in the workplace "will not be tolerated." I think that went without saying.
* The Yankees divorce with Johnny Damon is final. The Yanks signed former Giant switch hitter Randy Winn on the "cheap."
* Another loss for the Cubbies. Andre Dawson will enter the Baseball Hall of Fame as a Montreal Expo, not a Chicago Cub, which is what he preferred.
* Andy Murray reaches the finals of the Australian Open. He's trying to become the first British man to win a Grand Slam since Fred Perry won Wimbledon in 1936.
* The golf tour hits Torrey Pines in San Diego today. Phil Mickelson makes his season debut, so maybe some people will actually pay attention to pro golf this week.
2. All Good Things Must Come to an End
Sports streaks are meant to be broken. (Unless you're Joe DiMaggio and you've hit in 56 straight games.) If and when David Lee of the Knicks is chosen to play in the NBA All Star Game today, two streaks will end. He'll become the first U.S. born white player to make the game in 5 years. And the first New York Knick in 9 years. I don't know which streak is more remarkable. 9 years ago is also the last time the Knicks had a winning season. That streak will be broken some day, too. Won't it?
3. Cause and Effect
You have to wonder if the Jets playoff run will help them at the box office. You can still step right up and buy some "Coaches Club" seats for $30,000 a pop, but that doesn't count the cost of the tickets. The Jets did sell out the corners of the new stadium by slashing ticket prices. Of course there are loud rumblings that there will be labor problems in 2011, so you may wind up owning seats to watch nothing. But that fact somehow didn't make it into the Jets advertising brochure.
4. Suggestion Box
You sure had lots of ideas of what to do with the Pro Bowl. One suggestion was to move it back to the summer as a way to jump start the season. Another was to play immediately before the Super Bowl as a way of getting rid of the never-ending pregame show. How's this idea? Do it the way Bob Hope used to do it with the college All-Americas. Just introduce the pro bowlers on a TV special. Hey, they all want to make the Pro Bowl. They just don't wanna play in it.
5. What are the Odds?
In Britain you can bet on anything. They're taking bets on whether or not Tiger Woods will play in the Masters. Just about everyone betting so far, has bet that he will play in Augusta. That's not surprising. Woods, despite all he's been through, is listed as the favorite to win the Masters at 5-2. According to one British bookmaker, he's the favorite in every tournament he enters. We know how bettors feel about him, how fans will react in person is the great unknown.
Happy Birthday: Former All Star first baseman, Yankee announcer and National League President, Bill White. 76.
Bonus Birthday: Hawkeye Pierce in M*A*S*H, actor Alan Alda. 74.
Today in Sports: The birth of America's Team. The Dallas Cowboys are born. 1960.
Bonus Event: Elvis the Pelvis. Elvis Presley makes his first TV appearance. 1956.