Happy Monday everyone, here's my Top 5 for May 24, 2010 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
* Phoenix rises. The Suns knock off the Lakers 118-109 in game 3. The Lakers still lead the series two games to one.
* The Celtics go for the 4-game sweep of Orlando tonight in Boston.
* The Chicago Blackhawks have made it to the Stanley Cup Finals by sweeping San Jose.
* The French Open tennis tournament is underway.
* Colorful former major league pitcher Jose Lima dies of a heart attack at the age of 37. He was best known with the Tigers and Astros before finishing his career with the Mets in 2006.
* A record 4 women drivers have qualified for the Indy 500.
* A new lawn mower speed record was set yesterday in Wales, by a guy named Don Wales (yup, Wales did it in Wales), surpassing 87mph. It was set on a sand course, not some dude's front yard.
2. Let's Go Mets
Derek Jeter led off the Subway Series Friday night with a single to right. A cheer of "De-rek Je-ter" went up at Citi Field. I'm happy to report those cheers came from the relatively cheap seats upstairs in left field. Just think if they had come from all the expensive seats? What a collective blow that might have been to the psyche of Mets fans. Not only would it mean that the Yankees spend zillions more for players, but their fans would have mirrored Yankee management when it comes to buying seats. Didn't happen. And here's a good line from subscriber Frank C. Harking back to the old Braves when their pitching rotation was "Spahn and Sain and pray for rain." Frank writes when it come to the Mets it's "Pelfrey and Santana and pray for rain mañana."
3. This Little Piggy Went to the Market
Thanks to subscriber Paul G. for tipping us off to the Forbes article that predicts LeBron James will play for the Knicks because of MSG stock. Here's the scam. The Knicks can't pay him in stock, but LeBron can buy mucho MSG shares. And then, his stock will go up because of his performance. So in essence, he's working for himself. Now, do you suppose some of the clowns who played for the Knicks the past several seasons, bought tons of shares and then sold them short because they sucked? Just wonderin'.
4. Just Do It
So Nike got trashed pretty good for its ill-conceived Tiger Woods commercial with his father's voice. So to be fair, check out the long version of their "Write the Future" ad for World Cup Soccer.
If you're a fan of sports, commercials, creativity, Kobe Bryant or Bart Simpson, you'll like it. If you're the one person on earth who doesn't like any of the above, forget it.
5. Happy Anniversary
30 years ago today, CBS decided to televise their one and only hockey game of the 1979-1980 NHL season. It was game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Islanders and Philadelphia. Wouldn't you know it, Bobby Nystrom scored the overtime goal that clinched the Cup for the Islanders. And wouldn't you know it, the New York CBS affiliate had a young weekend sportscaster who got to deliver the happy post game show in New York, and then the 6 & 11pm sportscasts. Take a look.
The next night, Bobby Nystrom and his wife appeared live on my late night Sunday Sports Update program.
Not good times, great times. I took my kids to Islander championship parades on Hempstead Turnpike. Seems like yesterday. But with the current state of hockey on Long Island, it seems like eons ago.
Happy Birthday: A New York Knick last season, Tracy McGrady. 31.
Bonus Birthday: Robert Allen Zimmerman, otherwise known as Bob Dylan. 69.
Today in Sports: The Islanders win the first of 4 consecutive Stanley Cups. 1980.
Bonus Event: After 14 years of construction, the Brooklyn Bridge is opened to traffic. 1883.