Happy Tuesday everyone, here's my Top 5 for July 20, 2010 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
* Serena Williams may miss the U.S. Open with a foot injury. Linesmen jump for joy.
* The Mets field their regular starting lineup for the first time this season, and celebrate by losing to Arizona 13-2.
* The Padres, with their tiny payroll, reward manager Bud Black with a 3 year extension. San Diego has the best NL record.
* And he didn't even have a TV special. The NHL Devils resign the premier free agent on the market, Ilya Kovalchuk.
2. The Real Meaning of $anctity
Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig wants to do something about the "November Classic." He doesn't like the World Series stretching that long. So his solution? Start the season earlier. Oh really? How about a few less games? Maybe a couple of old fashioned doubleheaders. Are you kidding? After 9/11, baseball made up all the missed games to protect the "sanctity of the 162 game season." That's a euphemism for protecting the sanctity of the owners' bottom lines.
3. Unwritten Rules
Wow this Tour de France stuff is wacky. Ya never know if the riders are clean or if the bikes or rigged, and now it turns out they've got unwritten rules, just like baseball. Andy Schleck of Luxembourg was in the lead yesterday when his bicycle chain got screwed up. So the defending champ, Spain's Alberto Contador, pedaled his way to the overall lead. Aha, foul play. When a rider has a problem like that, the other guys are just expected to hang around until he gets it fixed. They're not supposed to take advantage. Who knew? If they did that in NASCAR, races would turn into cricket matches.
4. Olympic Memories
Yesterday, I asked in my Top 5 and on Facebook, what were your most memorable Olympic moments? Many of you mentioned Munich, 1972, and the Miracle on Ice in 1980. I liked subscriber Rich R's personal memory. "Sitting with my dad in the Los Angeles Coliseum at the 1984 Olympics in close proximity to the seat he had at the 1932 Olympics. My dad was a track team member in his high school and college days so he was interested in those events."
Speaking of track and field, Bob Beamon made a big impact on me in 1968 when he long jumped over 29 feet in Mexico City. Sure it was at altitude, but nobody had ever jumped even 28 feet before, so he demolished the record.
5. Name Game
When there was a bee problem at a Florida Marlins baseball game the other day, they called a bee removal company called "I'll Bee There." If the toilets were backed up, would they have called "Skip To My Loo?"
Happy Birthday: Celtics guard Ray Allen. 35.
Bonus Birthday: Mrs. Tom Brady, model Gisele Bundchen. 30.
Today in Sports: It had to start somewhere. They charge a fee to watch a baseball game for the first time. Fifty cents. What would half a buck buy at the ballpark today? 1858.
Bonus Event: To the Moon, Alice! Man walks up there for the first time. 1969.