Happy Monday everyone, here's my Top 5 for August 9, 2010 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com
1. Quick Hits
- No no-no. Toronto pitcher Brandon Morrow fell one out shy of the 6th no-hitter of the season. Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria singled with two outs in the 9th inning.
- At the Hall of Fame preseason NFL game, Dallas beat Cincinnati 16-7.
- A little off the top. Denver's rookie quarterback Tim Tebow was given a lovely haircut by the vets on the team. http://twitpic.com/2ckyyv
- Dying to win. At the Sauna World Championships in Finland, the Finnish finalist was rushed to the hospital. I'm guessing even so, he'll be ruled the winner. The other finalist, Vladimir Ladyzhenskiy of Russia, died.
2. After Due Consideration
It was good that the Knicks announced Isiah Thomas as a consultant on a Friday, because it gave me an entire weekend to think about my reaction. After looking at it from every conceivable angle all I can say is, are you @ # $ % ^ & * kidding me? Just curious if "in the best interests of basketball" Commissioner David Stern can order the Dolans to sell the Knicks? If not, how about in the "best interests of Knicks fans" "or in the "best interests of having a clue?"
3. Hall of a Guy
It's not every day that your fraternity brother gets inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. For me, that day was Saturday night. Floyd Little was enshrined in Canton. Floyd was the "next Ernie Davis" at Syracuse in the 60's. The next in line to wear the famed #44. I remember asking him at the fraternity house what he was going to do with his Heisman Trophy? He answered, "I'm going to give it to my mom so she can display it on her mantle." Floyd lost his dad when he was only 6, and his mom had to raise 6 kids on welfare. He never won that Heisman. And his mom didn't get to see his Hall of Fame induction, having passed away. In his speech, he said "I know my mom is looking down on me today and she's saying, Floyd, I'm proud of you, you done good."
She's not the only one.
4. Bye Bye of the Tiger
Pretty stunning. Only one golfer shot worse this weekend at one of Tiger Woods' favorite golf courses in Akron. Woods shot 18 over par and finished 30 shots off the lead. Yet he retained his #1 ranking. So as we approach the PGA Championship this week in Wisconsin, the question has to be asked, is Tiger kaput? The answer may be yes. After being exposed as a complete fraud as a person, it has obviously taken its toll on his golf which is so much a mental game.
5. And Down the Stretch He Comes
Our genius of the week showed up at the horse track in Darwin Australia. After the Darwin Cup, he ran onto the track buck naked. Despite being apparently impaired, he showed some great moves before he was finally tackled. I'm sure you're not the least bit interested in seeing this bozo. But here it is anyway.
By the way, I've seen NFL running backs wearing tons of equipment with half the moves. Maybe they're over-dressed?
Happy Birthday: A former broadcast partner of mine on Boston Celtics telecasts, and one of the all time greats, former Celtic Bob Cousy. 82.
Bonus Birthday: Singer Whitney Houston. 47.
Today in Sports: In arguably the biggest trade in hockey history, Wayne Gretzky is traded from Edmonton to L.A. 1988.
Bonus Event: Wave goodbye. President Nixon leaves Washington as the only President to ever resign. 1974.