Happy Wednesday everyone, here's my Top 5 for November 9, 2011 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
- Penn State trustees vote to "investigate" the child sex scandal. Reports say that Penn State coach Joe Paterno is on shaky ground.
- Today's the deadline that NBA owners gave the players to accept their offer.
- Former Red Sox manager Terry Francona has interviewed for the St. Louis Cardinals job.
- "Easy" Ed Macauley, who was traded to St. Louis by the Boston Celtics for Bill Russell in 1956, has died at the age of 83.
2. Penn State
If indeed Joe Paterno is on the way out then how about Penn State president Graham Spanier? This Saturday the Nittany Lions host Nebraska in college football. It's Senior Day. So they'll just play a normal game as if nothing has happened on campus? And students, as they did last night, will treat Paterno as if he's some kind of hero? Sad.
3. Whose Fault is it Anyway?
Subscriber James G. asks a good question. Just suppose for a moment, that a player sustains a vicious tackle and is left paralyzed. An investigation confirms that the player involved in making the tackle was pumped full of HGH. Can he be arrested? Sued? What is the liability of the league in this situation?
According to Dr. Gary Wadler, an expert in the field of drugs in sports, it is not a crime to have HGH in your body. Interesting. Dr. Wadler emphasizes the bigger issue. He says it's high time the sports unions care just as much about the health of their members as they do about their financial well being. Will that ever happen?
4. Recruiting Services
You remember BiBi Jones, right? She's the porn actress who had her picture taken with Rob Gronkowski of the Patriots. It turns out she now claims that she helped a sports agent recruit baseball players. She said she'd sleep with the guys and amazingly many of them would sign with the agent. The agent is reported to be Terry Bross. Looks like Ms. Jones has a leg up for Sportswoman of the Year.
5. Yuck It Up
The last-place Cleveland Browns lost in Houston Sunday 30-12.
So here's the answer to the question, what do you get when you cross a comedian who's a Browns season ticket holder with YouTube? Enjoy. His name is Mike Polk, Jr.
Happy Birthday: Cardinals Hall of Fame pitcher and a co-host of mine on the long forgotten HBO series Race for the Pennant, Bob Gibson. 76.
Bonus Birthday: The Incredible Hulk, Lou Ferrigno. 60.
Today in Sports: 50 years ago today. The PGA tour eliminates its "Caucasians Only" rule. 1961.
Bonus Event: Remember where you were when the lights went out? I do. The great blackout of 1965.
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