Happy Wednesday everyone, here's my Top 5 for January 4, 2012 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
- Michigan wins the Sugar Bowl beating Virginia Tech 23-20 in overtime.
- To the disappointment of all those Eagles fans who chanted "Fire Andy," Andy Reid will return to Philadelphia to coach for a 14th season.
- Hall of Fame basketball coach Gene Bartow, the man who succeeded John Wooden at UCLA, is dead at the age of 81.
- What happens in the locker room stays in the locker room. New Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer has banned his players from using Twitter.
2. Conspiracy Theory
You gotta love it. The Rangers thought that the NHL and NBC were conspiring against them to force the Winter Classic into overtime. That's why there were so many "bad calls" against the Rangers down the stretch. The Rangers foiled the "plot" winning in regulation. I'm assuming the NHL got the idea from that TV commercial where the guys in the bar want overtime. Life, for sure, imitating art!
3. For the Love of the Game
Interesting comments from Serena Williams. She said, "I don't love tennis today but I'm here. It's not that I've fallen out of love with it. I've actually never liked sports and I never understood how I became an athlete." I admire her candor, to a point. But how many tennis fans would love to be in her position? Some fans pay a fortune to watch her play in the major tournaments. I think those fans would like to know that she actually cares about her sport at least as much as they do. The rap on today's athlete is that many of them don't seem as invested in what they're doing as the fans who live and die with their ups and downs. Serena's comments don't help that image. By the way, she later injured her ankle and withdrew from a tournament in Brisbane.
4. Name Game
Speaking of Williams, the New Jersey Nets set an NBA record by having four guys with the same last name on their roster: Deron, Shawne, Shelden and Jordan Williams. The story was not reported by Brian Williams. Robin Williams didn't think it was funny. "I could write a book," said Tennessee Williams.
5. Scientific Research
Just so you know, the journal Hormones and Behavior studied 12 English rugby players. They found that when they watched erotic or violent videos it increased their testosterone levels and led to better performance in their training sessions that followed. Sounds like coaches are wasting their time with "Knute Rockne" speeches. Just show 'em porn.
Happy Birthday: #1 all time NFL winning coach, Don Shula. 82.
Bonus Birthday: She married Cary Grant, actress Dyan Cannon. 75.
Today in Sports: The Dodgers go airborne becoming the first Major League team to buy an airplane. 1957.
Bonus Event: Wrestler Jesse "The Body" Ventura was sworn in as governor of Minnesota. 1999.
To sign up for Len's free daily Top 5 email click here.