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The European media is calling it the "Miracle of Medinah" after Europe completed a remarkable comeback to retain the Ryder Cup.
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USA's Tiger Woods scratches his head as he walks off the course after the Ryder Cup PGA golf tournament Sunday, Sept. 30, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
USA's Tiger Woods scratches his head as he walks off the course after the Ryder Cup PGA golf tournament Sunday, Sept. 30, 2012, at the Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Happy Monday everyone, here's my Top 5 for October 1, 2012 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.

1. Quick Hits

  • The European media is calling it the "Miracle of Medinah" after Europe completed a remarkable comeback to retain the Ryder Cup.
  • The Baltimore Orioles clinched their first postseason berth since 1997. The Yankees and Texas also clinched yesterday.
  • Arizona, Atlanta and Houston are the only 4-0 teams in the NFL.
  • L.A. took a big step toward getting an NFL team when the City Council approved a new downtown stadium. But Browns fans are left wondering when the NFL is going to return to Cleveland?
  • The defense rests. Dizzying numbers were put up in college football this weekend highlighted by West Virginia beating Baylor 70-63. Fun fact. West Virginia's basketball team scored less than 70 points in 14 games last season.


2. There's No I in Team

It's difficult to think of golf being a team sport. That the Americans collapsed yesterday: was it a team effort or just a series of random coincidences? And you have to scratch your head over Tiger Woods. Such enormous talent, still feared on the golf course but he got benched for Saturday morning's Ryder Cup competition. He earned it. He and Steve Stricker were the only Americans to lose both of their Friday matches. After the morning time out they returned to action in the afternoon and lost again. As for yesterday, Woods was relegated to the last position which wasn't expected to mean anything, and as it turned out in the end it didn't. This is nothing new. Woods has a losing Ryder Cup record over the years only doing well in singles gaining a tie yesterday in a match he should have won. It all makes sense and it takes nothing away from Woods. He's just not a "team player," and I don't mean that in a negative way. Golf isn't a team sport.

3. It is High, it is Far...

Did you ever see a guy hit a grand slam homer without using a bat? Michael Morse hit a "single" with the bases loaded the other night in St. Louis. Video replay confirmed it was really a homer, so Morse went back to home plate, took a swing batless and rounded the bases. Here's the neat part. Remember recreations of baseball games on the radio? Most of you are too young. But here in 2012 we had the advanced technology to make the correct call, but we also went back in time, as Nationals announcer, Bob Carpenter recreated his home run call. Just when you think you've seen it all.

4. Bikini Mania

OK, first we had the Lingerie Football League and now comes the Bikini Basketball League. It must be real, they've got a Twitter account that lists eight teams including the Miami Spice and Hollywood Hotties. There are two requirements. You have to play well and you have to look good in a bikini. Wonder which carries more weight? Anyway, they're supposedly going to get going in about a month. But they've gotten off to a slow start in Miami, where the school district banned tryouts at a local high school. If the league actually gets off the ground you'll have a choice, watch the NBA in long shorts or ladies in bikinis. What's next, bikini beach volleyball... no wait.

5. Contest Time

Here you go contest fans. In conjunction with the beginning of the media tour for my newest book, The Greatest Moments in Sports: Upsets and Underdogs, here's your chance to win free personalized autograph copies. Just send me the email addresses of two new Top 5 subscribers and you'll be entered in a lottery to win one of three copies of my book. I'll even throw in two runner-up prizes of That's Sports baseball caps. Thanks for playing and good luck! The deadline for entry is October 8.

Happy Birthday: Baseball Hall of Famer Rod Carew. 67.

Bonus Birthday: Julie Sound of Music and Mary Poppins Andrews. 77.

Today in Sports: The very first pitch in the very first World Series is thrown by none other than Cy Young as his Boston Americans lost to Pittsburgh 7-3 but they won the Series 5 games to 3. 1903.

Bonus Event: Joy for parents who love to take long car rides with screaming kids. Walt Disney World opens in Orlando. 1971.

TV Appearances: I'll be on CNN Starting Point with Soledad O'Brien tomorrow morning at 7:45 a.m. to talk about my new book. And then I'll be on Fox 5 Good Day NY in the 9 a.m. half hour.

To sign up for Len's free daily Top 5 email click here.

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