Happy Thursday everyone, here's my Top 5 for November 8, 2012 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
- The Mets terminate Jason Bay's contract.
- Mark McGwire is the new Dodgers hitting coach.
- Former Colorado shortstop Walt Weiss is the new Rockies manager.
- The last place Lakers drop to 1-4 after losing to Utah 95-86.
- Line of the day from Jets coach Rex Ryan. Responding to a player poll which named him the most overrated NFL Coach with Bill Belichick finishing second, Ryan quipped: "I finally beat Belichick at something."
- Former welterweight and middleweight champ Carmen Basilio is dead at the age of 85. His biggest moment was out-pointing Sugar Ray Robinson at Yankee Stadium in 1957.
2. Bye Bye Bay
The cash-strapped Mets reached the inevitable conclusion that they had to jettison outfielder Jason Bay. Bay was a colossal disappointment since signing a four-year, $66 million contract in 2010. The Mets took the highly unusual step of buying him out and getting nothing in return. Yankees fans are wondering if that's how things will end with A-Rod down the road.
3. Multi-Tasking
So if a lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client, does that also apply to sports owners who double as their team's general manager? This week's hot button issue (actually it's a never ending saga) is whether Cowboys owner Jerry Jones should fire himself as team general manager. He said he should, then quickly backtracked. He's always been the Cowboys GM and as he points out he's won three Super Bowls as owner/GM. Former coach Jimmy Johnson says, not true. It was he who ran the football operations while he was coaching. Anyway, the Super Bowl dry spell is now 16 years and counting and Jones is on his fifth different coach. I guess he can always point to George Steinbrenner. He was the de facto GM of the Yankees. He was also blustery and also had long droughts. Things ain't going to change as long as Jones owns the 'Boys.
4. There's No Whining in Football
It's time for a new rule in the NFL. The NBA now has a fairly new rule. If you complain or react too much to a call or non-call, it's a technical foul. In football, I'm getting tired of wide receivers beseeching the refs for pass interference on every play. I love Victor Cruz of the Giants, but he was crying for calls throughout the Dallas game. Let's have a new NFL rule. Excessive reaction gets you a warning. A second offense: 5 yard penalty for excessive kvetching.
5. No Hands!
Recently, a UC Santa Barbara soccer player named Peter McGlynn received a yellow card and then a red card which ejected him from the match. He also punched an official and was handcuffed on the field and arrested. McGlynn was only a death sentence away from the rare "soccer-sanction-cycle."
Happy Birthday: Former Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden. 83.
Bonus Birthday: Singer Bonnie Raitt. 63.
Today in Sports: New Orleans kicker Tom Dempsey kicks an NFL record (since tied by three others) 63 yard field goal. 1970.
Bonus Event: Wanna go see some art stuff? The Louvre opens its doors in Paris. 1793.
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