Happy Wednesday everyone, here's my Top 5 for June 24, 2009 from www.LenBermanSports.com
1. Quick Hits
Manny Ramirez begins his comeback from his drug suspension going 0 for 2 for minor league Albuquerque. The stadium was sold out to see him. Said Manny: "People love me. Everywhere I go, people support me." (Wait til he plays a road game.)
That's one helluva class. The Hockey Hall of Fame has elected longtime Detroit Captain Steve Yzerman, along with Brett Hull, Luc Robitaille, and the best ever American born defenseman Brian Leetch, plus New Jersey Devils honcho Lou Lamoriello.
President Obama will throw out the first pitch at the All Star game in St. Louis in July. The 4th President to do the honors.
Nice work if you can get it. Lakers coach Phil Jackson thinking about just coaching home games next season.
4 Iranian soccer players who wore green wristbands in support of the "defeated" presidential candidate have been banned for life by Iranian authorities.
Mark Teixeira says his favorite Broadway show is Les Miserables. No wait, he was describing sharing the clubhouse with A-Rod.
2. The Criminal Justice System
One of the guys who stole a rare Lance Armstrong bicycle in California will reportedly be sentenced next week to 3 years behind bars. If you're scoring at home, that's 2 years and 11 months more than Browns wide receiver Dante' Stallworth got for DUI manslaughter.
3. Getting Our Phil
When Phil Mickelson finished 2nd at the U.S. Open on Monday it was surely heartbreaking to his legion of fans. The crowds were trying to will him to victory. They love Phil, and with his wife battling breast cancer they wanted him to win even more. With everything swirling around him, you couldn't blame Mickelson for wanting to bolt from Bethpage after blowing yet another chance to win the big one. So what did he do? He signed autographs for his fans. He signed, and signed and signed some more. It would be unfair to expect athletes in all sports to be like Phil...... but maybe it wouldn't kill them to be just a little bit more like him.
4. R.I.P Ed
Ed McMahon was one of those personalities who was always "there." Johnny Carson was the biggest of stars, and Ed was along for the ride. For me, Ed was really there twice. He was at my Syracuse graduation. His daughter was in my class. Many years later he wandered into studio 6B at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. He was across the hall guesting on Conan, and he just wanted to see the "old place." That's the studio where we used to do our newscasts, and in which the Tonight Show began in the 50's. Ed said the studio "looked the same." And he couldn't have been nicer to everyone who greeted him. He was a giant that day, a broadcasting legend, even if most of America just considered him a "sidekick."
5. Heart Healthy
An Australian man confined to a wheelchair told women he was conducting a heart survey. As part of the survey he asked to touch their chests to feel their hearts beating. He was arrested and charged with fondling. The guy said he was genuinely trying to help people. Hey, God helps those who help themselves! (My religious tip of the day.)