TGIF everyone, here's my Top 5 for June 3, 2011 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
- The Dallas Mavericks have evened the NBA Finals at one game apiece, after their thrilling 95-93 comeback win in Miami.
- Suddenly there's some optimism that both sides are working on a deal to end the NFL lockout.
- Star of the night, Aubrey Huff of the Giants. He hit three homers and had six RBIs in the Giants 12-7 win over St. Louis.
- Li Na of China will face defending champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy in the French Open women's final. I wonder what Francesca will be doing the night before the big match? (See # 2)
2. Dr. Ruth
We try to deal with all the major issues in sports, such as, does sex help or hurt before a big game? Well according to French Open champ Francesca Schiavone, "For a woman, sex before a match is not only allowed, it is fantastic. It raises your hormone levels and brings advantages to all of your points." Well, you do want to have advantages on your points, don't you?
3. What a Fine Mess
I have to confess, I hadn't heard this one before. Michael Jordan's Air Jordan sneakers are still popular. They come with an X on the back, to signify that the sneakers were once banned by the NBA because they had two different colors, red and black. Jordan was fined $5,000 for every game he wore them. Interesting. The league could have suspended Jordan for "insubordination," but the NBA didn't want to screw with Michael or Nike, so they just fined him, and Nike gladly picked up the tab. Just another example of the inmates running the asylum.
4. Friday eMailbag
Several of you have come to the defense of former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel. From Ohioan R.J. "I've personally met Jim Tressel when he coached at Youngstown State. He's a stand-up guy who's made a fatal mistake. Now he will pay the price. OSU will lose a real winner both on and off the field!"
When I mentioned that the Dallas Cowboys are "hated" outside of Texas, I.H. disagreed. He points to "Internet traffic, TV viewership, fans at road games and more. It's probably true that there are more Cowboy haters than for perhaps any other team in the league. However, that statistic is dwarfed by the vast number of Cowboys fans throughout the USA -- and the world."
As for A-Rod being voted overrated, R.B. asks, "Did Kate Hudson get to vote?"
5. Spanning The World
This week's Spanning the World highlight plays off a picture I recently showed you of a woman catching a foul ball in Richmond, while holding her baby. That's the way to do it. Here now the way NOT to do it. It happened at a Dodgers game.
In the neighborhood we called that dropsies. But it never involved babies.
Happy Birthday: #1 in the world, tennis star Rafael Nadal. 25.
Bonus Birthday: CNN's Anderson Cooper. 44.
Today in Sports: Say it ain't so, Sammy Sosa. He breaks his bat on a ground out, and it turns out the bat was corked. Sammy cheated? I'm shocked. 2003.
Bonus Event: Casey struck out for the first of zillions of times. "Casey at the Bat" is published in the San Francisco Examiner. 1888.
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