Happy Monday everyone, here's my Top 5 for August 23, 2010 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
* Lou Lou bye. Cubs manager Lou Piniella retired after yesterday's 16-5 loss to the Braves.
* 82-year old Vin Scully will return next year for his 62nd season announcing Dodgers games.
* Brett Favre returns to the Minnesota Vikings for just four plays in last night's exhibition loss to San Francisco. Fans demand refunds. (Just kidding.)
Lots to catch up on from last week after taking a summer break, so here goes.
2. High Hard One
Now the Rocket knows how it feels. That beanball he threw at Piazza's head? The broken bat he tossed in Piazza's direction in the World Series? Roger Clemens found out last week that the Feds register even higher than he does on the radar gun. So will he serve jail time for lying about steroids? Is this what the Feds should be going after? And doesn't Clemens look great in pinstripes? All great questions. But the real question is, did Clemens use performance enhancing drugs? If he didn't, good for him to show the same bravado that he did as a player. If he did, a little modesty not to mention honesty would have saved him a whole bunch of trouble.
3. Salary Dump
I don't blame the Mets for trying to dump Francisco Rodriguez and his bloated contract. But I'm not sure they have a case. Yes, he messed up his thumb punching out his girlfriend's father. Rodriguez should have to forfeit this year's salary. But anything after that? If the Yankees couldn't get out from Jason Giambi's contract after he admitted to doping, I'm not sure the Mets have a case. A bigger issue might be how come the Angels were so willing to let K-Rod walk after he set the saves record? What did they know? Might the Mets have done a better job doing their homework before throwing millions at this guy?
4. Trapped
Even though the Top 5 was on vacation, many of you asked for my thoughts on the sand trap controversy at last week's PGA Championship. As I watched it unfold I thought it was patently unfair. But after learning that the bunker issue was part of the posted rules in the locker room I had second thoughts. Forget the "ground rules" for a second. Dustin Johnson had to call the penalty on himself. Compare that with the floppers in basketball, hockey and soccer or the guys in football constantly holding to grab an edge. Heck, even Bobby Thomson's pennant winning homer is tainted by allegations that the Giants were stealing signs with a telescope. Golf not only has bizarre rules, but the players referee themselves. Even TV viewers can call in rules violations! There's no cheating in golf.
5. Cheap Shot
So I took in the Will Ferrell cop-farce, The Other Guys. In the movie the Mark Wahlberg character mistakenly shoots Derek Jeter, which costs the Yankees the World Series. Wahlberg attends police anger management classes where he finally fesses up to what he had done. At the end of the scene, one of the other cops yells out, "You should have shot A-Rod." Not nice. But funny.
Happy Birthday: Lakers great Kobe Bryant. 32.
Bonus Birthday: One of my favorite authors, Nelson DeMille. 67.
Today in Sports: You mean they actually cheat in baseball? Mariners pitcher Gaylord Perry is ejected for throwing a spitball. 1982.
Bonus Event: But officer, I was only going one way. (Excuse from a driver caught going the wrong way on a one-way street.) The first one-way street is established in London. 1617.