Happy Thursday everyone, here's my Top 5 for October 14, 2010 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
* Bobby Valentine withdraws his name from consideration for the Florida Marlins managerial job. He reportedly remains interested in Seattle. I'd love to see him back with the Mets.
* Remember Gilbert Arenas, the Washington Wizards genius who brought guns into the locker room? He's been fined for faking an injury so a teammate could get more playing time. Glad to see he's turned over a new leaf.
* According to the New York Times, Lana Lawless is suing the LPGA. She won the 2008 long drive contest, but was declared ineligible this year because she wasn't a woman at birth. She had gender reassignment surgery in 2005.
2. More Baseball
The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Major League Baseball could add two more wild card teams for next season. One scenario has the two wild cards in each league playing just one game for survival. I like that. Another scenario, which I'm sure owners will love, has a best of 3. Please no. Not unless they go back to the 154 game schedule. Enough's enough.
3. What Else Is New?
Under the heading of "duh," a former sports agent named Josh Luchs told Sports Illustrated that he paid college football players for over 10 years. Is anybody surprised? How many Heisman trophy winners are squeaky clean? Can Reggie Bush get his trophy back now, please!
4. Tweet Tweet
In last night's Celtics/Knicks exhibition game, 4 technical fouls were called in 16 seconds. Kevin Garnett got ejected. Was there a brawl at the Garden? Nah. The NBA has new rules this year to cut down on all the demonstrative bellyaching over foul calls. You bitch, you get teed. Actually, it's not a bad idea. I think the NFL should follow their lead. I'm getting tired of wide receivers stretching out their arms on every incompletion pleading for pass interference. Just shut up and go back to the huddle.
5. It's A Small World After All
Congratulations to Khagendra Thapa Magar of Nepal. He's 22 inches. That's his height, wiseguy. And today he becomes a man. No, he's not getting bar mitzvahed. He turns 18, which officially qualifies him for the Guinness World Records as the world's smallest man.
He may qualify for a second record. Oldest kid to walk. He didn't start until he was 8.
Happy Birthday: Former 'Miracle Met' outfielder Art Shamsky. 69.
Bonus Birthday: Grammy winner Usher. 32.
Today in Sports: The Dodgers Sandy Koufax, pitching on 2 days rest, pitched a 3-hit shutout in game 7 of the World Series against the Twins. 1965.
Bonus Event: Even more impressive, the Giants Christy Mathewson pitches his third complete game shutout against the A's to win the second ever World Series. He pitches the game on ONE day rest! 1905.
I'll be at the Clinton Book Shop in Clinton N.J. tonight at 6:30pm signing copies of my new kids book, The 25 Greatest Baseball Players Of All Time.
In case you missed by appearance Tuesday night on the FOX Business Channel, here it is.