Happy Wednesday everyone, here's my Top 5 for May 2, 2012 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com
1. Quick Hits
- Paul Pierce of the Celtics Tebows after making a couple of free throws, Boston evens its series with Atlanta 1-1. Philly and Chicago are 1-1. The Lakers lead Denver 2-0.
- Amar'e Stoudemire of the Knicks had hand surgery yesterday after taking on a glass casing for a fire extinguisher in Miami. He will likely be out for the rest of the Miami series.
- San Antonio's Gregg Popovich has been named NBA coach of the year, Tyson Chandler of the Knicks reportedly wins defensive player of the year.
- NHL Playoffs: The Devils beat Philadelphia 4-1 to even their series 1-1.
- The sale of the L.A. Dodgers is done. Magic Johnson's group has officially taken over as Frank McCourt is history.
2. Andy on the Hill
How awkward that must have been. Andy Pettitte testifying yesterday about his good friend Roger Clemens. Pettitte testified that Clemens admitted using HGH, telling Pettitte that it helps in the healing process. That's the conversation about which Clemens famously said Pettitte "misremembered." How ironic if it's Pettitte who ultimately sinks Clemens who could become the first and maybe only athlete to serve time purely because of performance enhancing drugs.
3. Sticks and Stones
Top 5 subscriber Brian M. raises an interesting point. He asks, "Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell made homophobic remarks and got a two week suspension... Delmon Young makes anti-semitic remarks and gets seven days. Does this mean MLB finds anti-semitic remarks half as offensive as homophobic remarks?" It's always dangerous to make such comparisons. Perhaps because McDowell's remarks were made at the ballpark and in front of children they were deemed more offensive.
4. Fuzzy Levane
Fuzzy Levane died the other day at the age of 92. Perhaps you knew the name. A St. John's product, he coached the Knicks in the late '50s and was a Knicks scout forever. He was a basketball lifer. His playing days pre-dated the NBA, and he was one of those guys who was always around. I would run into him at my local deli on Long Island, where he was eating anonymously. He was always happy to talk hoops. Oh, the basketball that he saw and knew. A little piece of the sport's history is now gone, with the passing of Fuzzy Levane.
5. It's the Fire Extinguisher in a TKO
There was no shortage of Amar'e Stoudemire "humor."
D.L. on Twitter @LenBermanSports, Easy headline. Knicks hopes extinguished.
H.K. Can't blame the fire extinguisher for dousing the Knick's playoff hopes, such as they were. They're playing like a bunch of Dalmatians.
E.G. on Facebook at "Len Berman's Top 5," For those scoring at home, it's Heat 2, Extinguisher 1, Knicks 0.
A Dean Martin musical interlude from S.H. on Facebook, When your fist hits some glass like you're kicking its ass, that's Amar'e...
And a nod to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, "It's not the Heat, it's the stupidity."
Happy Birthday: Soccer star David Beckham. 37.
Bonus Birthday: Gold medal winning figure skater Sarah Hughes (Featured in my new kids book coming out this fall: The Greatest Moments in Sports: Upsets and Underdogs, here's a sneak peek at the cover). 27.
Today in Sports: Not a bad day's work. The Cardinals Stan "The Man" Musial went 6 for 8 with a record 5 homers and 9 RBIs in a doubleheader split against the Giants. 1954.
Bonus Event: 80 years ago today, NBC radio introduced a new comedian, Jack Benny. 1932.
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