Happy Wednesday everyone, here's my Top 5 for October 24, 2012 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
- Game 1 of the World Series is tonight in San Francisco with the Giants hosting the Tigers.
- Detroit's Game 1 pitcher Justin Verlander was asked if he's dating model Kate Upton, he said "I'm not confirming or denying anything."
- John Farrell was introduced as the new Red Sox manager yesterday.
- The Miami Marlins fired manager Ozzie Guillen.
- NHL players offer to resume negotiations, owners decline.
2. The Fall Classic
Let the carping begin. There are no early TV starting times for this year's World Series. Even the weekend games will be played at night. Of course that applies to the East and Central time zones. West Coast kids will actually be awake for the end of these games. And that's a good thing for kids in the Bay Area who have a rooting interest. For the rest of us, it will be business as usual. Fighting to stay awake and remembering a time when we sneaked transistor radios into school to listen to the World Series. I had a hard-of-hearing math teacher in High School who thought for a moment that we were all excited about his lesson. Unfortunately for him, the buzz in the classroom had more to do with a Yankees World Series homer. Seems about a million years ago.
3. Rim Shots
U-Conn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma has an idea. He says the women's game isn't growing, so to increase offense he says lower the rim by about seven inches. He makes a good point. He asks how many fans know that the net is lower in women's volleyball so that the women can appear more athletic? Do different basketball rules make sense? Well there is precedent. The ball the women use is smaller and the three-point line isn't as deep. So maybe lowering the rim isn't such a crazy idea. Just wondering if scoring records would then need asterisks?
4. Collectibles
Sports memorabilia is a dicey business. You never know what you're getting, kind of like the Internet. A Houston couple is auctioning off a rare football card to raise money in a last ditch effort to have a child. The proceeds will pay for one last attempt at in vitro fertilization. The football card has the pictures and autographs of two great running backs, former Detroit Lion Barry Sanders and the late Chicago Bear Walter Payton. So they're turning to eBay in hopes of getting all or part of the $20,000 they need for the procedure. If it works, a piece of sports memorabilia becomes life altering in so many ways. Nice.
5. The Kick is Good!
Is the sports world going soft? For the second straight day the Top 5 ends with a feel good story. This one comes courtesy of Top 5 subscriber David J. Brick High School in New Jersey beat favored Tom's River North 24-21 on a last second field goal by Anthony Starego. Anthony is autistic. Here's his winning boot. To quote a fan named Elvis on You Tube, "Spectacular and inspirational! I was there and it brought all of us to jump up in celebration, giving high fives all around, and brought many to tears of joy." Stop it Anthony. You're going to give sports a good name.
Happy Birthday: Giants quarterback great Y.A. Tittle. 86.
Bonus Birthday: Actor Kevin Kline. 65.
Today in Sports: The Toronto Blue Jays became the first "foreign team" to win the World Series. 1992.
Bonus Event: Annie Edson Taylor becomes the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel and live to tell. 1901.
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