TGIF everyone here's my Top 5 for March 29, 2013 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
- Last night's NCAA winners were Syracuse (over #1 seed Indiana), Marquette, Ohio State and Wichita State. So much for all of you who had an Indiana-Louisville final, including the president.
- Fired Syracuse assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine plans to sue ESPN for defamation. In 2011 the network reported that two former ballboys were accusing Fine of sexual abuse, charges that were never proven.
- The baseball season begins Sunday night when Houston hosts Texas in an American League game.
- Mets pitcher Johan Santana has more shoulder issues. His season and possibly his career are in jeopardy.
- The injured Alex Rodriguez will make $29 million this season. The entire Houston Astros payroll is around $25 million.
- It was all a joke. Phil Jackson joined Twitter and first tweet was "11 champ;ipnsikp[ ringhs." His second tweet, a video, explains all.
2. Manny Being Manny
He can hit in any language. Here's the first at bat for Manny Ramirez in Taiwan. A couple of observations. They took the ball out of play as a keepsake. And their uniforms are definitely a sign of things to come. They look a bit like NASCAR jumpsuits. It's only a matter of time here in the States.
3. Gee Whiz
So that no moment can go to waste, so to speak, a minor league baseball team has come up with the ultimate fan participation, a "Urine Gaming System." Yup, when men take a break at the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs game and they can play a game in the urinal. You aim at various spots to score points. They boast that the game is "hands-free" and to a certain extent I guess it is. The general manager of the team boasts that it's sure to make a "big splash."
4. Friday eMailbag
With the Red Sox lowering prices of beer in April to help attendance, J.B. writes, "However, that big price reduction in beer at Fenway also includes a reduction in size, from a 16 oz. beer down to 12 oz. You do the math. This is yet another instance of the Sox marketing boyz assuming the fans are chumps."
And P.C. says, "Hal Steinbrenner will NEVER do that. Maybe if the Yankees are in third place in August and he sees 30,000 at games, he MAY reduce beers to $8.00 and hot dogs to $5.00, big sport that he is. They keep calling me (to buy tickets) and I keep telling them "Hal is on a budget, so am I".
And Top 5 subscriber J.S. has a simple question. "Sure, coach Andy Enfield is now famous since his FGCU team is the first #15 seed to make the Sweet 16, and sure, he may have made a ton of money on Wall St., and sure, his wife is smoking hot. But is he happy?"
5. Spanning the World
This week's Spanning the World highlight shows Phil Mickelson's ability to hit a flop shot. And nobody got hurt!
Spanning the World airs monthly on NBC's Today Show. Next up: Friday April 26th.
Happy Birthday: Giants defensive end Justin Tuck 30.
Bonus Birthday: Knicks great Walt "Clyde" Frazier. 68.
Today in Sports: The Baltimore Colts sneak out of town in the middle of the night and head to Indianapolis. 1984.
Bonus Event: 40 years ago today, the last U.S. troops leave South Vietnam. 1973.
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