Happy Wednesday everyone, here's my Top 5 for February 27, 2013 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
- Will anyone win the NCAA basketball tournament? Another #1 bites the dust as Minnesota takes down Indiana 77-73. It's the seventh time the #1 team has lost this season.
- Will anyone prevent Miami from winning the NBA title? The Heat made it 12 straight wins with a double overtime win over Sacramento last night. LeBron James had 40 points and 16 assists.
- Indiana and Golden State scuffled their way into the stands. Surprisingly only one ejection.
- Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak admits the team fired coach Mike Brown after just five games due to impatience with the declining health of team owner Jerry Buss.
- Former Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine has taken over as athletic director of Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. Reflecting on last year he said, "I thought I did a hell of a job in Boston... Connie Mack wasn't going to win with that team."
2. The Other Shoe
What took them so long? An attorney representing three injured fans from Saturday's Daytona crash says they are "exploring" a lawsuit. I'm not a lawyer, but I'm guessing that's code for "let's settle." If it wasn't, they'd file the damn thing. It's an interesting case. Do fans attend sporting events at their own risk? Are the disclaimers worth the backs of their tickets they are printed on? I'm sure all of you lawyers out there will weigh-in, so I'll repeat what I've written before. If you want your missive read, it's got to be two sentences or less.
3. Here Comes the Throw...
St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, a former catcher whose career ended with a concussion, believes that baseball should outlaw the home plate collision. He plans to talk to Major League VP Joe Torre, another catcher, about it. It's worth a discussion. As Matheny points out, baseball is a non-contact sport and home plate showdowns put both the runner and catcher at risk. He says if you ban the collision, you also have to ban catchers from blocking the plate. In this era of concussions and its future effects it does make sense. It also protects kids who might suffer injuries at an early age. I know it would take away one of baseball's most exciting plays, but at least you have the memory and video of Pete Rose basically ending Ray Fosse's career at the 1970 All-Star Game.
4. What a Guy
Last June, a youth hockey coach in British Columbia decided to trip an opposing player during one of those hand-shake lines at the end of the game. A 10-year-old and a 13-year-old fell to the ice thanks to the brutish actions of the 48-year-old coach the 13-year-old broke his wrist. Yesterday, the "coach" was sentenced to 15 days in jail. He got off easy. He had pleaded guilty to assault.
5. Chew on This
According to WIP Radio in Philadelphia, Eagles cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha (five years $60 million) ate lunch in his car during practices instead of eating with his teammates last season. He wanted to have some "me time" during the season. Hey Eagles fans, aren't you glad the team gave Asomugha all that do re ME?
Happy Birthday: NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver for the Baltimore Colts, and former NFL coach, Raymond Berry. 80.
Bonus Birthday: First Daughter Chelsea Clinton. 33.
Today in Sports: 16-year old Tiger Woods tees it up at Riviera in Los Angeles becoming the youngest PGA golfer in 35 years. 1992.
Bonus Event: Finally we can have the world's most beautiful or sexy person. *People Magazine* hits the stands. 1974.
Fun Fact: The Top 5 was read this week in Pakistan, Peru and Tanzania but not South Dakota or New Mexico.
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