Happy Wednesday everyone, here's my Top 5 for March 9, 2011 from Len Berman at ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
* After a 13th day of mediation between NFL owners and players, sharing of the owners financial information seems to be a critical hurdle they've yet to overcome.
* Ya' can't go home again. Running back Tiki Barber, who will be 36 next month, and hasn't played since 2006, announces a comeback. The Giants say good luck, but we're not interested.
* Another genius is heard from. Houston Texans cornerback Kareem Jackson attends legal cockfights in the Dominican Republican and posts the pics on Twitter.
* Get out the Kleenex. Miami lost its 5th straight game to Portland 105-96.
* Since Princeton beat Penn last night, Harvard and Princeton will have a one game playoff Saturday for the Ivy League basketball title, a title that Harvard has never won.
2. What Else is New?
Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel has been suspended two games and fined $250,000 because he knew that some of his players were selling memorabilia more than 8 months before the school says it learned about it. Remember. This was the fine university that suspended the players for 5 games next season. Of course they were permitted to play in the Sugar Bowl, which Ohio State won. Of course Tressel won't be suspended for a big game, and if Ohio State had a losing record as a coach he wouldn't have his job. Business as usual in college sports, except at BYU.
3. Huh?
OK, so a streaker runs onto the rugby field in Dorchester England and gets tackled by a player. You make the call. Right. The player got ejected for his rough play.
As the newspaper so correctly pointed out, the ref was a "whistle-happy jobsworth." At least I think that's correct. I don't speak English.
4. Yenta the Matchmaker
According to the National Enquirer, none other than actress Cameron Diaz has made it her mission to find Tiger Woods dates. According to the story, she and her boyfriend Alex Rodriguez have had several dinners with Tiger at his mansion. Just thought you'd like to know.
5. Proclamation
If you were in New York City yesterday did it feel any different? It should have. It was "NYC Sportscasters Day," as proclaimed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. I have the framed certificate. It honors four former New York sportscasters, Warner Wolf, Sal Marchiano, Scott Clark and yours truly. We were all at the '21' Club for a breakfast round table yesterday morning. It was moderated by 90-year-old sportscaster Bob Wolff who is still working and has been around long enough to have interviewed Babe Ruth. Sal had my favorite story. He met Frank Sinatra, and Frank praised Sal for keeping his Italian name on the air. Sinatra told Sal that they wanted him to change his name to Frankie Satin. Sinatra said no way, "I'm Frankie "F***ing Sinatra." Now that's a real proclamation.
Happy Birthday: Another in an endless series of New York athletes who put a dagger in the hearts of Red Sox fans, former Yankee Aaron Boone. 38.
Bonus Birthday: An Italian mapmaker was born on this date. He grew up to name a new continent, America. He named it after himself, Amerigo Vespucci. Too bad his name wasn't Leonardo. I think "The United States of Len," has a certain ring. 1454.
Today in Sports: Commissioner Bowie Kuhn orders baseball to give women reporters equal access. 1979.
Bonus Event: Can Ken be far behind? The Barbie Doll makes its debut. 1959.
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