TGIF everyone here's my Top 5 for May 3, 2013 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
- For only the second time in the last 22 years the Golden State Warriors have advanced to the second round of the NBA Playoffs after beating Denver in six games, 92-88 last night.
- Brooklyn forced a seventh game tomorrow night with Chicago for the right to face Miami in the second round.
- Phil Jackson will serve as a consultant to the Detroit Pistons as they look for a new coach.
- In the NHL St. Louis now leads champion L.A. two games to none. Washington and Ottawa won their series openers.
- Toronto broadcaster, former pitcher Jack Morris, accused Boston pitcher Clay Buchholz of throwing a spitball Wednesday night. The Red Sox deny it.
- The 139th Kentucky Derby is tomorrow.
2. News of the Day
I'm just curious Yankee fans. Alex Rodriguez will begin baseball activities Monday in Tampa. Is that good news or bad?
3. Live From Pittsburgh
Props to the Pittsburgh Pirates video team. Here's their starting lineup "Saturday Night Live Style." Now, if they had only landed Don Pardo to do the voice over.
4. Friday eMailbag
When I suggested that the appropriate response for sports fans in regards to gay athletes might be to stifle a yawn, B.W. wrote, "I've already felt the urge to stifle a yawn (about five minutes after the story broke). Why is this even a story? If there was a gay player on any of my teams, as long as they didn't turn over the ball three times in a span of 58 seconds (a la Mark Sanchez of the Jets) I couldn't care less if they are straight, gay or otherwise."
When discussing the great Jim Brown, Top 5 subscriber P.G. asks if anyone has film of Jim playing lacrosse?
And in regards to the NCAA outlawing hashtags (#) A.H. writes, "Then again for those over 50, what's a hashtag? Whatever it is I'm sure Jim Brown would run over it on the way to the end zone."
As for the Washington Redskins and the possibility of changing their nickname in the interests of political correctness, E. G. suggests an alternative on Facebook at "Len Berman's Top 5." "The Washington Gridlock."
And the cheap shot of the week from P.R. he says tomorrow's "Kentucky Derby has a smaller field than the Jets have quarterbacks with no thoroughbreds among them."
5. Spanning the World
This week's Spanning the World highlight comes from the world of Dutch women's soccer. This could be the worst soccer miss of all-time.
Spanning the World airs monthly on NBC's Today Show. Next up: Thursday, May 9th.
Happy Birthday: An original New York Met, and to quote his manager Casey Stengel, "He's a remarkable catcher. He's the only defensive catcher in baseball, who can't catch." Chris Cannizzaro. 75.
Bonus Birthday: Frankie Valli of the Four Seasons. 79.
Today in Sports: Joe D. makes his Major League debut against the St. Louis Browns. Of course he got three hits and scored three runs. 1936.
Bonus Event: Margaret Thatcher is the first woman elected prime minister of England. 1979.
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