Happy Monday everyone, here's my Top 5 for May 6, 2013 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
- NBA Playoffs: Oklahoma City and Indiana win their second round openers.
- LeBron James wins his fourth NBA MVP award. He is the fifth player to win four. (Kareem six, Michael Jordan five, Bill Russell five, Wilt four.)
- Within hours of Brooklyn losing game seven to Chicago, the Nets fired interim coach P.J. Carlesimo.
- NHL: San Jose grabs a 3-0 lead over Vancouver, while Pittsburgh, Chicago and Ottawa all lead their series 2-1.
- What would you expect a Jewish kid who grew up in Las Vegas to do? Right, score the winning overtime goal for Minnesota against Chicago in the NHL Playoffs. (Jason Zucker.)
- It seems almost unfathomable that the two L.A. baseball teams are a combined 24-37.
2. There's Always One
Stunningly, LeBron James was not a unanimous choice for NBA MVP. One lone writer picked Carmelo Anthony. LeBron surmised that it must have been a New York writer because of the Knicks/Heat rivalry. It turns out, it was a Boston Globe writer of all people, Gary Washburn. He theorized that Anthony made the Knicks relevant again. I guess we could get into the whole "what does most valuable" mean. Then again, does it really matter that James wasn't unanimous?
3. Abs-Orb-ed
How many people watch one horse race a year? I never miss the Kentucky Derby. I guess it's just habit, but it rarely disappoints. Orb came from 17th place at the three-fourth's mile mark to win it. But of course the question remains can he win the Triple Crown? The odds of Orb winning it were 12-1, and that was before the Derby. Seems pretty low, right? Interesting that fans get caught up in the moment. Bleacher Report is running a poll, and voters by a large margin think Orb will do it. Have fans been paying attention for the last 35 years?
4. The Cathedral of Hockey
When you mention Montreal and hockey history it's often in hushed tones. Reverence being shown for the likes of Maurice "The Rocket" Richard, Jean Beliveau, Guy Lafleur. Cue the music. Except it's turned into a myth. When Montreal won its last Stanley Cup in 1993 fans rioted on St. Catherine's Street. Last night Montreal got crushed by Ottawa 6-1. When they fell behind 4-1 they acted like any minor league hockey team, they started a huge brawl. You never see fighting in the playoffs. To borrow at line from football, "Hey Montreal, act like you've been there before."
5. Hooray for Hollywood
Want a feel-good story to start the week? Phillies slugger Ryan Howard meets a blind youngster before the game and the kid asks him to hit a homer for him. And guess what?
So while you wait to find out who wins the Top 5 NBA contest, it's time for another subscription contest. Just send me the emails of 3 new subscribers and you'll be eligible for a drawing to win one of several prizes. You can win one of three of my autographed books or one of five That's Sports baseball/golf caps. And just think how your friends will thank you for enlisting them in the Top 5 family. So get cracking!
Happy Birthday: The Say Hey Kid, Willie Mays. 82.
Bonus Birthday: George Clooney. 52.
Today in Sports: Roger Bannister became the first man to break the 4-minute barrier at Oxford, England. 1954.
Bonus Event: You can drive there from here. They opened the Chunnel between England and France. 1994.
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