Happy Tuesday everyone, here's my Top 5 for January 31, 2012 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
- Today is Super Bowl media day.
- They're calling it the "Dunk of the Year." The Clippers Blake Griffin over Oklahoma City's Kendrick Perkins last night.
- It's time to start discussing Super Bowl commercials, see #5 below. Matthew Broderick is creating quite a buzz with his Ferris Beuller Honda commercial.
2. Media Day
It only comes around once a year, thankfully. Super Bowl Media Day. It's basically both the circus and the menagerie all rolled into one. Nothing serious gets asked or answered. Some "reporters" come dressed as superheroes. The last time the Patriots played the Giants, one "journalist" wore a wedding gown and asked Tom Brady to marry her. When he turned her down, she turned her attention to Eli Manning. Now there's a Pulitzer Prize-winning flip flop.
3. Ratings Game
OK, I give up. The Pro Bowl peaked at 8.9 in its overnight TV rating which is comparable or better than four of last year's seven World Series games. I'm thinking if there's still an ongoing argument about which sport is America's pastime, case closed.
4. Award Season
I liked your responses on Facebook at "Len Berman's Top 5," when I wondered whether the incredible Australian Open final between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will be voted the "Sports Event of the Year" as it will probably deserve to be.
*C.G. It'll be ignored because it's tennis.
*H.S. Like the Oscar nominees, if the movie comes out early in the year, they forget to nominate you.
*S.C. Shame if it gets lost in the "Year in Review" It was an incredible show of athleticism down to the last game, the Frazier/Ali I of tennis. Two champions leaving it all on the court.
Editor's Note: I agree with you S.C.
5. Going to the Dogs
There are thousands of outraged petition-signers out there. They are livid that Skechers will have a Super Bowl ad that features dog racing. It seems in the ad, a bulldog wearing Skechers beats all the greyhounds. An online petition has attracted nearly 120 thousand signers. One signer wrote, "Greyhound racing is cruel, abusive and illegal in a number of states. Why would any company want to be associated with it?" Of course all the protests only serve to bring more attention to Skechers. But look at the bright side dog lovers, the bulldog has replaced Kim Kardashian in this year's Skechers Super Bowl ad. Progress, no?
Happy Birthday: Pitching great Nolan Ryan. 65
Bonus Birthday: Justin Timberlake 31.
Today in Sports: The most significant athlete in the history of the U.S. was born, Jack Roosevelt Robinson. "Babe Ruth changed baseball, Jackie Robinson changed America." 1919.
Bonus Event: A sticky situation. Scotch Tape hits the market place. 1930.
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