Happy Thursday everyone, here's my Top 5 for May 17, 2012 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
- The Devils beat the Rangers 3-2 to even their series one game apiece.
- NBA Playoffs: Boston won in Philadelphia 107-91. The Celtics lead two games to one. Oklahoma City leads the Lakers 2-0 after a 77-75 win in game 2. The Thunder scored the last nine points of the game.
- Albert Pujols hit a 3-run homer and the Angels got 12 hits in their 7-2 win over the White Sox. The barrage came one day after firing hitting coach Mickey Hatcher.
- Laurie Fine, the wife of former Syracuse assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine, is threatening to sue ESPN for libel claiming the network sullied her reputation "in an attempt to capitalize financially in the tragic wake of the Penn State abuse scandal."
- 11 horses are entered for Saturday's Preakness Stakes. The favorite is Bodemeister who drew the seventh post. Kentucky Derby winner I'll Have Another will break from the ninth post.
- According to Forbes, Patriots coach Bill Belichick is the highest paid coach in all of sports. $7.5 million a year.
2. New School
Ty Cobb must be rolling over in his grave. Mets manager Terry Collins yanked David Wright out of a game the other night because the manager was afraid that Wright might be the target of a retaliation pitch. Maybe they should just play tee ball?
3. Shot Blocking
It's the latest epidemic in the NHL, shot blocking. Players give up their bodies to get in front of slap shots. It's as if there are six goalies on the ice. Good or bad for hockey? With the emphasis on player health in all sports maybe they'll try to legislate rampant blocking out of hockey. And from an aesthetic view, bodies cluttering up the ice with fewer shots reaching the goaltender does make for some pretty ugly hockey.
4. Shot Clock
Players champ Matt Kuchar has a suggestion to speed up play in golf. A 40-second shot clock. Wouldn't that be cool? Not sure when the clock starts or who does the timing, but let's make this really fun. Allow spectators to verbally chant the time as it gets close to zero. "5-4-3-2. "These guys are good?" Prove it.
5. Sex Lies and Videotape
Those Indian cricket scandals have them all. Five cricketers were suspended for "point shaving" after they were caught on camera in a TV sting operation. The TV network claims some beautiful women are involved in match fixing as well. Hmm. If you were wondering how they "shave points," apparently they take cash and in return they bowl "no balls" at critical points in the match. I'm no cricket expert but don't you think it takes balls to bowl "no balls?"
Happy Birthday and Bonus Birthday: Separated at birth. Boxer Sugar Ray Leonard and actor/comedian Bob Saget. 56.
Today in Sports: David Wells pitches a perfect game for the Yankees. 1998.
Bonus Event: 24 brokers got together and established the New York Stock Exchange. 1792.
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