Happy Wednesday everyone, here's my Top 5 for August 22, 2012 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
- Every Red Sox player wore #6 last night to honor the late Johnny Pesky. The Angels won the game 5-3.
- Baseball players' union chief Michael Weiner is undergoing treatment for a brain tumor.
- Melky Cabrera's associate Juan Nunez has been banned from all Major League clubhouses.
- When you think British, you think Jacksonville right? The Jaguars will play four home games in London starting with the 2013 season.
- 70-year-old Lois Goodman, a U.S. Open ref, has been charged with bludgeoning to death her 80-year-old husband with a coffee mug in April.
- Former Giants defensive end Michael Strahan reportedly has been tapped to be Kelly Ripa's full-time co-host.
2. Border War
When Mikhail Prokhorov bought the Nets he said ""We will turn Knicks fans into Nets fans." He then erected a giant Nets billboard near Madison Square Garden. And now in a New York Magazine interview, Prokhorov calls Knicks owner James Dolan "that little man." Well Prokhorov is 6'8" so he does tower over most people. But aside from that, what has Prokhorov done exactly other than make a billion dollars in Russia and buy the Nets? By the same token, I'd love to hear Dolan's response, but when it comes to the media he's mute. Food fights are so much more fun when both sides are firing away.
3. A Save, and a Beauty
When can an ump be credited with a save? Well you remember umpire Jim Joyce. He famously blew a call in 2010 which robbed Armando Galarraga of his perfect game. The other night, before a game in Arizona a woman was suffering a seizure in a tunnel under the stands. Jim Joyce to the rescue. He applied CPR and saved the woman's life. When Joyce was being criticized two years ago, players around the league said not only was Joyce a good ump but he's a terrific guy. Any questions?
4. Tokenism
You guys weren't impressed by Augusta National joining the 21st century and accepting two women members.
*R.F. Too little, too late. Let me know when their policy regarding membership is more than a token gesture.
*G.D. I had to steal this from a friend, but I think it rings pretty true: Two rich ladies got into a super-exclusive, private country club. Why is this a big deal?
And since everyone's a comedian, M.R. writes, OK, so women are being allowed to join Augusta; that's fine. But they're not going to be allowed to play, too, are they?
5. Pioneering
And while we're on the subject of ground-breaking women, Michele Smith flew under the radar. Last Sunday on TBS she became the first female analyst on a national baseball telecast. Michele is a two-time gold medal winning Olympic pitcher. Women have called baseball games before, not to mention basketball and football, but we're fast running out of new ground to break for women broadcasters. That's a good thing.
Happy Birthday: Yaz, Red Sox Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski. 73.
Bonus Birthday: Funny lady Kristen Wiig. 39.
Today in Sports: Giants pitcher Juan Marichal goes after Dodgers catcher John Roseboro with his bat. 1965.
Bonus Event: The Mona Lisa is discovered stolen from the Louvre. It's recovered two years later. 1911.
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