Happy Thursday everyone, here's my Top 5 for May 9, 2013 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
- Fit to be tied. All four NBA series are now tied 1-1.
- Denver Nuggets coach George Karl is the NBA Coach of the Year.
- NHL Playoffs: Boston leads Toronto 3-1. L.A. and Anaheim lead 3-2 in their series while the Caps and Rangers are tied at two.
- What's the point of instant replay? Even after a video review the umpires ruled an obvious homer was just a double, so Oakland failed to tie Cleveland in the ninth and lost 4-3.
- Defensive back Ronde Barber is retiring after 16 seasons with Tampa Bay.
- The Players Championship is underway at TPC Sawgrass.
2. Naming Rights
The 49ers new stadium in Santa Clara will be named Levi's Stadium for the jeans people, a 20-year $220 million rights deal. Who will be the first headline writer to proclaim the "49ers Won by the Seat of Their Pants?" The first play-by-play man to change "audible" to "off the cuff?" Or changing things "On the Fly?" Or will the announcers be "hemming" and hawing? Your turn.
3. Stats
I got to thinking about stats the other day. They're sometimes nonsensical and yet some people treat them as if they are written on tablets. Take Matt Harvey of the Mets. He almost pitches a perfect game and has nothing to show for it. Some yutz will deprive him of some honor because he didn't have enough wins. Shouldn't there be a rule that permits the official scorer to allow him to "register a win" after that performance? Even dopier is the saves rule. A relief pitcher comes in and fails in the top of the ninth when he gives up the tying runs. But his team wins it in the bottom of the ninth. So his abject failure turns into a win on his record. Dumb and dumber.
4. Rap Sheet
If you think Tim Tebow is having a hard time finding another team, that will pale in comparison with Titus Young. The Detroit wide receiver was cut after the season. While with the Lions, among other infractions, he punched a teammate during an off-season workout and he intentionally lined up the wrong way during a game against Green Bay and was sent home. But that's not all. He was arrested Sunday for DUI and then was arrested a second time for burglary. He was trying to get back his impounded car. That's a new NFL record. Arrests within a 15 hour span: Titus Young, two.
5. Wrong Turn
And then there's 24-year-old Spencer Holt in Oklahoma City. He thought it would be a swell idea to steal a Zamboni and drive it out of the downtown convention center. Talk about a low speed chase. Alas he didn't even make it out of the building. Stupidity isn't a crime, so police had to settle for several other charges including, shocker, public drunkenness.
Happy Birthday: Detroit Tigers first baseman Prince Fielder. 29.
Bonus Birthday: Piano Man Billy Joel. 64.
Today in Sports: Baltimore's Jim Gentile becomes the first Major Leaguer to hit grand slam homers in consecutive innings. 1961.
Bonus Event: The Beatles signed their first recording contract and hired George Martin to be their producer. 1962.
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