Happy Monday everyone, here's my Top 5 for October 26, 2009 from
www.LenBermanSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
The Yankees advance to the World Series for the first time since
2003 by beating the Angels 5-2 in game 6. Game 1 of the World Series,
Phillies @ Yankees, Wednesday night.
All was not joyous in the New York area last night. The Arizona
Cardinals picked off the Giants 24-17. The Saints stayed undefeated.
The Vikings lost their first game.
ESPN fires Steve Phillips after his affair with a production
assistant.
The Cardinals are expected to hire Mark McGwire as hitting coach.
McGwire has kept a low profile in recent years as the court of public
opinion has "convicted" him of steroid use.
2. The Bronx is Burning
Just like the good old days. The Yankees will host their 40th World
Series. The 7th for Derek Jeter and finally the first for Alex
Rodriguez. Yankees vs. Phillies has all the makings of a great World
Series. But not for everyone. As subscriber Ruth Q. emailed last week,
"This World Series could be a nightmare for us Mets fans - Yankees
vs Phillies - who to root for??"
Pick your poison, Mets fans. For you it's basically a lose/lose
proposition.
3. Monday Musings
There are cracks in the concrete walkways at the new Yankee Stadium.
Hey, what do you expect for $1.5 billion?
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Neither Bobby Valentine nor Don Mattingly got the Cleveland
managerial job, former Washington manager Manny Acta did. We need
Bobby V. back in baseball to stir the pot.
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Remember a few years ago they were calling for Joe Paterno's head at
Penn State? After winning at Michigan Saturday 35-10 the Nittany Lions
are 7-1 At age 82, JoPa just getting started.
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Enough already with these throwback jerseys. Were those the Jets, New
York Titans or San Diego Chargers playing in Oakland? There's a reason
why those old jerseys were redesigned. Time to throwback the
throwbacks.
4. A Fine Mess
Who got fined more in the NFL, Titans safety Chris Hope for roughing
up Tom Brady, or Chad Ochocinco for wearing the wrong color chin
strap? (Second violation.)
Time's up. Both were fined $10-thousand. Rough tackles may kill
quarterbacks, but fashion faux pas will simply not be tolerated!
5. In Memoriam
When I mentioned Soupy Sales' (big sports fan) passing last Friday,
your remembrances of Soupy came pouring in.
From Jim S. "Show me tracks on the ocean floor and I'll show you the
prints of whales (Prince of Wales)."
From Ed G. "I'll always remember one of Soupy's jokes about baseball.
'Took my girlfriend to a game. I kissed her on the strikes and she
kissed me on the balls.' "
And of course many of you remembered what got Soupy in trouble. From
Howard C. "Fans of Soupy Sales are welcome to send in money to cover
the cost of the funeral. Please go upstairs and send us all the green
pieces of paper in Daddy's wallet."
Remember, Soupy did a "kids show."
Happy Birthday: Angels fan Pat Sajak. How much face time did that guy
get sitting behind home plate in Anaheim? 63.
Bonus Birthday: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. 62.
Today in Sports: The Great One, Wayne Gretzky, became the first and
only NHL player to reach 2000 points. He finished with 2857. 1990.
Bonus Events: Hide your eyes Yankee haters. The Yankees beat the
Braves in 6 to win the World Series. 1996. And the Yankees beat the
Mets in 5 to win the World Series. 2000. And to think the 2009 World
Series has yet to begin.