TGIF everyone, here's my Top 5 for January 22, 2010 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
* Jets owner Woody Johnson made his first public comments since the death of his daughter Casey. "It's two different worlds," he said referring to his team's success. "That's the way you can handle it. One really doesn't help the other. The other is reality - I lost a daughter. There's no way to bring her back."
* The NFL Championship games are Sunday. Jets @ Indianapolis, Minnesota @ New Orleans.
* The Dallas Cowboys signed coach Wade Phillips through 2011.
* US Open winner Kim Clijsters gets blitzed at the Australian Open in the third round by Nadia Petrova. 6-0, 6-1.
* Allen Iverson, despite having his worst season, gets voted by the fans to start in the NBA All Star Game.
* NASCAR, in an effort to bring back the sizzle, is relaxing its rules. NASCAR president Mike Helton said, "If you ain't rubbing, you ain't racing." Words to live by.
2. Pick a Winner
So the odds are the home teams will make it to the Super Bowl. Who says?
The last time both #1 seeds made it was way back in 1993. The truth is, while the Saints are a great story, the best story line involves the two underdogs. That would pit Brett Favre up against the latest team he bailed on, the Jets. A Minnesota/Indy Super Bowl wouldn't be bad either, Favre against Manning. Actually, any matchup in the Super Bowl would be better than the commercials, but I guess I'm in the minority. (See # 3)
3. Survey Says
The Nielsen Company did a survey and determined that by a 51-49% margin, viewers like the Super Bowl commercials more than the game itself. Other questions on the survey must have included do kids like string beans better than ice cream? And what do you like more, hitting your finger with a hammer or getting a massage?
4. Friday Mailbag
Subscriber B.S. is a giddy Jets fan. He writes, "Regardless of Sunday's outcome, the "Season Ball" should go to Rex Ryan. What a refreshing change. He has players and fans believing that anything is possible.
Editor's Note: No argument from me.
B.P. is tired of people saying the Jets have been bad for 40 years. "What has distinguished them and made them the same old Jets is the way they have consistently lost games for 40 years. From the Gastineau penalty in Cleveland to the Marino pass at the Meadowlands, to the Edwards coaching gaffe in the playoff game in Pittsburgh to stupid mistake after stupid mistake, that is what has made the Jets a joke throughout the football world."
M.W. is annoyed with the Wall Street Journal for reporting that there are roughly 11 minutes of action in an NFL game. He says, "Yea, well how much action is there in the Wall Street Journal?"
K.W. asks if I've heard anything about a possible sponsor for the new Meadowlands football stadium? He asks "what about Jet Blue or Green Giant?"
Editor's Note: Sure, when the Mets stadium in Flushing is sponsored by Ty-D-Bol.
And on the subject of the Mets, R.T. asks on my Facebook page (Len Berman's Top 5), "How do the Mets call their medical staff? Paging Dr. Howard, paging Dr. Fine?"
Editor's Note: It's always nice to hear from fans of the Three Stooges.
5. Down the Drain
The "sense of humor award" of the week goes to University of Tennessee football fan Drew McElroy. In honor of football coach Lane Kiffin bolting town, he wants to rename a city facility in his honor. The Lane Kiffin Sewage Treatment Center. Check that, he sent in $262. with his naming application. He's not joking.
Happy Birthday: He scored 50 goals in 50 games, the great former Islander Mike Bossy. 53.
Bonus Birthday: Actress Diane Lane (I had the pleasure of sitting next to her on the Tonight Show.) 45.
Today in Sports: "Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!" George Foreman knocks down heavyweight champ Joe Frazier 6 times in 2 rounds to win the championship in Kingston, Jamaica. 1973.
Bonus Event: Sock it to me. Ya' mean Kate Hudson's mom was famous? (Goldie Hawn.) The debut of Laugh-In on NBC from "beautiful downtown Burbank." 1968.