1. Quick Hits
- Who’s the boss? The L.A. Clippers blew out the L.A. Lakers 142-94. It was the worst loss in Lakers history.
- The pioneer of “Tommy John surgery,” Dr. Frank Jobe, is dead at the age of 88. Tommy John tweeted “Dr. Frank Jobe gave me 13 more seasons and 164 more wins.”
- Outfielder and former pitcher Rick Ankiel has retired at the age of 34.
- The Paralympic Games begin today in Sochi, Russia. And surprise, surprise. Many foreign dignitaries will not attend because of the Crimean situation.
2. Sportsmanship
Now this is what the Olympics is all about. A German bobsledder, Manuel Machata, lent his bobsled to Russia’s Vladimir Zubkov who proceeded to win two gold medals in Sochi. Isn’t that nice? Apparently not. The Germans didn’t win any bobsled medals so they’ve banned Machata for a year and fined him for doing “great damage” to the interests of their federation. The Germans are touchy like that.
3. Practice
One of the most famous rants of all time is Allen Iverson’s about practice. It’s been viewed an astounding 7-million times on YouTube. The other day, Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon paid homage to Iverson. Notice the cocked hat. Very cool, Joe.
4. Friday eMailbag
With the NFL thinking about making the extra point a longer attempt, I wrote “Let’s also blindfold the kicker and have the goalposts move like a shooting gallery.” L.F. responded, “I’ve always said that about free throws – they should move the basket, like in arcades!”
When I wrote “Shouldn’t athletes be required to take a test before they show up with a team?” (In response to the Orioles youngster who never heard of Frank Robinson.) S. S. wrote, “How about anyone who runs for public office being required to take a ‘mental competency’ test?”
From J.L. “I often wonder if anyone in the NBA knows who Maurice Stokes was.”
And from J.P. “You weren’t born in 1492 but you know about Columbus, right?”
5. Spanning the World
This week’s Spanning the World highlight comes from a young fan who perfectly sums up the New York Knicks season.
Spanning the World airs on NBC’s Today Show. Next up, Friday March 21st.
Happy Birthday: Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame receiver and 4-time Super Bowl champ Lynn Swann. 62.
Bonus Birthday: Just two decades to go. Weatherman Willard Scott. 80.
Today in Sports: At age 20, Mike Tyson becomes the youngest undisputed heavyweight champion when be beats Bonecrusher Smith. 1987.
Bonus Event: Hello? Alexander Graham Bell gets a patent for the telephone. 1876.
Contest time! Who will win the men’s NCAA basketball tournament? The tiebreaker: final score. Put your entire answer in the subject line when you email me. For example: Syracuse 75-69. You can win autographed books and That’s Sports baseball/golf caps. One entry per person. The deadline is Tuesday March 18th. Good luck!
Need a gift for that young sports fan in your life? Check out my books. And if you’d like a personally autographed copy contact the Dolphin Bookshop at 516-767-2650.
