• NBA Playoffs: Indiana takes a 3 games to 1 lead over the Knicks, 93-82. San Antonio now leads Golden State 3-2 after winning 109-91.
• NHL Playoffs: L.A. and Pittsburgh won their second round openers.
• The top high school basketball recruit, Andrew Wiggins from Canada, chooses Kansas.
• Former NFL running back Chuck Muncie is dead at the age of 60.

2. Bipartisan Concern

What’s the only thing Republicans and Democrats can agree on? Right, sports. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell opened Tuesday’s Senate session by sending get well wishes to Washington Nats right fielder Bryce Harper. Harper had crashed into the wall at Dodger Stadium Monday night. Harper is listed as day to day, but thank goodness our nation’s top lawmakers have solved all the other pressing issues facing our country so they can find time to suck-up to local sports fans. On a serious note a couple of Top 5 subscribers expressed the hope that Harper isn’t the next Pete Reiser. Reiser was also in his second season for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1942 when he went crashing into a wall in St. Louis fracturing his skull. He was never the same player again. But Harper tweeted yesterday, “I will keep playing this game hard for the rest of my life even if it kills me! I’ll never stop! #RespectTheGame.”

3. Liar-Liar?

It’s always something with Tiger Woods. During his dustup with Sergio Garcia on Saturday Tiger claimed that the marshals told him that Sergio had already hit. That’s why Woods pulled a club out of his bag which led to the gallery reaction which seemed to bother Garcia during his swing. Well guess what? The marshals claimed they not only didn’t say anything to Woods but they’re told not to talk to the players. It seems there’s Tiger’s world and the one the rest of us live in.

4. Award Season

When I introduced Yankees manager Joe Girardi yesterday (see #5) I called him an early candidate for Manager of the Year. He chuckled. But think about it. The Yankees are ravaged by injury and were picked to go nowhere and only St. Louis has a better record in all of baseball. Contrary to form, Yankees managers do win the award, in fact they did it three times in the 90s. Buck Showalter once and Joe Torre twice. But perhaps the reason Girardi chuckled is because he won the award in his first year with the Florida Marlins in 2006. The next month they fired him. Girardi may have a fight on his hands this year with Tampa’s Joe Maddon. Maddon’s had animals and magicians in his clubhouse and last night he brought in a merengue band for his players before the game. Cause and effect? After the concert the Rays went out and won their 6th straight.

5. A-Listers

Since I love to drop names and because a Wall Street firm raised millions for charity I thought I’d fill you in on who I talked to yesterday. The trading firm BTIG takes all of its commissions for one day and gives them to worthy causes. Last year the total was $4.5 million. So yesterday I had the pleasure of introducing Eli Manning, Tom Coughlin, Justin Tuck, David Diehl, Victor Cruz, Joe Girardi, Mariano Rivera, Mark Teixeira, Rex Ryan, Rod Gilbert, Walt Frazier, Larry Johnson, Lynn Swann, Bobby Valentine, Joe Torre, Dwight Gooden, Marty Lyons, Rick Barry, Jeremy Roenick, Steve Lavin, Eric LeGrand, Hannah Storm. Michael J. Fox, Michael Strahan, Matt Dillon, Top 5 subscriber Steve Schirripa, Miss America, and Miss Universe among others. The only bit of sports news I can report, is that when I asked Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz if he was going to sign a contract with the Giants he answered, “That’s the plan.” There you have it. You had to wade through all of my name-dropping for a little nugget of news.

Win valuable prizes! Send me the emails of 3 new subscribers and you’ll be eligible for a drawing. You can win one of three autographed books or one of five That’s Sports baseball/golf caps. And just think how your friends will thank you for enlisting them in the Top 5 family. (Of course you can send more that three if you wish!)

Happy Birthday: U.S. Open tennis winner Andy Murray. 26.
Bonus Birthday: Kansas City Royals Hall of Famer George Brett. 60.

Today in Sports: 1 down, 55 to go. Joe DiMaggio goes 1-4 thus starting his record hitting streak. 1941.
Bonus Event: Ellen Church becomes the first airline stewardess on a flight between Oakland and Chicago. The flight had 13 stops and 14 passengers. 1930.

Spanning the World airs on NBC’s Today Show tomorrow morning.

And on May 15th the kvetching stops. The Top 5 was opened yesterday in South Africa, Taiwan, Brazil and every single one of the 50 states even South Dakota. I’ll try to figure out something else to complain about.

The next time you 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.

The post Len’s Top 5 – May 15, 2013 appeared first on That's Sports.

• Tiger Woods wins the Players Championship by two shots when Sergio Garcia puts two balls in the water on 17.
• NHL Playoffs: The Rangers beat Washington 1-0 forcing a 7th game tonight in Washington. Toronto beat Boston 2-1 also forcing a Game 7 tonight in Boston. Detroit beat Anaheim 3-2 in Game 7.
• NBA Playoffs: Golden State evens their series with San Antonio 2-2 with a 97-87 overtime win.
• Baseball game of the day, White Sox pitcher Chris Sale throws a 1-hitter at the Angels. He took a perfect game into the 7th. 3-0 the final.

2. Food Fight

Is the PGA Tour is turning into WWE? Sergio Garcia and Tiger Woods engaged in golf’s version of a war of words the other day. They were paired together on Saturday and after the round Garcia blamed Woods for a bad shot. He claimed that Woods took out a club while Garcia was hitting and the crowd made noise which affected his shot. Tiger’s quotes are priceless in effect saying that Garcia is always complaining about something and that the two of them really didn’t talk during their round. Too bad Garcia collapsed on the final two holes yesterday. Would have loved to have seen their handshake before the sudden death playoff.

3. Men In Blue

What’s with the umps? In one game they didn’t know what they were looking at. The next night they didn’t know the rules. The second offense was deemed more egregious. Houston was allowed to make a pitching change, even though the pitcher hadn’t faced a batter. The rules state a reliever must face one hitter. So the crew chief got suspended for two games and fined while his mates all got fined. It’s rare that umpire punishment is made public. Maybe MLB was embarrassed over the “home run” fiasco in Cleveland? The umps got it wrong twice: once on the field, and again after viewing the replay. Makes you wonder what’s the point of replay especially since the umps weren’t punished and the call stood. Why? Because it was a judgment call. In fact a bad judgment call…twice!

4. The Plot Thickens

With great fanfare, Grey Flannel Auctions put up for bid a Mickey Mantle bat that it claimed had been tampered with. The suggestion was that the bat had been illegally corked and that Mantle may have used it in a game. That touched off a debate on whether or not the Mick had cheated. The Mantle family retained legal counsel to protect the Mantle name and image, and now, without any explanation, the item is no longer listed on the auction house’s website and is not for sale. It makes you wonder about the bat’s authenticity.

5. George Sauer
1943-2013

The name George Sauer is probably familiar to you. He was the wide receiver who caught 8 passes from Joe Namath in the Jets stunning Super Bowl III upset of Baltimore. George died the other day at the age of 69. He quit the NFL when he was only 27 because he really didn’t like being a football player. In a 1983 New York Times article he wrote, “My passion for the game was not sufficient. It both glorifies and destroys bodies. At the time, I could not reconcile the apparent inconsistency. I care even less about being a public person. You stick out too much, the world enlarges around you to dangerous proportions, and you are too evident to too many others.” Required reading for anyone who dreams of being famous one day.

Win valuable prizes! Send me the emails of 3 new subscribers and you’ll be eligible for a drawing. You can win one of three autographed books or one of five That’s Sports baseball/golf caps. And just think how your friends will thank you for enlisting them in the Top 5 family. (Of course you can send more that three if you wish!)

Happy Birthday: America’s “ambassador” to North Korea, Dennis Rodman. 52.
Bonus Birthday: Singer Stevie Wonder. 63.

Today in Sports: 40 years ago today Bobby Riggs beat Margaret Court. Billie Jean King said “lemme at him.” 1973.
Bonus Event: 75 years ago today, Louis Armstrong recorded When the Saints Go Marching In. 1938.

The next time you 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.

The post Len’s Top 5 – May 13, 2013 appeared first on That's Sports.

• MLB admits that the umps blew a home run call in Cleveland Wednesday night despite the use of a video review. But even though the call was wrong it stands.
• In the NHL Playoffs Ottawa eliminated Montreal in 4, ditto Chicago over Minnesota. Pittsburgh leads the Islanders 3-2.
• The first round leader of the Players Championship is Roberto Castro who tied the course record with a 9-under 63. Rory McIlroy and Zach Johnson are 3 back, Tiger Woods 4.
• British gold medalist Andrew Simpson died when his yacht capsized training for the America’s Cup off the California coast.
• Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder says “we’ll never change the name” from Redskins.
• The famed Hollywood Park racetrack will close by the end of the year in favor of housing and retail.

2. Equipment Change

After Toronto pitcher J.A. Happ got beaned by a line drive the other night, sending him on a stretcher to the hospital, I found it surprising how many pitchers came out against pitchers wearing helmets. You would think that would be a no-brainer, so to speak. Top 5 subscriber and terrific ESPN producer Willie Weinbaum is probably the foremost authority on the subject. He says the reaction time for a pitcher is about 1/3 of a second. He reports that MLB has considered a padded cap that would give the pitcher about 40% protection but they haven’t approved any of the stereotypes. Here’s the important part. Willie found video of 10 incidents over the past 5 seasons, and he thinks a padded cap might have helped half of them. Maybe MLB should speed up the process on padded caps before it’s too late.

3. Fan Jail

We’re also dumping on athletes who can’t stay out of trouble, but should we be just as harsh on fans? Take this Miami Heat fan who must have violated some “code of getting too close” when she gestured at the Bulls Joakim Noah. Give Noah points for self-restraint, and ban this woman for the rest of the playoffs. Apparently she’s the widow of a former hedge fund operator. The couple was known to engage in public screaming matches. Well, that explains it.

4. Friday eMailbag

As for the terrific video of Matt Kemp of the Dodgers giving his gear to a terminally ill young man, C.O. writes, “Nice to see that despite the negative headlines around inflated egos and enormous salaries, we do have some athletes that truly exemplify the human spirit. As a Mets fan, I have a newfound respect for Kemp.”

In regards to bad stats in baseball, I.T. has another: “I always hated that if a pitcher makes an error and the guy scores, the run is unearned. Why should it be unearned? The pitcher did it to himself! Why should his ERA benefit from his inability to catch and throw?”

With a sports memorabilia auction featuring a Mickey Mantle bat that might have been corked, P.B. writes: “The Mick using a corked bat! Tell me that Bill Gates uses coupons at Walmart.”

And I knew you could out-pun me when it came to the new 49ers stadium being named after Levi’s the jeans people.

*H.K. suggests this sponsor tie-in, “Colin Kaepernick rolled out of the pocket and zipped the ball to the tight end on a button-hook route.”

*J.W. a running back or wide receiver “has found the seam in the defense.”

*J.G. “That play was tailor-made.”

*R.B. “The defense will have to ‘buckle down’ and get another win under their ‘belt.’”

*K.F. They’ll call the stadium the “Field of Jeans.”

*J.B. “Win one for the zipper.”

5. Spanning the World

This week’s Spanning the World highlight is for golfers. Must you use a putter on the green? Just ask Sergio Garcia. Does this count in his putting stats?

Spanning the World airs monthly on NBC’s Today Show. Next up: Thursday May 16th.

So while you wait to find out who wins the Top 5 NBA contest, it’s time for another subscription contest. Just send me the emails of 3 new subscribers and you’ll be eligible for a drawing to win one of several prizes. You can win one of three of my autographed books or one of five That’s Sports baseball/golf caps. And just think how your friends will thank you for enlisting them in the Top 5 family. So get cracking!

Happy Birthday: Olympic swimming star Missy Franklin. 18.
Bonus Birthday: Sportscaster Chris (no relation) Berman. 58.

Today in Sports: Now we eventually can have a Super Bowl. The NFL and the AFL announce a merger. 1969.
Incidentally, prolific sports author and Top 5 subscriber Harvey Frommer is writing a book about Super Bowl I in 1967. He is interested in interviewing anyone with stories who watched the game live or on TV. He can be reached at
Harvey.Frommer@Dartmouth.edu
Bonus Event: Bill Haley & His Comets release Rock Around the Clock. It’ll be the first rock and roll record to reach number one on the Billboard charts. 1954.

The next time you 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.

The post Len’s Top 5 – May 10, 2013 appeared first on That's Sports.

• Fit to be tied. All 4 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 2.
• 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 9th 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 9th when he gives up the tying runs. But his team wins it in the bottom of the 9th. 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, 2.

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.

So while you wait to find out who wins the Top 5 NBA contest, it’s time for another subscription contest. Just send me the emails of 3 new subscribers and you’ll be eligible for a drawing to win one of several prizes. You can win one of three of my autographed books or one of five That’s Sports baseball/golf caps. And just think how your friends will thank you for enlisting them in the Top 5 family. So get cracking!

Happy Birthday: Detroit Tigers first baseman Prince Fielder. 29.
Bonus Birthday: Piano Man Billie 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.

The next time you 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.

The post Len’s Top 5 – May 9, 2013 appeared first on That's Sports.

• NBA Playoffs: Oklahoma City and Indiana win their 2nd round openers.
• LeBron James wins his 4th NBA MVP award. He is the fifth player to win 4. (Kareem 6, Michael Jordan 5, Bill Russell 5, Wilt 4.)
• Within hours of Brooklyn losing game 7 to Chicago, the Nets fired interim coach P.J. Carlesimo.
• NHL: San Jose grabs a 3-0 lead over Vancouver, while Pittsburgh, Chicago and Ottawa all lead their series 2-1.
• What would you expect a Jewish kid who grew up in Las Vegas to do? Right, score the winning overtime goal for Minnesota against Chicago in the NHL Playoffs. (Jason Zucker.)
• It seems almost unfathomable that the two L.A. baseball teams are a combined 24-37.

2. There’s Always One

Stunningly, LeBron James was not a unanimous choice for NBA MVP. One lone writer picked Carmelo Anthony. LeBron surmised that it must have been a New York writer because of the Knicks/Heat rivalry. It turns out, it was a Boston Globe writer of all people, Gary Washburn. He theorized that Anthony made the Knicks relevant again. I guess we could get into the whole “what does most valuable” mean. Then again, does it really matter that James wasn’t unanimous?

3. Abs-Orb-ed

How many people watch one horse race a year? I never miss the Kentucky Derby. I guess it’s just habit, but it rarely disappoints. Orb came from 17th place at the 3/4 mile mark to win it. But of course the question remains can he win the Triple Crown? The odds of Orb winning it were 12-1, and that was before the Derby. Seems pretty low, right? Interesting that fans get caught up in the moment. Bleacher Report is running a poll, and voters by a large margin think Orb will do it. Have fans been paying attention for the last 35 years?

4. The Cathedral of Hockey

When you mention Montreal and hockey history it’s often in hushed tones. Reverence being shown for the likes of Maurice “The Rocket” Richard, Jean Beliveau, Guy Lafleur. Cue the music. Except it’s turned into a myth. When Montreal won its last Stanley Cup in 1993 fans rioted on St. Catherine’s Street. Last night Montreal got crushed by Ottawa 6-1. When they fell behind 4-1 they acted like any minor league hockey team, they started a huge brawl. You never see fighting in the playoffs. To borrow at line from football, “Hey Montreal, act like you’ve been there before.”

5. Hooray for Hollywood

Want a feel-good story to start the week? Phillies slugger Ryan Howard meets a blind youngster before the game and the kid asks him to hit a homer for him. And guess what?

So while you wait to find out who wins the Top 5 NBA contest, it’s time for another subscription contest. Just send me the emails of 3 new subscribers and you’ll be eligible for a drawing to win one of several prizes. You can win one of three of my autographed books or one of five That’s Sports baseball/golf caps. And just think how your friends will thank you for enlisting them in the Top 5 family. So get cracking!

Happy Birthday: The Say Hey Kid, Willie Mays. 82.
Bonus Birthday: George Clooney. 52.

Today in Sports: Roger Bannister became the first man to break the 4-minute barrier at Oxford, England. 1954.
Bonus Event: You can drive there from here. They opened the Chunnel between England and France. 1994.

The next time you 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.

The post Len’s Top 5 – May 6, 2013 appeared first on That's Sports.

• For only the second time in the last 22 years the Golden State Warriors have advanced to the second round of the NBA Playoffs after beating Denver in 6 games, 92-88 last night.
• Brooklyn forced a 7th game tomorrow night with Chicago for the right to face Miami in the second round.
• Phil Jackson will serve as a consultant to the Detroit Pistons as they look for a new coach.
• In the NHL St. Louis now leads champion L.A. two games to none. Washington and Ottawa won their series openers.
• Toronto broadcaster, former pitcher Jack Morris, accused Boston pitcher Clay Buchholz of throwing a spitball Wednesday night. The Red Sox deny it.
• The 139th Kentucky Derby is tomorrow.

2. News of the Day

I’m just curious Yankee fans. Alex Rodriguez will begin baseball activities Monday in Tampa. Is that good news or bad?

3. Live From Pittsburgh

Props to the Pittsburgh Pirates video team. Here’s their starting lineup “Saturday Night Live Style.” Now, if they had only landed Don Pardo to do the voice over.

4. Friday eMailbag

When I suggested that the appropriate response for sports fans in regards to gay athletes might be to stifle a yawn, B.W. wrote, “I’ve already felt the urge to stifle a yawn (about 5 minutes after the story broke). Why is this even a story? If there was a gay player on any of my teams, as long as they didn’t turn over the ball 3 times in a span of 58 seconds (a la Mark Sanchez of the Jets) I couldn’t care less if they are straight, gay or otherwise.”

When discussing the great Jim Brown, Top 5 subscriber P.G. asks if anyone has film of Jim playing lacrosse?
And in regards to the NCAA outlawing hashtags (#) A.H. writes, “Then again for those over 50, what’s a hashtag? Whatever it is I’m sure Jim Brown would run over it on the way to the end zone.”

As for the Washington Redskins and the possibility of changing their nickname in the interests of political correctness, E. G. suggests an alternative on Facebook at “Len Berman’s Top 5.” “The Washington Gridlock.”

And the cheap shot of the week from P.R. he says tomorrow’s “Kentucky Derby has a smaller field than the Jets have quarterbacks with no thoroughbreds among them.”

5. Spanning the World

This week’s Spanning the World highlight comes from the world of Dutch women’s soccer. This could be the worst soccer miss of all-time.

Spanning the World airs monthly on NBC’s Today Show. Next up: Thursday May 9th.

Happy Birthday: An original New York Met, and to quote his manager Casey Stengel, “He’s a remarkable catcher. He’s the only defensive catcher in baseball, who can’t catch.” Chris Cannizzaro. 75.
Bonus Birthday: Frankie Valli of the Four Seasons. 79.

Today in Sports: Joe D. makes his Major League debut against the St. Louis Browns. Of course he got 3 hits and scored 3 runs. 1936.
Bonus Event: Margaret Thatcher is the first woman elected Prime Minister of England. 1979.

The next time you 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.

The post Len’s Top 5 – May 3, 2013 appeared first on That's Sports.

• In the NBA Playoffs, Boston and Houston stayed alive. New York, Oklahoma City and Indiana all lead their series 3 games to 2.
• Portland point guard Damian Lillard was the unanimous choice for NBA Rookie of the Year. Not a surprise since he won Rookie of the Month EVERY month this season.
• In the NHL, San Jose, Boston and Pittsburgh all won their series openers.
• A full field of 20 horses will be in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby. The morning line favorite (7-2) is Orb in the 16th post. Goldencents, partially owned by champion Louisville’s coach Rick Pitino is 5-1 and well positioned in the 8th post.
• What did you shoot before you were a teenager? 12-year-old Ye Wocheng became the youngest player to compete in a European Tour event. He shot a 7-over 79 in the China Open.
• The NCAA has banned the use of hashtags (#) on football fields. #bozos

2. Chicago Fire or Smoke?

When sports owners start making threats you have to wonder if they’re bluffing. Chicago Cubs owner Tom Ricketts says he needs the revenue from a big video board at Wrigley Field and if he doesn’t get permission to install it he may move the team out of Wrigley. Really? What do the Cubs have going for them other than Wrigley Field. Without Wrigley the Cubs are the White Sox. Then again, the White Sox threatened to move to Florida 20 years ago and the state ponied up $200-million for a new stadium. They don’t call it the Windy City for nothin’.

3. Double Standard

You might find this column from the New York Daily News thought provoking. NBA journeyman Jason Collins’ coming-out party created major headlines. When the top women’s college player, Brittney Griner, came out… crickets. Discuss among yourselves.

4. Chewie

So we’ve got our winner for ugliest baseball jersey of all-time. The Toledo Mud Hens with wear Chewbacca-styled uniforms for their Star Wars themed games this weekend. Saturday May 4th will be “May the Fourth be with You” night and Sunday afternoon May 5th will be the “Revenge of the Fifth.” Chewbacca himself will be there as will Darth Vader and Princess Leia. Concessions will feature Yoda Soda. After the game there will be fireworks, a costume parade and 3,000 kazoos will be handed out for a post game concert featuring Star Wars music. The Mud Hens may be in last place in the International League West, but they’ve taken over the league lead when it comes to ballpark promotions.

5. The Top 5

In discussing Jim Brown this week I asked you for your Top 5 athletes of all time. Your answers were quite diverse including such notables as Muhammad Ali, Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson, Dave Winfield, Deion Sanders, Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr, Pele, Wilt Chamberlain, Willie Mays, Carl Lewis, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Secretariat.
I thought the Top 5 was a no-brainer. In no particular order, Jim Brown, Jim Thorpe, Jackie Robinson, Jesse Owens and Babe Didrikson.
Neil C. agreed exactly with my 5. He’s my honorary Top 5 subscriber of the week. As meaningful as winning the “keys to the city.”
Larry K. had 4 of my 5, substituting Bo Jackson for Jesse Owens. David L. on Facebook at “Len Berman’s Top 5″ also had 4 with Milt Campbell instead of Owens.
Of course this is all subjective without any correct answers. But I really do like my Top 5.

Happy Birthday: Becks. Soccer star David Beckham. 38.
Bonus Birthday: Football player turned wrestler turned actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. 41.

Today in Sports: The greatest shortstop of all-time, Honus Wagner of Pittsburgh, stole his way around the bases in the first inning against the Cubs. He became the first National League player to accomplish the feat three times. And he did it again the next day! 1909.
Bonus Event: Bye Bye bin Laden. 2011.

The next time you 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 516-767-265

The post Len’s Top 5 – May 2, 2013 appeared first on That's Sports.

• NBA Playoffs: Denver staved off elimination, but still trails Golden State 3 games to 2. Memphis leads the Clippers 3-2.
• The Stanley Cup champion L.A. Kings opened the playoffs with a 2-1 overtime loss to St. Louis. Chicago and Anaheim came up winners on opening night.
• Whose fault was it that Geno Smith fell to the second round of the NFL draft? Of course it was his agents. So Smith fired them.
• The National League Least. Of the 5 teams, only Atlanta has a winning record. Even the heavily favored Washington Nationals are under .500. And in the NL Central, only the Cubbies (of course) have a losing record.

2. Bottom Line

Why am I not surprised? A top Los Angeles public relations man says that Jason Collins, who came out on Tuesday, might be more attractive to teams that play in gay-friendly cities. Howard Bragman told the New York Daily News, “If you are the general manager of the Golden Warriors, you are thinking ‘We can sell a lot of jerseys if we sign this guy.’” OK, I’m not naive. I know that a part of Branch Rickey probably thought he could sell more tickets to minorities if he signed Jackie Robinson, but for at least 5 minutes, can’t we celebrate a courageous decision on the part of a gay athlete without reducing it to crass commercialism?

3. Rule Book

I mentioned during the Masters how there was no one who is a bigger stickler when it comes to the rules of golf than Greg Norman. How he disqualified himself from a golf tournament because of a wrong serial number on his golf ball. Now he has ripped golf for its lax drug testing. He calls it a disgrace that golf doesn’t use blood tests. He said “Any sportsman or sportswoman who uses an outside agency to improve their skills is cheating. It sickens me. They’re putting a black eye on their sport. Look what Lance Armstrong has done to cycling.” This on the heels of the PGA Tour saying that Vijay Singh would not be sanctioned for admitting he used the banned substance deer antler spray. If I’m the PGA, I would pay attention to what Norman has to say.

4. Politically Incorrect

A Washington D.C. Councilman wants to introduce a resolution to change the name of the Washington Redskins to possibly Washington Redtails. Redtails was a nickname given to the Tuskegee Airmen. All well and good. But without offending Native Americans, I know that calling a Native American “Red skinned” is wrong, but continuing to call the Washington Redskins by their known name is probably OK. I thought St. John’s University was wrong to change its nickname from Redmen to Red Storm. But that’s just my opinion.

5. Life of Pie

Yesterday I mentioned the “game of the night” was Oakland’s 6 1/2 hour 19 inning win over the Angels on Brandon Moss’ second homer of the game. Well, the newish thing in baseball is “giving a pie” to the hero on the post game interview. This might have been a first. Moss pied himself. Soupy Sales would have been proud.

Happy Birthday: Denver Broncos (doesn’t that sound odd?) wide receiver Wes Welker. 32.
Bonus Birthday: Country singer and son of Tug, Tim McGraw. 46.

Today in Sports: The great Citation, with the equally great Eddie Arcaro aboard, wins the Kentucky Derby. They went on to win the Triple Crown, the only one of course for Citation, but the second for Arcaro. 1948.
Bonus Event: Now we finally have a prop for King Kong. The Empire State Building is dedicated. 1931.

The next time you 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 516-767-265

The post Len’s Top 5 – May 1, 2013 appeared first on That's Sports.

• Washington Wizards center Jason Collins announces that he’s gay.
• In the NBA playoffs both the Houston Rockets and the Brooklyn Nets staved off elimination.
• Good news for Sacramento, it looks like the Kings are staying put and not moving to Seattle.
• The NHL Playoffs begin tonight.
• Game of the night, 6 1/2 hours. Oakland beat the Angels 10-8 in 19 innings when Brandon Moss hit his second homer of the game.

2. Jason Collins

Washington Wizards center Jason Collins writes in Sports Illustrated, “I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay.” He’s received nearly universal praise. He tweeted last night “All the support I have received today is truly inspirational. I knew that I was choosing the road less traveled but I’m not walking it alone.” So there you have it, the first active team player in a major American sport to come out. End of story. There are others in the various sports who will surely follow suit. I fervently hope that sports fans will feel the need to stifle a collective yawn.

3. Jet-isoned

Tim Tebow did nothing wrong. He showed up ready to play and didn’t do a thing to offend anyone. But his signing by the Jets was a colossal mistake which they rectified yesterday by cutting him loose. Of course the Jets feel as if they still have 20 or 30 quarterbacks on their roster. I hope Tebow signs with another team and is hugely successful. Not as spite for the Jets, but because that’s what he deserves. Go get ‘em Tim.

4. What the Market Will Bear

It can’t be overstated how hockey-mad Toronto is. The Maple Leafs are a religion, a religion that fell on hard times. When they play Game 1 in Boston tomorrow night it’ll be their first postseason appearance in 9 years! Their last Stanley Cup? 1967. Thanks to their rabid fandom they have they highest ticket prices in the NHL. So how will their fans be rewarded in this lockout shortened season? An increase in home playoff ticket prices of 75%. Canada’s other iconic franchise, the Montreal Canadiens, is “only” increasing tickets by 50% for the postseason. Hey, look at the bright side Toronto fans. The 75% increase will look like a bargain if the Leafs actually win a round or two.

5. Do You Know Me?

Yesterday I mentioned that the great Jim Brown was being honored at his old high school in Manhasset, New York. I went to the ceremony and it was terrific. Many of his football teammates were there, 60 years later. Jim told the students, “You probably don’t know who I am.” If true that is sad. As I wrote yesterday, he’s the greatest athlete I ever saw. Here are some of your thoughts.

D.S. He is fading from public consciousness with the passage of time and he was a little before my time, but what a giant he was. Your description of his prowess in multiple sports is eye opening.

M.S. met him at a hotel in Kingston, Jamaica when his daughter Jennifer was about 2 1/2. Kingston was hosting the Black Film Festival while we were there–and Jim Brown was one of the featured actors present. He took a liking to Jennifer, hoisted her on his broad shoulders and carried her around the pool. He was more than a star…he was a true “All-Star.” Nice that he is being honored for what many already know.

D.L. Jim Brown is indeed the greatest of all time. He used to move downfield with five defenders hanging on him. Also, after every carry, he’d get up looking like he’d broken every bone in his body and limp back to the huddle. Next play, he was off in a flash.

R.R. In my opinion he was the greatest athlete I ever saw. He was a man playing with boys. I think you should have mentioned that he never missed a game in his NFL career. Really quite remarkable, especially since he didn’t wear the equipment that is now available. In his autobiography, he said that he actually wore as little protective equipment as possible because he didn’t want to be restricted in any way.

So let’s start a discussion, The Top 5 athletes of all-time. Go for it. (But you have to humor me and include Jim Brown on your list!)

Happy Birthday: Everyone’s favorite former Knicks coach and executive Isiah Thomas. 52.
Bonus Birthday: Willie Nelson. 80

Today in Sports: Willie Mays hit four homers in one game (Hank Aaron only hit two in that game) as the San Francisco Giants beat the Milwaukee Braves 14-4. 1961.
Bonus Event: The original George W. took the oath of office as America’s first President. 1789.

I thank all of you for your comforting words on the passing of my Mom. For those who asked, contributions in the name of Helen Berman can be made to Amit.

The next time you 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 516-767-265

The post Len’s Top 5 – April 30, 2013 appeared first on That's Sports.

• San Antonio swept the Lakers out of the NBA playoffs. Ditto Miami to Milwaukee.
• The NHL playoffs begin tomorrow night.
• Quarterback Tim Tebow has been released by the Jets. But the Jets quarterback circus remains in town.
• Surprise, through 25 games the Boston Red Sox have the best record in baseball (18-7). No Surprise, the Miami Marlins have the worst (6-19).
• Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan got married for the second time in Palm Beach. Among those attending were Tiger Woods and Patrick Ewing.

2. Positioning

Something Casey Stengel never said, but might have. “You can’t play football without a center. How ya gonna start the game?” Something everyone says, “It’s a quarterback’s league.” So after the first three rounds of the NFL draft which were the two positions with the fewest draftees? Quarterbacks: 3, centers: 1. The position with the most players drafted? Cornerback. Is everyone looking for the next Darrelle Revis? By the way, here’s something else Casey never said. “Without a quarterback you’re gonna have a lot of fumbles after the snap.” I’m not trying to make light of the NFL draft as clearly it dictates the fortunes of teams. It’s just that we have no idea what it all means until a couple of years down the road. By the way, I’m rooting for Manti Te’o to be a success in San Diego. Really.

3. Changing of the Guard

Will it still be the NBA Playoffs without the Lakers and the Celtics? L.A. is gone, and Boston is one game away from elimination. By the way, did you happen to catch the Bulls/Nets game on Saturday? Depending on your perspective it was one of the all time great comebacks or collapses in NBA Playoff history. The Nets blew a 14-point lead in the final minutes of regulation and lost in the third overtime. At critical moments in the game, Brooklyn was firing up long-range jumpers, and Chicago was smartly working the ball inside. My old broadcast buddy Bob Cousy used to say, “I’ll trade you layups for jump shots all night long.” It was as true half a century ago, as it was Saturday afternoon.

4. GOAT

What a crummy acronym, GOAT, Greatest of All Time. Heading my list is the Hall of Fame Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown, the greatest player I ever saw in person. Did you know he lettered in 5 sports at Manhasset, Long Island High School? Football, lacrosse, basketball, track and baseball. Some tidbits: He still holds the Long Island high school basketball scoring record at 39.6 points per game. The Yankees offered him a contract to pitch. Contrary to public belief he did not go to Syracuse on a lacrosse scholarship. He didn’t go on any scholarship. Local Long Island sponsors paid his way. He got a football scholarship after his freshman year. Why do I mention all this? Today he returns to Manhasset High School to deliver a plaque from the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of their Home Town Hall of Famer Program. At the same time he’ll be inducted into the Manhasset Sports Hall of Fame. A long overdue honor for the greatest of all time.

5. Helen Berman
1913-2013

There was no Top 5 last week because my mom passed away 6 months shy of her 100th birthday. The year she was born the New York Highlanders changed their name to Yankees, there was no NFL or NBA or even radio. How many mornings as a kid did I bound into the kitchen for breakfast asking her “Did the Mick hit one last night?” She knew if it was time to go visit the relatives we might have to wait half an inning because Mickey was due up. I bought tickets for my parents to attend the first “Mickey Mantle Day” at Yankee stadium on September 18, 1965. Her first NBA game was Game 5 of the 1976 NBA Finals at Boston Garden. The Celtics beat Phoenix in a wild triple overtime thriller. She must have thought all NBA games were like that. When I was doing the TV news she would watch religiously. Invariably she’d say “You made a mistake.” I would answer, “Great, only one?” The mistake was always grammatical. For years I’d never use “who” or “whom” on the air because I was afraid my mom would catch me screwing it up. I haven’t begun to scratch the surface of a life that lasted nearly a century. Rest in peace mom. And thanks for everything.

Happy Birthday: Bob Bryan, half of the world’s top-rated tennis doubles team, and coincidentally his twin brother Mark. 35.
Bonus Birthday: Not that there’s anything wrong with that but Jerry Seinfeld is 59.

Today in Sports: Congratulations! The Baltimore Orioles set a Major League record by losing their first 21 games to start the season. 1988.
Bonus Event: What’s another word for bonus or event? Well now we can find out. Peter Roget comes out with something called a thesaurus. 1852.

The next time you 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.

The post Len’s Top 5 – April 29, 2013 appeared first on That's Sports.