TGIF everyone, here's my Top 5 for June 17, 2011 from Len Berman at www.ThatsSports.com.
1. Quick Hits
- Rory McIlroy, who imploded on the last day of the Masters, is the first round leader by 3 shots in the U.S. Open golf tournament after shooting a six-under 65. 41-year old Phil Mickelson, seeking his first U.S. Open title, couldn't find the fairway if he had GPS, is nine shots back.
- The final score in Vancouver. Nearly 150 injuries and around 100 arrests from the rioting that broke out after Boston beat the Canucks in game 7 of the Stanley Cup.
- The Bruins victory parade will be tomorrow morning in Boston.
- A couple of baseball notes. Washington has climbed out of last place. Pittsburgh is now two games over .500. The Pirates haven't had a winning season since 1992.
- A rematch. John Isner and Nicolas Mahut will face each other in round one of Wimbledon on Monday. Isner beat Mahut last year, 70 games to 68 in the fifth set, of a first-round match that lasted 11 hours over 3 days.
- The Green Bay Packers received their Super Bowl rings last night. Due to the lockout, the team had to receive league permission to hold the private ceremony.
2. Smile
It's not quite the picture of the sailor kissing the girl when World War II ended, but it kind of comes close. Riot in Vancouver? What riot? Let's hump on the street.
3. Duh
It's a good thing they read the papers over there. Libya is scheduled to host the Africa Cup of Nations soccer tournament in 2013. But according to reports, "Other options are being considered." Really?
4. Friday eMailbag
With Dallas' win over Miami, R.W. writes on Facebook at "Len Berman's Top 5": "The NBA is in better shape because of [the Mavericks win.] It is a message that all of the most talented players should not assemble on one team. The fact that they lost, was a sign that teamwork wins championships."
From Top 5 subscriber J.R. "Back in the '60's, Jackie Gleason was the King of Miami Beach. And after all the LeBron hubbub, Ralphie (Kramden) is still the King."
D.L. points out on Facebook, "With the Bruins winning the Cup, Boston now has championships from ALL 4 of their teams since 2005."
Editor's Note: Yup. Beantown is now Titletown.
On Twitter, @Comrade Kristina agreed with me, that we're focusing on the wrong story when we talk about the morons in Vancouver. She tweets, "Good point. Why is canucksriot trending but Congratulations Bruins isn't?"
And M.P. suggests, "If the Eagles do sign Plaxico, the Vick-Burress combination could be called Con Air."
5. Spanning the World
This week's Spanning the World highlight comes from the world of Italian soccer. The penalty kick is no good. But is it really?
Talk about premature exhilaration!
Have a great weekend everyone.
Happy Birthday: Tennis star Venus Williams. 31.
Bonus Birthday: I write the songs that make the whole world sing -- OK he didn't actually write that one, but he sang it. Barry Manilow. 68.
Today in Sports: A quality relief appearance. Cubs reliever George "Zip" Zabel enters the game with two outs in the first. Pitches until the Cubs beat the Brooklyn Dodgers in 19 innings. 1913.
Bonus Event: The infamous White Bronco "chase" involving OJ Simpson. 1994.
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