Tuesday, March 20, 2007

"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" ---- 03-24-07

Lazzari's "Question of the Week": Of the following, who has LIED the most recently: Barry Bonds, Khalid Sheik Mohammed, Pete Rose, or your typical oil company executive?..........TRIVIA QUESTION: What former NBA head coach once led the American Basketball Association (ABA) in assists THREE times? Answer to follow..........Antoine Wright of the New Jersey Nets recently admitted that his high school courses were tougher than the ones he took while at Texas A&M. Hmmmm--I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that the majority of A&M students who've attended that institution for a LEGITIMATE education--and NOT to play basketball--would be unable to utter the same words as Wright....................ITEM: Milwaukee Bucks center Andrew Bogut is fined $25,000 for directing an obscene gesture toward hometown fans. Put it this way: If I had 25 grand for every time an NBA player "saluted" a crowd these past couple of years, I might OWN an NBA franchise by now..........Can you imagine if UCONN women's basketball player Kalana Greene married Michael Redd of the Milwaukee Bucks, divorced, married former USC running back Charles White--divorced again--then married NBA player Kwame Brown? She'd be running up and down the court with the colorful, full married name of Kalana Greene Redd White Brown..........Lazzari's "Non-Sports Related Tidbit of the Week": Saw a photo the other day of a bikini-clad Charlize Theron catching some rays at the beach in Malibu. Now THAT is what I'd call the finest example you'll ever find of "sand art".....
This week in sports history, March 26, 1946: Led by Bob Kurland--one of college basketball's first 7-footers--Oklahoma A&M defeats North Carolina 43-40 to win their second consecutive NCAA Tournament championship. Kurland scored 23 points for the Aggies--including seven straight in a crucial second-half run--enabling coach Henry Iba's squad to become college hoop's first two-time champions..........Madison Square Garden chairman/Knicks owner Jim Dolan recently told the New York Post that he's been sober since August of '93. I truly believe Mr. Dolan and commend him highly for having controlled and/or conquered past demons. Having said that, HOW can any semi-clearheaded individual give Knicks coach/GM Isiah Thomas a four-year extension along with a significant pay raise? Go figure..........How 'bout University of Nebraska-Kearney women's basketball coach Carol Russell--who was back on the bench for her team's appearance in the North Central Region tournament last week just FIVE hours after giving birth to a 6 pound, 14 oz. baby boy? If I'm a coach of ANY team at ANY level, I keep this story handy just in case one of my players wants to opt out of a game due to a hangnail..........Answer to trivia question: LARRY BROWN--who led the ABA in assists each year from 1967-1970 as a member of the New Orleans Buccaneers, Oakland Oaks, and Washington Caps..........Anybody out there seen a pic of 7'9", 387-pound Sun Ming Ming--the Chinese center currently playing in the International Basketball League? Considering this guy basically touches the rim without even jumping, how CAN'T he average 40 points and 20 rebounds per game WHEREVER he plays?..........Happy birthday wishes go out to former major league pitcher Shane Reynolds--who blows out 39 candles on March 26th. A native of Louisiana, Reynolds pitched 13 seasons between 1992 and 2004 for the Astros, Braves, and D'Backs--winning 114 games lifetime. Without doubt, Reynolds' best season came in 1998 with the Central Division-winning Houston club when he compiled a 19-8 record with an ERA of 3.51; he also won 16 games in a season on two other occasions and was named to the NL All-Star squad in 2000. Best wishes, Shane......
......Finally, condolences go out to the families of former PGA golfer Bud Allin and former baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn--both of whom passed away recently. Allin died at the age of 62 after battling several forms of cancer; he earned five tour victories and was ninth on the PGA Tour money list in 1974. Kuhn died of respiratory failure in Florida at the age of 80. Bowie ruled baseball from 1969-1984; during his reign, attendance at major league parks nearly doubled and an astounding $1.2 billion television contract was signed. May these two gentlemen rest in peace.

Bob Lazzari


Reprinted by permission of the Valley Times.

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