"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" - - - - 12-1-07

Lazzari's "Lopsided Score(s) of the Week": In a men's college basketball game last week, California (PA) defeated Penn State-Greater Allegheny 120-31; if my math is correct, that is an 89-point margin of victory. In addition, PSUGA lost to Gannon University three days earlier by a score of 126-50--a brutal 76-point deficit. My question is this: If Penn State-Greater Allegheny loses an upcoming game by, say, 45 points, will the team consider it a moral victory?..........TRIVIA QUESTION: In the old ABA (American Basketball Association), what player pulled down the most rebounds in a single season? Answer to follow..........The terrific one-liners keep on coming from WFAN's Steve Somers--who tried to comfort Knicks fans on the eve of Thanksgiving by offering this: "Give thanks that the season is NOT 162 games long!"..........The amazing thing about Ansonia (CT) High RB Alex Thomas? He's now #1 in state career rushing yardage, TD's, and single-season yardage/TD's--and has basically played PART-TIME these last few seasons due to his team's dominance and the state's 50-point rule. To think what this kid would have done with a full work load is simply mind-boggling..........This week in sports history, December 2, 1972: USC tailback Anthony Davis scores a remarkable SIX touchdowns--leading his team to an impressive 45-23 victory over Notre Dame at the L.A. Coliseum. Davis returned the opening kickoff 97 yards for a score and also took one 96 yards for a TD in the third quarter; the sophomore also scored on runs of 1, 4, 5 and 8 yards and raised his season TD total to 18..........At the recent Yale/Harvard game, I showed fellow columnists Jeff Jacobs of the Hartford Courant and Dave Solomon of the New Haven Register a football program I own that dates back to the 1936 game between the two long-time, Ivy League rivals. The three of us totally agreed on ONE thing that stood out more than anything else: 50 cents for a game program back in '36 was WAYYYYYYY too steep..........How 'bout that EIGHT-yard punt by Boston College's Johnny Ayers last weekend vs. Miami? I've had girlfriends who wore fake eyelashes that were longer than that..........Answer to trivia question: SPENCER HAYWOOD of the Denver Rockets--who grabbed 1,637 boards during the 1969-'70 ABA campaign for a staggering average of 19.5 RPG..........I don't know about other guys, but a scantily-clad Natalie Gulbis under my Christmas tree this holiday season will surely beat the heck out of a new iPod or laptop..........The "Unwatchable NBA" Update: The Jazz beat the Hornets 99-71 last week; New Orleans scored a total of just SEVEN points in the fourth quarter (missing their first THIRTEEN shots--ughhh) and shot a pitiful 1-for-17 (not a misprint) from three-point range during this sickening fiasco. Folks, if anyone out there can sit through that kinda game without reaching for the Tums or Maalox, then that individual's stomach belongs in the Italian Museum of Cast Iron in Longiano, Italy..........Speaking of the aforementioned beauty Natalie Gulbis: If she married fellow pro golfer Aaron Baddeley, divorced, married former Colgate swimmer James Hadley--divorced again--then married Canisius College hoopster Chris Gadley, she'd be roaming the links with the full married name of Natalie Baddeley Hadley Gadley..........Happy birthday wishes go out to former major league pitcher Lafayette Currence (who???)--who blows out 56 candles on December 3rd. Yes, NOT a household name--mainly because he spent just one year (1975) in the majors with the Milwaukee Brewers. He pitched in only eight games that season and didn't make the most of the opportunity--giving up SIXTEEN runs in 18 2/3 innings while walking 14 batters. Yes, folks, Lafayette Currence left major league baseball with a career record of 0-2 while pitching to an ERA of 7.71. Hey--they all can't be Ben Sheets, right? Best wishes, Lafayette..........Finally, condolences go out to the families of NFL Hall of Famer Jim Ringo and major league pitcher Joe Kennedy--both of whom died recently. Ringo, an undersized center who played with the Packers and Eagles, died just two days short of his 76th birthday while battling Alzheimer's disease; he was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1981. Kennedy, 28--who died unexpectedly at his in-laws' home in Florida-- had pitched in the majors for seven seasons with Tampa Bay, Colorado, Oakland, Arizona and Toronto; the Blue Jays were interested in having him pitch again for them in '08. Kennedy compiled a lifetime record of 43-61 and pitched more than 900 innings as a starter and reliever. May these two gentlemen rest in peace.