"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" - - - - 3-22-08

From the "Total Hypocrisy" Dept.: A message to N.Y. Yankees manager Joe Girardi: BE REAL. Hey Joe, you were recently critical of Elliott Johnson of the Devil Rays for slamming into your young catcher Francisco Cervelli (the way baseball is SUPPOSED to be played, by the way, as Cervelli was blocking home plate )--questioning such a move in an exhibition game. However, you basically CONDONED a cheap-shot, spikes-high slide by the Yanks' Shelley Duncan (when he was out by 25 feet) a few days later. Ummm, you can't have it both ways, Mr. Girardi. Weren't you the manager who came into NY dedicated to stressing fundamentals and advocating hard-nosed play--not DIRTY play? Sheesh, and many Yankee fans are now supposed to believe that the real "clueless Joe" is now managing in Los Angeles? Go figure..........TRIVIA QUESTION: What player holds the NBA record for most 3-point field goals attempted in one season? Answer to follow..........How' bout the Macon Music of the South Coast League--and their plans to host an "Eliot Spitzer Night" in "honor" of the disgraced ex-NY governor on June 13th? Among the perks for fans? Any paying customer with the name of Eliot, Spitzer or Kristen, along with any fan from New York, will receive $1 off admission. Also, any fan who has ever resigned a position will also receive $1 off the price of admission. I'm just wondering if the promotion will expand soon and include certain benefits for those who show up wearing very little clothing..........My alma mater, Fordham, just finished a ROUGH year in women's basketball (an understatement)--compiling a record of 0-29 (that's not a misprint). Question: If the team "rebounds" next year and puts together a record of, say, 5-24, will the athletic department consider that to be a "successful season?"..........Regarding the influx of tattooed individuals into college/pro basketball: I don't have a problem with it, but I'd venture to say that the now-popular art of "inking" was originally started by a former player in an attempt to show independence and originality. Question: Doesn't that reek with irony now seeing that EVERYONE has a tattoo?..........Anyone out there feel like I do about golfer John Daly--that we've been cheated for years by him due to his lack of devotion to the game? Here's a guy who truly had as much natural talent as ANY of the all-time greats--but did little with that gift. I was convinced that he had whipped various demons after winning the Buick Invitational a few years back; sadly, it appears I was mistaken. A very tragic story that is still unraveling..........Let this hereby stand as a challenge to former WNBAer/ESPN beauty Stacey Dales to play a one-on-one basketball game with yours truly. The loser (how can I "lose"?) buys the other one dinner at a romantic, candle-lit restaurant..........This week in sports history, March 25, 1982: 21-year-old Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers becomes the first NHL player ever to reach the 200-point plateau--scoring two goals and assisting on two others during his team's 7-2 victory over Calgary. "The Great One" scored his 200th point--an assist to Pat Hughes--at 9:16 of the first period and added another assist two minutes later. He would proceed to score two goals in the second period; amazingly, both were in shorthanded situations. Gretzky's heroics gave the young center a whopping total of 90 goals and 113 assists in the team's 76 games..........Answer to trivia question: GEORGE McCLOUD--who attempted 678 three-pointers during the '95-'96 NBA season as a member of the Dallas Mavericks..........Folks, I just gazed at a picture of actress Charlize Theron attending the New York premiere of her new film "Sleepwalking" last week. Geez, and I used to think that a Bert Blyleven CURVEBALL was pretty..........Happy birthday wishes go out to former major league pitcher Mike Nagy--who blows out 60 candles on March 25th. A native of the Bronx, NY, Nagy was a 21-year old phenom with the Red Sox when he came up in 1969--compiling an impressive 12-2 record, pitching to a 3.11 ERA, and throwing seven complete games. However, early arm problems soon took their toll on the young Nagy as he won only 8 more games in a career that ended in 1974 (at the age of 26) as a member of the Houston Astros; he also had a brief stint with the Cardinals during his short career. Best wishes, Mike..........Finally, condolences go out to the family of former West Virginia athletic director Richard "Dick" Martin--who passed away recently after a lengthy battle with cancer; he was 75. In 1974, Martin became the assistant commissioner of the Big Eight Conference and was later named athletic director at West Virginia in '79. While at WVU, Martin spearheaded the construction of a new football stadium and eventually hired Don Nehlen--who proceeded to become the school's winningest football coach. Dick Martin was also commissioner of the Missouri Valley Conference from 1981 to 1985. He leaves a wife, Margaret, and two sons; may he rest in peace.