"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" - - - - 11-22-08

The "Unwatchable NBA" Update: During a game in Miami last week, the Wizards and Heat combined to miss 27 three-point attempts and thirteen foul shots. No need to replace the nets at American Airlines Arena after THAT game, huh?..........TRIVIA QUESTION: The 1989-'90 Indiana Pacers had four players on the team who averaged more than 15 points per game. Can you name these individuals? Answer to follow..........If Yale defensive tackle Joe Young isn't being called "Mighty" by his teammates and/or friends, then something is SEVERELY wrong with the phenomenon of assigning nicknames in general..........Talk about your wild games: Unranked Houston beats #23 Tulsa last weekend 70-30--with the two teams combining for over 1,100 yards of total offense and a staggering 59 first downs. If the fans of these two teams had any type of collective sense of humor, they would have started a chant toward the end of the game--with the visiting contingent yelling "DEEE-FENCE" while the home fans counter that with "WHERE???"..........This week in sports history, November 25, 1971: In a match-up between two college football powers, top-ranked Nebraska defeats #2 Oklahoma 35-31. Playing on the road in Norman, the Cornhuskers were led by running back Jeff Kinney--who rushed for an impressive 174 yards while scoring four touchdowns. Nebraska's Johnny Rodgers, who had earlier scored on a 72-yard punt return, made a key third down catch on a late Cornhusker drive--enabling Kinney to score the game winning TD with just 1:38 remaining..........ITEM: The N.Y. Yankees set their off-season sights on CC Sabathia, Derek Lowe, A.J. Burnett, Jake Peavy, etc. Rumor has it that the New York front office also called the Orioles to inquire about Jim Palmer, Mike Cuellar, Pat Dobson, AND Dave McNally, but were told that the former 20-game winners disbanded as a group following the 1972 season..........Anyone out there see that "flab-filled" photo of 350-pound heavyweight fighter Gabe Brown that appeared in the New York Post last weekend? I'm truly convinced that this guy considers "road work" to mean stopping at as many restaurants as possible along a given travel route ..........I'm gonna go out on a limb and assume that Princeton wide receiver Trey Peacock's favorite television network is NBC..........Regarding the members of the Yale Precision Marching Band--who perform at home football games at the Yale Bowl: You know, sometimes it's difficult to take these young people seriously when they play songs like Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls" and/or do semi-corny political skits at halftime. But they truly remind me of the legendary Victor Borge. Why? Like the legendary pianist, they fool around a lot and look aloof at times but, if/when they put their minds to it, they can flat out PLAY..........Answer to trivia question: REGGIE MILLER (24.6), CHUCK PERSON (19.7), DETLEF SCHREMPF (16.2), and RIK SMITS (15.5)..........Happy birthday wishes go out to NBA Hall of Famer Dave Bing--who blows out 65 candles on November 24th. A native of Washington, D.C. who played at Syracuse, Bing played 12 seasons in the NBA between 1966 and 1978 as a member of the Pistons, Bullets, and Celtics; he averaged 20.3 points and 6 assists per game during his illustrious career. A seven-time All-Star who spent his best years in Detroit, Bing led the NBA in field goals made and total points during the '67-68 season while wearing a Pistons uniform. Bing became a very successful businessman after his playing days were over and was elected to the NBA Hall of Fame in 1990. Best wishes, Dave..........Finally, condolences go out to the families of two legendary major league pitchers--Preacher Roe and Herb Score--both of whom died recently. Roe, who died of colon cancer at the age of 92, went a combined 41-14 while pitching for the Dodgers in 1950 and '51; he was a five-time All-Star and pitched in three World Series. Score, who died at the age of 75 at his home in Ohio, was the AL Rookie of the Year in 1955 after going 16-10 with the Cleveland Indians. Sadly, he'll be best-remembered for being the victim of a line drive off the bat of the Yankees' Gil McDougald; the liner hit Score in his right eye while breaking his nose along with a number of bones in his face. Having once been compared to the great Sandy Koufax, Score was never the same pitcher after the incident and went on to spend 34 seasons as an Indians broadcaster. Rest in peace, gentlemen.