"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" - - - - 11-28-09

Yes--at first, I thought it was a basketball score, but I was wrong. In a Division II college football playoff game last weekend, West Liberty beat Edinboro 84-63 (I'm not kidding, folks); the teams combined for a Division II single-game record 1,394 yards of total offense. Here's the topper: QB Trevor Harris of Edinboro threw for an NCAA Division II playoff record 630 yards (on 50-of-76 passing, 5 TD's) and LOST. All I know is that the next time I come across Alpine Lace Swiss Cheese in my local supermarket, I'll think of these two teams' defenses.........TRIVIA QUESTION: Over the past 30 years, two members of the Montreal Canadiens have won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL's top defenseman. Can you name these two gentlemen? Answer to follow..........Can you imagine if Georgia-based artist Carol John married NBA guard Chris Paul, divorced, married Coast Guard football coach Bill George--divorced again--then married sprint car racer Nick Ringo? Fans of the "Fab Four" would surely delight in her full married name of Carol John Paul George Ringo..........Lazzari's "Lopsided Score of the Week": In a college basketball game played last week, the school mentioned above--West Liberty--defeated Pitt-Titusville 145-70. Try to fathom these numbers, my friends: The winning squad had a staggering 41 assists as a team and made a total of 21 three-pointers. In addition, the 75-point margin of victory was the largest in school history. Geez, and I used to think that South American sloths were ugly..........This week in sports history, November 30, 1979: In Las Vegas, 23-year-old ex-Olympian Sugar Ray Leonard wins boxing's welterweight boxing title--scoring a 15th round technical knockout over previously unbeaten Wilfred Benitez. Referee Carlos Padilla stopped the bout with six seconds left in the final round after Benitez had climbed off the canvas following a Leonard left hook; Leonard had also knocked down the champion back in the third round. The victory was Sugar Ray's 26th in a row since turning professional while Benitez suffered his first loss in 39 pro bouts..........Post University of Waterbury (CT) has just announced it will join the Collegiate Sprint Football League next season; the team will play its first game at the University of Pennsylvania on September 24, 2010 at Franklin Field in Philadelphia. The interesting part? Sprint football has similar rules to regular college football, but the weight limit for players is 172 pounds. This league includes prestigious schools such as Army, Navy, Princeton, Cornell, Penn, and Mansfield; the focus is on providing students with a way to play competitive sports while building their leadership skills as they earn their college degrees. The school plans on hiring a coach in December and will play its home games at Municipal Stadium on Rt. 73 in Waterbury. Here's hoping that the inclusion of Post in this novel league will attract a loyal audience and provide an interesting addition to the local college sports scene in general ..........I used to think that a Jerry West jump shot was a true thing of beauty--that is, until I saw a photo the other day of supermodel Bar Refaeli modeling Passionata lingerie during a recent photo shoot..........Answer to trivia question: LARRY ROBINSON (1979-'80) and CHRIS CHELIOS (1988-'89)..........Happy birthday wishes go out to former ABA/NBA center/forward Jim Chones--who blows out 60 candles on November 30th. A native of Racine, Wisconsin who starred at Marquette, Chones played for five different teams in the two leagues between 1972 and 1982--averaging an impressive 12.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Chones was a valued member of the 1979-'80 world championship L.A. Lakers squad. Jim was elected to the Marquette University Hall of Fame in 2004; in his post-basketball-playing days, Chones has spent time doing broadcasting work for the Cleveland Cavaliers in various capacities. Best wishes, Jim..........Finally, condolences go out to the family of Stefanie Spielman--wife of former NFL and Ohio State star Chris Spielman--who died recently after a lengthy battle with cancer; she was 42. Stefanie was 30 years old back in 1998 when she discovered she first had breast cancer; amazingly, she survived four bouts with cancer before a fifth recurrence back in March. Stefanie and Chris became major advocates for breast-cancer early detection over the years and raised more than $6 million for research at Ohio State through the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research. While with the Buffalo Bills, Chris gave up football for a year to stay home with his wife--even shaving his own head while she underwent chemotherapy treatments. Stefanie also helped form a support group for young women with breast cancer and was inducted into the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame in 2002 for her terrific work; yes, folks, sometimes courage goes WAY beyond the football field. Stefanie Spielman is survived by her husband and their four children: Madison, Noah, Macy and Audrey. May this special lady rest in peace.