Tuesday, November 09, 2010

"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" - - - - 11-13-10

How 'bout center Brook Lopez of the New Jersey Nets--who missed his first THIRTEEN shots vs. the Orlando Magic in a game last week? I am now convinced that if Lopez had gone sky-diving prior to the game, he would have jumped out of a plane and totally missed the GROUND..........TRIVIA QUESTION: The 1996-'97 Portland Trail Blazers--who finished 49-33 under coach P.J. Carlesimo--were led in scoring by a player who was a member of NINE different teams over the course of his 14-year NBA career. Can you name this individual? Answer to follow..........While in the supermarket the other day, I came across of package of Johnsonville "Brats" in the meat section. Can someone tell me why I IMMEDIATELY thought of John Madden?..........Just Thinking Out Loud--Question #1: Of the following, which/who is the most unstable: Lady Gaga, the U.S. dollar, Randy Moss, or Isiah Thomas' entire thought process?..........Lazzari's "Lopsided Score of the Week": In a college football game played last weekend in New Jersey, Rowan demolished Western Connecticut 57-0. Just HOW ineffective was the WCU offense in this game? The team rushed 32 times for a total of EIGHTEEN yards--or an average of 0.6 yards per carry. I haven't seen anything THAT ugly since the first pair of Crocs came off the assembly line back in 2002.........This week in sports history, November 16, 1968: Playing on a wet field, Michigan running back Ron Johnson sets a major college rushing record--tallying 347 yards as the Wolverines defeat Wisconsin 34-9. On Michigan's second play from scrimmage, Johnson scampered 35 yards for a touchdown; he would run for four more TD's on this record-setting day--the last one coming from 49 yards out just 20 seconds into the fourth quarter. Johnson's 347-yard effort broke the previous NCAA record of 340 set just six weeks earlier by Eugene "Mercury" Morris of West Texas State..........Answer to trivia question: Guard KENNY ANDERSON--who averaged 17.5 points per game (he also led the team in assists that season with an average of 7.1 apg)..........I'd love to see ex-professional tennis players Ann White and Andrew Castle hook up. If they ever tied the knot, fans of small, square hamburgers would truly delight in her full married name of Ann White Castle..........Yes--how soon we forget: Reader Dan Santoro of Florida points out to me that the 1981 Cincinnati Reds had baseball's BEST overall record during the strike-shortened season--but did NOT make it to the postseason due to the modified playoff scenario that year. Santoro also told me that he's STILL angry at former Reds GM Bob Howsam to this day for trading his favorite player, Tony Perez, following the 1976 season. Love your passion, Dan, but PLEASE let it go in the best interest of your overall cardiac health, O.K.?.........Just Thinking Out Loud--Question #2: Of the following, which/who ages the best: Chateau Margaux wine, Mariano Rivera, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, or actress Denise Richards?.........Happy birthday wishes go out to former NBA center/forward Wayne Cooper--who blows out 54 candles on November 16th. A native of Georgia, Cooper was the Sun Belt Conference's Player of the Year in 1977-'78 while playing at New Orleans; he was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in the 2nd round of the '78 NBA draft. Cooper went on to play 14 NBA seasons for five different teams--playing in a total of 984 games. Wayne's best season came in '85-'86 as a member of the Denver Nuggets--a year in which he averaged 13.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Best wishes, Wayne..........There's been so much written about the passing of George "Sparky" Anderson (and deservedly so) over the past week--one of the great managers of our time and a true Hall of Famer. I remember back in 1976--shortly after receiving my driver's license--making the trip out to Cincinnati to visit some relatives and also see "The Big Red Machine" play the Montreal Expos. I had always been fascinated by the manager with the premature gray hair--yes, small in stature but such a huge presence in any dugout. I'll always feel fortunate to have seen that '76 squad play in person--a team that would go on to win 102 games in the regular season and sweep the postseason en route to another world championship. "Captain Hook" was the guiding force; eight years later he'd win even MORE games in a DIFFERENT league while capturing another championship with Detroit. Bottom line? Whenever you'd hear Sparky Anderson speak about baseball, you just KNEW he was a man who was as passionate about the game as any individual who ever graced a clubhouse. The man simply leaves a wonderful baseball legacy; rest in peace, Sparky Anderson.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home