"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" - - - - 1/22/11

Great analogy by ESPN's Teddy Atlas last week during the network's "Friday Night Fights" coverage--when boxer Daniel Edouard was hurt badly by super-middleweight opponent Peter Manfredo, Jr. and appeared totally dazed: "Edouard's legs are like sticks blowing in the wind."..........TRIVIA QUESTION: A pair of players with the same surname led the 1986-'87 Washington Bullets (coached by Kevin Loughery) in scoring. Can you name this talented duo? Answer to follow..........I came across a picture of lovely actress Sharon Stone the other day--stepping out on the streets of Paris recently. As far as her aging and current looks are concerned, let me use a baseball analogy: She may no longer be a "40-40" player, but she can still hit 35 round-trippers and swipe 30 bases for any team she plays for..........If Brett Favre ever receives an endorsement deal from a cell phone manufacturer/carrier--praising a certain phone's texting capabilities--I'm giving up following sports FOREVER..........This week in sports history, January 25, 1960: Philadelphia Warriors rookie center Wilt Chamberlain enjoys a game for the ages--scoring 58 points and pulling down 42 rebounds during his team's 127-117 victory over Detroit in a game played in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The 7-footer connected on 24 field goal attempts and added ten free throws; 23 of his points came in the fourth quarter when the Warriors were able to put the game away. Chamberlain's 58-point effort was the second-highest single-game performance in league history; Lakers forward Elgin Baylor had set the record earlier that year when he scored 64 in a single game vs. Boston.........."Raven" Update: My good friend Robert "Raven" Kraft of Miami Beach, well, he just keeps on goin'. This past January 1st, this amazing individual completed his 36th consecutive year of running his daily, 8-mile route--WITHOUT ever having missed a day. Yes, folks, that's over 13,000 consecutive days covering a total of over 105,000 miles. Yeah, some accomplishments need no follow-up, editorial input. Find out more about this remarkable man--AND ongoing streak--by logging onto www.ravenrun.net ..........Answer to trivia question: MOSES MALONE (24.1 ppg) and JEFF MALONE (22.0)..........Of the following, which is more likely to be a higher number: the number of times that Celtics color man Tom Heinsohn will complain about officiating on NESN telecasts this year or the total number of recruiting violations at Texas Tech during the 2007-2009 Mike Leach era?..........And who has aged better over the past five years: Mariano Rivera or Michelle Pfeiffer?..........I'll remind my readers about a terrific, non-profit organization out there: Pitch In For Baseball. Have any "gently-used" baseball gloves, bats, helmets, catcher's mitts, etc. that may be collecting dust in a closet somewhere? Your donation will be used to introduce the game of baseball to kids around the globe; monetary funds can also help to store/ship equipment to children internationally as well as purchase new equipment. If you can help, please visit www.pitchinforbaseball.org or email my friend Angela directly at angela@pitchinforbaseball.org ..........Happy birthday wishes go out to former NBA forward Ralph Ogden--who blows out 63 candles on January 25th. The name may not ring a bell--and for good reason: Ogden played just ONE season in the league--appearing in 32 games for the 1970-'71 San Francisco Warriors. A 6'5" forward who played his college ball at Santa Clara, Ogden didn't exactly rip up the nets during his NBA career, either. He had a total of 71 field goal attempts in his career and converted just 17 of them--thus resulting in a lifetime FG percentage of just .239. Hey--they all can't be like the aforementioned Elgin Baylor, right? Best wishes, Ralph..........Finally, condolences go out to the family of Pennsylvania high school football coaching legend Larry Bruno--who died recently at the age of 88. Bruno coached Hall of Fame QB Joe Namath at Beaver Falls High--guiding Namath and the Tigers to a 10-0 season and a WPIAL football championship in 1960. Bruno also served as head coach at Monaca High from 1949-1958; he then led Beaver Falls from 1959-1978--compiling a record of 184-52-9 as Tigers coach. A great running back at Geneva College, Bruno was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1947 but decided to concentrate on high school football coaching instead. In 1985, Bruno was chosen to present Namath at his 1985 Hall of Fame induction ceremony; Namath remarked that day, "Bruno helped me immensely in my life--it has carried over to now. I was heading in some directions that could have been wrong directions. Well, Coach Bruno helped me a heck of a lot--steered me right." Bruno is survived by a son, daughter, sister, two grandchildren, and one great-grandchild; rest in peace, "Coach."