"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" - - - - 10/29/11

Just wondering: Do you think Red Sox fans would have been a little less upset if it was uncovered that the team's starting pitchers had been eating Chicken Cordon Bleu in the clubhouse this past season instead of plain old FRIED chicken?..........TRIVIA QUESTION: The 1992 Cincinnati Bengals were led in rushing by a RB who enjoyed his only 1,000+ yard season that year. Can you name this former player? Answer to follow..........If NY Jets coach Rex Ryan doesn't do or say anything that is totally outrageous before Thanksgiving, then yours truly is dating Charlize Theron by the end of 2011..........Just imagine if retired LPGA player Cathy Mockett married Florida dog trainer John Lockett, divorced, married ex-NFL RB Zack Crockett--divorced again--then married Ansonia High (CT) football coach Tom Brockett. She'd be roaming fairways with the full, catchy name of Cathy Mockett Lockett Crockett Brockett..........Is it me--or has actress Courteney Cox aged WAY better than a pitcher like Jamie Moyer or Tim Wakefield could EVER imagine?..........Did you know that, in 2003, running back Clinton Portis of the Denver Broncos rushed for an impressive total of nearly 1,600 yards--but still only finished FIFTH in the NFL in total rushing yardage? Deuce McAllister, LaDainian Tomlinson, Ahman Green, and Jamal Lewis all finished ahead of Portis--with Lewis leading the league with a robust total of 2,066..........ITEM: University of Alabama running back Brent Calloway is arrested in Tuscaloosa for possessing marijuana; the vehicle in which he was riding was stopped on Paul Bryant Drive. I can only relay to my readers that Calloway is very lucky that he wasn't born years ago and was PLAYING for the "Bear." I'm now imagining how much "self -medicating" Calloway would have done had he been forced to endure the next PRACTICE that Mr. Bryant would have put him through..........ITEM: Former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis is being awarded an honorary degree by Wilfrid Laurier University in Canada. Yes--this is the same Lennox Lewis who defended Londoner David Haye's disgraceful actions this past summer; Haye had become involved in some awful trash-talking before his fight with champion Wladimir Klitschko and even wore T-shirts depicting him holding the severed heads of both Klitschko and his brother Vitali. Yes--just further evidence of what kind of INSANE world we live in, folks..........Answer to trivia question: HAROLD GREEN--who rushed for 1,170 yards in 1992; he rushed for 4,365 total yards in a career that spanned from 1990-'98 as a member of the Bengals, Rams, and Falcons..........Funny how memories of our youth often pop up and produce a welcomed chuckle. I remember how my friend, Bob, used to tell me years ago why he was CONVINCED his mailman was reading his copy of the Sporting News before it was delivered to him each week. "How could you tell?," I'd ask him. "Well," he'd say, "I knew that he liked to order pizza from the local parlor while on his route--and when my copy was finally delivered late in the day, it was wrinkled and had SAUCE stains all over it."..........Happy birthday wishes go out to former NFL running back/current coach Sherman Smith--who blows out 57 candles on November 1st. A product of Miami (OH), Smith played eight years in the league between 1976 and 1983--mostly as a member of the Seahawks. His best year came in 1978 when he gained 805 yards rushing and averaged 4.9 yards per carry. He later became the offensive coordinator for the Washington Redskins under Jim Zorn and is currently the running backs coach for the Seahawks; best wishes, Sherman..........Finally, condolences go out to the family of former Nebraska football player Lyle Kops--who passed away recently at the age of 84; he had suffered from Parkinson's disease along with some other debilitating ailments. Amazingly, Kops enrolled at Nebraska when he was just 16 and is considered to be one of the youngest college football players ever. He played tackle for the Cornhuskers in 1943 and 1944 (teams that were depleted roster-wise due to the war) before joining the Merchant Marines. Sadly, Kops was never able to return to Nebraska to finish his playing career after his mother became involved in a terrible car accident. Rather, he returned home to help out on the family ranch and continued to do so for over 50 years. Kops is survived by his wife, Jean, five daughters, and a dozen grandchildren. May Lyle Kops rest in peace.