Tuesday, November 29, 2011

"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" - - - - 12/3/11

Did anyone out there see lovely supermodel Elle Macpherson reporting on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for the "Today Show" last week? She's 47-years-old, folks. If N.Y. Jets running back LaDainian Tomlinson had aged HALF as well as Ms. Macpherson has, then his team would be atop the AFC East by two or three games at this juncture...........TRIVIA QUESTION: The 2001 Jacksonville Jaguars--who finished 6-10 under coach Tom Coughlin--were led in rushing by a running back who tallied nearly HALF of his total career rushing yardage during that one season. Can you name this former player? Answer to follow..........Picture this: Noted east-coast-based executive chef Debra Queen marries ex-NBA player Kareem Rush, divorces, marries former MLB outfielder Daryl Boston--divorces again--then marries University of Miami assistant athletic director Ben Creed. Fans of rock music would surely enjoy seeing her cooking up a storm with the full married name of Debra Queen Rush Boston Creed..........This week in sports history, December 6, 1984: Tennis star Martina Navratilova's dream of a Grand Slam comes to a halt as she loses in three sets to 19-year-old Helena Sukova at the Australian Open. Martina was seeking the 100th title of her career and had not lost since the previous January; she had been victorious earlier in the year at the French, Wimbledon, and U.S. Open championships. Sukova's 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory also ended Navratilova's record winning streak of 74 consecutive matches..........ITEM: Vanderbilt football player Andre Simmons is suspended after being charged with felony counts of burglary and robbery; Simmons and an accomplice allegedly entered a dorm room and held a fellow student at gunpoint while making off with $5,000. Simmons had played in just one game this season--on special teams. Sheesh, I've heard of the term "gunner" before in reference to special teams play on the gridiron, but it's NOT supposed to come to mind when referring to college life/on-campus dorm living..........Did you know that the 1983 Detroit Lions had FIVE players on the team who tallied more than 400 yards receiving apiece? Jeff Chadwick, James Jones, Mark Nichols, Billy Sims, and Leonard Thompson each toppled the 400-yard mark--with Thompson leading the way with a total of 752. The team finished 9-7 that year under coach Monte Clark--winning the NFC Central--but eventually lost in the playoffs to the S.F. 49ers.........Answer to trivia question: STACEY MACK--who ran for 877 yards that year while tallying 1,751 total rushing yards over the course of a five-year career..........How 'bout the women's basketball game between UCONN and Fairleigh Dickenson last week--won by the Huskies 74-28? UCONN led this "laugher" 44-5 at halftime (not a misprint, folks) while FDU shot 9-for-55 (you read that correctly--that's 16%) from the field during this fiasco. I haven't seen anything THAT ugly since a former male roommate of mine at Fordham donned pantyhose before going to see "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" for the very first time..........Happy birthday wishes go out to former NFL punter Douglas Riggs "Bucky" Dilts--who blows out 58 candles on December 6th. A left-footed punter who attended Georgia, Dilts played in the league for just three seasons between 1977 and 1979 as a member of the Broncos and Colts. A very small man in stature (5'9" tall), Dilts averaged just 37.5 yards per punt during his short career; his best season was during his rookie year with Denver when he averaged 39.2 yards per punt. He CAN tell his grandchildren that he played in a Super Bowl as he punted four times when Denver lost to Dallas in Super Bowl XII. Here's wishing you many more birthdays to come, "Bucky"..........Finally, condolences go out to the family of former NBA guard Walt Hazzard--who passed away recently in California from complications of heart surgery; he was 69. Hazzard was co-captain of UCLA's 1964 national championship team under John Wooden; he was also a member of the '64 U.S. Olympic team that won gold. Hazzard went on to play ten seasons in the NBA for five different teams between 1964 and 1974. His best year came in '67-'68 while with Seattle--a year in which he averaged 24 points and 6.2 assists per game. He later coached his alma mater for four seasons during the 1980's--compiling a record of 77-47. He is survived by a wife, Jaleesa, and four sons; may Walt Hazzard rest in peace.

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