"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" - - - - 8/11/12

How' bout Carmelo Anthony of Team USA scoring 37 points in just 14 MINUTES last week during an Olympic game vs. Nigeria? My good friend, Pennsylvania radio personality Keith Rice, commenting about 'Melo's heroics: "Those are NERF basketball numbers!"..........TRIVIA QUESTION: Who was the last member of the Detroit Tigers to lead the American League in runs scored? Answer to follow..........ITEM: Texas-San Antonio safety Adefemi Adekeye is kicked off the football team after being charged with aggravated robbery; he allegedly pistol-whipped a man who was trying to buy an ounce of marijuana from him at a San Antonio housing complex. My first thought? Adekeye was born 175 years too late; a small band of Texans could have benefited from his familiarity with weapons while defending a nearby place called the Alamo back in 1836..........Lazzari's "Lopsided Score of the Week": Speaking of the U.S. Olympic team (of NBA stars): The final score of that game last week vs. Nigeria was 156-73. I haven't seen anything THAT ugly since a former roommate of mine at Fordham tried curling the hairs on his BACK after a long evening of imbibing at a Bronx bar..........This week in sports history, August 14, 1977: Lanny Wadkins makes par on the third playoff hole--enabling him to win the PGA Championship after having trailed by five strokes on the back nine of regulation. Gene Littler, a veteran with 29 titles to his credit, fell apart on the back nine--bogeying five holes after having a final round lead. In the sudden death playoff, Wadkins and Littler halved the first two holes, but Littler missed the green on the third and deciding hole--settling for a bogey and giving Lanny his first PGA Championship. Watkins' final round of 70 also included a pair of front-nine eagles..........O.K., here goes: LPGA golfer Jennie Lee marries NY Mets pitching sensation Matt Harvey, divorces, then marries Stanford University football video coordinator Jon Oswald. Would she then go by her full married name of Jennie Lee Harvey Oswald?..........Answer to trivia question: TONY PHILLIPS--who led the league in 1992 with a total of 114..........Currently, I'm not sure what number is higher: The # of NFL players arrested since the Super Bowl or the # of days here in New England this summer when there's been a chance for thunderstorms..........Did you know that, in 1990, closer Dennis Eckersley of the Oakland A's pitched 73.1 innings and walked a total of FOUR batters the entire season (one intentionally)? Amazingly, that averages out to walking just 0.5 batters per every nine innings he pitched..........More Olympic basketball humor: After the U.S. beat Lithuania last weekend--with LeBron James scoring eight of his 20 points in the last four minutes--sports author Mike Shalin sent me this message: "Is it safe to say that Lithuania got 'Le-Bronzed'?"..........Happy birthday wishes go out to former major league infielder Fred "Chicken" Stanley--who blows out 65 candles on August 13th. Drafted by the Astros in the eighth round of the 1966 draft, Stanley played 14 seasons for five different clubs between 1969 and 1982. Bottom line? Stanley was your typical "good field/no hit"-type player; in 1,650 MLB at-bats, "Chicken" hit just 10 home runs and compiled a lifetime batting average of just .216. However, he can "hang his hat" on the fact that he was a member of the '77 and '78 NY Yankees world championship squads. Currently, Stanley serves as the Director of Player Development for the S.F. Giants; best wishes, Fred..........Finally, condolences go out to the family of former University of Michigan golf coach Tom Simon--who passed away recently at the age of 83. Simon became Michigan's women's coach in 1975 and ultimately took over the men's team in 1978; he coached both squads until 1982. Simon--who recorded thirteen holes-in-one during his lifetime--was once a student of the great Byron Nelson while working as a caddy at the Inverness Country Club in Toledo. Tom was able to play just one year on the PGA Tour before serving in the Korean War from 1950-'53 (Third Infantry Division). He later served as a club pro at various country clubs and oversaw the UM golf course from 1969 until he retired in 1988. Ironically, Simon met his wife of 22 years, Emily, during a golf lesson; the two were able to play/enjoy the game of golf together well into their retirement years. Simon was known for his great sense of humor, too--often jokingly poking fun at both himself and students while giving lessons. In short, Tom Simon will always be remembered as one of the Midwest's top teaching professionals. May he rest in peace.