[CNOTES]

Len's Top 5

TGIF everyone, here's my Top 5 for November 20, 2009 from Len Berman.

1. Quick Hits

Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants wins the National League Cy Young award for the 2nd straight year.
Starting today, baseball free agents are free to sign with any team. Who will be shopping in this economy?
Ireland's demand is rejected that their World Cup qualifying soccer loss to France be replayed. France won the game thanks to an obvious handball. Major League baseball umpires are relieved that for once it wasn't their fault.

2. Crime and Punishment

It only took 7 years but it looks like former NBA star Jayson Williams will finally head to jail for shooting his limo driver to death. He will reportedly plead guilty today and get 3 years (a minimum of 18 months). I can't help but feel sad. Jayson was one of my favorite all time interviews. Right behind O.J. Simpson. Am I a great judge of character or what?

3. Homework

Here's your weekend assignment boys and girls. Steve B. messaged me on Facebook at "Len Berman's Top 5" with an interesting question. He wondered if there was another pair of athletes like the Yankees Mariano Rivera and the Devils Martin Brodeur? Two of the all time greats in the same market, at the same time, who played their entire careers with one team. I can think of Ted Williams and Bill Russell in Boston. Anyone else?

4. Friday Mailbag

In response to the suggestion that if football players didn't wear helmets they would play less violently and there would be fewer head injuries, S.V. sarcastically writes: "We could stop requiring seat belts in our cars, and maybe we would all drive more carefully."
But rugby player D.L. points out that rugby players don't wear helmets, he writes: " If you looked at the concussion rates between football and rugby at each level I will bet that rugby would be significantly below football." And D.A. says: "If you really want to eliminate reckless play, have them go without cups. you could turn hockey into ice dancing.
Editor's Note: Ooh, with the Olympics right around the corner, ice dancing rears its ugly head.

In response to the New York sports fan who wrote: "The Giants suck, the Jets suck, the Knicks suck, the Nets suck and I cannot watch hockey." J.F. responds from Chicago: "Oh cry me a river. New York is more competitive in every sports league every year than any other city on the country. Try being a fan in a town that only has one or two franchises that always stink, say Kansas city. NY'ers don't know how good they have it."

As for The Who (whose music is used on CSI) playing at halftime of the upcoming Super bowl, "dances_w_vowels" tweeted me @LenBermanSports, "So what we know, the Super Bowl is on CBS, in Miami, starring The Who at halftime. Is David Caruso investigating replays?"
Editor's Note: I always wanted to dance with vowels.

And from B.B. "If the Knicks get Iverson, maybe they'll have some "Curry-ier & Ives-rson" moments for the upcoming holidays..."
Editor's Note: Groan, Groan, and more Groans.

5. What's Your Moment?

In conjunction with my new kids book "The Greatest Moments in Sports," fans are voting for their favorite all time moment at my website. So far you've voted for lots of baseball with Jackie Robinson, the Red Sox comeback against the Yankees and a couple of Derek Jeter moments (His flying catch into the stands and his November World Series homer). And many of you voted for the "Miracle on Ice," the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team. We chose that as the #1 sports moment of all time in my book.
If you want to join the party, go to Vote Now: What's Your Greatest Sports Moment?

Happy Birthday: Red Sox right fielder J.D. Drew. 34.
Bonus Birthday: The perfect "10," actress Bo Derek. 53.
Bobby Kennedy would have been 84 today.

Today in Sports: The late great Walter Payton of the Bears sets the record by rushing 275 yards against Minnesota. (The current record holder is Adrian Peterson of the Vikings 296). 1977.
Bonus Event: 7 year old Drew Barrymore hosts Saturday Night Live. 1982.

I have a book signing tomorrow at noon at the Barnes and Noble in Manhasset on Long Island.