Lazzari's Sports Roundup 12/24/08
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by: Bob Lazzari | Staff Columnist - NY Sports Day | Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Lazzari's "Lopsided Score of the Week": In a Connecticut girls high school basketball game played last week, Avon annihilated Enfield 73-13; the winning squad held a staggering 64-7 lead after three quarters. If I'm the Enfield coach, I inject a smidgen of comforting humor toward the end of this laugher and offer the following to my team during a timeout: "O.K., gals--let's just hope that SANTA treats you a little bit better than Avon did tonight!!"..........TRIVIA QUESTION: The lowly 1983-'84 Pittsburgh Penguins had just one player on the team who tallied more than 60 points. Can you name this individual? Answer to follow..........What's NOT to like about Patriots WR Wes Welker? Here's a guy who was leading the NFL in receptions going into last weekend's games; he stands 5'9" tall and weighs MAYBE 185 pounds. In fact, LB Junior Seau is on record as saying that, pound-for pound, Welker may be the toughest player in the league. Welker also runs the 83 Foundation--which aims to help the at-risk youth in his hometown of Oklahoma City. CBS' Randy Cross on a recent telecast: "What's exceptional about Welker is that he has speed--but he also has it IN-BETWEEN THE EARS"..........This week in sports history, December 22, 1969: "Pistol" Pete Maravich scores 46 points--the most ever by a player at the Gill Coliseum in Oregon--leading the LSU Tigers to a 76-68 victory over Oregon State. The game featured a fight between LSU's Al Sanders and OSU's Vince Fritz--causing both benches to empty. In the end, Maravich proved to be too much for Oregon State to handle as he scored 30 of his points from the foul line (an NCAA record)--missing only ONE of his 31 free throws..........I'd love to see former LPGA player Donna White hook up with former major league catcher Steve Christmas. If they ever walked down the aisle, Irving Berlin/Bing Crosby fans everywhere (especially THIS time of year) would surely delight in her full married name of Donna White Christmas. And if former LPGA player Mary Bryan married ex-NFL RB Floyd Little, divorced, then married Christmas, carolers could then call her Mary Little Christmas .........Looking for a great sports book to read around the holidays? Check out Life Is More Than 9 Innings by former major league pitcher Frank Sullivan. Recently elected to the Red Sox Hall of Fame, Sullivan details various stages of his 10-year career at a simpler time when baseball was, well, BASEBALL. A master storyteller, Sullivan also chronicles various human interest tales away from the field--making it an enjoyable read for both the serious sports fan AND casual reader. More info about this fine publication can be found by visiting www.hawaiipublisher.com.......... The "Unwatchable NBA" Update: How 'bout the New Jersey Nets--who shot just 31% from the field (26-for-83) during a 22-point loss to Toronto last week? Nets star Vince Carter was symbolic of his team's woes that evening as he shot a pathetic 0-for-13 from the field (you read that correctly, folks). With THAT kind of aim, I'm surprised that Carter was able to fit his feet into SNEAKERS prior to the game..........Answer to trivia question: Center MIKE BULLARD--who scored 51 goals and assisted on 41 others for a total of 92 points..........Some humorous/notable quotes on WFAN Radio last week. Host Steve Somers--referring to newly-signed/300-pound pitcher CC Sabathia--said that his initials could very well stand for "Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger." Adam "The Bull" Gerstenhaber also put his two cents in regarding Sabathia by offering this: "If CC says he signed with New York for anything BUT the money, I may throw up on myself." Finally, on a more serious note, Mike Francesa captured the current, troubling economic times by saying, "Even the NFL--which is GOLD-PLATED--just laid off 150 people."..........Happy birthday wishes go out to former pro basketball player Dave Robisch--who blows out 59 candles on December 22nd. A Cincinnati native who played college ball at Kansas, Robisch played five seasons in the old ABA and eight in the NBA; among his various NBA employers were the Lakers, Cavaliers, and Nuggets. A veteran of 930 pro games, Robisch's best NBA season came in '79-80 while in Cleveland--a year in which he averaged 15.3 points and 8 rebounds per game. Robisch is currently an elected official in Springfield, IL; best wishes Dave..........Finally, condolences go out to the family of former college football coach Phil Ball--who died recently at the age of 83 after a long illness. Ball was the head coach at Central Oklahoma from 1964-1976--compiling an impressive lifetime record of 82-46-6. While at UCO, Ball coached 85 All-Conference players--including a few who were selected in the NFL draft. An incredibly intelligent man, Ball earned a Doctorate degree from Oklahoma State after his coaching career ended and continued to teach until his retirement in 1993. Rest in peace, "Coach."
