5 at 10: Baseball records, NBA playoffs and Boise State in the NCAA crosshairs

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Hope all is well in your world, and the 5-at-10 has to say, we're stoked about the 2012 NFL draft (kidding, kidding - sort of).

From the "7-UP Stinks Studios," here we go...

photo Center fielder Joe DiMaggio has the moral support of his brother, Dominic DiMaggio (center) and his father, Joe DiMaggio, Sr., (right) for the World Series battle with the New York Giants opening October 6, 1937. (AP Photo/Tom Sande)

Halfway to the unthinkable

The 5-at-10 grew up a Dodgers fan. Loved the uniforms, the way the stadium looked on TV, the whole deal.

Well, the Dodgers have supplied few highlights for the last couple of decades, especially recently with all this divorce stuff between the owners and Judge Judy/Judge Wapner needing offices in Dodger Stadium.

Anyhoo, the 5-at-10 wanted to share that L.A. outfielder Andre Ethier has now hit in 28 consecutive games. As awesome as that is at the big-league level, Ethier is just halfway to the all-time record of 56 set by Joe DiMaggio in 1941.

Well, that brings us to a quick top five in 10 words or less about sports' most-difficult-to-break-records (yes, one of our semi-famous 5-in-10s by the 5-at-10, copyright pending):

- All-time marjo league pitching wins (511) set by Cy Young: That's 25 wins for 20 seasons - and you're still short.

- Rocky Marciano goes 49-0: This won't happen since boxing folded. What? There's still boxing?

- Richard Petty's 200 career NASCAR wins: Simply too many and too much competition today.

- Ty Cobb's .366 career average: Ichiro is the best hitter alive, and he's at .331.

- UCLA winning seven consecutive men's basketball championships: Uh, not happening. EVER.

photo Boise State drives down the blue artificial turf in a Thursday, Sept. 7, 2006, victory over Oregon State in a football game. (AP Photo/Idaho Press-Tribune, Greg Kreller)

Boise State really in the spotlight now

Boise State has been the Cinderella darling of college football for the last decade or so. The BCS-busting Broncos now are really among the elite in college athletics: The NCAA is investigating Boise State.

From the Idaho Statesman: "Boise State responded Monday night to the NCAA regarding rule violations in football, men's tennis, men's and women's track and field, and a major violation in women's tennis. The combination of several secondary violations and the major one has led the NCAA to allege a lack of institutional control within Boise State athletics. An NCAA inquiry contained 22 allegations from 2005-2010 and asked for additional information from the university pertaining to each, according to a Boise State press release. The university formally responded April 25, and the NCAA Committee on Infractions will review the response June 10. A final NCAA report is expected to take several more months."

OK, nowhere in that passage does it mention the blue turf, but that should at least be a secondary violation, right? It seems this will be more of a slap-on-the-wrist deal, though, and you want to know why? Because BSU appears to have told the truth to the NCAA. Novel approach, huh? Let's move along.

Seriously, Boise State self-investigated and self-reported a lot of this in May 2010. Then the women's tennis team committed a major infraction that forced the coaches to be removed in October 2010, so the NCAA began investigating.

OK, how big of a gasket would Nick Saban blow if the Alabama athletic department had the NCAA coming to town because of some women's tennis violations? Holy Little Debbie Fallout Shelter it would get bad.

photo Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose, left, looks for a shot against Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague during the third quarter in Game 1 of a second-round NBA basketball playoff series Monday, May 2, 2011, in Chicago. Atlanta won 103-95. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Wow, who saw that coming?

Dallas wins in L.A. by a bucket; the Hawks win with surprising ease at Chicago.

If you're scoring at home that means the Lakers, Celtics, Bulls and Thunder are each down 1-0 in their conference semifinals series. Yes, NBA commissioner David Stern is less than thrilled about this.

Last night the Hawks were control from the start and cruised to a 103-95 win. Chicago has got to find someone who can knock down shots. Derrick Rose, who is obviously affected by that bum ankle he re-tweaked late Monday night, will create open looks, but open looks followed by bricks are still bricks. (Sidenote: A Hawks official left two tickets for Monday's game at the gate for Magic guard Jameer Nelson, who was caught on camera late in the regular season telling Rose, "See you in the second round." Nice.)

The 5-at-10 is as guilty as anyone for underestimating Dirk Nowitzki's game, and the big German paced the Mavs as they stole game one Monday 96-94 in L.A. (Sidenote: The big reason the Mavs won was they kept Kobe Bryant from the rim. Kobe was awesome - he hit 14-of-29 shots, including 4 of 9 from 3 - but all of one of his fielg-goal attempts came inside 11 feet. If Bryant is going to work that hard for his 36 points, the Mavs have done their job.)

For what it's worth, if the Hawks and Grizzlies meet in the NBA Finals, well, the NBA may start the lockout early.

photo John Velazquez rides Uncle Mo to victory during the Juvenile race at the Breeder's Cup horse races at Churchill Downs, in Louisville, Kentucky (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)

Derby drama

Uncle Mo is the favorite in this year's Kentucky Derby - and hold on to your hat for a horse racing factoid - and Mo finished third at the Wood Memorial, just like Secretriat did before rolling in the Derby. Not sayin' anything, just sayin.'

Anyhoo, the first annual 5-at-10 Derby Drama First-In, Last-In Challenge is as it sounds - pick the horse that finishes first and the horse that finishes last. Uncle Mo may be the favorite Saturday at Chruchill Downs, but the favorite here among the 5-at-10 clan is no doubt KBurg, who jumpstarted this contest back before the Masters.

There you have. Have at it.

We'll update the picks later today.

photo Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Jair Jurrjens (49) works against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning of a baseball game in Atlanta on Monday, May 2, 2011. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

This and That

- The Braves got another strong start from Jair Jurrjens and some big hits from David Ross (dude can hit the long ball) and Alex Gonzalez in a 6-2 win over Milwaukee. Let's not get overhyped about this, but if Atlanta goes on a little run here, let's circle Sunday's rally and walk-off hit by Brooks Conrad.

- UT caravan rolls into Cleveland this week and into Chatta-Vegas next week. HERE are the details.

- Had to include THIS because it reminds us of the positive power of sports. What a great story from Lindsey Young on how some rival schools are trying to raise money for Ringgold, which had a lot of its athletic facilities hammered in the recent storms.

Until tomorrow and remember about the first annual 5-at-10 Derby Drama First-In, Last-In Challenge.