"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" - - - - 2/9/13

*ATTENTION--all who enjoy bowling (whether you've bowled 300 games in the past or have trouble breaking 100): Mark your calendars--Sunday, April 14, 2013 from 12:00 Noon to 3:00 PM. Join the Connecticut Epilepsy Advocate's "Strike Out Epilepsy" event. This is one of the annual events the Connecticut Epilepsy Advocate holds to make people more aware about epilepsy. Parties can have up to six people per lane while pizza and soda will be served at each lane. You will enjoy hours of bowling and help people with epilepsy, their family members, and friends living with epilepsy. This special event will be held at Milford Lanes--located at 1717 Boston Post Road, Milford, CT. General donations of any amount are truly appreciated. The entry fee is $30.00 per person; also, there are two levels of sponsorship banners to choose from that will be displayed above the bowling lanes (regular--$200.00/platinum--$300.00). Registration forms, flyers, and sponsorship banners are available on the organization's web site 'Events' page at www.ct-ea.org. You can register/pay on line; you can also send checks directly to Connecticut Epilepsy Advocate, Inc. 20 Salem Walk, Milford, CT 06460-7132..........TRIVIA QUESTION: The 2000-'01 New Jersey Devils--who won 48 games under coach Larry Robinson--had three players on the squad who tallied 35 or more goals apiece. Can you name this trio? Answer to follow..........Karen Newman of Old Greenwich--who overcame breast cancer to become one of the world's top age group triathletes--will receive the Bob Casey Courage Award from the CT Sports Writers' Alliance at its 72nd Gold Key Dinner on Sunday, April 28th at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington. Newman, 51, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, but did not let this medical condition curtail her triathlon efforts. Last August, she finished eighth in the women's 50-54 age group at the USA Triathlon National Championships; she also finished second in her age category at a triathlon in New Zealand last October. Newman will be honored that day along with various others (including former NBA player Mike Gminski). Tickets to the 2013 Gold Key Dinner--which begins at 4PM--can be purchased by either contacting Alliance President George Albano at (203)434-2320 or by emailing VP/dinner chairman Bob Ehalt at Ehalt.Bob@sbcglobal.net..........I used to think that a Roger Federer backhand was the ultimate thing of beauty. That all changed recently when I saw the red gown that actress Jessica Chastain was wearing at the 2013 SAG Awards; my goodness..........Lazzari's "Lopsided Score of the Week": In a CT high school girls basketball game a few weeks back, Mercy annihilated Hamden 73-11; the winning squad outscored its overmatched opponent by a combined score of 52-0 in the first and third quarters of this fiasco. Question: With a name like "Mercy", shouldn't this score have been just a LITTLE bit closer?..........Talk about BALANCE: The 1990-'91 Boston Celtics had SIX players who scored more than 1,000 points that season (Reggie Lewis, Kevin Gamble, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Larry Bird, and Brian Shaw). However, they ended up losing to Detroit in the Eastern Conference semifinals--who just happened to be the best defensive team in the NBA..........One of the great inspirational quotes of all-time--from the late, great distance runner Steve Prefontaine: "How does a kid from Coos Bay--with one leg longer than the other--win races? All my life, people have been telling me, 'You're too small, Pre', 'You're not fast enough, Pre', 'Give up your foolish dream, Steve'. But they forgot something: I HAVE TO WIN."..........Any pro basketball fans out there--who remember the 70's/80's--stuck with a case of the "winter blues?" Here's the cure: Find a recording of former 76ers PA announcer Dave Zinkoff doing his pre-game introduction of Julius Errrrrrrrrrrving!!! I GUARANTEE that puts a smile on your face; there was only ONE "ZINK", my friends..........Answer to trivia question: ALEXANDER MOGILNY (43), PATRIK ELIAS (40), and PETR SYKORA (35)..........Finally, almost eerily quiet was the unfortunate death of former college/pro basketball player Jerome Whitehead at the end of December. Sadly, he was found dead by his sister in his southern California home--the victim of a gastrointestinal hemorrhage related to chronic alcohol abuse; he was 56. Whitehead was best-known for helping Marquette to the 1977 national championship; his game-winning basket at the buzzer during a semifinal win over UNC-Charlotte was an unforgettable highlight of that remarkable season under coach Al McGuire. Whitehead was chosen in the second round of the 1978 draft by the San Diego Clippers; he'd go on to play 11 seasons in the NBA for six different teams--averaging 6.5 pts/4.8 rebounds a game for his career. His best year came during the 1981-'82 season while in San Diego--a season when he put up career highs of 13.8 ppg/9.2 rpg. Altogether, Jerome Whitehead played in 679 NBA games and scored 4,423 points. Yes, his life may have had a sad ending, but he continues to give many of us college basketball fans some wonderful memories. May Jerome Whitehead rest in peace.