"Lazzari's Sports Roundup" - - - - 3/9/13

Speaking to my good friend Bill Chapman recently (a noted Negro Leagues historian/Harvard employee), I told him that I had just returned from picking up a friend at Boston's Logan Airport and had passed Fenway Park along the way. With wind chills around ZERO, I remarked to Mr. Chapman that I don't ever remember being in the vicinity of Fenway when it was THAT frigid. His response to me? "Reminds me of some of my past girlfriends, Bob!" (hey, I'm just the messenger, gals!)..........TRIVIA QUESTION: The 1992-'93 Philadelphia Flyers--who failed to make the NHL playoffs under coach Bill Dineen--had FOUR players on the squad who tallied 35 or more goals apiece. Can you name this quartet? Answer to follow..........Did you know that the 1986-'87 Denver Nuggets averaged over 116 points per game--yet finished with a sub-.500 record (37-45)? That team's "albatross?" DEFENSE, as they allowed close to 118 per game (the highest total in the NBA)..........You've heard of the term "one smart cookie", right? Well, let me add a similar one: "one intelligent Pancake", as in BROOKE PANCAKE--the LPGA rookie who graduated from the University of Alabama last May with a marketing degree along with a 4.0 GPA..........ITEM: Syracuse football players Davon Walls and Markus Pierce-Brewster are arrested after being caught on a University surveillance video stealing an Xbox, two Ipods, several video games, and a TV set. My first reaction? I was just wondering if either one of these "scholars" was majoring in Citizenship and Civic Engagement--a course of study offered at SU.........We often talk about individual records/single-season marks that may never be toppled again. One that goes under the radar screen is Jose Calderon's remarkable free-throw percentage of .981 during the 2008-'09 season as a member of the Toronto Raptors (minimum 125 attempts). That year, he drained 151-of-154 from the foul-line; yes--simply mind boggling, folks..........Just wonderin': Do they charge admission to take tours of "St. Jetersburg" down in Florida when Derek is out of town?..........A simple test to see if you are an avid, TRUE tennis fan: You can correctly pronounce the name of Russian tennis player Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on the very first try..........*GREAT CAUSE: The Yale athletic department will once again hold the Mandi Schwartz Marrow Donor Registration Drive--Thursday, April 18th from 10AM-4PM. This is in memory of Mandi--the former Yale hockey player who passed away in 2011; her courageous battle with cancer has led to various efforts aimed at saving lives through marrow donations. The drive, which takes place at Commons on the corner of College and Grove Streets in New Haven, is open to the general public. Donors that could save lives are identified through testing that consists of simple cheek swabs. For more information on this special event, contact Larry Ciotti (Yale football) at larry.ciotti@yale.edu or call (203)671-9805..........Just thinkin': If German tennis player Mona Barthel ever walked down the aisle with Pennsylvania real estate investor James Lisa, fans of da Vinci's work would surely delight in her new, married name of Mona Lisa..........Answer to trivia question: MARK RECCHI (53), ERIC LINDROS (41), ROD BRIND'AMOUR (37), and KEVIN DINEEN (35)..........Finally, condolences go out to the family of John Pagliaro, Sr. of Milford (CT)--who passed away recently at the age of 80. Mr. Pagliaro was the father of former Derby High/Yale football great John Pagliaro, Jr. (a two-time Ivy League MVP); his grandson John also played football at Yale. Mr. Pagliaro was one of those devoted, blue-collar fathers back in the day--having worked for the Derby Post Office for 37 years while raising a family. Being a friend of his daughter Johanna, my only regret is that I never had the opportunity of knowing her Dad just a little bit better. He was a big Yale football and Boston Red Sox fan; yes, he truly fostered a sports-loving family during his adult life. You'll be missed, "Mr. Pags"; may you rest in peace.