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An interesting poll question this week on HOFN.com asks which MLB record will never be broken? Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak. Cal Ripken’s 2,632 consecutive games-played. Pete Rose’s 4,256 hits. Nolan Ryan’s 7 no-hitters. Cy Young’s 511 wins.

Despite the saying “records are meant to be broken,” I think all will stand the test of time. The game has changed too much for these records to be threatened. However, to play the ranking-game, here’s how I’d list the chances of them falling – with the least likely to be broken ranked #1.

5. DiMaggio’s 56: Of the five records, this could be in most jeopardy…someday. In recent years (1978), Pete Rose made it to 44-games. In 1987, Paul Molitor got stopped after 39. So while I think this record is safe, I would never say never.

4. Rose’s 4,256 hits: This record will not be broken in my lifetime, but who knows what the future could bring. Maybe there’s a Roy Hobbs out there in high school who will keep away from that enticing woman and soon make his mark in MLB. However, the young Mr. Hobbs better be more durable than today’s player, as it would take 213 hits per season for 20-years to overtake Pete.

3. Ryan’s 7 no-hitters: Not a chance. However, the next two records are even less likely to fall in my book, so Nolan gets the number 3 spot. Did you know he also threw 12 1-hitters and 18 2-hitters? And he never won a Cy Young award! Figure that one out. Nolan, your record is safe.

2. Ripken’s 2,632 consecutive games played: Can you imagine a MLB player going 16+ years without missing a game? First, try to get one to play 162 consecutive games. Many baseball experts were proven wrong when they said Gehrig’s 2,130 game streak would never be broken, but they broke the mold after Ripken, so this record will last forever.

1. Cy Young’s 511 wins: When hell freezes over. It boggles my mind every time I read Young’s stats. He also holds the record for innings pitched (7,355), games started (815), and complete games (749). He pitched for 22-years, so you do the math. I guarantee you’ll be amazed by the numbers per season. To break this record, all a pitcher need do is average 20.5 wins per year for 25-years. Never! Never! Never!

Is there an argument which record is #1? I think not.

My all-time favorite male actor has died. Paul Newman was 83.

In a recent article on Elvis, I wrote about my youth being spent in my father’s movie theatres beginning in the early 1950s. Hence, Paul Newman has been in my life since, well…forever.

His first movie that I recall was Somebody Up There Likes Me in 1956. Paul played the role of legendary middleweight boxer, Rocky Graziano. It was also the first film in which Steve McQueen appeared. I was mesmerized. Newman jumped off the screen.

For six decades, he appeared in 60-movies, so picking a favorite is difficult. For a 10-year period from 1958-67, there were his “H” movies (among others): The Long, Hot Summer; Cat on a Hot Tin Roof; The Hustler; Hud; Harper; Hombre; and Cool Hand Luke. I loved them all, but if I had to pick, The Hustler and Cool Hand Luke topped my list.

However, in 1969, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid came along, and it quickly became my all-time Newman favorite. My first viewing of the Newman-Redford hit was with a few college buddies in Jacksonville, Florida. Since then, would you believe I’ve probably seen that movie more than 50 times? (Remember, I lived in movie theatres.) “Who are those guys?”

There were many more great films after Butch and Sundance, including The Sting and his award-winning role in The Color of Money. Needless to say, I could go on and on about his brilliant film career…and don’t forget his charitable ways via his “Newman’s Own Foundation.”

His philanthropy, his movies, his blue eyes, his smile…and who could say it better than Dragline (George Kennedy) from Cool Hand Luke:

He was smiling… That’s right. You know, that, that Luke smile of his. He had it on his face right to the very end. Hell, if they didn’t know it ‘fore, they could tell right then that they weren’t a-gonna beat him. That old Luke smile. Oh, Luke. He was some boy. Cool Hand Luke. Hell, he’s a natural-born world-shaker.

Rest in Peace Paul Newman.

Since the first time I saw him on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson some 40 years ago, I have adored Don Rickles. He was the poster boy for a generation of wise-ass kids like me, Jerry Seinfeld, Richard Lewis, Jerry Shandling, Howard Stern and anyone who has made you laugh in the past 30 years. Hell, he makes Clint Eastwood laugh. Don was the first to say the kind of things we were thinking. For the past 15 years I have been fortunate enough to know Don and his wife Barbara as close personal friends. We did a short-lived TV series together called, Daddy Dearest, but the experience gave us a bond that has grown during the years.

While I was especially thrilled to see Don receive and Emmy award on Sunday night, I was even more excited for the two standing ovations. Many have received Emmys. Few get to feel and experience the love and affection of an entire industry. For years I have called him the Babe Ruth of comedy. Don truly is Mr. Warmth. He is possibly one of the nicest, sweetest people who has ever walked the earth, and I couldn’t be happier for him.
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US golf crowned a few new heroes this week in Anthony Kim, Boo Weekley and to a lesser degree University of Kentucky Alumni JB Holmes and Hunter Mahan….It also again showed Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia to be more sizzle than steak…..with the injury to Tiger Woods, Mickelson and Garcia had golden opportunities to jump into the breach and win a major or carry their Ryder Cup teams to victory. Instead, Paddy Harrington grabbed both Tigerless majors and Mickelson and Garcia were anchors around the necks of their respective teams. Without his partners Kim and Mahan to carry him through the weekend, Mickleson would have been the worse of the 24 players to tee it up at Valhalla….US golf needs something beside Tiger. Finally they have an injection of real personality in Kim, Weekly, Holmes and Mahan. Good night Phil and Sergio.

With similar genes and miles of videotape to imitate, it’s little wonder why sons walk in the cleat prints of their famous fathers. In “The Sons Also Rise,” Jim Weber gets us re-acquainted with some last names like Elway, Montana and Simms.

The Sons Also Rise

“A date that will live in infamy.” Those were the words echoed by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on December 8, 1941, as he referenced the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The ‘greatest generation’ was once again confronted with another emotional, life-changing time in their lives.

The ‘date that will live in infamy’ for a new generation of Americans is now September 11, 2001. We need to remember this day. No, we must remember.

So on September 11, 2008, we must not forget those who perished on that tragic day in American history.

Today we’re not Republicans or Democrats or Independents. We’re Americans.

God bless those who died and their families who carried on. God bless our soldiers. God bless America.

Can the winning continue in New England?

It’s an age-old question in sports…does the player make the coach, or the coach make the player? Would Auerbach have been as successful without Russell? How about Coach Wooden without Lew Alcindor and Walton – or Lombardi without Bart Starr and Paul Hornung?

That’s the question being asked today in New England, as the Brady-less Patriots take the field for the first time in 129 games without the MVP and all-world quarterback.

In case you’ve been in a coma the past few days, Tom Brady is out for the season with a knee injury that occurred in the first quarter of week-1 in the NFL. Since his insertion into the Patriots lineup, after a Bledsoe injury in 2001, Brady started 128 consecutive games – and won 81 percent of them. During that time, the Pats won 3-Super Bowls and played in 5 AFC Championship games. And, outside New England, the Pats became the most hated team in the NFL. Winning will do that.

As Brady’s career blossomed, the ongoing question was – did the Belichick “system” make Brady, or did Brady’s greatness make Belichick? We’ll soon find out.

While a huge fan of both Auerbach and Wooden, I think both men would admit that you can’t win without great players. Sure, with hard work, a coach can get lucky one year. However, to be an ongoing champion, a coach needs players. Great coaches are really good coaches with great players.

The Patriots have multiple great players, so winning should continue, albeit not at an 81 percent clip. However, make no mistake about it. The true greatness of the Patriots lay in Brady. Without him there will be no championship. Without him all the Belichick-haters will become vultures awaiting prey.

Belichick has been a great coach since 2001. He may return to being a good coach in 2008.

'Little' Pedey, not 'Big' Papi, will carry the Red Sox

Where did summer go? If you live in the northeast, Labor Day marks its end. September brings cooler temperatures, pennant drives, and the NFL. Autumn – plus the collision of MLB playoffs and the NFL – is my favorite time of the year.

Pennant fever has hit a few cities, but don’t count Tampa Bay as one of them. If the Rays can’t put fannies in the seats after the storybook season they’ve had, I wonder if the area is a MLB city. The ballpark (if you dare call it that) could be part of the problem, but they couldn’t even sell-out the recent Yankees series during a pennant drive. God knows what will happen to their fan base when the Red Sox cruise by them in September for the AL East title. However, they should still make the playoffs as the Wild Card team – and what an embarrassment for MLB if the catwalks come into play in a game 5 or 7.

Southern California is abuzz with thoughts of a Freeway World Series. The Angles have made a joke out of the AL West, and Manny has brought live back to Dodgers’ blue. My brain tells me Arizona will win the west, but my gut tells me not to bet against ‘Manny being Manny’ down the stretch.

Chicago also looks like the city has two playoff entries forthcoming. The Cubs are a gimmie, but the ChiSox have a struggle on their hands with Minnesota. Unfortunately for the Twins, the RNC took over their Twin Cities – and the schedule makers could have put a nail in their coffin with all the year-end road games. If Tampa Bay totally collapses in September, the only prayer is a Wild Card, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

The Brewers could be the best team in the National League, but I doubt they’ll catch the Cubs. However, as the Wild Card team, they will be Cub fans worst nightmare come playoff time. Cue the Billy Goat!

In the Big Apple, pennant fever just isn’t the same without the Yankees. The New York tabloid back pages will soon be all Mets … a scary thought for the team from Queens. The pressure of the 2007 choke could play a factor in their NL East race with the Phillies. Santana to the rescue.

Here’s a look at my winners and who should be playing baseball in October.

American League
East: Red Sox: ‘Little’ Pedey, not ‘big’ Papi, will carry them. Plus pitching.
Central: White Sox: Twins will loose, hence, ChiSox win.
West: Angels: Too much of everything for a weak west.
WC: Rays: They get in only to have a dream season quickly come to an end.

National League
East: Mets: With a hope and a prayer…and Santana.
Central: Cubs: Oh…the pain the Brewers will eventually inflict.
West: Dodgers: Manny being Manny is enough to get in.
WC: Brewers: As long as CC doesn’t collapse from overuse.

AL Champs: Red Sox: Too much depth, but Beckett needs to be Beckett.
NL Champs: Brewers: Power and a healthy Sabathia and Sheets make them dangerous.

WS Champs: Red Sox: Beckett, Lester and Dice-K should make it back-to-back.

A good friend once told me, it’s all about pitching, pitching, and pitching.

Randy Couture Returns

Los Angeles - With a pair of basic black boots and trunks, Brock Lesnar needed no gimmick when he burst upon the pro wrestling scene in 2002. Plain and simple, he looked and acted the part of a legitimate badass and had the credentials to back it up, having been a former NCAA champion.

With a long road ahead still left in the courtroom, Ultimate Fighting Championship Hall of Famer and current heavyweight champion Randy Couture needed no further time away from the fighting arena. With seemingly nothing left to prove and more to fight for behind the scenes than in the octagon, “The Natural” had resigned from the UFC, citing contract issues among others as the reasoning, in October. But long enough was long enough.

On Tuesday, the formerly disgruntled Couture was next to UFC President Dana White and Lesnar, announcing a main event on Nov. 15 between the two heavyweight warriors that will, no doubt, have the world watching.

Lesnar has only three mixed martial arts fights and is but 1-1 inside the UFC. But the 6-foot-3, 265-pound mastodon has too much power, agility, raw ability and drawing power to look past. Never mind the fact that when he fights for the title it will be roughly 10 months removed from his first bout in the UFC - culminating a run to a championship bout rivaled only by his meteoric rise in the predetermined world of World Wrestling Entertainment.

It wasn’t that long ago that Couture emerged from retirement and was granted a heavyweight title shot. Many scoffed at the legitimacy of his opportunity and the chances of his victory. But he shocked the world and dominated then-titlist Tim Sylvia to win the belt.

With a size and age disadvantage that he’s accustomed too, Couture’s biggest advantage against Lesnar will be his experience. Following his demolition of the well-regarded Heath Herring, however, don’t bet on many betting against Lesnar, though. He is the picture of unrelenting potential, a physically-gifted force whose future appears as bright as it will be ferocious.

If the UFC has proven anything, it’s that anything can happen. And, as has been written on this very site before, Couture is the king of anything can happen. The ultimate underdog, he’s defied logic for a decade now. Fact is, if the 45-year-old champion wins, many will think the underdog prevailed, just as many will see a victory by the physical marvel, but inexperienced Lesnar as a possible upset. Indeed, this fight is one nobody could’ve predicted, so why change that?

As 2007 ended, Brock Lesnar was yet to fight in the UFC and many doubted if one of the sport’s most beloved stars of all-time, Randy Couture, would ever fight outside of the courtroom again.

This is a fight no one saw coming, but, most monumentally, is a fight nobody will miss.