When man began competing in sports, he also began using the ancient system of numbers to evaluate himself and his competitors. To this day, numbers, scores and statistics remain vital components for understanding the sports played throughout the world. Of course, some numbers serve more important roles than others, but it is still fun to think about those of marginal importance. So without further ado, I bring you the top five sports numbers of the week.
0. First conceptualized as a number in India during the first millennium, the number zero now represents something much more important to modern athletes. As the 30 Major League Baseball teams descend upon their Spring Training camps in Arizona and Florida this week, they all enter with zero losses. This is an exciting time of hope for every team in the league. After a long winter of working out and watching the off-season transactions made by upper management, the players reunite for the first time in months with a winning season and a World Series on their minds. Note that for the Pittsburgh Pirates - with 18 consecutive losing seasons and counting - times are not quite as good since they also can see they have zero wins.
26. I was about to call out the Cleveland Indians rather than the Pirates in the previous line, but the fine city of Cleveland is represented well in this week's numbers in sports. With their overtime victory against the LA Clippers last Friday night, the LeBron-less Cavaliers snapped an NBA-record 26-game losing streak. With one more loss, Cleveland would have broken the 1976-77 Tampa Bay Buccaneers' record for most consecutive losses in any of the four major American sports. Cheer up Cleveland; being a contrarian when it comes to sports is often the best part of being a fan, and this is something to embrace. My favorite record my dear Mets hold is without a doubt the MLB-high 120 losses they recorded during their inaugural 1962 season - they currently have zero losses in 2011.
9. The total number of charges for assault and battery by mob and burglary-entering a dwelling with the intent to commit an assault brought against three Virginia football players - Devin Wallace, Mike Price and Ausar Walcott - following an altercation that occurred at James Madison University. The details are not yet totally clear, but Virginia coach Mike London has suspended the three players indefinitely following the incident. There are no jokes here as this threesome joins running back Torrey Mack in the storm of controversy and uncertainty surrounding the football team. Mack is no longer enrolled at the University and thus is no longer a member of the team. With London bringing in a highly touted recruiting class, this hurts the Cavaliers' chances of being competitive next season as he and the three recently arrested players were expected to use their experience to play big roles in London's scheme for 2011.
44. The number of Super Bowl games Bob Cook has seen live. Remember that commercial that aired every five minutes during the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, the one about the "Never Miss a Super Bowl" club? How could you forget? Well, if you thought you were done hearing about the four men who had been to every Super Bowl ever played, you were wrong. Cook, 79, was a member of this exclusive club until he was confined to a hospital bed during last week's game. The Wisconsin native recently passed away - but only after watching his beloved Green Bay Packers win the big game one last time. Cook's two daughters took his place at the game. If we should learn anything from this tragedy, it is that the Super Bowl is getting old, and we are one step closer to having a Chicago Cubs-style streak in the NFL. A team that has not won a championship in more than a century is a possibility in the not-so-distant future. When was the last time the Jets won?
Undisclosed. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. After spitting on the green at the Dubai Desert Classic last weekend, Tiger Woods has been fined an undisclosed amount by the European Tour. The 14-time major winner has failed to win 17 consecutive tournaments in which he has participated. This drought stretches as far back as the infamous sex scandal that took one of the biggest athletes in America - and the world - from the top to the bottom as quickly as you can dial voicemail on a cell phone. During this time, Woods - for good reason - has lost his No. 1 world ranking and has dropped to No. 3. Thankfully, we live in a world with an abundance of media outlets such as Twitter, and Woods was able to make a public apology on the same website where Kanye West recently posted, "NINJAS... YESSSSS!!!!!!"
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