Have you been enjoying the Big Ten/ACC basketball Challenge? For those keeping track, I’m sure you know the more physical Big Ten has now won the last three of these challenges. And on that note, welcome to the latest edition of the High 5, dedicated to Razor Shines:

TODAY: On this day in 1989, Sly Stone was sentenced to 55 days in jail for driving under the influence of cocaine. (The former front man for Sly and the Family Stone is now homeless and living out of a van, another sad ending to a rock career.)

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “The Cheers theme song always makes me happy inside.”

OVERRATED: The Big Bang Theory.

UNDERRATED: Late night reruns of Two and a Half Men.

BIRTHDAY BANTER: Favorite Bette Midler song? Ummm… , ummm, …. ummm ….

– Drummer John Densmore of The Doors is 67. (You’ve got to lover her, madly.)
– Actress-singer Bette Midler is 66. (Was she ever the wind beneath your wings?)
– Singer Gilbert O’Sullivan is 65. (Alone again, naturally.)
– Singer Billy Paul is 77. (Him and Mrs. Jones.)

Holy crap, can you believe December is only hours away? And for those interested, my birthday is Dec. 8. Other people born on that day include Nick Nolte, David Carradine, Flip Wilson, Eddie Brinkman and Jim Morrison. Oh, sorry … got a little carried away there. Welcome to the latest edition of the High 5:

TODAY: On this day in 1971, ABC-TV aired “Brian’s Song.” The movie was about Chicago Bears’ Brian Picolo and his friendship with Gale Sayers.

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “I just don’t want people to think I’m a bigger idiot than they already do.”

OVERRATED: Green Day.

UNDERRATED: Doris Day, who at 88 is releasing her first album in 17 years.

BIRTHDAY BANTER: Favorite Billy Idol song? “Rebel Yell.”

– Actor Efrem Zimbalist Jr. is 93. (Does anyone else remember him in The FBI?)
– Actor Robert Guillaume is 84. (He was hilarious in Soap as Benson the butler.)
– TV personality and producer Dick Clark is 82. (New Year’s Rockin’ Eve just isn’t the same anymore …)
– Singer Billy Idol is 56. (The original American idol?)

We’re one day closer to the start of American Idol … and on that note, welcome to the latest edition of the High 5, which we proudly dedicate to Richie Allen:

TODAY: On this day in 2004, Godzilla received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “‘Fear is our most primal emotion.’ — Crazy Joe Devola.”

OVERRATED: Nachos.

UNDERRATED: Hot dogs. (“It’s like heaven wrapped in a hog intestine.”)

BIRTHDAY BANTER: Love or hate the Yankees, you have to admire Mariano Rivera …

– Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera is 42. (The best closer ever?)
– Musician Chuck Mangione is 61. (He always wore that goofy hat.)
– Comedian Howie Mandel is 56. (Oh-ver-rated.)
– Comedian Garry Shandling is 62. (The old Garry Shandling Show was hilarious. Absolutely hilarious.)

Today’s High 5 is dedicated to Ronnie Bull and fully endorsed by Eric Ervin:

TODAY: On this day in 1994, Jeffrey Dahmer, a convicted serial killer, was clubbed to death in a Wisconsin prison by a fellow inmate.

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “Am I the only man on the planet who doesn’t think Angelina Jolie is all that?”

OVERRATED: Joe Montana.

UNDERRATED: Tom Brady.

BIRTHDAY BANTER: I prefer Craig Ferguson over Jon Stewart …

– Late Show orchestra leader Paul Shaffer is 62. (The self-proclaimed hippest man in show biz.)
– Comedian Jon Stewart is 49. (Oh-ver-rated.)
– Actor Judd Nelson is 52. (I just saw him the other night on an old Two and a Half Men.)
– Singer Randy Newman is 68. (Best known for his “Short People” song.)

This edition of the High 5 is proudly dedicated to Jerry Lumpe and endorsed by Gino Cimoli:

TODAY: On this day in 2007, Brazilian race car driver Hélio Castroneves and his partner, professional ballroom dancer Julianne Hough, won the fifth season of Dancing with the Stars. The runners-up were former Spice Girl Mel B (“Scary Spice”) and her partner, dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “Dear Michigan football fans — your football team is a blind squirrel, and it just happened to find a nut this year against OSU. Enjoy it now, because when Urban Meyer comes to Columbus, your entire program is going back to its rightful place as the Buckeyes’ ugly stepsister!”

OVERRATED: Michigan’s victory over Ohio State. Enjoy it now, maize and blue. The next one could be a long time coming.

UNDERRATED: Watching rivalry sports events at home in the comfort of your favorite chair, with snacks just a reach away.

BIRTHDAY BANTER: Favorite Jimi Hendrix song? “Let Me Stand Next To Your Fire.”

– Actress Robin Givens is 47.  (Her biggest claim to fame was being married to Mike Tyson for a brief period.)
– Drummer Charlie Benante of Anthrax is 49. (I’m not sure, but I think this is one of son Geoff’s favorite bands.)
– Drummer Mike Bordin of Faith No More is 49. (I am certain this is one of his favorite groups.)
– In memoriam: Rock legend Jimi Hendrix would have been 69. (Can you even imagine how big of a star he would have become if he had lived longer than age age 27?)

Woody Hayes

Welcome to the 800th consecutive day of the High 5, which we dedicate Woody Hayes:

TODAY: On this day in 1998, Hulk Hogan announced that he was retiring from pro wrestling and would run for president in 2000.  (Guess that didn’t work out like he planned … )

FOUND ON FACEBOOK:  “MY …. LIVER ……… HURTS.”

OVERRATED: Any other college football game Saturday besides Ohio State vs. Michigan.

UNDERRATED: The fact that Urban Meyer asked off the OSU-Michigan telecast leads to more speculation that Meyer will be named Buckeyes coach, possibly as early as next week.

BIRTHDAY BANTER: Favorite Diana Ross-led Supremes song? “You Can’t Hurry Love.”

– Singer Jean Terrell is 67. (She replaced Diana Ross with the Supremes, and that was pretty much the end of the Supremes. She is the sister of former heavyweight boxing contender Ernie Terrell.)
– Bassist John McVie is 66. (He’s one of the living legends of rock, helping make Fleetwood Mac become the iconic group it has over the past three-plus decades.)
– Country singer Linda Davis is 49. (She had one hit, a duet with Reba McIntire.)
– Singer Natasha Bedingfield is 30. (I saw her once on American Idol.)

Happy Black Friday to all High 5 regulars! Today’s edition is dedicated to Clay Dalrymple and endorsed by Lynn Marie Parr:

TODAY: On this day in 1920, the first play-by-play broadcast of a football game was aired in College Station, Texas. The game was between the University of Texas and Texas A&M.

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “Black Friday is sucking the life out of me.”

OVERRATED: Black Friday shopping that starts at 6 a.m.

UNDERRATED: Black Friday shopping that starts at midnight. (This is definitely the way of the future. I took part in the midnight madness Thursday night/early Friday morning. It was tremendous!)

BIRTHDAY BANTER: Favorite Amy Grant song? “My Father’s Eyes.”

– Actress Christina Applegate is 40. (She started out as Kelly Bundy on Married  … With Children.)
– Singer Amy Grant is 50. (My favorite Amy Grant CD is “The Black Album.” That’s not its official name, but it contains the first round of her greatest hits.)
– Political consultant/actor Ben Stein is 67. (“Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?”)
– Singer Percy Sledge is 70. (“When A Man Loves A Woman” will always be linked to him.)

The happiest of Thanksgivings to all High 5 readers on this, the 798th consecutive day of America’s favorite five minutes. We dedicate this edition to Andy Etchebarren, considered by many to have been the ugliest player in MLB history.:

TODAY: On this day in 1991, Freddie Mercury of Queen died of AIDS complications at the age of 45.

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “Was Lady Gaga right, was I really born this way or was it something I ate perhaps while developing? Really need to know if it’s genetics and contagious or if I’m a dying breed.” (I’m betting on the dying breed part.)

OVERRATED: Urban Legend.

UNDERRATED: The new Urban legend — Urban Meyer as new Ohio State football coach. (Will Christmas come early in Columbus, Ohio?)

BIRTHDAY BANTER: Favorite Beatles song? “Hello Goodbye.”

– NBA Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson is 73. (If he’s not the best all-around player to ever wear an NBA uniform, he is no worse than No 2 behind Michael Jordan.)
– Actress Sarah Hyland is 21. (She’s one of Modern Family stars.)
– Original Beatles drummer Pete Best is 70. (Wonder how different things would have been with him on the skins, rather than Ringo?)
– Former MLB catcher Steve Yeager is 63. (He played for the Dodgers when they were the Dodgers.)

The staff of the High 5 would like to wish all readers a great Thanksgiving and dedicate this edition to Les “Buster” Narum:

TODAY: On this day in 1998, Dennis Rodman filed for an annulment from Carmen Electra. The two had been married for nine days.

FOCUS ON FACEBOOK: “Football game in the cold rain? Uh…i think i’ll stay in and help make tacos.” (I would second this idea.)

OVERRATED: Joe Friday.

UNDERRATED: Black Friday.

BIRTHDAY BANTER: So, you think we’ve heard the last of Miley Cyrus?

– Singer Miley Cyrus is 19. (It’s official. Her 15 minutes are up.)
– Singer Bruce Hornsby is 57. (No relation to Rogers Hornsby.)
– Actor Steve Landesberg is 66. (He was my favorite detective on Barney Miller.)
– Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts is 51. (Don’t forget, she got her start on ESPN.)

Today’s High 5 is dedicated to Lem Barney and endorsed by Tim Miller:

TODAY: On this day in 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas. Texas Governor John B. Connally was also seriously wounded. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as the 36th U.S. president.

FOUND ON FACEBOOK: “Find a woman you hate and just buy her a house.”

OVERRATED: Mary Tyler Moore.

UNDERRATED: Mary Lynne Richards. (American Idol discussions will never be the same with her departure from The Herald-Whig newsroom … ).

BIRTHDAY BANTER: Favorite Jamie Lee Curtis movie? “True Lies.”

– Actor Robert Vaughn  is 79. (He was The Man From U.N.C.L.E.)
– Actress Scarlett Johannson is 27. (I know she’s talented and beautiful, and I have seen her in several movies … but right now I can’t tell you what even one of them were.)
– Actress Jamie Lee Curtis is 53. (I’ve always wondered what she would look like with long hair.)
– Actor Mark Ruffalo is 44. (He is married to Sunrise Coigney.)