Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 9/21/2007

9/21/1975:
The Montreal Canadiens strip the veneer of invincibility from the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers, a.k.a. the Broad Street Bullies, during a preseason game at the Spectrum. With Montreal already leading 6-2 late in the game, scrappy Doug Risebrough picks a fight with Flyers captain Bobby Clarke, the Montreal bench empties and in quick succession, Canadiens enforcer Rick Chartraw is pummeling Flyers bad boy Dave Schultz and Pierre Bouchard of the Habs is doing the same to Wolfman Jack McIlhargey. Les Habitants pour it on until referee Bruce Hood waves the clubs off the ice for good with 1:45 remaining. Having taken the physical play to the Flyers in their own rink and won handily. Montreal will never look back, winning the next four Stanley Cups in a row.

Birthdays:
Sam McDowell b. 1942
Artis Gilmore b. 1949
Eddie Delahoussaye b. 1951
Sidney Moncrief b. 1957
Cecil Fielder b. 1963

IF YOU LIKE THE WEST, YOU’LL LOVE...

Beloved literary writer and author of The Border Trilogy (Picador, 2002), McCarthy’s newest book is a gritty western. But McCarthy is not known for mindless entertainment. Amid the thrills and chases and dirty dealings you expect from that genre, McCarthy ruminates on the nature of temptation and good and evil. No Country for Old Men is a rare treat—literary and exciting.

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, by Cormac McCarthy (Vintage, 2006)