Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 01/09/2008

Advocating a crackdown on the widespread holding, grabbing and obstruction of offensive stars in the National Hockey League by defensive players inclined to bend the rules, longtime referee Kerry Fraser was unsparing in his evaluation of the problem: "Unskilled players were using unskilled acts to contain skilled players."

Birthdays:
Bart Starr b. 1934
Robert Newhouse b. 1950
M.L. Carr b. 1951
Muggsy Bogues b. 1965
Sergio Garcia b. 1980

1958:
The Cincinnati Bearcats sophomore forward Oscar Robertson scored 56 points to single-handedly beat Seton Hall, 118-54.

"He appears to flow over the hardwood court, hunched protectively over the dribbled ball; in the air, he hangs, magically, for long moments while he decides whether to shoot or pass; in one spot, he is yet in motion, feinting with hands, faking with head, weaving on a pivot. [Jeremiah Tax, January 26, 1959


While with the Raiders, cornerback Charles Woodson earned Pro Bowl nods each of his first four seasons in the NFL (1998 to 2001).

THE STORIES OF HER LIFE

Every evening at five for many years, Christina, a writer, and Rudy, a composer, would relax over a drink, examine the day, and converse happily over whatever took their fancies. But this richly fulfilling life came to an end when Rudy died. Christina’s grief and recovery make for an affecting story—one based on Godwin’s own life. As Donna Seaman wrote in Booklist, Godwin “accomplishes more in this smart, arch, and charming little illustrated novel than many of her peers do in far heftier volumes.” In this paperback reprint, the novella is accompanied by five new stories that explore other periods of Christina’s life.

EVENINGS AT FIVE: A NOVEL AND FIVE NEW STORIES, by Gail Godwin (Ballantine Books, 2004)