Sports Fact of the Day 2/16-2/19/2008

2/16:
Dealing with overnight fame and international acclaim on the tennis circuit has proven to be harder than dispatching opponents on the court for American star Andy Roddick: "That's the weird part for me. Being famous never feels normal. I don't know if it ever will become normal."

Birthdays:
Bernie Geoffrion b. 1931
John McEnroe b. 1959
Kelly Tripucka b. 1959
Mark Price b. 1964
Jerome Bettis b. 1972

1992:
Martina Navratilova broke Chris Evert's alltime tennis singles record of 157 championships when she defeated Jana Novotna in three sets for her 158th title at the Virginia Slims tournament in Chicago.

"When Martina is at her best, she doesn't play like anyone else. She is sublimely gifted in strength, athleticism and talent for tennis. The top of her game beats the top of everybody else's. But. She has the temperament of an operatic diva." -Sarah Pileggi, May 24, 1982

2/17/1994:
David Robinson becomes only the fourth man in NBA history to record a quadruple-double, leading the San Antonio Spurs to 115-96 victory over the Detroit Pistons at the Alamodome. The Admiral has 34 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 blocked shots as the Spurs win their club record 11th straight game. He joins Nate Thurmond (1974), Alvin Robertson, also of the Spurs (1986), and Akeem Olajuwon (1990) in the exclusive club.

Birthdays:
Red Barber b. 1908
Jim Brown b. 1936
Rick Majerus b. 1948
Michael Jordan b. 1963
Luc Robitaille b. 1966

2/18/1962:
Fireball Roberts sets a new speed record and beats Richard Petty by 27 seconds to win the fourth running of the Daytona 500. Driving a Pontiac and starting from the pole position, Roberts leads for 144 of the 200 laps on the two-and-a-half-mile oval, averaging 152.529 mph to set a new standard for late-model stock car racing. It's sweet redemption for Roberts, who got his nickname when he was a baseball pitcher. He led last year's race at Daytona before a blown engine ruined his chances.

Birthdays:
George Gipp b. 1895
Dick Duff b. 1936
Manny Mota b. 1938
Judy Rankin b. 1945
Andy Moog b. 1960

1996:
Picabo Street won the downhill at the World Alpine Ski Championship held in Sierra Nevada, Spain.

"The course allowed skiers to stay in their tucks on the hard-packed but not icy run. No one tucks like Street, who is among the sport's most aerodynamic skiers. Her knees stretch wider than her shoulders, and her body seems to sink to the snow." -Michael Farber, February 26, 1996

Packers Fact:
The Packers had 12 selections in the 2006 draft. That equaled their second most in any season since the NFL went to a seven-round format in 1994.

2/19/1982:
The Atlanta Hawks outlast the Seattle SuperSonics, 127-122, in four overtimes in a foul-plagued game that sees 7 of the 10 original starters foul out, four of them Sonics. Eddie Johnson has 34 points to lead the Hawks and John Drew adds 31. Eighty-two fouls are called in the 68-minute game, 48 of them on Seattle, sending Atlanta to the foul line 51 times. Downtown Freddie Brown and Gus Williams lead Seattle with 24 points apiece, but Atlanta, despite being outscored 53-20 off the bench, manages to win the battle of attrition at the Seattle Center Coliseum.

Birthdays:
Eddie Arcaro b. 1916
Forest Evashovski b. 1918
Paul Krause b. 1942
Dave Stewart b. 1957
Hana Mandlikova b. 1962

1989:
Darrell Waltrip's gamble not to take his final pit stop paid off as he crossed the finish line on fumes and won the Daytona 500.

"Driving with a clear head and a deft right foot rather than an anxious heart, he slid into the lead three laps from the checkered flag, while heavier-footed hot dogs lost their chance for the crown because they had to pit for a final splash of fuel." -Sam Moses, February 27, 1989