Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 03/01/2008

3/1/1941:
Goaltenders Turk Broda of Toronto and Frank "Mr. Zero" Brimsek of Boston are flawless tonight at Maple Leaf Gardens, and the result is a scoreless tie between the Maple Leafs and the Bruins. It's not an unusual result with these two future Hall of Fame netminders between the pipes. Each will win two Vezina Trophies, awarded to the NHL's top goalie. Broda will record 62 shutouts in his career while Brimsek will have 40 of his own, and they'll combine for two more scoreless ties during their careers, one in 1942 and another in 1947.

Birthdays:
Harry Caray b. 1914
Pete Rozelle b. 1926
Elvin Bethea b. 1946
Mike Rozier b. 1961
Chris Webber b. 1973

1966:
Chicago Blackhawks left winger Bobby Hull scored a goal against Detroit for his 50th goal of the season. Hull became the National Hockey League's first two-time 50-goal scorer.

"It is Bobby who can lift any crowd as he takes the puck from one end of the rink to the other to set up a goal, guiding the disk in the curve of his stick with one hand and pushing off defenders with the other. And it is Bobby who can shoot from anywhere in the offensive zone and have a good chance to score." -Pete Axthelm, February 12, 1968



Cars, the lovable animated feature from Pixar about a race car who learns that speed and competition aren’t everything, was a feel-good favorite in 2006. This gorgeous book shows the inside view of the conception and development of the movie, and it’s chockful of storyboards, pastel drawings, photographs, and sketches. It’s a colorful and inspiring movie tie-in that celebrates the lure of the open road and is a testament to Pixar’s meticulous artistic standards.

THE ART OF CARS, by Suzanne Fitzgerald Wallis and Michael Wallis; foreword by John Lasseter (Chronicle Books, 2006)