Sports Fact of the Day 3/12-3/14/2008

3/12/2002:
Martin Buser wins the Anchorage-to-Nome Iditarod sled dog race in the record time of 8 days, 22 hours and 46 minutes, becoming the first musher to complete the 1,160-mile course in less than 9 days. It's the fourth title for the 44-year-old, Swiss-born Buser, who has lived in Alaska for over 20 years. Following his impressive triumph, he becomes an American citizen in a ceremony under the archway of the Iditarod finish line.

Birthdays:
Bronco Horvath b. 1930
Johnny Rutherford b. 1938
Darryl Strawberry b. 1962
Steve Finley b. 1965
Raul Mondesi b. 1971

1983:
New York Islanders right winger Mike Bossy netted a pair of goals in a win over Washington, and became the first player to reach the 50-goal plateau in each of his first six NHL seasons.

"Like a pickpocket, Bossy isn't overpowering and you seldom realize he is even there. But then Bossy darts in from the deep slot, or cuts in from the wing, takes a pass and snaps a shot goalward with the handball player's reflexes and a putter's touch." -E.M. Swift, January 22, 1979

Packers Fact:
Quarterback Ingle Martin's father-in-law, Mike Wright, was a quarterback and punter who once went to camp with the Bengals.

3/13/1955:
A late-game fight between Montreal Canadiens superstar Rocket Richard and Bruins defensemen Hal Laycoe escalates until Richard punches linesman Cliff Thompson twice, trying to break free from his clutches to continue the fray. Richard is subsequently suspended for the balance of the season (including playoffs) by NHL president Clarence Campbell, resulting in widespread rioting at the Forum and throughout downtown Montreal four nights from now at the next Canadiens home game.

Birthdays:
Ordell Braase b. 1932
Joe Bellino b. 1938
Will Clark b. 1964
Thomas Enqvist b. 1974
Johan Santana b. 1979

1961:
Floyd Patterson retained his world heavyweight boxing crown by knocking out Ingemar Johansson. It was the third time these two heavyweights had battled for the title.

"The decisive match, which had promised so much, proved rich in fury and in melodramatic incident. It was not, however, theater of a high order. Like a bottle of beer which has been open too long, it had an undeniable kick, but to the purists the flavor was faintly stale and flat." [Gilbert Rogin, March 20, 1961

3/14/1998:
The nation's leading scorer, Allison Feaster (28.5 ppg), leads 16th-seeded Harvard to a remarkable upset of top-seeded Stanford, 71-67, in the first round of the NCAA women's basketball tournament. Furthermore, the game is played at Maples Pavilion at Stanford, and the loss snaps a 59-game home-court winning streak for the Cardinal, who were forced to play without starters Kristin Folkl and Vanessa Nygaard, both sidelined with knee injuries. Feaster scores 35 points and Harvard shoots 46% from the floor, compared with only 33% for Stanford, as the Crimson become the first No. 16 seed ever to beat a No. 1 seed in women's or men's play.

Birthdays:
Bob Charles b. 1936
Wes Unseld b. 1946
Kirby Puckett b. 1961
Kevin Brown b. 1965
Larry Johnson b. 1969

1990:
Susan Butcher won the 1,157-mile Iditarod Dog Sled Race for the fourth time in five years. Butcher had also won in 1986, 1987 and 1988.

"Trust and loyalty. This symbiotic relationship between Butcher and her dogs is the biggest reason why she is considered the finest long-distance sled-dog racer ever and one of the greatest mushers of all time." -Sonja Steptoe, February 11, 1991

Packers Fact:
Quarterback Ingle Martin earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from Furman in December of 2005.