Sports Fact of the Day 6/12-6/17/2008

June 12:
6/12/2002:
The Los Angeles Lakers beat the New Jersey Nets, 113-107, at the Meadowlands, completing a four-game sweep and becoming the fifth team in NBA history to win three straight championships. Shaquille O'Neal also claims a three-peat, earning his third consecutive NBA finals MVP award. His 34 points tonight help him amass a four-game series record of 145 points. The Lakers become the seventh team to win the finals in a sweep, and Phil Jackson wins his ninth championship as a coach (six with the Chicago Bulls) to tie Red Auerbach's all-time record.

Birthdays:
Gwen Torrence b. 1965
Ryan Klesko b. 1971
Kerry Kittles b. 1974
Hideki Matsui b. 1974
Antawn Jamison b. 1976

1991:
Michael Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to their first NBA Championship by knocking off Magic Johnson's Los Angeles Lakers in five games.

"Make no mistake about it-the victory belonged most of all to Michael Jordan, who, for now at least, sits top the basketball world, higher even than Magic. And for those who felt that Jordan was already the king, consider the 1991 Finals his coronation." -Jack McCallum, June 24, 1991

Packers Fact:
When Brett Favre began his record string of consecutive starts at quarterback in 1992, rookie coaches Mike Holmgren (Green Bay) and Bill Cowher (Pittsburgh) squared off for the first time. The Packers won, 17-3.

June 13:
Trying to tiptoe through the minefield of the Yankees' power-laden lineup, young Twins catcher Joe Mauer got a little confused: "I kept waiting for their ninth hitter to come up, but I couldn't figure out who it was."

Birthdays:
Paavo Nurmi b. 1897
Red Grange b. 1903
Don Budge b. 1915
Mel Parnell b. 1922
Valeri Bure b. 1974

1989:
The Detroit Pistons defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, 105-97, to win the NBA championship in a four-game sweep. The triumph was the first pro basketball title for the Detroit franchise.

"The Lakers were repeatedly caught flat-footed as Detroit's guards went rocketing past them. ... Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars spent so much time motoring up the middle of the Lakers' defense that they looked like commuters headed home from the Ford plant near the Soutfhfield Freeway." -Bruce Newman, June 19, 1989

Packers Fact:
In his fifth NFL season in 2005, tight end David Martin established career bests for catches (27), receiving yards (224) and touchdowns (3) while starting eight games in place of injured Bubba Franks.

June 14:
6/14/2005:
Asafa Powell of Kingston, Jamaica, sets a new world record of 9.77 seconds for the 100-meter dash at a track meet in Athens, Greece. Powell shaves 1/100th of a second off the previous mark of 9.78 set by American Tim Montgomery in Paris in 2002. His record performance comes on the very same track where he ran a disappointing fifth in the 100 meters in last year's Olympic Games.

Birthdays:
Don Newcombe b. 1926
Pat Head Summitt b. 1952
Eric Heiden b. 1958
Sam Perkins b. 1961
Steffi Graf b. 1969

1991:
Clocked in a time of 9.90 seconds, Leroy Burrell sprinted to a world record in the 100-meter dash at the Mobil national track and field championships at Randall's Island, N.Y. The previous record-holder, Carl Lewis, finished in second place.

"Burrell seemed to explode with the gun. "I accelerated like I've never accelerated before," he said. By 40 meters he led the field and had a full stride on Lewis. ... "The race happened so fast," said Burrell. "I came to consciousness at about 80 meters. It was almost like somebody had pushed fast forward." -Merrell Noden, June 24, 1991

Packers Fact:
From September 1992 through 2005, Brett Favre was the only man to start at quarterback for the Packers. The Chicago Bears employed 20 different starting quarterbacks in that same time frame.

June 15:
6/15/1957:
The Milwaukee Braves greatly enhance their chances to win the National League pennant when they acquire second baseman Red Schoendienst from the New York Giants for Danny O'Connell, Ray Crone and Bobby Thomson. Schoendienst will hit .310 in 93 games with the Braves and lead the NL in base hits with 200. He'll become only the third player to get 200 hits while playing for more than one team in a season. Isiah Meusel (1921 Phillies and Giants) and Moose Solters (1935 Red Sox and Browns) also achieved this feat. The Bravees will proceed to thrill Wisconsin and all of the Upper Midwest by winning the World Series in only their fifth season in Milwaukee.

Birthdays:
Billy Williams b. 1938
Mike Holmgren b. 1948
Wade Boggs b. 1958
Ramiro Mendoza b. 1972
Andy Pettitte b. 1972

June 16:
6/16/1934:
Glenn Cunningham of Kansas sets a new world record for the mile run, 4:06.7, at an invitational track meet at Palmer Stadium in Princeton, New Jersey. Bill Bonthron of Princeton is a distant second and Gene Venzke of Penn places third. After suffering badly burned legs in a freak childhood accident that claimed his brother's life, Cunningham became a world-class middle-distance runner and an inspiration to millions of fans. Known as "the Kansas Ironman," he'll go on to set a new world record in the 800 meters in 1936, lower the mile record to 4:04.4 in 1938 and win the prestigious Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games in New York six times.

Birthdays:
Roberto Duran b. 1951
Wayne "Tree" Rollins b. 1955
Wally Joyner b. 1962
Phil Mickelson b. 1970
Kerry Wood b. 1977

1968:
The fast-talking golfer Lee Trevino shot a final-round 69 and earned his first PGA Tour victory with a four-stroke triumph in the U.S. Open at the Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y. Trevino became the first golfer ever to shoot four straight rounds under par in an Open.

"Trevino will not only go out and fight a course for you in the most colorful of ways, he'll say most anything to most anybody. He'll hot dog it. He'll gagline it. And he'll respond." -Dan Jenkins, June 24, 1968

Packers Fact:
Linebacker Tracy White, who signed with the Packers as a free agent in 2006, is Howard University's all-time leading tackler.

June 17:
6/17/1972:
In the richest match race in history, $250,000 to the winner, four-year-old filly Convenience beats 6-year-old mare Typecast by a head at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, California. The showdown was created when computer impresario Fletcher Jones, owner of Typecast, boldly challenged cosmetics magnate Leonard Lavin, owner of Convenience, to the man-a-mano duel at equal weight of 120 pounds. Ridden by Jerry Lambert, Convenience breaks to the early lead and holds off Typecast, Bill Shoemaker up, in a photo finish.

Birthdays:
Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch b. 1923
Maurice Stokes b. 1933
Bobby Bell b. 1940
Dan Jansen b. 1965
Venus Williams b. 1980

1986:
The Boston Celtics selected University of Maryland basketball star Len Bias in the first round of the National Basketball Association college draft.

"About 40 hours later, Bias was dead. ... The heart of the man had failed him. So had Bias's good judgment, for he had been known as someone who avoided drugs. How to explain the unspeakable irony of a young man dying with his greatest dreams freshly tucked away in his pocket?" -Jack McCallum, June 30, 1986

Packers Fact:
Donald Driver moved into sixth place on the Packers' career receiving list during their 31-24 victory over Detroit in week 3 of 2006. He surpassed Max McGee (1954, 1957-1967).