Sports Fact of the Day 6/27-6/29/2008

6/27/1953:
Carrying top weight of 135 pounds, four-year-old Tom Fool overcomes a slow start and surges to victory in record time in the Carter Handicap at Aqueduct. Ridden by Ted Atkinson, Tom Fool covers the distance of seven furlongs in 1:22, equaling the time posted by Northern Star in the Carter just last year, but Northern Star was carrying only 115 pounds in that race. Tom Fool will win all 10 of his races this year, including the New York Handicap Triple Crown-the Metropolitan, the Suburban and the Brooklyn Handicap-and will be honored as Horse of the Year before being retired to stud.

Birthdays:
Willie Mosconi b. 1913
Gus Zernial b. 1923
Rico Petrocelli b. 1943
Jeff Conine b. 1966
Daryle Ward b. 1975

1988:
Mike Tyson remained the undisputed heavyweight champion when he knocked out Michael Spinks at 1:31 of the opening round-the fourth fastest knockout in heavyweight title history.

"Tyson offered a chilling vision of menace; he was sockless and naked of baubles and bangles borne by most modern boxers as they enter the ring. His actions were similarly stripped of artifice and pretense; he bored in ... until his opponent simply crumpled." -Richard Hoffer, February 19, 1990

Packers Fact:
Linebacker Nick Barnett, who wearns uniform number 56, owns the FiveSix restaurant and lounge in Green Bay.

6/28/1964:
Champagne Tony Lema converts a 15-foot birdie putt on the first hole of sudden death to edge Arnold Palmer and win the Cleveland Open. Lema wins his third tournament in less than a month, using a putter that Palmer had given him only recently. After making five straight birdies earlier in his round, Lema missed a short putt at the 72nd hole to necessitate the playoff. Palmer had beaten Lema in a playoff at this same tournament last year. Continuing his fine play, Lema will go on to win the British Open at St. Andrews in Scotland next month.

Birthdays:
Don Baylor b. 1949
John Elway b. 1960
Mark Grace b. 1964
Corey Koskie b. 1973
Michael Vick b. 1980

1950:
In what many soccer experts call the biggest upset in the sport's history, the United States team stunned England, 1-0, at the World Cup.

"The enormousness, the incredibility, of that outcome cannot be truly appreciated today. Oddly, 1950 marked England's first appearance in the World Cup finals. This was because England had not even tried to qualify for earlier tournaments. It was a matter of arrogance. After all, as the birthplace of the sport, what did England have to prove?" -Clive Gammon, May 21, 1990

Packers Fact:
Cornerback Will Blackmon is nicknamed "Beamin" (after a character in the movie Any Given Sunday).

6/29/2004:
The Detroit Tigers win their third straight game on a walk-off homer when Dmitri Young connects in the 11th inning for a 9-7 victory over Cleveland at Comerica Park. In their previous two games, Detroit beat the Arizona Diamondbacks in similar fashion. Eric Munson hit a solo shot three nights ago for a 7-6 Tiger win, and the next day Carlos Pena belted a bottom-of-the-ninth grandn slam to produce a 9-5 victory.

Birthdays:
Harmon Killebrew b. 1936
Dan Dierdorf b. 1949
Rick Honeycutt b. 1952
Pepper Johnson b. 1956
Theo Fleury b. 1968