Sports Fact of the day 9/15-9/24/2008

Sept. 15:

9/15/1985:
In matches staged at the Belfry near Birmingham, England, Europe defeats the United States in the Ryder Cup for the first time in 28 years. It's only the fourth loss for American golfers in 26 Ryder Cup tests since 1927 but easily their widest margin of defeat, 16-1/2 to 11-1/2. With 12 singles matches on the final day, victories by British Open champion Sandy Lyle, Masters champion Bernhard Langer, Paul Way, Manuel Pinero and Sam Torrance ensure a resounding triumph for the European team.

Birthdays:
Ashley Cooper b. 19236
Gaylord Perry b. 1938
Joel Quenneville b. 1958
Joe Morris b. 1960
Dan Marino b. 1961

1985:
JoAnne Carner confounded the golf experts and won the Safeco Classic at the age of 46 to become the oldest woman ever to win on the LPGA tour.

"She's obviously on the back nine of her career, older than Billie Jean King, older than Jack Nicklaus or Lee Trevino, almost as old as Gaylord Perry, and she says she isn't even thinking of retiring. But you've got to retire sometime, JoAnne." -Barry McDermott, July 5, 1982

Packers Fact:
While the head coach at St. Cecilia's High School in New Jersey before his NFL days, Vince Lombardi also taught chemistry, physics, algebra, and Latin.

Sept. 16:
9/16/1978:
Seattle Slew handily defeats Affirmed by three lengths in the Marlboro Cup at Belmont Park. Slew, the 1977 Triple Crown winner, leads all the way as jockey Angel Cordero Jr. forces a fast pace that 1978 Triple Crown winner Affirmed can't handle. Three-year-old Affirmed was the 2-1 favorite with Steve Cauthen aboard, but his four-year-old rival never lets him get into the race. Despite the setback, Affirmed earns Horse of the Year honors and leads the money-earned list, winning 8 of his 11 outings in 1978.

Birthdays:
Elgin Baylor b. 1934
Dennis Conner b. 1942
Robin Yount b. 1955
Orel Hershiser b. 1958
Mickey Tettleton b. 1960

1973:
O.J. Simpson set an NFL rushing record by gaining 250 yards in a game between his Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots.

"O.J. Simpson has led the lowly Bills to unimagined heights. Eight thousand strong, Buffalonians have been thronging on Sundays to the city's new house of worship, Rich Stadium, to witness Simpson's miracles and chant, "Juice, Juice, Juice." Their prayers have been answered." -Joe Marshall, October 29, 1973

Packers Fact:
Max McGee is the only Packers' rookie (entering 2006) to catch as many as 9 passes in a game. He did it in a season-ending loss to the Rams in 1954.

Sept. 17:
9/17/1930:
Earl Averill has a monster doubleheader for the Cleveland Indians, hitting four home runs and accounting for 11 RBIs as the Tribe splits a twin bill against Washington, winning 13-7 and then losing 6-4. The Senators grab a 6-0 lead in the opener before Averill commences his fusillade, including three homers in three successive at bats. In the nightcap, his first-inning blast stakes Cleveland to a 4-0 lead, but Washington rallies back with five runs in the sixth for the win.

Birthdays:
George Blanda b. 1927
Maureen Connolly b. 1934
Junior Bridgeman b. 1953
John France b. 1960
Rasheed Wallace b. 1974

1954:
Rocky Marciano retained his heavyweight boxing title with an eighth-round knockout of Ezzard Charles during a bout in New York.

"Dempsey fought you as if he had just caught you with your hand in his pocket. Tunney stabbed and sliced you like a fencing master. Louis was an executioner. [And] Rocky chops you down like a tree, with an ax swung by a powerful if somewhat inaccurate woodsman." -Budd Schulberg, September 27, 1954

Packers Fact:
Curly Lambeau played college football under Knute Rockne at Notre Dame for one season in 1918. He lined up in the same backfield as George Gipp of "Win One for the Gipper" fame.

Sept. 18:
9/18/2006:
(This reads wrong to me, but I'm typing it as printed.)
Managed by Willie Randolph, the New York Mets clinch their first American League East title since 1988 with a 4-0 victory over Florida at Shea Stadium. Jose Valentin homers twice for the Mets, who led the division comfortably all summer. New York finally ends Atlanta's 11-year stranglehold on the AL East but will stumble in the NLCS, losing to eventual world champion St. Louis in seven games.

Birthdays:
Darryl Sittler b. 1950
Rick Pitino b. 1952
Peter Stastny b. 1956
Toni Kukoc b. 1968
Lance Armstrong b. 1971

1990:
The International Olympic Committee awarded the 1996 Summer Games to the city of Atlanta, Georgia.

"Atlanta won the right to stage the centennial Games over five other finalists, including sentimental favorite Athens, Greece, because its telephones work; its time zone suits U.S. television; its athletic facilities are superb; its coffers are primed, and its economic future is dynamic." -Nicholas Dawidoff, October 1, 1990

Packers Fact:
Max McGee caught 3 touchdown passes as a rookie in 1954 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Green Bay won the game, 37-14.

Sept. 19:
9/19/1990:
The presence of superstars Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux draws an enormous crowd of 25,581 to the Suncoast Dome in St. Petersburg, Florida, for an NHL exhibition game won by the Pittsburgh Penguins, 5-3, over the Los Angeles Kings. Largely on the basis of this one game, the Tampa-St. Petersburg market is rewarded with an NHL expansion franchise in December 1991 to begin play in the 1992-93 season.

Birthdays:
Willie Pep b. 1922
Andrew Boudrias b. 1943
Joe Morgan b. 1943
Sidney Wicks b. 1949
Randy Myers b. 1962

1987:
Making the first start of his collegiate football career, Florida's freshman running back Emmitt Smith rushed for a school record of 224 yards as the Gators upset Alabama, 23-14.

"He darted, slithered and followed his blockers and squeezed yard after yard out of plays that didn't have any yards in them. He didn't look especially fast or powerful or blindingly deceptive, yet he couldn't be stopped." -Rick Telander, November 16, 1987

Packers Fact:
Curly Lambeau's father, Marcel, was a construction foreman in the 1920s. Among his projects were expansions of Hagemeister Park (the Packers' first home) and City Stadium (the club's home before New City Stadium, which later became Lambeau Field).

Sept. 20:
The Sacramento Monarchs win their first WNBA championship, defeating the Connecticut Sun, 62-59, at Arco Arena and closing out their best-of-five series in four games. Yolanda Griffith scores 14 points and grabs 10 rebounds for the Monarchs, and is named MVP of the playoffs. After losing in the Western Conference finals in three of the last four years, the Monarchs finally break through for their first title, winning seven of eight postseason games.

Birthdays:
Red Auerbach b. 1917
Tommy Nobis b. 1943
Dave Twardzik b. 1950
Guy Lafleur b. 1951
Bonzi Wells b. 1976

1998:
Cal Ripken Jr. removed himself from the lineup, voluntarily ending his iron man streak of playing in 2,632 consecutive games.

"Even iron has a melting point. Morning newspapers landed a little harder on America's doorsteps on Monday with the affirmation of the scientific reality one man kept suspended for more than 16 years. It was there in the Baltimore Orioles' box score, the first one since the second game of a May 29, 1982, doubleheader that didn't include Cal Ripken Jr. An elegy in agate." -Tom Verducci, September 28, 1998

Packers Fact:
Billy Howton caught 3 touchdwon passes as a rookie in 1952 against the Detroit Lions. Green Bay lost, though, 48-24.

Sept. 21:
9/21/1996:
LSU defeats Auburn, 19-15, on a rainy night at Jordan-Hare Stadium against the eerie backdrop of Auburn's old basketball field house burning to the ground only a short distance from the stadium. Careless tailgaters, looking for a dry spot to party, set a canopy of the old gym on fire with their barbecue grill and the wooden structure became a raging inferno in no time, with flames shooting high into the air in plain sight of the fans at the football game. There are no injuries, no arrests, no interruption of the football game and no way to save the sports arena, which burns to the ground.

Birthdays:
Sam McDowell b. 1942
Artis Gilmore b. 1949
Eddie Delahoussaye b. 1951
Sidney Moncrief b. 1957
Cecil Fielder b. 1963

Sept. 22:
9/22/1996:
After the second-year expansion Jacksonville Jaguars rally from a 22-0 deficit to force overtime at Foxboro, a field goal by Adam Vinatieri gives the New England Patriots a 28-25 victory two and a half minute into the extra session. It's Vinatieri's fifth field goal of the game. Exceeding all expectations, Jacksonville will reach the AFC title game this season and face the Patriots again at Foxboro Stadium. New England will win that game as well, 20-6.

Birthdays:
Tommy Lasorda b. 1927
Ingemar Johansson b. 1932
Vince Coleman b. 1961
Dot Richardson b. 1961
Mike Richter b. 1966

1991:
The Miami Dolphins beat the Green Bay Packers, 16-13, at Joe Robbie Stadium. It was the 300th career victory for coach Don Shula.

"[The team] presented Shula with the game ball after Sunday's win, and the usually stone-faced coach got a little emotional. Still, in his remarks to his players, he deflected the attention from himself, just as he did throughout the hubbub leading up to win No. 300." -Peter King, September 30, 1991

Packers Fact:
Severe tonsillitis forced Curly Lambeau to miss his spring semester at Notre Dame in 1919. He returned to Green Bay, where he met sports editor George Calhoun; the two decided to start a football team, which became the Packers.

Sept. 23:
9/23/1939:
Estel Crabtree hits the most memorable homer in Rochester (NY) baseball history, a three-run shot in the last of the ninth inning to stave off elimination in the International League playoffs and lead to an eventual victory. With the Newark Bears ahead three games to two in the best-of-seven series and leading 6-2 with two outs and nobody on base in the Rochester ninth, Red Wings fans head for the exits. Quickly, two walks and a single produce one run and Crabtree follows with his dramatic wallop. Seizing their opportunity, Rochester goes on to win this game in 12 innings, and they'll win the Governor's Cup tomorrow night by a 2-1 score, clinching the crown with a run in the bottom of the ninth.

Birthdays:
Marty Schottenheimer b. 1943
Larry Mize b. 1958
Pete Harnisch b. 1966
Jeff Cirillo b. 1969
Eric Montross b. 1971

2000:
At the Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, the U.S. sprinter Marion Jonesn blazed to victory in the 100-meter dash in a time of 10.75 seconds, winning by a .37 of a second, the greatest margin of victory in nearly 50 years.

"Jones ran as if in a beautiful dream. Slashing with equal parts grace and power through the cool winds that swirled inside the Olympic stadium, she won the 100-meter gold medal that has been awaiting her since she was a teen sprint prodigy. ... Jones gave a playful hop after she crossed the finish line and smiled with a glow that lit the air around her." -Tim Layden, October 2, 2000

Packers Fact:
James Lofton had 3 touchdown catches in just his second NFL game in 1978. His grabs helped Green Bay beat New Orleans, 28-17.

Sept. 24:
9/24/1994:
American heavyweight Oliver McCall scores a major upset by knocking out unbeaten WBC champion Lennox Lewis of Great Britain in the second round at Wembley Arena in London. Heretofore basically just a journeyman and sparring partner, McCall knocks Lewis to the canvas with a left hook and right cross combination and referee Jose Garcia counts the champion out, even as he tries to rise to his feet. Lewis, the first British heavyweight champion since 1899, will eventually regain the title by beating McCall in Las Vegas in 1997.

Birthdays:
Jim McKay b. 1921
John Mackey b. 1941
Mean Joe Greene b. 1946
Rafael Palmeiro b. 1964
Eddie George b. 1973

1988:
Florence Griffith Joyner won the 100-meters at the Seoul Olympic Games.

"Her smile began growing at 70 meters, even as she roared away. By ninety meters it was a glorious grin. By 95 she had her arms up celebrating." -Kenny Moore, October 3, 1988

Packers Fact:
Curly Lambeau was only 21 years old when he became the player, captain, and coach of the original Packers in 1919.