Sports Fact of the Day 10/20-10/31/2008

Oct. 20:
10/20/1996:
Playing in a steady downpour, D.C. United overcomes a two-goal deficit and defeats the Los Angeles Galaxy, 3-2, in overtime at Foxboro Stadium to win the inaugural MLS Cup in the debut season of major league soccer in the United States. After Tony Sanneh and Shawn Medved score late to regulation time to bring D.C. United even, Eddie Pope converts a header off a perfect corner kick from the game's MVP, Marco Etcheverry, to clinch the title. Over 34,000 fans brave the awful weather to attend the game despite the absence of the hometown New England Revolution in the title match.

Birthdays:
Mickey Mantle b. 1931
Juan Marichal b. 1937
Keith Hernandez b. 1953
Lee Roy Selmon b. 1954
Aaron Pryor b. 1955

1980:
The Chicago Blackhawks honored their great centerman Stan Mikita when the team retired his uniform jersey number 21.

"Mikita is an all-around hockey player, but he is not as spectacular as Bobby Hull, nor is he equipped with Hull's brute strength. Hull's marvelous combination of speed, build, strength and looks forces Stan to play Gehrig to Bobby's Ruth, but Gehrig was a pretty fair ballplayer." -William Leggett, January 31, 1966

Packers Fact:
The Packers beat the Minneapolis Marines 7-6 at Green Bay's Hagemeister Park in their first official league game in 1921.

Oct. 21:
10/21/1964:
In accord with an established tiebreaking procedure, Valeri Brumel of Russia is awarded the Olympic high jump gold medal over John Thomas of the United States on the basis of having fewer misses at a previously made height, after each athlete fails to clear 7'2-1/2" in three attempts. The victory in Tokyo's Olympic Stadium ends a four-year quest for Brumel, who finished second in the 1960 Games at Rome.

Birthdays:
Red Klotz b. 1921
Whitey Ford b. 1928
Vern Mikkelsen b. 1928
Ted Uhlaender b. 1940
Joey Harrington b. 1978

1975:
The Boston catcher Carlton Fisk hit a home run in the bottom of the 12th inning to give the Red Sox a dramatic win over the Cincinnati Reds in Game 6 of the World Series.

"The Red Sox had won this epic struggle 7-6. It was V-J Day at home plate when Fisk arrived, a hero of heroes in one of the finest games ever played, one that may well have attracted multitudes of new fans who had considered baseball a sedentary occupation." -Ron Fimrite, November 3, 1975

Packers Fact:
The Packers joined the NFL in 1921, the second year of the league's existence.

Oct. 22:
10/22/1950:
The Los Angeles Rams drub the Baltimore Colts in the regular season by the same lopsided score they recorded in the preseason, 70-27, at the Coliseum in L.A. The Rams score 10 TDs in this game, 64 during the year and 466 points in a 12-game season, all league records. With two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks, Norm Van Brocklin and Bob Waterfield, two future Hall of Fame receivers in Crazy Legs Hirsch and Tom Fears, and the Bull Elephant backfield of Dick Hoerner, Tank Younger and Deacon Dan Towler, the Rams are virtually unstoppable. They'll just miss out on an NFL title, losing 30-28 on a Lou Groza field goal in the final seconds of the championship game at Cleveland, but Los Angeles will rebound in 1951 and win the crown, beating the Browns in a playoff rematch at L.A.

Birthdays:
Jimmie Foxx b. 1907
Pete Pihos b. 1923
Slater Martin b. 1925
Butch Goring b. 1949
Ichiro b. 1973

1975:
The World Football League, which had hoped to compete against the National Football League, went out of business in the 12th week of its second season.

"And so it ended, quietly, in midseason, with hardly enough of an impact to make headlines. Indeed, the biggest news about the end of the World Football League concerned not the WFl itself but the disposition of the handful of good players it had. ... Like a freshly killed shark, its future is nil." -Robert W. Creamer, November 3, 1975

Packers Fact:
The first completed pass in Packers' NFL history was Curly Lambeau's 18-yard strike to Buff Wagner in the fourth quarter of the club's inaugural game against Minneapolis in 1921. It led to the only touchdown in Green Bay's 7-6 triumph.

Oct. 23:
10/23/2005:
Outfielder Scott Posednik, who hadn't hit a home run during the entire regular season, hits his second of the postseason-a walk-off shot to right center field in the bottom of the ninth inning-to give the Chicago White Sox a 7-6 win over Houston and a 2-0 lead in the World Series. Podsednik's homer off Brad Lidge, the 14th walk-off homer in Series history, negates a Houston comeback in the ninth when Jose Vizcaino's pinch single tied the score at 6-6. Chicago first baseman Paul Konerko had the game's key blow, a grand-slam homer in the seventh inning. Three nights from now, the ChiSox will end 88 years of frustration, winning their first world title since 1917.

Birthdays:
Bruiser Kinard b. 1914
Chi Chi Rodriguez b. 1935
Pele b. 1940
Doug Flutie b. 1962
Keith Van Horn b. 1975

1979:
The scrappy New York Yankees manager Billy Martin got into a barroom brawl with a marshmallow salesman in a Minnesota tavern.

"He has a neighborhood morality that is a heady mixture of "do unto others" and an "eye for an eye". His inflexible adherence to this code has long been an invitation to strife, and as a result of it Martin has had more fights than Abe the Newsboy." -Ron Fimrite, June 28, 1971

Packers Fact:
The Packers joined the NFL in 1921, though that was not the official name of the league until 1922. It was called the American Professional Football Association (APFA) during the Packers' inaugural season.

Oct. 24:
10/24/2004:
One NFL record is set and another is tied as the Arizona Cardinals beat the Seattle Seahawks, 25-17, at Tempe. Arizona running back Emmitt Smith, the league's all-time leading rusher, gains 106 yards on 26 carries, the 78th time he's gained over 100 yards in a game, to pass Walter Payton in that category. Cards placekicker Neil Rackers boots field goals of 55, 55 and 50 yards, becoming only the second man to have three placements from 50 yards or better in one game, tying Morten Andersen's mark.

Birthdays:
Y.A. Tittle b. 1926
Jim Brosnan b. 1929
Ron Gardenhire b. 1957
Arthur Rhodes b. 1969
Corey Dillon b. 1974

1994:
The Atlanta Braves pitcher Greg Maddux won an unprecedented third consecutive National League Cy Young Award.

"Maddux can walk down any street in America and barely turn a head, unless maybe somebody mistakes Maddux for his or her tax accountant. With his round spectacles (for off-field use only) and a pinch of tobacco stuff under his upper lip, Maddux looks more like Jerry Lewis as the Nutty Professor than the greatest active pitcher." -Tom Verducci, May 1, 1995

Packers Fact:
Fullback Art Schmaehl ran 4 yards late in the fourth quarter of the Packers' inaugural league game against Minneapolis in 1921 for the first touchdown in club history. Schmaehl's run, plus Curly Lambeau's extra point, lifted Green Bay to a 7-6 victory.

Oct. 25:
10/25/1977:
Walt "Clyde" Frazier returns to Madison Square Garden in the burgundy-and-gold uniform of the Cleveland Cavaliers and gets a warm reception from the gallery that he thrilled for 10 years, winning two world titles with the Knicks. Frazier rises to the occasion with 28 points, 8 rebounds, 5 steals and 4 assists, leading the Cavs to a 117-112 overtime victory over New York. Plagued by a series of foot injuries, he'll play only 66 games for the Cavs over parts of the next three seasons before being released.

Birthdays:
Bobby Thomson b. 1923
Zelmo Beaty b. 1939
Bobby Knight b. 1940
Dave Cowens b. 1948
Dan Issel b. 1948

1991:
Minnesota's Kirby Puckett hit a home run in the bottom of the 11th inning off Atlanta's Charlie Leibrandt as the Twins won the sixth game of the World Series.

"The man was going to hit a home run no matter what. That was the only logical conclusion to his Saturday in the park. Puckett did just that, and the tortured Leibrandt walked off the field, his face buried in the crook of his right arm." -Steve Rushin, November 4, 1991

Packers Fact:
George Calhoun co-founded the Packers' franchise with future Pro Football Hall of Fame member Curly Lambeau.

Oct. 26:
10/26/1980:
Earl Campbell becomes only the second running back to rush for 200 yards in consecutive NFL games, leading the Houston Oilers to a 23-3 rout of the Cincinnati Bengals at the Astrodome. The Tyler Rose gains 202 yards on 27 carries today after amassing 203 yards against Tampa Bay last week. O.J. Simpson had accomplished the feat twice, in 1973 and '76. Campbell is midway through a four-year period of leading the AFC in rushing each season (178-81). He'll gain a career-high 1,934 yards this year and well over 9,000 yards in only eight seasons before injuries force his early retirement.

Birthdays:
Primo Carnera b. 1906
Sid Gillman b. 1911
Jumpin' Joe Fulks b. 1921
Mike Hargrove b. 1949
Jessie Armstead b. 1970

Oct. 27:
10/27/1991:
Former star quarterback John Brodie wins his first event on the PGA Seniors Golf Tour, sinking a short birdie putt on the first playoff hole to defeat Chi Chi Rodriguez and George Archer and capture the Security Pacific Classic in Los Angeles. Brodie shoots a final-round 68 today and finishes with a 13-under-par 200 for the three-round tournament to win his first seniors title in 157 tries since joining the circuit seven years ago.

Birthdays:
Ralph Kiner b. 1922
Patty Sheehan b. 1956
John Kasey b. 1969
Brad Radke b. 1972
Peerless Price b. 1976

1984:
The Mississippi Valley State wide receiver Jerry Rice set a Division I-AA single-game record with five touchdwon catches.

"Rice's hands are big, thick, rough, the kind that convey power even in a gentle introductory clasp. And when people describe Rice's catches, they usually finish the simulation with a kind of space age schhooop that cuts off as the imaginary pigskin is sucked neatly into form-fitting fingers." -Jaime Diaz, November 14, 1983

Packers Fact:
The first field goal in the Packers' NFL history was Curly Lambeau's 25-yard drop kick against the Rock Island Independents in 1921.

Oct. 28:
10/28/1939:
Jackie Robinson scores two touchdowns, one on a 66-yard pass play and the other on an 82-yard run, to lead UCLA to a 16-6 victory over Oregon at the Coliseum. Robinson's breakaway speed helps the Bruins achieve an undefeated season despite four ties (6-0-4). He'll letter in four sports at UCLA-football, baseball, basketball and track-before undertaking the mission of breaking the "color line" in major league baseball in 1947.

Birthdays:
Jim Beatty b. 1934
Lenny Wilkens b. 1937
Jude Drouin b. 1948
Bruce Jenner b. 1949
Terrell Davis b. 1972

1962:
The New York Giants defeated the Washington Redskins, 49-34, as New York quarterback Y.A. Tittle threw for 507 yards and seven touchdowns.

"Tittle's throwing style is his own. He holds the ball with his fingertips, no part of his palm touching it. Throwing and accuracy are instinctive; he can't explain why he is accurate or how. "It's something you can do or you can't," he says. "It's like a pitcher's control."" ~Tex Maule, November 18, 1963

Packers Fact:
The Packers won their first NFL championship in 1929. They went 12-0-1 that season to edge the 13-1-1 New York Giants.

Oct. 29:
Trying to describe the decibel level and energy rush of playing with the roof closed at Houston's Minute Main Park, slugging Astros third baseman Morgan Ensberg remarked: "Imagine being in your high school basketball gym when your team hits a buzzer-beater to win the game. That's what it's like for nine innings."

Birthdays:
Frank Sedgman b. 1927
Pete Richert b. 1939
Denis Potvin b. 1953
Jesse Barfield b. 1959
Mike Gartner b. 1959

1988:
The lightweight boxing champion Julio Cesar Chavez was declared the winner in a controversial bout against Jose Luis Ramirez.

"After Chavez unified the WBA and WBC titles ... on the strength of some classic combinations and an apparently inadvertent butt that split open Jose Luis Ramirez's head at the hairline in the 11th round, most observers didn't know whether to hail Cesar or a cab." -Ralph Wiley, November 7, 1988

Packers Fact:
Arnie Herber passed for more than 1,000 yards twice in his career with the Packers (in 1936 and in 1939). Green Bay won the NFL championship each of those seasons.

Oct. 30:
10/30/1993:
Wisconsin's 13-10 victory over Michigan at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison is marred when thousands of students rush the field to tear down the goalposts but are restrained by a chain-link fence that had been erected for just such an occurrence. Fans from the rear continue to pour forward, crushing those stuck in the middle of the maelstrom and causing dozens of injuries. Many of the Wisconsin players, after their stirring triumph puts them on the fast track to the Rose Bowl, come back onto the field to help the injured students and carry them to safety.

Birthdays:
Bill Terry b. 1896
Joe Adcock b. 1927
Dick Vermeil b. 1936
Jim Ray Hart b. 1941
Diego Maradona b. 1960

1974:
Muhammad Ali used the "rope-a-dope" strategy and won the heavyweight boxing title from George Foreman.

"Ali laid his back against the ropes, buried his face in his gloves and accepted the barrage. ... And then, slowly, Ali's plan revealed itself. Near the end of each round, with a wicked smile, he would come out of his shell and play a quick riff on Foreman's head." -Gary Smith, October 8, 1984

Packers Fact:
The Packers won their first NFL Championship Game in 1936. They beat Boston 21-6.

Oct. 31:
10/31/1963:
A performance of the Ice Follies figure skating troupe is the setting of a horrific Halloween night tragedy at the State Fairgrounds Coliseum in Indianapolis. Propane gas, escaping from a leaky valve at a concession stand, explodes and hundreds of spectators in the seats above are hurled high into the air or buried under a crumbling mass of concrete and steel. A second explosion of pent-up propane follows moments later. Sixty-five people die at the scene; nine more will efventually die of their injuries. Accountability for the catastrophe is never clearly established, and a minuscule $4.6 million in settlements is awarded to the victims and their families.

Birthdays:
Phil Goyette b. 1933
Frank Shorter b. 1947
John Lucas b. 1953
Fred McGriff b. 1963
Steve Trachsel b. 1970

1994:
The Chicago Bears honored linebacker Dick Butkus by retiring his uniform jersey number 51 during halftime of a Monday night football game.

"There was a time when Dick Butkus truly believed he was an animal, and the transmogrification was nearly perfect. Now he is not so sure. In Chicago, where he exercises his territorial imperative to the fullest, Bear fans still think of him as the ultimate in ursine violence." -Robert F. Jones, September 21, 1970

Packers Fact:
Clarke Hinkle led the Packers' 1936 NFL championship club with 476 rushing yards. That was a club record at the time.