Sports Fact of the Day 10/6-10/11/2008

Oct. 6:
10/6/1962:
The Purdue Boilermakers become the first visiting team to win five straight games at Notre Dame Stadium with a 24-6 victory at South Bend. Purdue quarterback Ron DiGravio passes for one touchdown and scores another on a short run to cap a 93-yard drive. The Irish register only seven first downs all day, and only a meaningless touchdown in the closing moments averts a shutout.

Birthdays:
Tony Dungy b. 1955
Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd b. 1959
Ruben Sierra b. 1965
J.J. Stokes b. 1972
Rebecca Lobo b. 1973

2000:
The Major League Soccer goalkeeper Tony Meola led the Kansas City Wizards to victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy. The Wizards, one year after finishing with an 8-24 record, advanced to MLS Cup 2000.

"Meola added one more chapter to his growing legend. He set an MLS record with 16 shutouts this season, helped turn the last-place Wizards into the league's winningest team, and, after missing most of 1999 with a torn left ACL, he was set to be honored this week as MLS's 2000 Comeback Player of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year and (in all likelihood) Most Valuable Player." -Grant Wahl, October 16, 2000

Packers Fact:
The Packers have perhaps the largest NFL following despite playing in the smallest television market in the country (number 69; next is Jacksonville at number 52).

Oct. 7:
10/7/1919:
Honest Dickie Kerr wins his second game of the World Series despite eight of his teammates conspiring against him, going the 10-inning distance to hurl the Chicago White Sox past Cincinnati, 5-4, in the sixth game of a best-of-nine series. After Cincinnati wins the title in eight games and the sordid gambling entanglements involving the White Sox are fully disclosed nearly a year later, Kerr's irreproachable pitching, along with the efforts of Hall of Famers Eddie Collins and Ray Schalk, stands as a pillar of integrity amidst the squalor of the "Black Sox Sacandal."

Birthdays:
Willie Naulis b. 1934
Dick Jauron b. 1950
Johnnie Morton b. 1971
Priest Holmes b. 1973
Charles Woodson b. 1976

1984:
The San Diego Padres defeated the Chicago Cubs, 6-3, in the deciding fifth game of the National League playoffs. San Diego reliever Rich "Goose" Gossage recorded the save that propelled San Diego to its first-ever World Series berth.

"Gossage is one of the few athletees in American sport who can single-handedly dominate a game. When his manager summons Goose into a game in a late inning, with no outs and the lead run on, the move is as near as anythign there is in baseball to the closing of the mating net in chess." -William Nack, September 28, 1981

Packers Fact:
Before A.J. Hawk in 2006, Nick Barnett was the last Packers' rookie to start at linebacker on Kickoff Weekend in 2003.

Oct. 8:
10/8/1950:
The Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings thrash the NHL All-Stars, 7-1, at the Olympia. After beating the 1947-49 NHL champion Toronto Maple Leafs three straight years, this is the first time the All-Stars are beating in this increasingly popular preseason exhibition. Ted Lindsay notches the first hat trick in the four-year history of the event, scoring only 19 seconds after the opening face-off and also notching Detroit's final goal late in the game. Rookie goalie Terry Sawchuk, destined to become one of hockey's all-time greats, turns aside 25 shots and just misses a shutout when the All-Stars score in the final moments.

Birthdays:
Billy Conn b. 1917
Fred Stolle b. 1938
Paul Splittorff b. 1946
Rashaan Salaam b. 1974
Amos Zereoue b. 1976

1961:
The New York Yankees ace Whitey Ford pitched five shutout innings in Game 4 of the World Series against Cincinnati and broke Babe Ruth's Series record by pitching 32 consecutive scoreless innings.

"He pitched with the icy competence that is his trademark, and it during his 14 scoreless innings the Reds looked tense, puzzled and generally inept at the plate, credit Ford. He has done the same thing to many good teams, including the Pirates in last year's World Series." -Anonymous, October 16, 1961

Packers Fact:
In 1950, Gene Ronzani became the first man besides Curly Lambeau to be the Packers' head coach.

Oct. 9:
10/9/1957:
Bold Ruler, carrying top weight of 130 pounds, leads all the way on a sloppy track and captures the Vosburgh Handicap at Belmont Park by nine lengths over Tick Tock. Ridden by Eddie Arcaro, the three-year-old colt sets a new track record for seven furlongs, 1:21-2/5, bettering the old mark, which had been unmatched for 51 years. It's Bold Ruler's eighth victory of the year in 13 starts, including wins in the Flamingo Stakes, Wood Memorial and Preakness.

Birthdays:
Mike Hershberger b. 1939
Joe Pepitone b. 1940
Mike Singletary b. 1958
Kenny Anderson b. 1970
Aunike Sorenstam b. 1970

1994:
At the Monterey Grand Prix at Laguna Seca Raceway, motor sports legend Mario Andrett raced for the last time in his 31-year career.

"The crew formed a gantlet along the pit lane and, wearing T-shirts emblazoned with ARRIVEDERCI, MARIO, cheered for him as he rolled to a stop. It was a wonderful sound, those Italianate vowels of his name pealing like church bells amid the methanol fumes." -Bruce Newman, October 17, 1994

Packers Fact:
Linebacker Rich Wingo set a Packers' rookie record when he posted a team-leading 166 tackles in 1979.

Oct. 10:
10/10/1948:
With Cleveland leading the World Series three games to one, more than 86,000 fans pour into Municipal Stadium to watch Bob Feller nail down the championship for the Indians. But it doesn't happen this day. Bob Elliott hits two home runs for Boston early in the game and the Braves break the contest open with a six-run seventh inning, staving off elimination with an 11-5 win. Cleveland will defeat Boston, 4-3, tomorrow at Braves Field to clinch their first world title since 1920.

Birthdays:
Bruce Devlin b. 1937
Gus Williams b. 1953
Norm Nixon b. 1955
Brett Favre b. 1969
Pat Burrell b. 1976

1973:
The San Diego Conquistadors of the American Basketball Association opened their season with a game in San Antonio under new coach Wilt Chamberlain.

"Wilt, the holder of records, four times the NBA's MVP and teh reputed bane of eight different pro coaches, gathered his new club around him. On this night, Chamberlain joined a profession to which he has long been considered least likely to accede: coaching." -Peter Carry, October 29, 1973

Packers Fact:
Pro Football Hall of Famer Curly Lambeau's given first name was Earl.

Oct. 11:
10/11/1980:
Led by flashy center-iceman Denis Savard, the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Montreal Canadiens, 5-4, in the Habs' home opener in an arena full of disillusioned fans and second-guessing media. The French-Canadian Montreal native, a high-scoring star for the Montreal Juniors of teh QMIHL, is just the kind of player normally drafted by the Canadiens. Instead, this past summer they selected Dough Wickenheiser from Western Canada. While Wickenheiser is a healthy scratch tonight, the mercurial Savard scores a goal and goes on to a Hall of Fame career.

Birthdays:
Maria Bueno b. 1939
Steve Young b. 1961
Dmitri Young b. 1973
Jason Arnott b. 1974

1991:
Chip Beck blazed around the new Sunrise Golf Club with an 18-hole score of 59-equaling Al Geiberger's PGA record-and yet some critics minimized Beck's feat.

"[Here's] the obvious flaw in the "easy course" argument: A zillion tournament rounds had been played on golf courses, easy and hard, and until Friday, only Geiberger had broken 60. In essence, the biggest hazards were in the golfer's mind, not on the course." -John Garrity, October 21, 1991

Packers Fact:
Safety Johnnie Gray led the Packers with 123 tackles in 1975.