Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 12/31/2008

12/31/1988:
In an NFL divisional playoff game bedeviled by a thick fog rolling in off Lake Michigan, the Chicago Bears beat the Philadelphia Eagles, 20-12, despite extremely poor visibility in the second half for the players, fans in the stands and TV viewers. The Bears' defense holds Philadelphia to four field goals, even though the Eagles reached the Chicago 25-yard line nine times during the bizarre game, quickly dubbed "the Fog Bowl." Since following the game from the press box is almost impossible, league officials with walkie-talkies are enlisted to provide details of the on-field action to reporters and statisticians, positioned high above the shrouded gridiron.

Birthdays:
Hugh McElhenny b. 1928
Don James b. 1932
Rick Aguilera b. 1961
Brent Barry b. 1971
Esteban Loaiza b. 1971

1961:
The Green Bay Packers routed the New York Giants, 37-0, in the NFL Championship Game. Green Bay's Paul Hornung, on leave from the Army, scored 19 points in the victory.

"Hornung is a stubborn, inventive runner; he is a sure-handed pass catcher; he may be the most effective blocking back in the league, and he is an accurate long-distance field goal kicker. But more than any of these indisputable gifts that made him the NFL's most valuable player this year, Hornung has the quality of inspiring a team by his very presence." -Tex Maule, January 8, 1962

Packers Fact:
Arnie Herber was a Green Bay native who teamed with Don Hutson to form the NFL's top passing combo in the 1930s. Herber was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966.

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Just about anyone who has had anything to say on the subject of book love has been included, from Petrarch to Erasmus to Robertson Davies to Anna Quindlen, with a lot of writers in between. There are also some great lists, such as the “Ten Best-Selling Books Rejected by Publishers Twenty Times or More.” And knowing the book will merely whet the appetite for more, the editors have included a “Bibliobibliography.” Reader, this book is for you.

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