apckrfan: Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 3/25-3/26/2009

3/25/1961:
The year after the great Oscar Robertson moves on to the NBA, the Cincinnati Bearcats win the national collegiate championship by upsetting top-ranked, unbeaten defending national champion Ohio State, 70-65, in overtime at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City. Despite the two schools' close geographic proximity, they hadn't met in basketball competition since 1922. Balanced scoring helps Cincinnati surmount 27 points and 12 rebounds by OSU All-American Jerry Lucas. When the two clubs meet again next year in the NCAA finals, the outcome will be the same: Cincinnati will repeat as champions, 71-59.

Birthdays:
Howard Cosell b. 1920
Ken Wregget b. 1964
Avery Johnson b. 1965
Tom Glavine b. 1966
Bob Sura b. 1973

Packers Fact:
The Packers opened the 2007 season with only two quarterbacks on their 53-man roster. Their third-string quarterback was wide receiver Carlyle Holiday, a former college quarterback.

3/26/1984:
The Chicago Cubs solidify their outfield in a trade with the Phillies that borders on highway robbery. The Cubs obtain Gary "Sarge" Matthews and Bob Dernier as the centerpieces of a five-player deal, surrendering only aging reliever Bill "Soup" Campbell and prospect Mike Diaz in return. Matthews, a firebrand competitor, will drive in 82 runs and score 101 while Dernier, a speedster and leadoff man, will swipe 45 bases and score 94 runs. This transaction also allows Chicago to move lumbering Leon "Bull" Durham from the outfield back to his natural position at first base. The Matthews-Dernier deal, along with the mid-season acquisition of pitcher Rick Sutcliffe, will spark the Cubs to the National League East title and their first trip to baseball's postseason since 1945.

Birthdays:
Rip Engle b. 1906
Al Bianchi b. 1932
Marcus Allen b. 1960
John Stockton b. 1962
Michael Peca b. 1974

Packers Fact:
Wide receiver James Jones played college football at San Jose State.

DESPERATELY SEEKING DANIEL

In her third novel, Louise Wener, the former lead singer of the British band Sleeper, takes us on Claire’s journey to Miami to find her brother Daniel, who disappeared shortly after the Columbia space shuttle disaster. Claire’s free-spirited, ditzy personality and the bright, funny prose and tender insights are a winning combination.

THE HALF LIFE OF STARS, by Louise Wener (Harper Paperbacks, 2006)

EVERYBODY LOVES PHIL

It doesn’t matter whether Phil Rosenthal’s life is now imitating his art or his art imitates his life. The writer of Everybody Loves Raymond has parlayed his life experiences into the basis of the much beloved sitcom. Rosenthal remains undazzled by Hollywood, is warm and genuinely funny even when he’s not writing for TV, and gives readers a treasure trove of background on the show, insight into showbiz, good-hearted gossip, and belly laughs galore.

YOU’RE LUCKY YOU’RE FUNNY: HOW LIFE BECOMES A SITCOM, by Phil Rosenthal (Viking, 2006)

A 21-FLUSH SALUTE . . .

TO NORMAN BORLAUG, BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1914

After earning doctorates in plant pathology and genetics from the University of Minnesota in 1942, Norman Borlaug took an agricultural research position with the Mexican government, where he developed varieties of wheat that had high yield and were disease resistant. Result: Mexico was able to stop importing wheat and started exporting it. He took his wheat varieties to Pakistan and India in the 1960s and doubled wheat production in those two countries. For these developments, Borlaug is credited with saving over a billion people from starvation. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970.

IN THE LATE 1960S PEZ TRIED TO MARKET FLOWER-FLAVORED CANDIES.

WHEN YOU GOTTA GO . . .

(NOT SO) FAMOUS LAST WORDS

“To die, to sleep, to pass into nothingness, what does it matter? Everything is an illusion.”

—Mata Hari

“I believe we must adjourn this meeting to some other place.”

—Adam Smith, economist

“I am still alive!”

—Caligula, Roman emperor

IT’S ESTIMATED THAT ABOUT HALF A TON OF MARTIAN MATERIAL FALLS TO EARTH EVERY YEAR.

On Wisdom, Congressional:

I know that I saw it on the TV station. It might have only been on Fox, come to think of it.

Rep. Bill Sali (R-Idaho) explaining that he was sure there were WMDs in Iraq

On Work Experience, Unconvincing:

*EXPERIENCE: Sous Chef. Quit after nervous breakdown.

*EXPERIENCE: I am a very capapable proofreader.

from actual resumes

THE MELK ABBEY

WACHAU VALLEY, AUSTRIA

Fortified abbeys and castles crown the rolling hills of the Wachau Valley, overlooking a picturesque stretch of the Danube River. The Melk Abbey, a recently renovated 1,000-year-old monastery, is filled with manuscripts and precious works of art.