Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 5/11-5/14/09

WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?

Garry Wills, author of Under God: Religion and American Politics and Why I Am a Catholic, takes the overused question “What would Jesus do?” and shows that politicians and others, of both the right and the left, probably haven’t the least idea. For Wills, Jesus is a radical—too radical to endorse any one political program. Wills is a true believer and this attempt to find the true meanings of Jesus’ words and actions is not meant to please either conservatives or liberals. An unflinching and stimulating book, especially for the religious.

WHAT JESUS MEANT, by Garry Wills (Penguin Press, 2007)

CHILLER THRILLER

Is the boy who visits young George Davies after his father’s mysterious death real, or is he the product of an imagination trying to cope with family tragedy? What of the things the boy tells George about his father’s demise? What about the terrifying journeys George takes with the boy? Justin Evans’s first novel is “an edgy, compelling read—more unnerving than scary—that will slide its hooks deep inside and throttle you more than a few times before it’s all over.”—Booklist

A GOOD AND HAPPY CHILD, by Justin Evans (Shaye Areheart, 2007)

WHY ART IS IMPORTANT

In this companion volume to the PBS series, Simon Schama writes with passion and verve about eight masterpieces (by Caravaggio, Bernini, Rembrandt, David, Turner, van Gogh, Picasso, and Rothko) and why and how they changed our view of the world. He takes them away from the reverential hush of the museum, shows us their place in the more rambunctious and challenging world we live in, and tells us of their creators’ struggles in painting them. An absorbing and exhilarating read.

THE POWER OF ART, by Simon Schama (Ecco, 2006)

CIVIL WAR ROMANCE

In November 1864, Carrie McGavock was mourning the deaths of three of her children when her plantation house was taken over by General Nathan Forrest for use as a field hospital. In the ensuing battle, 9,000 soldiers died in one of the bloodiest engagements of the Civil War. Carrie put aside her grief, nursed the wounded, and even fell in love with one of them. Robert Hicks vividly evokes the pain, confusion, and horror of war through the lives of individuals trying to cope with an overwhelming tide of history.

THE WIDOW OF THE SOUTH: A NOVEL, by Robert Hicks (Warner Books, 2006)

5/11/1989:
The Montreal Canadiens defeat the Philadelphia Flyers at the Spectrum, 4-2, and win their Prince of Wales final-round Stanley Cup series in six games. With the outcome decided in the late stages, Philly players Ron Sutter and goalie Ron Hextall (in full pads) each make deliberate, rink-wide charges at Montreal defenseman Chris Chelios as payback for a Chelios check in Game 1 that gave Flyers left winger Brian Propp a concussion. Enjoying the last hurray, Chelios is named the No. 1 star of this game and was a prime mover in Montreal's defense during the series, holding Philadelphia's league-leading power play unit scoreless (0 for 24) in all six games.

Birthdays:
Charlie Gehringer b. 1903
Rip Sewell b. 1907
Jack Twyman b. 1934
Milt Pappas b. 1939
Kerry Ligtenberg b. 1971

Packers Fact:
Brett Favre equaled the Packers' record when he played his 16th season for the club in 2007. Quarterback Bart Starr (1956-1971) was the only other man to play as many seasons in a Green Bay uniform.

5/12/1984:
Fastballing Cincinnati right-hander Mario Soto has his bid for ano-hitter broken up with two outs in the ninth inning when he hangs a change-up to Silent George Hendrick, who deposits the offering over the left-field fence. The last-ditch homer ties the game at 1-1, and even a standing ovation from the fans at Riverfront Stadium cannot assuage Soto's diappointment. He recovers to retire the side and the Reds scratch out a run in the bottom half of the ninth to win the game, but for Soto, who dominated all day long with his fastball (12 strikeouts), the wrong pitch at the wrong time deprives him of baseball immortality.

Birthdays:
Yogi Berra b. 1925
Felipe Alou b. 1935
Johnny Bucyk b. 1935
George Karl b. 1951
Lou Whitaker b. 1957

Packers Fact:
With 237 consecutive starts entering 2007, Packers quarterback Brett Favre far outdistanced Tampa Bay linebacker Derrick Brooks, whose 176 starts in a row ranked second among all active players.

5/13/1958:
In a slugfest between old New York City rivals in their first year on the West Coast, the San Francisco Giants pummel the Los Angeles Dodgers, 16-9, with a 26-hit attack. Willie Mays goes five for five, including two home runs with four RBIs and four runs scored. Daryl Spencer goes four for six, including two homers with six RBIs and four runs scored. The Giants' Orlando Cepeda, Bob Schmidt and Danny O'Connell also have four-hit games in a contest that demonstrates the ill-suited dimensions of the (four-year-stopgap_ L.A. Memorial Coliseum. The 40-foot-high screen in left field is only 250 feet down the line - a chip shot for most big-league hitters.

Birthdays:
Dean Meminger b. 1948
Bobby Valentine b. 1950
Dennis Rodman b. 1961
Mike Bibby b. 1978
Barry Zito b. 1978

Packers Fact:
From midway through the 2000 season, when tackle Chad Clifton first broke into the starting lineup, through 2006, the Packers allowed fewer sacks than all but one other NFL team (the Indianapolis Colts).

5/14/2004:
Big redhead Brian Scalabrine celebrates with Richard Jefferson after scoring a career-high 17 points to lead New Jersey to a 127-120 triple-overtime victory over Detroit in an Eastern Conference semifinal-round playoff game. Starved for playing time on the talented New Jersey club, Scalabrine stepped up big time when four Nets fouled out. It's only the fourth playoff game in NBA history to require three or more overtimes. The Pistons will rebound from this home loss to capture this series in seven games on their way to winning the NBA championship.

Birthdays:
Gump Worsley b. 1929
Tony Perez b. 1942
Dennis Martinez b. 1955
Pooh Richardson b. 1966
Roy Halladay b. 1977

Packers Fact:
Brett Favre is the only man ever to be named the Associated Press' NFL MVP three times (1995-97). He shared the award in 1997 with Detroit running back Barry Sanders.