Sports Fact of the Day 11/14-11/19/2009

11/14/1943:
Washington Redskins quarterback Sammy Baugh dispalys his amazing football versatility, passing for four touchdowns and picking off four interceptions as a defensive back in a 42-20 rout of Detroit at Griffith Stadium. The soft-spoken Texan also handles the punting chores for the reigning NFL champions. On offense, he connects with Bob Masterson for two scores and with Bob Seymour and Joe Aguirre for one each. On defense, he's all over the field, snatching four Detroit aerials to help the Skins maintain their lead.

Birthdays:
Jimmy Piersall b. 1929
Jack Sima b. 1955
Curt Schilling b. 1966
Dana Stubblefield b. 1970
Lawyer Milloy b. 1973

Packers Fact:
Max McGee caught 2 touchdown passes from game MVP Bart Starr in the Packers' 35-10 victory over the Chiefs in Super Bowl I in the 1966 season.

11/15/1975:
Newly acquired forward George McGinnis scores 39 points before fouling out, leading the Philadelphia 76ers to a 110-109 triple-overtime victory over the Washington Bullets at the Spectrum. Mad Dog Carter has 21 points, Doug Collins has 19 and Billy Cunningham 18 for the resurgent Sixers, who will post a 12-game improvement in the standings this season (34-48 to 46-36) and make the playoffs for the first time in five years.

Birthdays:
Gus Bell b. 1928
Harland Svare b. 1930
Bob Dandridge b. 1947
Otis Armstrong b. 1950
Chris Terreri b. 1964

11/16/2002:
Illustrating a sharp drop-off in shooting accuracy and point scoring in the NBA, Detroit and Denver combine to set several unflattering records tonight at the Palace of Auburn Hills. The Pistons with the game, 74-53, setting club records for the fewest combined points in any game they've ever played and the fewest points they've ever allowed. The halftime score of 29-28 establishes the lowest post-shot-clock total in NBA history, and the 53 points scored by the Nuggets marks the lowest number of points they've ever scored in a game.

Birthdays:
Terry Labonte b. 1956
Corey Pavin b. 1959
Zina Garrison b. 1963
Dwight Gooden b. 1964
Amare Stoudemire b. 1982

Packers Fact:
Max McGee was a Pro Bowl end for the Packers in the early 1960s, but he was the forgotten man on the receiving corps until he caught a pair of touchdown passes in Super Bowl I. He had only 4 receptions during the 1966 regular season.

11/17/1991:
Detroit Lions offensive guard Mike Utley, a third-year player out of Washington State, is paralyzed while pass blocking in the fourth quarter of a 21-10 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. A Rams player accidentally landed on Utley's head and neck area after a passing play, causing irreversible damage to his spinal cord and ending his career. Utley flashes a "thumbs up" sign to the crowd at the Silverdome as he's wheeled off the field. Though confined to a wheelchair for life, he's been a tireless advocate for research into spinal cord injuries.

Birthdays:
Bob Mathias b. 1930
Jim Boeheim b. 1944
Tom Seaver b. 1944
Elvin Hayes b. 1945
Mitch Williams b. 1964

Packers Fact:
Cornerback Herb Adderley's 60-yard interception return for a touchdown sealed the Packers' 33-14 victory over the Raiders in Vince Lombardi's last game as coach (Super Bowl II in the 1967 season).

11/18/1998:
Needing a left-handed relief pitcher, the Cleveland Indians drastically overpay to acquire Ricardo Rincon from the Pirates for slugging outfielders Brian Giles. While Rincon will pitch creditably for Cleveland for four years (and four more with Oakland after that), Giles will really break loose in Pittsburgh with 165 homers and 506 RBIs over the next (almost) five seasons before being traded again to San Diego.

Birthdays:
Warren Moon b. 1956
Dante Bichette b. 1963
Gary Sheffield b. 1968
Sam Cassell b. 1969
David Ortiz b. 1975

Packers Fact:
Pro Football Hall of Fame guard Mike Michalske's (1929-1935, 1937) given first name was August. He soon became known as "Iron Mike" for his durability.

11/19/2006:
Thanks to four touchdowns from sensational running back LaDainian Tomlinson, the San Diego Chargers rally from a 24-7 deficit and defeat Denver, 35-27, at Invesco Field at Mile High. The Chargers also trailed by more than 17 points last week against Cincinnati before winning, 49-41, becoming the first NFL team to surmount such a large deficit two weeks in a row. Despite a great year by Tomlinson (an NFL record 31 TDs) and a 14-2 record, San Diego will lose in the playoffs to visiting New England and head coach Marty Schottenheimer will be forced out of his job because of front-office politics.

Birthdays:
Roy Camapnella b. 1921
Bobby Tolan b. 1945
Bob Boone b. 1947
Gail Devers b. 1966
Ryan Howard b. 1979

Packers Fact:
The Cowboys, Steelers and 49ers were the only NFL teams to enter the 2007 season with more Super Bowl victories than Green Bay. Each of them had hwon the league's biggest game five times. Like the Packers, the Patriots, Raiders, and Redskins had three Super Bowl wins.