Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 1/1/2010

1/1/2008:
The National Hockey League strikes marketing gold by staging a national televised outdoor game at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo between the Sabres and the Pittsburgh Penguins, counterprogramming the surfeit of college football games on the traditional New Year's Day sports menu. The 71,000 intrepid fans who brave wintry conditions to attend the game see the NHL's brightest young star, Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, score the winning goal in a shootout to give the Pens a 2-1 victory.

Birthdays:
Hank Greenberg b. 1911
Rocky Grziano b. 122
Doak Walker b. 1927
Marlin McKeever b. 1940
Derrick Thomas b. 1967

Packers Fact:
On January 1, 1966: The visiting Packers downed the upstart Cowboys 34-27 to win the NFL title. Safety Tom Brown intercepted a pass in the end zone on the final play to seal the victory.

MOVE OVER, TIPPING POINT

Mark Penn and E. Kinney Zalesne are two movers and shakers (CEO of Burson-Marsteller and adviser to Hillary Clinton and Bill Gates, White House fellow and counsel to Janet Reno, that sort of thing) who here take a serious and deeply knowledgeable look at how to identify signs of emerging phenomena, e.g., teenage boys knitting or the Soccer Mom (a phrase coined by Penn). The authors delve into how to tell what these microtrends mean and how to harness the data and ultimately turn such knowledge to profit. A fascinating study of 70 small movements that are signs of landscape-altering earthquakes to come.

MICROTRENDS: THE SMALL FORCES BEHIND TOMORROW’S BIG CHANGES, by Mark Penn and E. Kinney Zalesne (Twelve, 2007)

SNAKE RIVER ZONKER STOUT

Snake River Brewing Co., Jackson, Wyoming

Unmercifully black, brimming with a dense brown head. Fruity ale fermentation yields to hearty roasted barley and malt. Clean and thoughtful, Zonker Stout’s medium-light, refreshing body and encyclopedic complexity are reminiscent of what Guinness used to be 25 years ago. A classic example of “foreign stout,” and the winner of a Gold medal at the 2008 World Beer Cup in the Foreign Style Stout category.

SUDS SOURCE

Located at 265 South Millward Street in Jackson, the Snake River BrewPub offers wood-fired pizza, pasta, and pub fare to pair with an excellent lineup of fresh brewed ales and lagers. Try the smoked chicken pappardelle with the award-winning stout, or a truffle mushroom pizza with Snake River pale ale. There’s also a kid’s menu, a list of daily specials, and plenty of gifts and brew gear at the SRB store.