Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 1/3/2010

1/3/1989:
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen each record triple-doubles to lead the Bulls to a 126-121 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Clippers at Chicago Stadium. Jordan rings up 41 points with 11 assists and 10 rebounds, while Pippen adds 15 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds. For all of Jordan's indescribable greatness, his lifetime total of 27 regular-season triple-doubles pales alongside the totals of three other NBA backcourt greats: Oscar Robertson (181), Magic Johnson (138) and Jason Kidd (100 and counting).

Birthdays:
Hank Stram b. 1923
Bobby Hull b. 1939
Darren Daulton b. 1962
Jim Everett b. 1962
Cheryl Miller b. 1964
ROPEWALK AMBER ALE

BridgePort Brewing Co., Portland, Oregon

A well-brewed, polished ale with a traditional pedigree—discerning noses may detect a link to Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown. Its buttery, nutty malt aroma is the result of a compound called diacetyl, a signature of that venerable classic from Yorkshire, England. The hitch: Ropewalk is made by the BridgePort Brewing Co., in the heart of American hop territory. The brew channels a Yorkshire Northern brown ale from start to finish, even though it’s classified as an amber.