Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 2/19-20/2010

2/19/1959:
Basket-brawl breaks out tonight at the Syracuse War Memorial arena as the Syracuse Nationals are handing the Boston Celtics a 113-105 beating. Three separate incidents mar play in the fourth quarter. The first two, involving referee Sid Borgia with a courtside heckler and Bill Russell of the Celts with George Dempsey of the Nats, are quickly defused, but the third is a doozy. All-Stars Tommy Heinsohn of Boston and Dolph Schayes of Syracuse become entangled as they battle for rebounding position, setting off several other skirmishes involving players, coaches and even some fans. When the mayhem escalates, local police step in to separate the combatants and clear the court. There are no ejections after the melee, and the Nats hold on to win.

Birthdays:
Eddie Arcaro b. 1916
Forest Evashevski b. 1918
Paul Krause b. 1942
Dave Stewart b. 1957
Hana Mandlikova b. 1962

Packers Fact:
Kicker Mason Crosby led the NFL in scoring in 2007. He scored 141 pointsw on 31 field goals and 48 extra points.

2/20/1981:
Eamonn Coghlan of Ireland betters his own world record of 3:52.6 for the indoor mile, set on this same track two years ago, with a clocking of 3:50.6 at the San Diego Sportsw Arena. Coghlan is pushed to his limits in this race by a world-class field. The USA's top miler, Steve Scott, runs second in 3:51.8 (an all-time record by an American), John Walker of New Zealand is third at 3:52.8 and Irishman Ray Flynn is a close fourth at 3:53.6.

Birthdays:
Roger Penske b. 1937
Phil Esposito b. 1942
Charles Barkley b.1 963
Livan Hernandez b. 1975
Stephon Marbury b. 1977

Packers Fact:
The Packers have won 10 of the 14 NFL (pre-1970) or NFC championship games in which they have played (entering 2008).


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Finger Painting for Adults
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Man Babies
Like the title says - dozens of heartwarming, yet strangely disturbing pictures of lad holding dad.

GASS—NOT JUST HOT AIR

William Gass, philosopher, literary critic, novelist, and octogenarian, confesses his unguilty love affair with language, reading, and certain authors. Like “a young man hurrying to a rendezvous with a gorgeous older woman” (The Washington Post)—a sort of Casanova of texts—Gass describes the first meeting, the crystallization of desire, the rapture of discovery, the bliss of reading, “the order, release, and sounding of the meaning.” You’ll never look at Gertrude Stein the same way again.

A TEMPLE OF TEXTS, by William H. Gass (Dalkey Archive, 2007)

NEVER AT A LOSS FOR A LAUGH

Here it is: 510 pages of witticisms, a reference of the risible to be savored and visited again and again. Andrew Martin, veteran writer, reviewer, humorist, and comedy critic, has gathered more than 5,000 pithy, pungent, and peppery quotations from the usual suspects and the unexpected—Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, Winston Churchill, the Simpsons, the Bible. Entries include biographical and contextual notes that add considerably to the enjoyment of this wonderful collection.

FUNNY YOU SHOULD SAY THAT: AMUSING REMARKS FROM CICERO TO THE SIMPSONS; edited by Andrew Martin (Overlook Press, 2006)

MADRUGADA OBSCURA DARK DAWN STOUT

Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales, Dexter, Michigan

The folks at Jolly Pumpkin run a classy little brewery with a Belgian artisan farmhouse spirit. In fact, some Americans might not understand the beauty of this particular stout. It is strong, bitter, fruity and powerfully sour. Scared? If you don’t know what you’re getting into, you should be. The beer is perfectly black, with an espresso-tight half-inch of foam on top. A tart, bittersweet chocolate aroma wafts seductively toward you. The flavor is rich and creamy, with a decadent truffle-like consistency relentlessly matched by a long, sour finish. This stout’s aftertaste really stays with you, with alcohol warmth from the 8.5%/vol., chocolate bitterness, and that mouthwatering fruit sourness all competing. A tremendous beer. For those lucky few who understand, this temptress is one to treasure.

PHIN & MATT’S EXTRAORDINARY ALE

Southern Tier Brewing Co., Lakewood, New York

This very light-colored pale ale starts off with a bit of corn-like graininess in the aroma. The flavor is medium-bodied with sweet malt graininess. A very low-hop personality makes it a light, refreshing drink that’s perfect for ball games, picnics, or any summer activity.