Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 7/12/2010

7/12/1948:
Ike Williams (92-10-4) defends his world lightweight championship with a sixth-round knockout of Beau Jack (70-13-4) at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. Jack, a former two-time lightweight champion before World War II interrupted his career, was forced to lose several pounds to make the 135-pound weight limit and quickly runs out of steam against Williams' unrelenting assault. While Jack's fighting style of always pressing forward earned him a legion of admirers, tonight his punches have little effect and only serve to leave him in easy range for Williams' forceful replies, which end the bout in its early stages.

Birthdays:
Ron Fairly b. 1938
Paul Silas b. 1943
Gilles Meloche b. 1950
Julie Cesar Chavez b. 1962
Kristi Yamaguchi b. 1971

Packers Fact:
Najeh Davenport spent most of his four years with the Packers (2002-05) backing up Ahman Green, but he ran for 178 yards in a 45-17 victory over the Rams in 2004 in his first career start.




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Jessica Hagy uses mathematical diagrams, formulae, or graphs to make hilarious observations on every aspect of daily life, such as "Still a Mess," a Venn diagram in which the common ground between Mighty Putty, OxiClean, and health insurance is "they never work like you thought they will and/or they were sold by Billy Mays" and "Unless you've got backup," in which the second baby will be the nail in the coffin of your career.

THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAGEDY

“What the hell is wrong with doing things right?” demands the suffering “Swede” Levov as, for him, the American dream turns into the American nightmare. Levov had it all, including a Miss New Jersey of 1949 wife and an apple-of-his-eye daughter. But in the 1960s the daughter became radicalized by the war and got involved in a terrorist bombing that resulted in the deaths of innocents. Author Philip Roth’s familiar alter ego, Nathan Zuckerman, narrates Levov’s tragedy. American Pastoral won Roth the 1998 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction.

AMERICAN PASTORAL, by Philip Roth (Vintage International, 1998)

BROUCZECH PILSNER

Nová Paka Brewery, Nová Paka, Czech Republic

Never heard of Nová Paka? Neither have many, but it’s time to fix that now. Nová’s Bohemian Pilsner pours a light bronze with white foam, brilliantly clear. The nose is full, with caramel malt and a smoky character that’s almost ham-like. Bacon beer to round out your breakfast? Sounds too good to be true! In the flavor, a pleasant maltiness with none of the aforementioned meaty bits; while hops have been conspicuously absent up to this point, they finish things off with an abruptly bitter finish. Nice pivo, with a good balance and just a couple of odd moments.