Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 4/12/2011

4/12/1952:
In Game 1 of the NBA finals in St. Paul, the New York Knicks' Al McGuire hits a "phantom" basket. In the first quarter, McGuire drives to the basket and is fouled as he releases the shot. The ball plainly goes through the hoop, but official Sid Borgia calls for a two-shot foul because he didn't see where the ball went; neither did the second official. The call is critical, since McGuire misses both free throws and the Lakers win in overtime, 83-79. The series will go seven games, with the Lakers taking the title on April 25 with an 82-65 victory.

Birthdays:
Joe Lapchick b. 1900
Johnny Antonelli b. 1930
Mike Garrett b. 1944
Mike Macfarlane b. 1964
Adam Graves b. 1968

Packers Fact:
Cornerback Al Harris sealed the Packers' 21-15 victory over Chicago on Kickoff Weekend in 2009 by intercepting a pass with 58 seconds remaining.

ON KISSES, TOO POTENT

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My girlfriend kissed me. I lost control and woke up in the hospital.

written on an actual accident report

“I must complain the cards are ill-shuffled, till I have a good hand.”

—JONATHAN SWIFT, Anglo-Irish satirist

THE NEW CLASSICS

Some of the best books are those that dwell in the limbo between childhood and adulthood—they can be read by either group and enjoyed equally, if differently. The worlds they depict are also often on the cusp of reality and fantasy. If you’ve been longing to bury yourself in a book and another world, you can’t do much better than reading Suzanne Collins, whose new series (following five New York Times bestsellers in the Underland Chronicles) will leave you feeling uneasy in your skin months after you put the books down.

THE HUNGER GAMES, by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic, 2008)

CATCHING FIRE (2009)