Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 1/10/2012

1/10/1982:
In the NFC championship at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, the 49ers defeat the Cowboys, 28-27, on a last-minute touchdown by wide receiver Dwight Clark in what will become known in NFL history as simply "the Catch." The 49ers take over on their own 11-yard line with 4 minutes and 54 seconds to play, trailing 27-21,. Joe Montana leads his team down the field; they are third and three on the Dallas six with 58 seconds left. He rolls to his right, sprinting to the sideline, and spots Clark at the back of the end zone. Montana's throw is high, but Clark leaps for the game-winning grab. The club will win its first Super Bowl two weeks later on January 24, defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 26-21, at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan.

Birthdays:
Frank Mahovlich b. 1938
Willie McCovey b. 1938
Bill Toomey b. 1939
Glenn Robinson b. 1973
Felix Trinidad b. 1973

POP SCIENCE

Part handbook, part call to arms, this is the quirky gift book all geeks and friends to geeks must own. Featuring salutes to Tolkien, Sagan, Einstein, and Xena: Warrior Princess, and packed with practical information on important skills such as cloning, building lasers, and winning bar bets, this book will ensure that your geek is the happiest and coolest (if that’s possible) one on the block.

THE GEEK’S GUIDE TO WORLD DOMINATION: BE AFRAID, BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE, by Garth Sundem (Three Rivers Press, 2009)