Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 1/13/2012

1/13/1962:
Center Wilt Chamberlain scores 73 points to lead the Philadelphia Warriors to a 135-117 win over the Chicago Packers before a crowd of 3,516 at Convention Hall in Philadelphia. At the time, the record for most points in a regulation game is 71 by Elgin Baylor. Wilt also had 78 in a triple overtime game a month earlier on December 8, 1961. He accumulates the record number of points on 29 field goals (in 48 attempts) and 15 free throws-which breaks down to 14 points in the first period, 19 in the second, 17 in the third, and 23 in the fourth. Almost two months later, on March 2, Wilt will shatter his single-game scoring records in a 100-point contest against the New York Knicks. He will finish the 1961-62 season with records for points scored (4,029) and points per game (50.4). The Warriors will play 3,890 minutes during the season, and Chamberlain will be on the floor for 3,882 of them.

Birthdays:
Tom Gola b. 1933
Bob Baffert b. 1953
Mark O'Meara b. 1957
Kelly Hrudey b. 1961
Kevin Mitchell b. 1962

FIRST-RATE FICTION

With such a title, you expect treacle.
Instead you get classic Colwin: warm characters, witty observations, and writing that is crisp, clear, and straightforward. Pure pleasure. Laurie Colwin, who died in her forties in 1992, inspired raves—“endless surprises and … boundless joy” (The New Yorker)—and generations of ardent fans.
    Once you’ve dipped a toe in, you’ll want to come back for more. Colwin was as loved for her food writing as her fiction, so try Home Cooking (1988; Vintage, 2010) and More Home Cooking (1993; HarperPerennial, 2000).

HAPPY ALL THE TIME, by Laurie Colwin (1978; Vintage, 2010)