Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 1/14/2012

1/14/1962:
The Western Conference All-Stars nip the Eastern All-Stars, 31-30, in the NFL Pro Bowl before a crowd of 57,409 at Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles. Baltimore Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas brings the game to an exciting conclusion with a 12-yard touchdown pass to halfback Jon Arnett of the Los Angeles Rams with two seconds remaining. Members of the winning team each earn $800; the losers garner $600 apiece.

Birthdays:
Smead Jolley b. 1902
Sonny Siebert b. 1937
Fred Arbanas b. 1939
Gene Washington b. 1947
Terry Forster b. 1952

SHOWBIZ

Nancy Balbirer was poised to make it big as an actress. She had attended NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she studied with David Mamet (whose observations on the only skills actresses need give the book its title). She starred on MTV’s Remote Control and appeared on Seinfeld, yet fame seemed always just out of reach. When her friend “Jane” becomes world famous and then sabotages Balbirer’s career, it’s the last straw. Funny, gossipy, and insightful. A great pick for aspiring performers and entertainment buffs.

TAKE YOUR SHIRT OFF AND CRY: A MEMOIR OF NEAR-FAME, by Nancy Balbirer (Bloomsbury USA, 2009)