Sports Fact & This Day in History 1/6/15

January 6:
2001: Congress certifies George W. Bush winner of the 2000 presidential elections

On this day, Vice President Al Gore presided over a joint session of Congress that certified George W. Bush as the winner of the 2000 election. In one of the closest presidential elections in U.S. history, George W. Bush was finally declared the winner more than five weeks after the election, due to disputed Florida ballots. Gore became the fourth presidential candidate to win the popular vote, but lose the election after the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to halt Florida's manual recount. The ruling, in effect, gave Florida's twenty-five electoral votes to Bush, giving him 271 to Gore's 266-where 270 is needed to win the election. George W. Bush took the oath of office on January 20, 2001, to become the forty-third President of the  United States.

1/6/1985:
In the AFC championship game at the Orange Bowl in Miami, the Dolphins prevail 45-28 over the Steelers. The two teams combine for 1,024 net yards. Trailing 14-10, Miami scores twice in the last 1:30 of the first half to take a 24-14 advantage into the locker room. Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino, who played his high school and college ball in Pittsburgh, completes 21 of 32 passes for 421 yards and four touchdowns. Wide receiver Mark Duper hauls in five catches for 148 yards and two scores. Running back Tony Nathan has eight receptions for 114 yards and also crosses the goal line on a two-yard run.

Birthdays:
Early Wynn b. 1920
Lou Holtz b. 1937
Nancy Lopez b. 1957
Gilbert Arenas b. 1982
Ndamukong Suh b. 1987

Sports Fact & This Day in History 1/4-5/15

January 4:
1974: Nixon refuses to hand over Watergate recordings
President Richard Nixon refused to hand over tape recordings and documents that had been subpoenaed by the Senate Watergate Committee. The refusal marked the beginning of the end of his presidency,and Nixon would resign from office in disgrace eight months later.

1/4/2005:
Matt Leinart's five touchdown passes lead top-ranked Southern California to a victory over number two Oklahoma 55-19 in the BCS championship game played at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. the game is over early as the Trojans roll to a 38-10 halftime lead. The victory caps a 13-0 season, extends USC's winning streak to 22 games, and earns the school a second consecutive national title.

Birthdays:
Johnny lujack b. 1925
Don Shula b. 1930
Floyd Patterson b. 1935
Kermit Alexander b. 1941
Garrison Hearst b. 1971

January 5:
1968: Prague Spring begins in Czechoslovakia
On this date, Antonin Novotny, the Stalinist ruler of Czechoslovakia, was succeeded as first secretary by Alexander Dubvek, a Slovak who supported liberal reforms. In the first few months of his rule, Dubcek introduced a series of far-reaching political and economic reforms, including increased freedom of speech and the rehabilitation of political dissidents. Dubcek's effort to establish "communism with a human face" was celebrated across the country, and the brief period of freedom became known as the "Prague Spring."

1/5/1934:
A fire destroys part of Fenway Park as a result of a reconstruction project at the ballpark. Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey began the project after the close of the 1933 season to update the facility, which opened in 1912. The fire begins when an overturned cement beater ignites tarred canvas, and the fire lasts five hours, razing the stands along the left field line, beyond third base, and in center field. Two workmen are injured. Before the blaze is contained, it spreads. Firemen concentrate most of their efforts on the oil tanks of nearby Neponset Oil Company, which is encircled by flames. Although the fire turns Yawkey's rebuilding plans into re-building plans, the ballpark is ready by Opening Day.

Birthdays:
Lou Carnesecca b. 1925
Chuck Noll b. 1932
Chuck McKinley b. 1941
Alex English b. 1954
Warrick Dunn b. 1975

Sports Fact & This Day in History 1/3/15

Jan. 3:
1959: Alaska admitted into Union
On January 3, 1959, President Eisenhower signed a special proclamation admitting the territory of Alaska into the Union as the forty-ninth and largest state. the European discovery of Alaska came in 1741, when a Russian expedition led by Danish navigator Vitus Bering sighted the Alaskan mainland. Russian hunters were soon making incursions into Alaska, and the native Aleut population suffered greatly after being exposed to foreign diseases. In 1784, Grigory Shelikhov established the first permanent Russian colony in Alaska on Kodiak Island. Despite a slow start in settlement by Americans from the continental United States, the discovery of gold in 1898 brought a rapid influx of people to the territory. Alaska, rich in natural resources, has been contributing to American prosperity ever since.

On his 600th coaching win on January 2, 1985, a come-from-behind 142-140 triple-overtime decision over Utah State with most of his top players on the bench after fouling out, UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian said, "We just had to be grateful to the Lord for this one. We had no ballhandlers, we had no shooters, we had guys out of position. How we ever came back to win just amazes me."

Birthdays:
Hank Stram b. 1923
Bobby Hull b. 1939
Darren Daulton b. 1962
Cheryl Miller b. 1964
Eli Manning b. 1981

Sports Fact & This Day In History 1/1-1/2/2015

January 1:
45 BCE: First New Year's Day celebrated
New Year's Day was celebrated on January 1 for the first time in history as teh Julian calendar took effect. Soon after becoming Roman dictator, Julius Caesar decided that the traditional Roman calendar was in need of reform. In designing his new calendar, Caesar enlisted the aid of Sosigenes, an Alexandrian astronomer, who advised him to do away with the lunar cycle entirely and follow the solar year, as the Egyptians did. The year was calculated to be 365 and 1/4 days, and Caesar added sixty-seven days to 45 BC, making 46 BC begin on January 1, rather than in March. He also decreed that every four years a day be added to February, thus theoretically keeping his calendar from falling out of step. Celebrating New Year's Day in January fell out of practice during the Middle Ages, and even those who strictly adhered to the Julian calendar did not observe the New Year exactly on January 1. The reason for the latter was that Caesar and Sosigenes failed to calculate the correct value for the solar year as 365.242199 days, not 365.25 days. Thus, an eleven-minute-a-year error added seven days by the year 1000, and ten days by the mid-fifteenth century.

1/1/1965:
Fifth-ranked Texas downs undefeated number one Alabama 21-17 at the Orange Bowl in Miami. Shown on ABC, it is the first college football game ever telecast nationally in primetime. The Longhorns lead 21-7 at halftime with the help of two touchdowns from running back Ernie Koy, one of which covers 79 yards. The Crimson Tide mounts a comeback and trails 21-17 late in the fourth quarter with a first-and-goal at the Texas three. Four running plays - the last a quarterback sneak by Joe Namath - come up a foot short of the goal line. At the time, there are no post-bowl polls, and Alabama is still declared national champions. The next day Namath signs a contract with the Jets worth $400,000, the most lucrative ever in football to this point.

Birthdays:
Hank Greenberg b. 1911
Rocky Graziano b. 1922
Doak Walker b. 1927
Marlin McKeever b. 1940
Derrick Thomas b. 1967

January 2:
1492: Moors lose control of Spain
On this day, the kingdom of Granada fell to the Christian forces of King Ferdinand V and Queen Isabella I, and the Moors lost their last foothold in Spain. Located at the confluence of the Darro and Genil Rivers in southern Spain, the city of Granada was a Moorish fortress that rose to prominence during the reign of Sultan Almoravid in the eleventh century. In 1238, the Christian Reconquest forced Spanish Muslims south, and the kingdom of Granada was established as the last refuge of the Moorish civilization. Granada flourished culturally and economically for the next two hundred years, but in the late fifteenth century internal feuds and a strengthened Spanish monarchy under Ferdinand and Isabella signaled the end of Moorish civilization in Spain. On January 2, 1492, King Boabdil surrendered Granada to the Spanish forces, and in 1502 the Spanish crown ordered all Muslims forcibly converted to Christianity. The next century saw a number of persecutions, and in 1609 the last Moors still adhering to Islam were expelled from Spain.

1/2/1985:
Jerry Tarkanian earns his 600th victory as a collegiate head coach, leading the Nevada-Las Vegas Runnin' Rebels to a 142-140 decision over Utah State in three overtimes at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum in Logan, Utah. UNLV trails 59-49 at halftime, before the two teams scorch the nets for a combined 176 points in the second half to end regulations at 116-116. Utah State seems to have the game well in hand with a 140-134 advantage with 3:42 left in the third overtime. Six of the UNLV players have fouled out. But the Runnin' Rebels hold the Aggies scoreless the remainder of the game. Richard Robinson breaks the 140-140 tie on a tip-in with 41 seconds remaining. Richie Adams leads UNLV with 37 points. Fred Banks contributes 31 points and game-tying baskets in the final seconds of both regulation and the first overtime.

Birthdays:
Gina Marchetti b. 1927
Robbie Ftorek b. 1952
David cone b. 1963
Edgar Martinez b. 1963
Pernell Whitaker b. 1964

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 4/8/2012

Dick Allen, who played in the majors from 1963 through 1977, explained during a 1972 spring training interview why he rarely took batting practice: "Your body is like a bar of soap. It gradually wears down from repeated use." Allen went on to win the AL MVP award that season as a member of the White Sox.

Birthdays:
Turk Farrell b. 1934
John Havlicek b. 1940
Jim "Catfish" Hunter b. 1946
Gary Carter b. 1954
Ricky Bell b. 1955

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 4/6/2012

4/6/2010:
The University of Connecticut women's basketball team runs its winning streak to 78 games with a 53-47 win over Stanford in the NCAA championship game at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Connecticut trails 20-12 at halftime. The 12 points is a school record low for a half. But UConn breaks loose in the second half and leads 47-31 with 2:40 remaining before Stanford narrows the gap. Maya Moore leads the Huskies in the championship tilt with 23 points and 11 rebounds. It is Connecticut's second straight 39-0 season. Midway through the 2009-10 season, Geno Auriemma's squad broke the previous record winning streak in women's college basketball, which was 60 games and also held by Connecticut from 2001 through 2003.

Birthdays:
Ernie Lombardi b. 1908
Spider Lockhart b. 1943
Bert Blyleven b. 1957
Sterling Sharpe b. 1965
Bret Boone b. 1969

LIVING HISTORY

A massive and sweeping history of the Christian church by a professor of church history at Oxford University. Clocking in at over 1,000 pages and illustrated with color plates, it has time and space to explore philosophical questions regarding Christianity and finer points of Biblical scholarship, and does not ignore the politics that helped drive Christianity’s growth. It is an approach that The New York Times calls “sprawling, sensible and illuminating.”

CHRISTIANITY: THE FIRST THREE THOUSAND YEARS, by Diarmaid McCullough (Viking, 2010)

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 4/5/2012

Trivia: Who was the only football player on a losing college team to win the coveted Heisman Trophy?

4/5/2010:
Butler's Cinderella run in the NCAA men's basketball tournament comes to end with a 61-59 loss to Duke in the championship game. The contest is played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, about six miles from the Butler campus, before a crowd of 70,930. Duke leads 60-55 with two minutes left, but two-point baskets by Matt Howard cuts the margin to 60-59 with 54 seconds remaining. It is still 60-59 when Gordon Hayward misses a two-point attempt with five seconds left, and Duke's Brian Zoubek is fouled after a rebound. Zoubek makes the first foul shot but misses the second. Hayward pulls down the rebound, dribbles to half-court, and just misses a desperation three-point shot. A private school with an enrollment of 4,200, Butler enters the tournament as a fifth-seed and comes into the championship game with a 25-game winning streak. It is Duke's fourth championship, following those in 1991, 1992, and 2001.

Birthdays:
Doggie Julian b. 1901
Doug Favell b. 1945
Rennie Stennett b. 1951
Brad Van Pelt b. 1951
Ike Hilliard b. 1976

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

When Horace Greeley famously advised, “Go west, young man!” he might have added, “and say hello to Fred Harvey.” Harvey pioneered chain restaurants with clean, inexpensive dining at every railway stop. Staffed by demure young women called “Harvey Girls,” his was an American institution that paved the way for eating out today. Praised by The New York Times as “an expansive chronicle of dining out in America,” this narrative is a must for Americana buffs.

APPETITE FOR AMERICA: HOW VISIONARY BUSINESSMAN FRED HARVEY BUILT A RAILROAD HOSPITALITY EMPIRE THAT CIVILIZED THE AMERICAN WEST, by Stephen Fried (Bantam, 2010)

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 4/4/2012

4/4/1974:
On Opening Day at Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium, Hank Aaron ties Babe Ruth as the all-time home run leader with his 714th career home run. The historic blast comes off Jack Billingham on Aaron's first swing of the season, a 3-1 pitch with two runners on base in the first inning. Aaron is presented with the ball by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn and Vice President Gerald Ford in a ceremony at home plate. He'll break the record four days from now, on April 8, in Atlanta's first home game of the season. Aaron finishes his career with 755 home runs and holds the record until he's passed by Barry Bonds in 2007.

Birthdays:
Tris Speaker b. 1888
JoAnne Carner b. 1939
Dale Hawerchuk b. 1963
Scott Rolen b. 1975
Ben Gordon b. 1983

ENDURING CLASSIC

From this novel stems the phrase that sums up all of E. M. Forster’s work: Only connect. To read the story of Margaret Schlegel’s businesslike marriage more than a century after it was first published is to find that its allegorical themes have taken on new resonance in our physically distant, Internet-crazed society. If you think Forster is little more than the framework for some very pretty movies, connect with this book—you’ll see the error in your thinking.

HOWARDS END, by E. M. Forster (1910; Penguin Classics, 2000)

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 4/3/2012

4/3/1933:
Before 14,500 at maple Leaf Garden in Toronto, the Maple Leafs defeat the Boston Bruins, 1-0, in the sixth overtime of the fifth and deciding game of the Stanley Cup semifinals. After battling through 60 minutes of regulation and five overtimes without either side denting the goal, the Maple Leaf and Bruin players agree to end the contest with a coin flip to decide the winner. The Toronto crowd jeers lustily, however, and the Maple Leafs back out of the agreement. Ken Doraty, the smallest player on the ice at five-foot-seven and 133 pounds, scores at 4:46 of the sixth overtime for the victory. The game ends at 1:50 A.M. After the exhausting win, the Maple Leafs rush for the train station for a game the following night in New York against the Rangers in the Stanley Cup final. The Rangers win the series three games to one.

Birthdays:
Bernie Parent b. 1945
Pervis Ellison b. 1967
Rodney Hampton b. 1969
Picabo Street b. 1971
Michael Olowokandi b. 1975

LIVING HISTORY

In January 1910, unusual weather conditions drove the Seine 20 feet above its usual level, a disaster whose effects lingered for weeks, drowning the City of Lights in a chaos of disease-ridden canals and lagoons, looting and street violence. In Jeffrey Jackson’s evenhanded telling, the police prefect, Louis Lépine, strides through the city with rubber boots and a soothing air of command, emerging as a hero in this “tight, concentrated tale of adversity and survival” (The New York Times).

PARIS UNDER WATER: HOW THE CITY OF LIGHT SURVIVED THE GREAT FLOOD OF 1910, by Jeffrey H. Jackson (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010)

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 4/2/2012

4/2/1972:
The Philadelphia Flyers miss a chance at the playoffs int he last four seconds of the final game of the regular season. The Flyers need a win or a tie against the Sabres to advance. Philadelphia has a 2-0 lead midway through the second period, but allows Buffalo to tie the contest at the 8:47 mark of the third period. The two clubs are still deadlocked with four seconds remaining when Garry Meehan of the Sabres scores on a 30-foot shot past Philadelphia goaltender Doug Favell. The 3-2 Sabre win disqualifies the Flyers from the Flyers from the playoffs with a record of 26-38-14, but Philadelphia will not miss them again until 1990.

Birthdays:
Luke Appling b. 1907
Carmen Basilio b. 1927
Dick Radatz b. 1937
Don Sutton b. 1945
Linford Christie b. 1960

WHODUNIT

Irene Huss is stretched to the limit between the demands of her family and her intense work as an inspector in the Göteborg Violent Crimes Unit. When she is drawn into a murder investigation, she follows a trail of sordidness to find the liberal foundations of Swedish society cracking under the weight of drugs, violence, and racism. If you’re jonesing for the next Stieg Larsson, you’ll find some comfort here.

DETECTIVE INSPECTOR HUSS, by Helene Tursten (Soho Crime, 2004)

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 4/1/2012

4/1/1972:
With Opening Day scheduled for April 5, major league baseball players go on strike. The dispute centers on health and pension issues and won't be settled until April 13, resulting in the loss of 86 games. It's the first time that regular-season major league games are canceled because of a strike. Play begins on April 15.

Birthdays:
Bo Schembachler b. 1929
Ron Perranoski b. 1936
Rusty Staub b. 1944
Norm Van Lier b. 1947
Scott Stevens b. 1964

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 3/31/2012

3/31/1991:
Boston Bruins right wing Chris Nilan sets an NHL record by recording 10 penalties during a 7-3 win over the Hartford Whalers at the Boston Garden. He racks up six minors, two majors, one 10-minute misconduct, and a game misconduct for infractions including holding, fighting, roughing, elbowing, and unsportsmanlike conduct. He is assessed a total of 42 penalty minutes.

Birthdays:
Gordie Howe b. 1928
Bob Pulford b. 1936
Ed Marinaro b. 1950
Tom Barrasso b. 1965
Pavel Bure b. 1971

TIME-TESTED ADVICE

You can find books to show you how to live your life using rules gleaned through everything from kindergarten to Machiavelli. Now Father James Martin, a priest, jumps into the fray with this guide to “finding freedom” through Jesuit precepts. He explains the philospophy of founder St. Ignatius Loyola with affability and ease, offering a 500-year-old spiritual tradition to anyone from doubter to devout. Appealing and easygoing.

THE JESUIT GUIDE TO (ALMOST) EVERYTHING: A SPIRITUALITY FOR REAL LIFE, by James Martin, SJ (Harper One, 2010)

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 3/30/2012

(Wow, three Cubs facts this week!)

3/30/1992:
The Cubs trade George Bell to the White Sox for Sammy Sosa and Ken Patterson. it doesn't look like much at the time, but the Cubs strike gold with this transaction. Bell is still a productive hitter in 1992, while Sosa is a struggling youngster who seems to be regressing in his development. In 1991, with the Sox, Sosa hit only .203 with 10 homers in 316 at bats and struck out 98 times while drawing only 14 walks. He is only 23 when the Cubs acquire him, however, and he becomes one of the best players of his generation. Bell plays only two more seasons after being traded for Sosa, mostly as a designated hitter.

Birthdays:
Ripper Collins b. 1904
Willie Galimore b. 1935
Jerry Lucas b. 1940
Dave Ellett b. 1964
Toby Gowin b. 1975

STRANGER THAN FICTION

The true story of James Annesley reads like fiction. No wonder Robert Louis Stevenson helped himself to the details of his life when he wrote Kidnapped. Annesley was neglected by his father, declared illegitimate by his uncle, and finally kidnapped by cronies of his uncle and shipped to America as an indentured servant. Does Annesley make it back to Ireland to reclaim his earldom? Find out via swashbuckling history at its best.

BIRTHRIGHT: THE TRUE STORY THAT INSPIRED KIDNAPPED, by A. Roger Ekirch (Norton, 2010)

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 3/27-29/2012

3/27/1902:
In Chicago, the nickname "Cubs" is coined by the Chicago Daily News when an unbylined column notes that manager "Frank Selee will devote his strongest efforts on the team work of the new Cubs this year." The "Cubs" referred to in the article are young players, such as future Hall of Famer Joe Tinker, who are rookies in 1902. The Chicago baseball franchise in the National League was established in 1876 and had no official nickname. Prior to 1902, the club had been known by a variety of nicknames, including White Stockings, Silk Stockings, Black Stockings, Colts, Orphans, Rainmakers, Rough Riders, and Remnants, by the various newspapers in town. From 1902 through 1906, the nine daily papers in the Windy City will call the team the Panamas, Microbes, Zephyrs, Nationals, and Spuds. It is Cubs which catches the fancy of the public, however, and by 1908 a bear cub appears on the team's uniform.

Birthdays:
Miller Huggins b. 1879
Wes Covington b. 1932
Cale Yarborough b. 1939
Chriis McCarron b. 1955
Michael Cuddyer b. 1979

3/28/1992:
At the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Christian Laettner of Duke sinks a last-second shot to nip Kentucky 104-103 in the regional finals to cap one of the greatest games in the history of the NCAA men's basketball tournament. With 2.1 seconds remaining in overtime, Grant Hill throws a pass to Laettner, a distance of about 75 feet. Catching the ball near the free throw line, Laettner dribbles once, turns, and hits the jumper as time expires. Laettner doesn't miss a shot the entire game. He's 10-for-10 from field goal range and 10-for-10 at the free throw line, for a total of 31 points. In the Final Four at the Metrodome in Minneapolis, Duke will beat Indiana, 81-78, and Michigan, u71-51, to win the national championship.

Birthdays:
Vic Baschi b. 1918
Jerry Sloan b. 1942
Rick Barry b. 1944
Len Elmore b. 1952
Byron Scott b. 1961

3/29/2000:
The Cubs and the Mets open the 2000 baseball season with a regular-season game in Tokyo before 55,000 at the Tokyo Dome. The Cubs win, 5-3. It is the first regular-season game ever played outside of North America, and the first of a two-game series in Tokyo. Shane Andrews and Mark Grace homer for the Cubs and Mike Piazza for the Mets. Among those in attendance is Crown Prince Naruhito and Princess Masako. The game begins at 7:06 P.M. Tokyo time, which is 4:06 A.M. in Chicago and 5:06 A.M. in New York. Jon Lieber is the winning pitcher. The two teams meet agin the following day with the Mets winning, 5-1, in 11 innings. Benny Agbayani wins the game with a pinchi-hit grand slam in the 11th off Danny Young. It is Young's major league debut.

Birthdays:
Walt Frazier b. 1945
Teofilo Stevenson b. 1952
Earl Campbell b. 1955
Brian Jordan b. 1967
Jennifer Capriati b. 1976

FIRST-RATE FICTION

This novel about a young Japanese pearl diver in the 1940s is rendered with precision and depth. Diagnosed with leprosy and banished to an island leper colony, “Miss Fuji” (inmates must take on new identities) lives out a life filled with loneliness, shame, and neglect. Somehow, in her endurance, she maintains her dignity, becoming a caretaker for the other patients. Colum McCann raves, “One of the most honest, tender, and inventive books I’ve read in years.”

THE PEARL DIVER, by Jeff Talarigo (Anchor, 2005)

MEMORABLE MEMOIR

A quote from Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gilbert says it all: “I can never get enough of true stories about people who stop in the middle of their life’s journey to ask, ‘What do I really want?’ and then have the guts to actually go get it. Kathleen Flinn’s tale of chasing her ultimate dream makes for a really lovely book—engaging, intelligent and surprisingly suspenseful.” Flinn’s midlife metamorphosis, like Julia Child’s, happened at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. If you liked Eat, Pray, Love; Under the Tuscan Sun; or My Life in France, this one’s for you.

THE SHARPER YOUR KNIFE, THE LESS YOU CRY: LOVE, LAUGHTER, AND TEARS IN PARIS AT THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS COOKING SCHOOL, by Kathleen Flinn (Penguin, 2008)

A LIFE

Juicy gossip abounds in this biography of Brazilian billionaire Lily Safra. She divorced her first husband; her second committed suicide (or so the authorities said); her third was dispatched in a quick, rancorous divorce at the bidding of her fourth, who died in a fire set by an employee. It all resulted in the vast fortune her parents had always dreamed for her. Glittering backdrops. Shiny toys. High society. Edifying it’s not; diverting, you bet.

GILDED LILY: LILY SAFRA: THE MAKING OF ONE OF THE WORLD’S WEALTHIEST WIDOWS, by Isabel Vincent (Harper, 2010)

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 3/26/2012

3/26/1952:
The New York Knicks defeat the Boston Celtics, 88-87, in double overtime at the Boston Garden in the third and deciding game of the first round of the NBA playoffs. Forward Ernie Vandeweghe breaks the 87-87 tie by sinking a free throw with two seconds remaining. Celtics guard Bob Cousy leads all scorers with 34 points. At the end of the game, officials Jocko Collins and Chuck Solodare are jeered by the fans. League president Maurice Podoloff is attacked by a fan, but police intervene. Vanderweghe is a medical student while he plays for the Knicks from 1949 through 1956. He will marry 1952 Miss America Colleen Kay Hutchins, whose brother Mel was also an NBA player. Ernie and Colleen's son Kiki will be born in 1958 in West Germany while Ernie is a physician with the United States Air Force. Kiki will play basketball at UCLA and have a long career as an NBA player, general manager, and coach.

Birthdays:
Rip Engle b. 1906
Al Bianchi b. 1932
Marcus Allen b. 1960
John Stockton b. 1962
Michael Peca b. 1974

LIVING HISTORY

The chief curator of the Historic Royal Palaces of the UK takes us on a vivid tour of the Georgian court at Kensington Palace. Marvelous gossip—sex scandals, power struggles, and social backstabbing—and intricate details about the daily lives of the royals of the late 1700s are something only a historian with Lucy Worsley’s access and training could provide. If you liked Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire by Amanda Foreman, you’ll love The Courtiers.

THE COURTIERS: SPLENDOR AND INTRIGUE IN THE GEORGIAN COURT AT KENSINGTON PALACE, by Lucy Worsley (Walker Books, 2010)

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 3/25/2012

3/25/1972:
UCLA caps an undefeated season with a 30-0 record by beating Florida State, 81-76, in the NCAA championship game at the Sports Arena in Los Angeles. It is the Bruins' sixth consecutive title. Florida State runs off to an early 21-14 lead, but UCLA surges ahead 50-39 by halftime and leads by 16 in the second half before holding off a Seminole rally.

Birthdays:
Howard Cosell b. 1920
Ken Wregget b. 1964
Avery Johnson b. 1965
Tom Glavine b. 1966
Sheryl Swoopes b. 1971

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 3/24/2012

3/24/1955:
Yankees manager Casey Stengel is arrested at the team hotel, booked on charges of assault, and released after posting $50 in bail. Stengel is accused of kicking photographer Brennan Sanders of the St. Petersburg Independent. Casey had been angry at Sanders, who was blocking his view of the field. Sanders, a combat photographer during World War II, will drop the charges after Stengel offers him an apology.

Birthdays:
Alex Oimedo b. 1936
Pat Bradley b. 1951
Peyton Manning b. 1976
T.J. Ford b. 1983
Chris Bosh b. 1984

CONTEMPORARY CLASSIC

Three reasons Tales of the City is a must-read:
    1. The iconic portrait of San Francisco in the peace and free-love 1970s.
    2. The kooky characters. You’ll wish Mrs. Madrigal was your neighbor, Mary Ann your best friend.
    3. You will not be able to put it down. Every chapter ends with a cliff-hanger. It’s more addictive than potato chips. Your only solace: There are five more books in the series.

TALES OF THE CITY, by Armistead Maupin (1978; HarperPerennial, 2007)

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the day 3/23/2012

3/23/2002:
Iowa State University wrestler Cael Sanderson wins his 159th straight match and fourth straight NCAA championship. He also becomes the first collegiate wrestler to secure an undefeated record with a minimum of 100 matches. Sports Illustrated names Sanderson's college career the second most impressive of all time in any college sport, behind that of Ohio State's Jesse Owens, who set four world records in track-and-field in a single hour during the Big 10 championships in 1935. The third of four Sanderson brothers to wrestle at Iowa State, Cael will capture a gold medal in the 2004 Olympics by defeating Eui Jae Moon of South Korea in the finals.

Birthdays:
Roger Bannister b. 1929
Geno Auriemma b. 1954
Moses Malone b. 1954
Jason Kidd b. 1973
Mark Buehrle b. 1979

A LIFE

How do you go from being a suburban New Jersey schoolgirl to a member of a prince’s harem? Jillian Lauren’s memoir tells that story and reflects eloquently on womanhood, coming of age, and what it means to belong. Fascinating and engrossing, and exotic without resorting to cheap thrills.

SOME GIRLS: MY LIFE IN A HAREM, by Jillian Lauren (Plume, 2010)

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 3/21-22/2012

3/21/1953:
In the second and deciding game of a three-game playoff series, guard Bob Cousy scores 50 points to lead the Celtics to a 111-105 win over the Syracuse Nationals in four overtimes before 11,058 at the Boston Garden. No one else on either team has more than 19 points. Cousy ties the score at 99 with a one-handed push shot at the close of the third OT period. The Nationals race to a 104-99 lead at the start of the fourth extra period, but the Celtics outscore them 12-1 the rest of the way, with Cousy contributing eight of Boston's dozen points. Cousy sets an NBA record for any game, regulation or playoff, with 30 free throws. The four overtimes set an NBA record for a playoff contest. The two teams also combine for a playoff record 107 fouls. Syracuse sets a single team playoff record with 55 personals.

Birthdays:
Tom Flores b. 1937
Jay Hilgenberg b. 1960
Ayrton Senna b. 1960
Shawon Dunston b. 1963
Al Iafrate b. 1966

3/22/1984:
Indiana stuns number-one ranked North Carolina 72-68 in the East Regional semifinals, held at The Omni in Atlanta. The Tar Heels' junior guard Michael Jordan is held to just 4 points during the first 33 minutes of the contest and finishes with just 13 points. Freshman guard Steve Alford leads the Hoosiers with 27 points, including a perfect six-for-six from the foul line in the crucial final minutes. Indiana takes a 12-point lead with five minutes remaining, but poor shooting allows North Carolina to pull within two with 2:07 left. After that, however, the Tar Heels can pull no closer. The national championship dreams for coach Bobby Knight and the Hoosiers will come to an end with a 50-48 defeat at the hands of Virginia in the Elite Eight on March 24 in Atlanta. Jordan will soon declare himself eligible for the NBA draft and will be chosen as the third overall pick, by the Chicago Bulls, in June.

Birthdays:
Billy Vessels b. 1931
Flash Elorde b. 1935
Glenallen Hill b. 1965
Shawn Bradley b. 1972
Marcus Camby b. 1974

LIVE TO TELL

What are the most important traits for survival in a crisis? In this “must-read” (The New York Times), Gonzo journalist Ben Sherwood (The Man Who Ate the 747) explains what they are and why they work. You’ll learn what makes the difference between life and death in a plane crash, an animal attack, a concentration camp, the ER, and more. “The true life stories are satisfying … but it’s the science that fascinates,” says Entertainment Weekly.
      Go to www.thesurvivorsclub.org to find out what kind of survivor you are.

THE SURVIVORS CLUB: THE SECRETS AND SCIENCE THAT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE, by Ben Sherwood (Grand Central, 2010)

ENDURING CLASSIC

Evelyn Waugh said of W. Somerset Maugham, “He’s a master of creating the appetite for information, of withholding it until the right moment, and then providing it surprisingly.” His Cakes and Ale, believed to have been a veiled portrait of Thomas Hardy, is a hilarious satire of interest to all readers and writers. A hack writer is hired by the widow of a celebrated novelist, Edward Driffield, to pen her late husband’s biography. The catch? The first Mrs. Driffield, glittering muse to Edward, must be written out of the story.

CAKES AND ALE, by W. Somerset Maugham (1930; Vintage, 2000)

Sports Fact & Book Rec of the Day 3/20/2012

3/20/1966:
Scotland yard springs into action when the Jules Rimet Trophy, awarded to soccer's World Cup champion, is stolen from Central Hall, across the street from Westminster Abbey in London. The trophy was brought to England from Brazil to be displayed in advance of the World Cup in July. It will be discovered by a mongrel dog named Pickles a few days after the theft. The canine is digging for a bone int he backyard of his owner's London home and instead unearths the memento. Police track the crime to Edward Betchley, who stole the trophy with the intention of holding it for ransom. Pickles becomes a national hero, England's team goes on to win the World Cup, defeating Germany, 4-2, in extra time in the final at Wembley Stadium in London on July 30.

Birthdays:
John Barnhill b. 1938
Pat Riley b. 1945
Bobby Orr b. 1948
Chris Hoiles b. 1965
Mookie Blaylock b. 1967

CRITICS’ PICK

“Only connect,” advised E. M. Forster.
When an American dream falls apart in 1980s California, Warren Ziller must move his wife and three children into a home in his abandoned real estate development. Can the family, “distant as satellites,” come together again as a unit? “Go read this book,” says McSweeney’s.

MODEL HOME, by Eric Puchner (Scribner, 2010)