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NFL General

Dec 8 in Sports History: Bears beat Redskins 73-0 in Championship game

In 1940: If you thought the Buffalo Bills were pathetic in Super Bowls, how about the Washington Redskins’ showing in the 1940 NFL Championship game against the Chicago Bears? Having defeated the Bears 7-3 a few weeks ago in a rough, physical game, the Redskins called the Bears “crybabies.” Uh, big mistake to piss off George Halas, the Bears legendary coach. The Bears completely redesigned their offense, having a college coach come in and teach them the T formation. It worked pretty well, as the Bears scored 28 points in the first quarter, and ran up the score to a whopping 73-0. It still remains as the most lopsided game in NFL history. Also, to add to the humiliation for the Redskins, sports fans across the country followed the Bears 11 touchdowns (including three interception returns in the third quarter) in the first national broadcast of an NFL game on radio. We’re not sure if Halas’ tombstone reads, “Who’s Crying Now, Bitches!” (The 2006 ESPN Pro Football Encyclopedia).

In 1987: Ron Hextall of the Philadelphia Flyers became the first goaltender to shoot and score a goal in an NHL game. Billy Smith of the Islanders received credit for a goal as the last player to have possession of the puck when an opponent accidentally put it into his own net and Bob Froese of the Flyers was originally thought to have scored, but the goal was later changed. At the end of a game against Boston, Hextall got possession of the puck at the goal line and flipped it the length of the ice into the empty net. Hextall would score again a few years later in a playoff game against the Washington Capitals. Since then, Martin Brodeur, Chris Osgood and Jose Theodore have scored empty-netters. (everything2.com)

(Oh, and don’t believe anybody who tells you that I once let up a goal on a shot by the other goalie in gym class in sixth grade)

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NHL General

Crashing the Zamboni: Edmonton Gets One Back


1. Exacting Revenge
It sure wasn’t the Stanley Cup Finals, but the Edmonton Oilers were able to take out some revenge on the team that ended their miracle run in last year’s playoffs. Edmonton downed the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 3-1, moving the Oilers into first place in a busy and tight Northwest Division. None of the teams in the Northwest can be counted out at this point, so it will be interesting to see who’ll come out of the jumble on top. Jussi Markkanen had a nice night between the pipes, stopping 28 shots in a rare start. Carolina still sits several points behind the Thrashers, who are having a solid year and aren’t showing many signs of letting up. Some bad news for Canes fans: Rod Brind’Amour left the game with what’s being dubbed a “lower body injury”. Hopefully it’s nothing serious–but knowing Brind’Amour, he’d be on the ice even if it was.

2. Best of the West
Two of the NHL’s titans squared off last night in a battle of Western Conference supremacy, with Anaheim shutting out Nashville 4-0. This was a bit of a statement game for the Ducks, who now hold the league lead in points (surpassing the mighty Buffalo Sabres). Temmu Selanne came up big, as he tends to do while in the spotlight. His two goals and assist boosted Anaheim to a win, leaving no doubt about who’s the best in the Western Conference. Chris Kunitz also contributed offensively, netting one goal and tallying three assists. Jean-Sebastien Giguere was “Giggy”, turning away all 21 shots he faced to send the Preds to their third straight loss.

3. Nieuwendyk Retires
Joe Nieuwendyk, who knows about winning better than anyone, announced his retirement on Wednesday night. Back problems have made the NHL to big of a mountain for Joe, who is 40 years old. In his 20 year career, he played for Calgary, New Jersey, and Toronto, before spending last season and the first quarter of this season with the Panthers. He won three Stanley Cups in those 20 years, and was named the playoff MVP in 1999. Here’s hoping he sticks around to call games in the booth, because it would be a shame if this kept him out of hockey for good.

Check It Out
The West Central Tribune discusses the declining rate of concussions in the NHL, and how to continue playing the game injury free. Perhaps the noticeable increase in penalties has something to do with the lack of these serious head-related injuries

Game of the Night: Montreal at New York Islanders
Canadeins: Lost three of last four games

The Last Shot
On Wednesday, the Edmonton Oilers announced plans to retire Mark Messier’s #11 on February 27th. Messier won five Stanley Cups with Edmonton, and is the NHL’s second-leading scorer of all-time. The New York Rangers raised his number to the ceiling of Madison Square Garden last year.

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MLB General

Dec 7 in Sports History: Lou Gehrig inducted in the Hall of Fame


In 1939: Because of his failing health, the Baseball Hall of Fame waived its standard rule that a player must be retired two years before they can be elected to the hall for Lou Gehrig. Gehrig, who once held the record for playing in 2,130 consecutive games, suffered an incurable fatal neuromuscular disease called ALS (which became known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease). He played his final game in May of 1939, and gave his famous “luckiest man on the face of the earth” speech on July 4, in which his number four was retired by the Yankees. It was the first number ever to be retired by a sports team. Only when Roberto Clemente died in a plane crash in 1972 was the waiting period (which is now five years) waived. (lougehrig.com)

Also in 1939: On the same day Gehrig was enshrined, a brash, cocky nineteen-year-old who was killing American Association pitching was signed by the Boston Red Sox. Ted Williams went on to tear up American League pitching that year, hitting .327 with 31 HR and 145 RBI. During his Hall of Fame career, he hit .344 with 521 homers. He was the last player to hit over .400 when he hit .406 in the 1941 season. He also served in two wars (flying 39 missions in Korea) and won two triple crowns (although he didn’t win MVP either year). He was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 1966 and named the greatest hitter of all-time during baseball’s 1969 centennial celebration. (baseballlibrary.com)

Also, happy birthday to Larry Bird, who turns 50 today and let’s not forget that today is the day the German’s bombed Pearl Harbor.

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College Football

A trip down Heisman Memory Lane



Young Vinny Testeverde

In 1939: Nile Kinnick, a halfback from Iowa won the fifth Heisman trophy award given to college football’s most outstanding player. Kinnick never turned pro and instead joined the fight in World War II. He died in 1943 when his fighter plane crashed into the Caribbean Sea.

In 1961: Ernie Davis of Syracuse won the second-closest vote in Heisman history, edging out Ohio State’s Bob Ferguson. Sadly, like Kinnick, Davis died shortly after winning the Heisman. He was the top draft pick of the Cleveland Browns, but was stricken with leukemia just a few games into his rookie season. He was the first African-American player to win the Heisman Trophy.

In 1975: Archie Griffin of Ohio State became the only player in history to win back-to-back Heisman Trophies. Griffin combined power and speed to amass over 5,000 total yards while playing for the Buckeyes. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals, and although he never was the superstar he was in Columbus, he had a solid career.

In 1986: Miami quarterback Vinny Testaverde won the 52nd Heisman, lapping the likes of Paul Palmer, Jim Harbaugh and Gordon Lockbaum (of Holy Cross, who finished 5th) with the fifth-largest margin of victory in the history of the voting. Testaverde still leads all Hurricane passers with 46 career touchdowns. He went from being a monumental first round bust with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to having a decent career with the Browns/Ravens, Jets (teams he led to the playoffs) and Cowboys. He is currently the backup in New England.

(All info and stats coutesy of heisman.com)

Categories
NBA General

Around the Rim: The Hot Seat


1. A Czar, Zeke, Doc and Cheeks
If a coach is judged by wins and loses, then four coaches are clearly in line to be the first to get whacked this season. Doc Rivers, Mike Fratello, Maurice Cheeks and Bernie Bickerstaff all reside in futility with less than six wins each. Each coach has their own reasons for why they should be fired, but if one deserves to go first, who should it be? Bickerstaff is doing all he can with a team of kids. Fratello has to be given the benefit of the doubt considering that he has started the season in a ship without a sail after Pau Gasol broke his foot over the summer. Doc Rivers coaches a team of one, with Paul Pierce as the sole star in Boston. So, the pink slip goes to Cheeks. He is accomplishing the least with a team that is experienced, talented and athletic. Two AI’s, Chris Webber and Samuel Dalembert have to add up to more than five wins.

2. Marion, Out
Last night during a dominating win over Sacramento, the Suns Shawn Marion hit a 14 foot jumper at the buzzer. He proceeded to run off the court and into the locker room to the sweet sounds of an arena filled with cheers. One problem, it was only the end of the first quarter. Once Marion realized that he was the only player to have left the court, he returned to a bench full of laughing and pointing teammates. Some of the Suns were laughing so hard, they were literally holding their sides. There’s nothing like a little humor to keep a winning streak alive.

3. M.V.Three?
Steve Nash has won two consecutive MVP awards, and if the formula used by voters over the last two seasons holds true, then Nash is well on his way to a third. Nashty is currently averaging career highs in points (19.9) and minutes (36.5) while leading the league in assists per game with 11.4. If he can slightly increase his scoring, he will be the first player to average 20 points and ten assists since Tim Hardaway in 1992-93. While his trademark long locks are gone this season, his annoying habit of licking his fingers remains. But whatever he’s been doing, its working and the Suns have won nine out of ten, including a current seven game win streak. Last night against Sacramento, Nash put on a passing clinic as he dished out 20 assists.

Tuesday’s Player of the Day: Elton Brand vs. Miami 42 min, 33 pts (FG: 13-18, FT: 7-8), 17 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk

Wednesday’s Game to Watch: Houston (12-5) @ Minnesota (7-9) The Rockets have won six of their last seven games and Tracy McGrady has become much more active on the offensive side of the ball lately. Kevin Garnett continues to do everything for Minnesota as he leads the team in points, rebounds, steals and blocks. Lots of talent and All-Star appearances will be on the court between The Big Ticket, T-Mac and Yao Ming.

Buzzer Beater: David Stern finally admitted to not taking player’s opinions into consideration before forcing a new ball on the league. It’s about time, players have only been complaining about the new rock since training camp. Guess that the backlash from his stars finally became too much to handle for the commissioner. Stern made a decision that affected the entire league and thought that the initial revolt would simply go away, but it hasn’t. Swallowing your pride is tough, but continuing to lose face over an unnecessary change in procedure is just stupid. Bring back the leather ball already!

Categories
NHL General

Crashing the Zamboni: Can Anybody Stop the Sabres?


1. Briere Blitzes Tampa
Daniel Briere led the Buffalo Sabres to a 4-1 bashing of the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night, scoring three goals for the first Hat Trick of his career. It is hard to believe that he’s never had one before this, seeing that he’s playing in his tenth NHL season (perhaps this is because he spent his first six seasons with Phoenix). Chris Drury also netted a tally, extending his goals-scored streak to four straight games. (Tampa’s Vincent Lecavalier also scored to continue his own streak of games with goals to four as well). Ryan Miller had another solid game between the pipes for the boys in the yellow slug jerseys, stopping 29 of the 30 shots he faced. Buffalo holds an 11 point lead in the Northeast Division, and still has not been below the number two spot in Matt Jordan’s power rankings this year.

2. Fredrik Fantastik
A sign of the apocalypse: the Columbus Blue Jackets have won two straight games, and their opponents haven’t hit the net in two full games. Say hello to Blue Jackets’ goalie Fredrik Norrena, who earned his second consecutive shutout in a 3-0 effort over the last-place Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday (his other victory came in a 4-0 win over Edmonton on Saturday). Norrena received help from Anson Carter, who racked up a goal and an assist in the game to lead the Jackets to their first-ever victory at the Pepsi Center in Denver. Readers, take it from us: you might want to read this paragraph again, because it may be a long time before we see “Columbus” and “won two straight” in the same sentence.

3. Hull To Rafters
The Detroit Red Wings crashed a nice little pregame celebration at the Scottrade Center, winning over St. Louis 5-1– shortly after Brett Hull’s #16 was raised to the rafters. Hull played 11 seasons for the Blues, and was able to tally up some impressive numbers in 19 NHL seasons (we won’t count last year’s brief stint in Phoenix), scoring 741 career goals and falling nine points shy of 1,400. The celebration, which came before the Blues lost their fifth straight game, seemed fitting to come on a night which featured two of Brett’s former teams (he played three seasons with the Red Wings). We highly doubt they’ll be retiring his number in the Glendale Arena, where he played five games for the aforementioned Coyotes before packing his bags and announcing his retirement.

Check It Out
Tuesday’s meetings to discuss possible changes to the schedule and the playoffs worked to no avail. NHL officials are keeping the schedules the way there are for the time being, meaning rare trips for Western Conference teams to the east coast, and vice versa. They also decided on keeping the playoff seeding format untouched, though there were some rumors that the postseason would be changed to a bracket-style tournament.

Game of the Night: Nashville at Anaheim
Top two teams in Western Conference battle it out

The Last Shot
Who doesn’t like a good hockey fight?

Categories
NBA General

Around the Rim: Responsi-Ball



Animal, not player friendly

1. Rocket Power
Rumor has it that the wife of Houston Rockets owner Leslie Alexander could be to blame for the change from leather basketballs to the new composite balls. Supposedly, Nanci Alexander is good friends with the wife of NBA commissioner, David Stern. Nanci, an animal rights activist, voiced her concerns about the old ball to Stern’s wife who passed the message along to the commish. And just like any smart husband, Stern decided to avoid sleeping on the couch and make his lil’ lady and her best friend happy. League superstars like LeBron James, Ray Allen, Steve Nash, Shaquille O’Neal and Jason Kidd have all complained publicly about the new ball but to no avail. However, when it comes to the happiness of an owner’s wife, the NBA really does cares.

2. Dream Chaser
Yao Ming is rapidly moving up the list of Houston’s most prolific shot blockers. On Saturday, against Cleveland, Yao blocked his 586th rejection which moved him into third place on the list of the team’s all-time greats. Unfortunately for Yao, the man who leads the Rockets in blocks is the same man that leads the league in career blocks, Hakeem Olajuwon. The Dream blocked 3,740 shots during his career. The meat in the middle of the Hakeem-Ming sandwich is legend Moses Malone with 758 swats. At his current pace, Yao can catch Olajuwon in 1, 705 games or about 21 more seasons.

3. Arenas vs. Arena’s
Everybody prefers to play at home but Gilbert Arenas seems have become a bit too comfortable in D.C. In Washington, Arenas is averaging 33.7 points per game but on the road his scoring drops to 17.6. That’s a swing of 16.1 points! As of now, this is the single greatest difference between home and road scoring in the history of the league. Some of Arenas’ more memorable home games include outputs of 40, 44 and 45. On the road, he’s put up miserable games of just three and seven points. And as Gilbert goes, so goes the team. At home the Wizards have gone 7-2, but on the road they are 0-8.

Monday’s Player of the Day: Carlos Boozer vs. Milwaukee 39 min, 30 pts (FG: 12-18, FT: 6-10), 13 reb, 4 ast

Tuesday’s Game to Watch: Dallas (12-5) @ New Jersey (7-9) Dallas comes into this game off of a loss to Washington last night. But winning 12 out of 13 isn’t too bad. New Jersey is on a two game winning streak and leads the Atlantic Division, not at all an impressive feat this season. Still, the Nets have an explosive starting five that can run with Dallas to a certain degree. However, the battle of the benches is where Avery Johnson’s team has a distinct advantage.

Buzzer Beater: Eddie Griffin is the epitome of great talent that is simply thrown away. This guy had so much promise coming out of college that Houston traded away Jason Collins, Brandon Armstrong and Richard Jefferson for Griffin. But since joining the league, he has missed an entire season due to alcoholism, he’s spent time in jail, he beat and shot a gun at his girlfriend, and he was involved in one of the most bizarre car accidents you will ever hear about (DVD porn, alcohol and driving don’t mix). On the court, his game has been progressively declining since he entered the league. At the young age of 24, his career has smashed into a brick wall. At least it didn’t happen when Griffin was behind the wheel.

Categories
NHL General

Crashing the Zamboni: Make Up Your Mind, Clarke!



What’s he smiling about?

1. Which Way Did He Go?
On Monday, the incredibly hockey savvy wizard Bobby Clarke announced his return to the Philadelphia Flyers. This time, however, he’ll be back as the senior vice president of the franchise- and not in the General Manager position that he left in late October. For those Flyers fans that need to be remembered, he abandoned his GM spot on the same day that then-coach Ken Hitchcock hightailed it out of Philly (he is now living a life of equally torturing work in Columbus). Clarke’s resignation also came within a few days of an injury to captain Peter Forsberg- so needless to say, it was an atrocious week for the City of Brotherly Love. At 8-15-4, Philly is duct-taped to the fiery pit of the Eastern Conference.

2. Masterful Marty
Marty Turco helped the Dallas Stars shut down the flaming hot San Jose Sharks on Monday night, posting 25 saves in a 1-0 shutout effort. Every save counted, because the Dallas offense had absolutely nothing cooking against Evgeni Nabokov and the Sharks. Nabokov only faced 13 shot the entire game, letting one by in the first period off the stick of seasoned vet Mike Modano- who would leave the game with an injury a period later. The goal was Mike’s 495th tally… for the mathematically challenged, that’s only five behind 500 for his career. Dallas remains in third place in the Pacific behind San Jose and Anaheim, who are both among the NHL’s best teams this season.

3. See Ya, Sutton
For the next two months, Atlanta will have to proceed without the services of defenseman Andy Sutton, who will be having surgery to repair a torn tendon in his ankle. He was reported to have injured the ankle during a practice session. Sutton’s numbers on the season aren’t impressive- only one goal and seven assists- but he’s a solid defenseman who has nine years of pro experience on the ice. Atlanta is 17-7-4 this season, and sitting comfortably in the lead of the Southeast Division.

Check It Out
In this week’s edition of Winging It, Eric Mcerlain looks at journeyman Rory Fitzpatrick’s run for a spot on the all-star team. The Vancouver Canuck racked up more than 31,000 write-in votes on the ballot, and has a relentless campaign strategy- as seen here:

Game of the Night: Chicago at Minnesota
Blackhawks look to improve to 4-0 under new coach Denis Savard

The Last Shot
At the Toronto Maple Leafs’ skills show on Sunday, Chad Kilger blasted a 106 MPH slapshot, reportedly breaking a 13-year-old record set at the 1993 All-Star game.

Categories
Video Games

Dec 5 in Sports History: Dad, what’s a video arcade?


In 1983: As a very prehistoric precursor to the John Madden video game franchise, the NFL introduced its first video arcade game, the creatively titled “NFL Football.” Madden it sure as heck wasn’’t, as there were very few features. In fact, the game’s creators were banking that the kids pumping their quarters in didn’’t mind being the Raiders and the Chargers all the time, because that’s all they were getting. After the play was selected, it showed the play using actual footage from a real NFL game between those two teams. Also, there was no dynasty mode or anything cool (like you could be Marcus Allen and bang OJ Simpson’s wife or Dan Fouts and be really fucking annoying on the air). Unfortunately, the game didn’’t do very well (there was a second edition with Redskins-Cowboys) and production was halted in 1984. (www.klov.com)

In 1981: Speaking of Marcus Allen, football’s most beloved adulterer won the Heisman Trophy as a tailback at USC, edging out Georgia sophomore Herschel Walker in a close vote. Allen was the fourth USC running back to win the Heisman (hey, OJ won one too…Maybe you own it!) but was the only Trojan to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season. He was also the first player to run for over 200 yards in four straight games. Allen was drafted by the Raiders in 1982, and he went on to have a hall of fame career and won a Super Bowl MVP in 1984.

In 1982: Herschel Walker finally got his due by winning the Heisman Trophy as a junior, easily outdistancing Stanford‘s John Elway (Dan Marino finished 9th, way behind Tony Eason). Many felt that Walker should have won in his freshman year, when he ran for over 1,600 yards, 15 touchdowns and outclassed George Rogers, South Carolina’s Heisman winner that year, in a key Bulldog’s victory. Only a bias against underclassmen kept Walker from possibly winning an unprecedented three straight awards. Had Walker stayed in Athens for his senior year, he probably would still hold all Division I-A rushing records, as he had over 5,000 yards and 50 career touchdowns with a whopping 5.3 yards per carry in only three seasons. He decided it would be a better idea to try and commit career suicide, however, and he went to the USFL’s New Jersey Generals for three years. (heisman.com)

Categories
NBA General

Around the Rim: Plentiful Points



Friendly fire

1. Subject to Change
Most statistical categories have been lead by one player for the majority of
the first month of the season. Dwight Howard leads in rebounds, Steve Nash
in assists, Emeka Okafor in blocks and Ron Artest in steals. But the NBA’s
best scorer has been a tossup to say the least. Carmelo Anthony, Allen
Iverson and Michael Redd are all averaging over 30 points per game and have
each lead the league in scoring at some point this season. Four more
players are scoring to the tune of at least 27 a night; Joe Johnson, Vince
Carter, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. There’s also a guy in LA who has been
pretty hot lately. Look for the see-sawing to continue throughout the year;
the league has too much firepower to be dominated by one player all season.

2. KO’d
Dikembe Mutombo’s elbows are notoriously brutal and have been known to put
opponents to sleep. And on Saturday, teammate Tracy McGrady found out first
hand when he took an accidental shot to the dome in the first quarter that
kept him out of the remainder of the game. McGrady lay on the ground
semi-conscious for a while before making a failed attempt to walk to the
locker room under his own power. Eventually, T-Mac was drug away like a
punch-drunk boxer by a fellow Rocket and the team’s trainer. Maybe Mutombo
should begin concentrating on a possible UFC career once his playing days
are over. With the proper training, a Mutombo elbow could become as lethal
as a Chuck Liddell right hook. And I seriously doubt that anyone could
match his reach. Watch out Tim Sylvia, Mt. Mutombo could come swinging at
you next.

3. His Name? Number Two.
Don Nelson has been waiting for his 1,200th victory his entire career, what
are a few more games. Nelson has been stuck at 1,199 since last Monday when
Golden State defeated San Antonio. Ironically, a week later, the Warriors
travel to SA for a chance to snag the milestone win, and snap a two game
losing skid in the process.

Whoa, Nellie? I don’t think so. Nelson is still going strong after an
incredible 28 years of coaching in the NBA. He is second to only Lenny
Wilkins in all-time coaching victories and, while it would take at least
three more seasons, Nelson has a reasonable chance to end his career with
the most wins in the history of the league. If that doesn’t motivate a head
coach then nothing will.

Sunday’s Player of the Day: Joe Johnson @ Portland 45 min, 33 pts (FG:
14-22, 3FG: 4-8, FT: 1-1), 6 reb, 6 ast, 1 stl

Monday’s Game to Watch: Indiana (9-9) @ Los Angeles Lakers (11-5) The
Lakers are 9-2 at home on the year and are currently on a streak where they
have won seven out of nine. Kobe Bryant has been torching opponents over
the span and will look to continue his great play tonight. Indiana has lost
two in a row but the team can finally begin to rely on Jermaine O’Neal again
who is slowly returning to his All-Star form of old. If O’Neal continues to
progress, Indiana could create some noise in the East.

Buzzer Beater: The Charlotte Bobcats are the best of the worst in the
league. While the Pussycats only have five wins on the season, they hold
surprising victories over Cleveland, San Antonio, New Jersey and Detroit.
That’s pretty impressive for the second worst team in the NBA. Charlotte is
full of holes, but at least they can raise their level of play to match that
of the big boys.