January 2011
23 posts
Picabo
Don Beebe vs. Leon Lett
A member of six Super Bowl teams including four appearances with the Buffalo Bills in the mid 1990’s and a victory with the 1997 Packers, Don Beebe is best known for fouling Leon Lett’s pre-emptive fumble return celebration in Super Bowl XXVII.
Video Here.
Rahmbo
Rahm Emanuel met commuters at an El station after the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that he can stay on the ballot. Source: New York Times
The Renaissance man
Not just your everyday Ivan Drago, Dolph Lundren’s career has included film acting (over 40 films), the theater, directing, and Elvis impersonating.
Watch here. Thanks to Eddie Borkowski for the post.
Mr. Bowie
The High School Heater
51 years ago today, January 26, 1960, Danny Heater of Burnsville High School (Braxton County, WV) scored a record setting 135 points against Widen High School of nearby Clay County. In the 32-minute game, Heater made 53 of 70 field goal attempts, 29 of 41 free throws, grabbed 32 rebounds, and made 7 assists. Despite the feat, the game and the record are still today controversial in many West...
The RZA
Eugene (Gene) Berce
A basketball star for Cornell University during the 1940s, Gene Berce never graduated to earn an Ivy League diploma, but he did go on to play three games for Tri-City in the NBA during the 1949-50 season after being drafted by the New York Knicks a year earlier.
More Cornell basketball stars here.
The Earl of Baltimore
Equally known for his outlandish outbursts and his managerial expertise, Earl Weaver spent 17 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles winning six Eastern Division titles, four American League pennants and the 1970 World Series amassing a record of 1,480–1,060 (.583). During his tenure in Baltimore he had five 100+ win seasons and only one losing season. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996.
...
The Shaq of the MAC
Gary Trent ruled the Midwest Athletic Conference during his three years at Ohio University. He won MAC player of the year in every year he played and averaged 22.7 points per game for his career.
Gary Trent, circa 1995
Ohio basketball assistant coach Geno Ford is quoted as saying, ”he was just a great athlete. It was incredible what he was able to do. He was explosive, he was powerful,...
Norman Julius
After an impressive tenure in Cincinnati, “Boomer” Esiason was sent home to quarterback the New York Jets from 1993-1995.
The Browns are the best team in town.
The Roilers
54 years after their last championship, the 1994 Hockey Rangers, lead by a Mark Messier and a cast of ex-Edmonton Oilers (known as the ROilers) were a team of destiny. After trailing 3 games to 0 in the Eastern Conference finals to the NJ Devils, the Rangers came from behind to win the series. Including a game 6, in which Messier publicly guaranteed a victory before netting a hat trick....
The Rocket
After a successful career at Notre Dame, Raghib “Rocket” Ismail was projected to be the first overall selection in the 1991 NFL draft. However also in ‘91 California businessman Bruce McNall, the onetime owner of the LA Kings, teamed up with hockey legend Wayne Gretzky and beloved comedian John Candy to purchase the Argo’s. Their first priority was talent, and...
Mr. Agassi
Chris Creamer's
A great resource for past and present sports logos.
The Curse of Rocky Colavito
In a 1960 trade between the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians sent “The Rock,” the home run champion of 1959 to the Tigers for Harvey Kuenn, batting champion of 1959. It was a unique trade between a home run champion, 42 home runs in ‘59, and a hitting champion, .359 batting average in ‘59. Fans in Cleveland were outraged by the betrayal of their GM Frank...
Batter Up
The Daily Champion’s soundtrack has just recently been established, and now we’ve been given our first literary work to start our very own library.
Thanks to Aki for this gift, it will go in our archives and serve as a resource for innumerable references and quotables. Read more for a shot of the spine.
463
Dutch-born Burt Blyleven was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame Wednesday with 463 votes in this, his 14th year of eligibility. “It’s been 14 years of praying and waiting,” he said on a conference call from Fort Myers, Fla. “I thank the baseball writers of America for, I’m going to say, finally getting it right.”
“Blyleven was born in the Netherlands but raised in Garden Grove,...
The Invincibles
Only two teams have ever won the English Premier League with an undefeated record. The Preston North End squad of 1888–1889 famously won both the inaugural league title and the FA Cup title (“The Double”) without losing in either competition, finishing 18-0-4 in league play.
Preston North End 1888–1889
Arsenal FC took the league title in 2003–2004 with 90 points and a final...
Semisweet Sugar
In their last bout with a full roster for the next 5 games, the Ohio State Buckeyes held off the Arkansas Razorbacks and the SEC officials to claim a 31-26 victory last Tuesday night.
Dane Sanzenbacher recovers a Terrelle Pryor fumble in the end zone for a touchdown in the first quarter.
It was a bittersweet win for the Buckeyes, who will play without four of their starters, including...
