NFL Quiz: 1) Top 5 receivers all time, receptions? 2) Where
did Tom Landry go to school? 3) Who is the only Hall of Famer
from South Carolina State? [Now of course I\’\’ll give you a hint.
I wouldn\’\’t do this unless he was a "name" player. A defensive
end, played in the 60s and 70s.] Answers below.
Nothing But Stuff
You\’\’ll have to forgive the editor, folks. I was traveling this
weekend and wasn\’\’t able to prepare too much. Actually I was
down in Richmond with an old college friend, and fellow Civil War
buff, and among the few sites we were able to visit was the place
where J.E.B. Stuart was killed. Now Stuart was the Confederate\’\’s
great cavalry officer who died at Yellow Tavern, some six miles
north of Richmond near present-day Ashland in Hanover County.
It was May 1864, during the Wilderness / Spotsylvania campaign,
when Stuart\’\’s 4,000 cavalry were between Grant\’\’s forces (facing
off against Lee) and Richmond. The Union\’\’s General Sheridan,
10-12,000 strong, sent his cavalry to confront Stuart and J.E.B.
became a victim of the fighting on May 11, dying the next day.
His death was second only to Stonewall Jackson\’\’s (the year before)
in terms of Confederate leadership. And that\’\’s the way it was.
May 12, 1864. This is Walter Cronkite.
College Football
So in going through the Sports Illustrated 2001 preview, as well
as the Associated Press pre-season poll, we have the following
Top Five\’\’s.
SI
1. Oregon State.#11 in AP
2. Florida
3. Miami
4. Texas
5. Oklahoma
AP
1. Florida
2. Miami
3. Oklahoma
4. Nebraska.#8 SI
5. Texas
But it\’\’s also interesting to make note of the bottom five, out of
117 Division I-A programs. [As selected by SI]
113. Buffalo
114. Arkansas State
115. Louisiana – Monroe
116. South Florida
117. Connecticut
Now mark these games on your calendar.
9/1 – Nebraska vs. Troy State (#112)
9/8 – Clemson (#20 / #19) vs. Wofford
9/8 – Florida vs. Louisiana-Monroe.I\’\’ll have to choose this
contest over the other.
10/6 – Miami vs. Troy State
10/13 – Mississippi State (#20 / #22) vs. Troy State
In case you\’\’re wondering just what the heck Troy State is doing,
this is the school\’\’s first season in I-A, after compiling a solid
record in I-AA. I\’\’ll say they lose these three by a combined
171-26. [Nebraska 70, Miami 63, Miss. St. 38.]
And also make note that #116 South Florida faces off against
#117 Connecticut on 10/13!
Other notes:
My Wake Forest Demon Deacons are #93. It\’\’s pretty sad when
the one line for the team reads, "Kick returner John Stone was
the ACC track champion in both the 100 and 200 meters."
But, heck, Duke is #100.
Army is #101 and Navy #106, meaning that you are guaranteed
to hear this line when they face each other at season\’\’s end.
"Oh, you can throw out the records when these two get
together!"
But it\’\’s true, the game is always one of the best pure sporting
events of the year.
And I hope I\’\’m not the only decent college sports fan who didn\’\’t
remember Northwestern\’\’s Damien Anderson gaining 2,000 yards
last year.
September 27, 1963
Yeah, I could have waited until September 27, I guess, but on
this date the Houston Colt .45s started a lineup consisting
entirely of rookies, with the average age being 19. Joe Morgan
(age 20) was in the lineup, finishing 6 for 25 in his late-season
call-up. And there were a few others who went on to solid
careers, like shortstop Sonny Jackson (age 18) and catcher Jerry
Grote (20). Ivan Murrell (18) was another who ended up playing
a few years. But there was one fellow who deserves special
recognition for his achievements that day, 18-year-old John
Paciorek, brother of big leaguers Jim and Tom. John went 3 for
3, with two walks, 3 RBI and 4 runs scored. And wouldn\’\’t you
know, this was his only game in the major leagues. I have no
idea what happened to him afterwards. Feel free to pass along
any information you may come up with.
Mae West
From an article in the current issue of American Heritage
magazine, written by Susannah McCorkle. Herewith are a few
Mae West quotes.
"Is that a gun in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me?"
"When a girl goes bad, men go right after her."
"I\’\’m no angel, but I\’\’ve spread my wings a bit."
More Baseball Tidbits
–Last week Ken Griffey Jr. became the youngest to reach 450
career home runs. Who he beat may surprise you.
Griffey Jr. 31 years 261 days
Jimmie Foxx 31 years 276 days
Hank Aaron 33 years 98 days
Babe Ruth 33 years 159 days
Foxx finished with 534, as his power numbers tailed off rapidly
following just two more productive seasons. But in 1945, the
year he finished his career at age 37, Foxx \’\’pitched\’\’ in 9 games
for the Phillies, compiling a 1.57 ERA in 23 innings. He died in
1967 at the age of 59 while choking on a piece of meat.
–Greg Maddux saw his streak of consecutive innings without
allowing a walk end at 72 on Sunday, thus he didn\’\’t break the
record of Bill Fischer (see Bar Chat 7/16/01). But until Sunday,
to give you an idea of how dominating Maddux can be, for the
first 70 innings of the streak he had a 3-ball count on 23 batters,
and only 4 got hits. Braves GM John Schuerholz calls Maddux a
"Rembrandt," as good a description as I\’\’ve heard. And he now
has won 15 games or more in 14 straight seasons (with two being
strike-shortened), a mark exceeded by only one pitcher in
baseball history, Cy Young with 15.
–Barry Bonds became the oldest player in baseball history to hit
50 homers (age 37). But in the game in which Bonds achieved
this feat (Saturday), Giants pitcher Livan Hernandez went 4 for
4, himself, and now has 8 straight hits, 12 in his last 13 at bats.
Volcano Update
Harry K. and I seek out great disasters. While we\’\’ve written of
Etna and Mount Mayon in the Philippines, we also await what
could be a catastrophe at Mount Pinatubo. Ten years ago this
volcano erupted, affecting the global weather because of the
massive ash cloud. But now it poses a different threat. The
crater has been filling up with water. As Harry notes, "The water
is now only a few meters from the rim. Scientists fear that if
heavy rains continue, the water will breach it. Since at least the
top ten meters of the crater rim consists of loose rock fragments,
if water starts slopping over the top, it will quickly go right
through the rock. Now picture that the crater holds 250 million
cubic meters of water. Scientists estimate that at least 30 million
of that would pour down the volcano\’\’s flanks, mixing with the
loose ash and rock to form a \’\’lahar,\’\’ a fast-moving avalanche
with the consistency of concrete." 50,000 people live on
Pinatubo\’\’s slopes.
Top 3 songs for the week of 8/11/62: #1 "Breaking Up Is Hard
To Do" (Neil Sedaka) #2 "Roses Are Red" (Bobby Vinton) #3
"The Wah Watusi" (The Orlons.dreadful tune). Now that
Bobby Vinton, he\’\’s underrated.
NFL Quiz Answers: 1) All-time receivers: #1 Jerry Rice, 1281
#2 Cris Carter, 1020 #3 Andre Reed, 951 #4 Art Monk, 940 #5
Irving Fryar, 851. 2) Tom Landry went to school at Texas. 3)
Deacon Jones attended South Carolina State. Jones played for
the Rams, San Diego and Washington from 1961-74.
Next Bar Chat, Wednesday.
