Houston/Tennessee Oilers – Titans Quiz: Remember…the Oilers/
Titans franchise dates back to 1960. (1) Most touchdown passes,
season? (2) Most receiving yards, career? (3) Most receiving
TDs, season? (4) Most interceptions, career? [If you get just 2
of these…gosh darnit, you know your Oilers / Titans] Answers
below.
Milt Campbell…Injustice
In a recent article, sportswriter Sid Dorfman wrote of Milt
Campbell, a Plainfield, NJ native (where yours truly was born).
As an 18-year old high school junior in 1952, he won the silver
medal in the decathlon at Helsinki. In 1956 he won the gold in
Melbourne, the first black athlete to do so – and, by the nature of
the event, he was the world”s greatest athlete.
In 1957, Campbell was drafted by the Cleveland Browns to play
in the same backfield with Jim Brown. Both received a $10,000
salary.
In 1958, Campbell married a white girl while he was a sailor, based
in San Diego. Then he reported for his second season to Paul
Brown, the legendary coach of the Browns. Brown was waiting
for him with a rather nasty, racial tinged question.
“Why did you get married?”
“Why did you?” Campbell flared back.
Brown cut Campbell. No trade. No explanation. As Dorfman
wrote, “Who needed one? He had married a white girl.”
Shattered, Campbell heard the Giants needed a fullback so he
called Jim Lee Howell, the Giants coach, and Howell said he
wanted to talk first to Paul Brown. “Call me when you get to
New Jersey,” said Howell.
Campbell did – 13 times. Howell never picked up. A real class
act. Soon, however, Campbell signed to play in Canada.
Ironically, a mere + hour after he signed he received a call from
Bears coach George Halas, offering a 3-year no-cut contract with
Chicago that easily would have lifted Campbell to fiscal solvency
and likely stardom.
“But I didn”t want to break my word,” Milt recalls. He played in
Canada for eight years.
History of Golf:
Some assorted tidbits courtesy of ex-USGA president, Frank
Hannigan (and Golf Digest).
–1457: First written reference to golf was in the Scottish Acts of
Parliament. King James banned the game, because knights were
neglecting their military preparedness – their archery – to hit balls.
–1637: A boy is hanged for stealing golf balls.
–1764: The course of St. Andrews is revised and reduced from
22 holes to 18. That”s why golf is 18 holes today.
–1860: First British Open is won by William Park”s 174 total (for
2 rounds), nipping Old Tom Morris by 2 shots.
Chechnya
Now I realize I have written rather extensively of the conflict in
Chechnya elsewhere on this site and you may be wondering why
I”m bringing it up in Bar Chat. Well, I came across this account
of the fighting and it”s as true an example of the adage, “War is
hell,” as you”re likely to find these days. [Source: Michael
Gordon, New York Times]
“Russian Sergeant Tarasyuk”s unit has not made the evening
news, though it has been badly chewed up in the fighting in
Chechnya. The sergeant said only eight men from his 100-man
company were still active. He said seven of the company”s 11
armored personnel carriers have been destroyed.”
“Sergeant Tarasyuk”s ordeal began on Jan. 2, when two
companies from the 506th Regiment were ordered to seize the
Republican Hospital in southern Grozny.”
“As the Russian soldiers entered the city at 5 a.m., they noticed a
small group of 15- and 16-year olds wearing black ski caps similar
to their own.”
“The soldiers assumed that they were a Russian reconnaissance
team and asked the young men who they were. The men did not
answer but slowly raised their weapons and began shooting.
Some of the Russian soldiers jumped into a trench, only to
discover that the outnumbered rebels were determined to stand
their ground.”
“They did not retreat,” Sergeant Tarasyuk said. “They were
defending.”
“(Tarasyuk) was wounded when he rushed to the side of a
comrade who had been severely wounded, to take him to a tank.”
“Almost immediately, however, the tank was blasted by a rebel
grenade and began to burn. Sergeant Tarasyuk was struck in the
face by a grenade fragment and his platoon commander was also
hurt.”
“After setting up a smoke screen, the sergeant and his platoon
commander crawled 30 yards back to the Russian lines, pulling
their wounded friend by his belt. Sergeant Tarasuyuk remembers
lifting his friend into an ambulance and then passing out.”
VH-1”s 100 Greatest Rock Songs
Did you see this list? In case you missed it, here are the top ten.
1. “(I Can”t Get No) Satisfaction,” The Stones
2. “Respect,” Aretha
3. “Stairway to Heaven,” Zeppelin
4. “Like a Rolling Stone,” Dylan
5. “Born to Run,” Springsteen
6. “Hotel California,” Eagles
7. “Light My Fire,” Doors
8. “Good Vibrations,” Beach Boys
9. “Hey Jude,” Beatles
10. “Imagine,” John Lennon
Now you can”t be too picky on a list of this sort but how the hell
can “Respect” be #2?! It”s not even in the Top 100! And
“Imagine” as #10?
The VH-1 list was compiled by 700 people in the music
industry. Here are some other assorted thoughts of mine.
“Layla” is #16…should be top ten.
“Superstition” (Stevie Wonder), #22…ughh.
“You Really Got Me” (The Kinks), #28…a great, enlightened
pick.
“Walk This Way” (Aerosmith), #35…shouldn”t even be top
100. On the other hand, “Dream On” is #47…should be #35.
“Whole Lotta Love” (Zeppelin), #46…should be top twenty.
“Beat It” (Michael Jackson), #52? This song blows.
“God Only Knows” (Beach Boys), #72?! Are these guys nuts?
Should be top ten.
“Sexual Healing” (Marvin Gaye), #82?! I love Marvin Gaye…
but this song isn”t top 10,000!
“Somebody to Love” (Jefferson Airplane), #88…geezuz, this is
top twenty!
“When Doves Cry” (Prince), #92…and “1999” isn”t top 100?!
Deep Purple”s “Smoke on the Water” doesn”t make the list. Nor
does The Strawberry Alarm Clock”s “Incense and Peppermint.”
A travesty, I tell ya.
Thanks, I feel better.
Top 3 songs for the week of 1/4/67: #1 “I”m A Believer” (The
Monkees) #2 “Snoopy vs. The Red Baron” (The Royal
Guardsman) #3 “Tell It Like It Is” (Aaron Neville).
Quiz Answers: (1) TD passes: George Blanda, 36, 1961.
(2) Receiving yards: Ernest Givins, 7,935. (3) Receiving TDs:
Bill Groman, 17, 1961. (4) Interceptions: Jim Norton, 45.
Note: Bill Groman, whoever he was, is one of only 9 players in
NFL history to have 17 TD receptions in a single season. [Jerry
Rice did it twice]. And of course, Groman did it in just 14
games. 50 catches and a 23.5 avg. per reception that season. So
quaff an ale to Bill Groman!
Next Bar Chat, Wednesday. You will want to tune into this one
because folks, we”re going to talk about…the beaver!!
