NFL Quiz: 1) Name the top five in rushing last season, all of
whom gained 1,500 yards or more. 2) Name the two backs who
accounted for all five rushing efforts of 200 yards in a game.
Answers below.
CRIKEY!
While filming a new documentary titled “Ocean’s Deadliest,” the
great Steve Irwin was killed by a stingray at Batt Reef, off Port
Douglas, Australia. Long-time friend and manager John
Stainton:
“He came over the top of a stingray and the stingray’s barb went
up and went into his chest and put a hole into his heart. It’s
likely that he possibly died instantly when the barb hit him, and I
don’t think that he felt any pain. He died doing what he loved
best.”
Stainton later viewed a video of the attack and said Irwin
managed to take the barb out before he collapsed.
According to a 1995 publication “Dangerous Marine Creatures –
Field Guide for Medical Treatment,” stingrays are the largest of
the venomous fish. The tail of the stingray carries at least one
barb or spine that may be up to 37 cm long. [Yikes, 14 inches!]
“Penetration of a body cavity by a stingray barb may cause major
morbidity and even death, particularly with cardiac injury, and
requires early surgical referral and management,” the book
states.
There had been only two other known deaths by stingray in
Australian waters over the past century (17 recorded deaths
worldwide). In 1938, an adult woman died after being stabbed
near the heart, and in 1945, an Aussie soldier died, also after
being stabbed in the heart while swimming near Melbourne.
A member of Irwin’s production crew said “Steve probably got a
bit too close to the ray, and with the cameraman in front, the ray
must have felt sort of cornered. It went into a defensive mode,
stopped, turned around and lashed out with its tail.” [David
Williams / Syndey Morning Herald]
Irwin was a beloved figure and his importance to Australia and
tourism in that country can not be overstated. His zoo in
Queensland employed over 500 people, for starters.
The original crocodile hunter is actually a filmmaker by the
name of David Ireland, who for some reason never met Irwin.
But when asked to comment on his death, Ireland said of
stingrays:
“They have one or two barbs in the tail which are not only coated
in toxic material but are also like a bayonet on a rifle. If it hits
any vital organs it’s just as deadly.”
Sydney Aquarium supervisor Hamish Tristram said, “It’s not
necessarily always the toxins that would cause injury or death –
they have serrated barbs on their tail.”
Actor Russell Crowe:
“(Irwin) was the Australian we all aspire to be. He held an
absolute belief that caring for the richness of our country,
meaning specifically the riches of our fauna, was the highest
priority we should have. And, over time, we might just see how
right he was. He was and remains, the ultimate wildlife warrior.
He touched my heart. I believed in him. I’ll miss him. I loved
him and I will be there for his family.”
Steve Irwin was actually afraid of parrots as much as anything he
came in contact with.
“Yeah, for some reason parrots have to bite me. That’s their job.
I don’t know why that is. They’ve nearly torn my nose off. I’ve
had some really bad parrot bites.”
Irwin also once said, “I have no fear of losing my life – if I have
to save a koala or a crocodile or a kangaroo or a snake, mate, I
will save it.”
Just last month Irwin completed a research project in the far
north where he tagged a world record 49 crocs in 32 days.
Steve Irwin was simply one of the greats. He enriched an
otherwise depressing planet.
Honoring Australia, part II
[I was preparing to run the following as my lead for this week
before Irwin’s accident.]
I have a lot of readers down under and a few weeks ago I came
across this Reuters story concerning Australia and Vietnam. I
had frankly forgotten their contribution to the war effort there.
Sydney…Aug. 19
“Vietnam war veterans gathered across Australia yesterday and
at Long Tan in Vietnam, site of Australia’s bloodiest battle of the
war, to remember fallen friends and try to bury old ghosts.
“Forty years since the Long Tan battle, in which Australian
troops were outnumbered 23 to one and the day Australia
commemorates the Vietnam war, many veterans still feel
alienated and that their bravery went unrecognized.
“ ‘I think it’s still an open sore in Australia that has not been
properly addressed,’ Human Services Minister Joe Hockey told
local television.
“On August 18, 1966, 108 Australian soldiers from Delta
Company, 6th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment, fought off
about 2,500 Viet Cong and North Vietnamese troops in a rubber
plantation at Long Tan southeast of Saigon.
“The Vietnamese had planned a surprise attack against the
Australians at their nearby base at Nui Dat, but the isolated Delta
Company held its ground in a victory against all odds.
“ ‘They just kept coming at us and coming at us, blowing their
trumpets and bugles,’ remembered veteran Len Vine.
“Eighteen Australians died in the three-hour battle.
“The Australians who fought that day say at least 245
Vietnamese were buried on the battleground.
“A total of 60,000 Australians served in the Vietnam War
between 1962 and 1973, with 500 killed and 3,129 wounded.
“But on their return Vietnam veterans were scorned….
“National politician and Vietnam veteran Graham Edwards, who
lost both legs in a landmine blast, said veterans ‘walked into the
cold shoulder of indifference and indeed hostility.’
“Mr. Edwards said his mother received a letter stating, ‘I hope
your son dies because he’s a killer.’
“ ‘It was something that just angered me so deeply and so
intensely,’ he said.”
This is sad and I have to admit to being naïve to it.
But on Vietnam Veterans’ Day commemorations in Canberra,
Prime Minister John Howard told the vets:
“We’re very conscious of the lingering impact of that
psychological strain. Let me say to all of you…that your nation
honors you. Your fellow Australians admire you and we thank
you for your sacrifice and your contribution.”
Many of the soldiers have returned to Vietnam to live. Said one,
“Here I am treated with respect…I don’t seem to freak out as
much here.”
Ten days after the above story, the bodies of two Australian
soldiers killed in combat in Vietnam were discovered. Four
others remain missing.
Stuff
–And now….your official Bar Chat Pick to Click.
The NFL Super Bowl Champions for 2006 will be the…
New York Giants!
Yes, I’m a Jets fan and always will be, but I’m taking that other
New York, err, New Jersey, team.
The Giants will play the Colts in the Super Bowl.
Sports Illustrated, incidentally, picks the Carolina Panthers over
the Miami Dolphins.
–No doubt, Andre Agassi left us with some final special
moments. Nothing corny about his tearful exit, either.
Jay Greenberg / New York Post:
“ ‘Image is everything,’ had said the spots featuring (Agassi) in
all his early shallowness. But life’s greatest revenge is aging
gracefully. Has there been another athlete of this generation who
morphed better than Agassi, humanitarian and winner of five of
his eight slams after age 28?”
“ ‘It’s not about my experiences in life as much as about creating
experiences for others,’ he said the other day. ‘That’s where I
find a lot of joy through my foundation or tennis.’”
Lindsay Davenport said of Andre, “There’s nobody that ever
lived up to all he’s created for himself and done in the tennis
world. He’ll be the player missed the most that’s ever come
through the world, not just the United States. He’s touched so
many lives; it’s so great how he’s given fans here an opportunity
to pay their respects. He deserves that more than anything.”
Agassi:
“The scoreboard says I lost today. But what the scoreboard
doesn’t say is what I have found. Over the last 21 years, I have
found loyalty.”
Nothing better than that.
–Tiger Woods has now won five in a row, after a final round 63
against Vijay Singh reminded everyone yet again who’s boss.
PGA Tour victories
Sam Snead, 82
Jack Nicklaus, 73
Ben Hogan, 64
Arnold Palmer, 62
Tiger Woods, 53
Byron Nelson, 52
–Not too many shockers the first weekend of college football.
Notre Dame avoided what would have been the biggest upset in
edging Georgia Tech, 14-10.
The biggest surprise was I-AA Montana State beating Colorado
19-10. Boy, if you’re a student in Boulder you must be pissed.
And Tennessee annihilated #9 California, 35-18.
And my Wake Forest Demon Deacons beat Syracuse 20-10.
So….we hereby unveil a new feature at Bar Chat…our exclusive
Top Ten.
1. Nebraska…my pick to go all the way; beat La. Tech 49-10
2. Wake Forest
3. Montana State
4. Richmond…another I-AA victor, 13-0 over Duke
5. Ohio State…beat Northern Illinois 35-12
6. Texas…bested North Texas 56-7
7. Arkansas State…beat Army 14-6
8. Wyoming…38-7 over Utah St.
9. Navy…28-23 over East Carolina
10. Rutgers…defeated North Carolina 21-16
Knocking on the door is Grambling, 27-26 overtime victors over
Hampton. Tennessee received honorable mention.
–You have to feel sorry for Louisville which had a legitimate
shot at the national title. But in defeating Kentucky on Saturday
night, they lost their superstar running back Michael Bush to a
broken leg. Bush wanted to enter the NFL draft last spring after
his junior season but opted to come back after the scouts told him
he wouldn’t be a first-round pick.
–Including the wins registered by Montana State and Richmond,
since the start of the 2002 season the record for I-AA schools vs.
I-A opponents is now 27-227.
–I already miss “Deadwood” and “Entourage.” Perfect Sunday
night fare.
You know what my college roommate and I used to watch on
Sunday nights, depressed as we were before the start of a new
week?
“Rat Patrol……IN COLOR!”
–I wrote on 8/1/06 that Dean Karnazes’ quest to run 50
marathons in 50 days would end on Day 16 as he was mauled by
a grizzly in Alaska (10/2). Well, that remains to be seen but
Karnazes’ first marathon, in Missouri, is Sept. 17.
Runner’s World recently had an interview with him and it’s
amazing to think about this ultra-marathoner’s training.
For example, he ran a 100-mile endurance run in Vermont in
16:26:12, or a 9:52 pace….for 100 miles. [It was also 26
minutes faster than his nearest competitor.]
Karanazes has been known to double-back on marathons, like in
Boston….which means he ran 52 miles that day.
When he ran the San Diego Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon this past
June, he completed it in 3:17:56…after running an extra 65 miles
to the starting line!!!!
Since April, Karnazes has run at least 100 miles (in a day…or
slightly more) five times. Most weeks, in normal training, he
runs 170 miles.
But these days Dean Karnazes has to be pissed off, even if he
told Runner’s World he’s not, because a 25-year-old
Mississippean, Sam Thompson, beat him to the record of 50
marathons in 50 days, completing his journey on August 19.
There appears to be little doubt Thompson’s goal was simply to
scoop Karnazes.
So I’m suggesting the two square off next spring in a 100-mile
challenge “race”….through Alaska…with grizzlies and chiggers
as obstacles.
–The Washington Post’s Michael Wilbon on the U.S. basketball
team’s loss to Greece in the World Championships.
“Our arrogance has no boundaries when it comes to international
basketball, though it ought to by now, after yet another loss in a
major competition. Even Americans who pay fairly close
attention to world basketball, people who should know better,
took one look at the Greek roster and dismissively figured, ‘No
NBA players on the roster? Then no chance for Greece.’
“As dumb as it is for American fans to be so presumptuous,
especially after a string of losses dating from 1987, it’s even
dumber for anybody actually involved in international
competition to be dismissive. But that’s exactly what I heard in
the words of Team USA’s Joe Johnson earlier this week. The
Atlanta Hawks guard, asked if the United States is unstoppable
when the team shoots well, answered: ‘No doubt, when our shots
are falling and when they’re not falling. I think our biggest
opponent is ourselves right now.’….
“We commit the single most arrogant and unpardonable mistake
in competition: We underestimate the opponent. Hell, half the
time we don’t even pay any attention to the opponent. We didn’t
know the Greek players, so how could they be any good? Where
are their phat shoe contracts? Where were they in the Top 10
Dunks on ‘Sports Center’? How talented could they be if they
don’t have a Gatorade commercial or answer to a single name
like Shaq or Kobe or LeBron?
“Greece? Why should we pay attention to Greece?
“Because they won….
“This team had access to all the shooters and role players in
America, and one of the great coaches in the history of modern
basketball – Coach K – and lost. Why? Because we’re not as
good, not in this international format, anyway. But more than
anything we lose these most recent affairs because we look down
our nose at the competition, which is going to land us in the same
position in 2008 in Beijing if we don’t wise up….
“It’s a cultural condition that afflicts us: If we lose, it must be our
own fault because, well, just look at you.
“And it’s a racial condition as well. We – and by ‘we’ I mean
Americans of all colors – have conditioned ourselves to look at
European teams specifically and dismiss them out of hand
because they’re white. Or we think they’re white. And of
course, Americans have led the world in telling folks that white
men can’t jump, though amazingly some of those Greek kids
apparently didn’t accept our premise….
“The question now, as we look to the Olympic Games of 2008, is
whether we’ll spend the next two years making excuses or taking
a good look at the growing number of teams internationally who
play at least as well as we do, and increasingly better.”
–This is cute. Helen Beller, a long-time Yankees fan who also
happens to be 103 years of age, was guest of the team the other
night, her first game in person in over 50 years. So General
Manager Brian Cashman arranged to have Helen meet Derek
Jeter. As the Daily News reported:
“For a moment she seemed less like a 103-year-old woman and
more like a starstruck young fan.
“ ‘You’re so goddamned handsome,’ she blurted out to the All-
Star shortstop, as they posed for a photo.
“Jeter looked around for help, then simply replied, ‘Thank you.’”
Beller later said “I like his behavior. He’s a gentleman.” She
also added that while the other Yankees are “all wonderful…
they’re overpaid.”
–From the pages of Runner’s World, “The Best Grocery List of
All Time”:
Almonds, canned black beans, chicken, dark chocolate, eggs,
frozen mixed berries, frozen stir-fry veggies, low-fat yogurt,
mixed salad greens, oranges, salmon, sweet potatoes, whole-
grain bread, whole-grain cereal with protein, whole-grain pasta.
And on Sunday, make it Salmon Sunday…just as we do in the
home offices of StocksandNews.
–The Wall Street Journal went out and asked 23 passersby on
Wall Street if they could tell the difference between a $695 Hart
Schaffner Marx entry-level suit and a $300 pinstriped suit from
J.C. Penney.
Sorry, 17 of the 23 guessed that the Penney suit was cheaper.
–Waitress Cindy Kienow works at an Applebee’s in Hutchinson,
Kan., and deals with a regular customer who eats at the bar and
normally leaves a $15 tip on a $30 tab. He’s said to be a nice
guy, kind of quiet, and everyone likes him.
So the other day he left a check for $10,000. The mystery man
told Cindy, “This will buy you something kind of nice, huh?”
As of this writing Applebee officials were attempting to confirm
it’s all real and I haven’t heard otherwise.
–I happened to be watching CNN the morning of President
Bush’s speech in New Orleans when anchor Kyra Phillips failed
to realize her mike was still on as she used the ladies room and
her conversation overrode the president. Like everyone else
who was watching I thought “this isn’t good.”
In case you missed it, Phillips told a colleague that her husband
is a “great, great human being,” but then said of her brother’s
wife she’s a “control freak.”
That’s when another voice cut in: “Kyra.”
“Yeah, baby?”
“Your mike is on. Turn it off.”
–For golf junkies only….these are the 2007 PGA Fall Tour stops
(following the Tour Championship).
Turning Stone Resort (Verona, NY…these guys took advantage
of the BC Open’s regular course being flooded out this year and
ran a classy effort. The place looks beautiful…and it’s run by
Indians, which means they have a casino!!!!!!)
Viking Classic (Madison, Wis.)
Valero Texas Open (San Antonio, Tex.)
Frys.com Open in Las Vegas (TPC Summerlin and TPC The
Canyons)
Fry’s Electronics Open (Grayhawk / Scottsdale, Ariz.)
Running Horse (Fresno, Calif.)
Walt Disney World Resort (Disney World, Fla.)
*What is Fry’s?!
–Lee Trevino on Tiger Woods:
“Tiger would have kicked the hell out of us, too. This guy is the
most amazing athlete in any sport, ever…Jack (Nicklaus) might
have put a dent in him here and there, but I wouldn’t have beaten
him.”
I’m not sure about this. Remember, for a long stretch Nicklaus
was the biggest hitter on the planet and we certainly know about
his competitive fire. Tiger and Jack would have had some of the
greatest head-to-heads in the history of the game.
–Roy Vucinich is a fellow who has dabbled on the Champions
Tour part-time and the other day the 59-year-old was competing
in the Tri-State PGA’s Christopher J. Seretti Memorial Classic at
Montour Heights CC near Pittsburgh. All Vucinich did was
shoot 59.
It’s impossible to prove he’s the youngest golfer ever to shoot his
age, but in competition he is.
Vucinich made nine birdies and two eagles on the par-72 layout.
[In this week’s Champions Tour event at Pebble Beach, Gary
Player, 70, shot a 69 in the first round.]
–I give Tiger Woods all the credit in the world with regards to
the Ryder Cup…at least thus far. He seems to finally be
embracing the leadership role and is going out of his way to get
to know his rookie teammates. Hell, this notorious cheapskate
even sprung for dinner the other day.
But more importantly, Tiger is once again out for full drug
testing of PGA Tour members.
Commissioner Tim Finchem has cited “the culture of the sport,
the history of the sport: It’s just as important to a player that he is
playing by the rules as it is how good he hits the shot. The fact
that players (in other sports) take steroids is not evidence to me
that players in this sport are. I have no evidence of players
taking steroids in this sport.”
When asked about Finchem’s statement, Tiger replied, “I think
we should be proactive instead of reactive. I just think that we
should be ahead of it and keep our sport as pure as can be.”
Woods has always said he’d volunteer to be the first tested.
–Great move by European Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam in
selecting Darren Clarke as one of his captain’s picks, the other
being Lee Westwood. Clarke lost to wife to cancer just a month
ago but is convinced he’s ready to compete. It should make for
some moving moments during the event.
Here is the formidable Euro squad that is going to kick our butt.
Clarke, Westwood, Paul Casey, Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia,
Padraig Harrington, David Howell, Robert Karlsson, Paul
McGinley, Colin Montgomerie, Jose Maria Olazabal and Henrik
Stenson.
–Dirtball Alert: Latrell Sprewell is at it again. A 27-year-old
woman alleges Spre choked her as they were having consensual
sex. She admitted herself to a hospital in Milwaukee where the
police observed red marks on her neck. Of course you’ll recall
that Latrell has a history of choking folks, like then-Golden State
coach P.J. Carlesimo.
And former New York Giants running back/return specialist
Dave Meggett was arrested on a serious rape charge in North
Carolina.
–“Idiot of the Year” alert…San Diego Chargers linebacker Steve
Foley, who was just put on the team’s non-football injury list,
meaning the Chargers don’t have to pay him his salary of $1.65
million this year as a result of an encounter he had over the
weekend where he was shot three times by an off-duty police
officer. Foley was pulled over after the officer saw him weaving
in and out of traffic at 3:30 AM, and at 90 mph. When the
officer approached him, Foley sped off to home. Foley got out
of the car again somewhere en route, approached the officer, and
the officer fired. [I’m glossing over some other details.]
The Chargers quickly deduced Foley was at fault and suspended
him.
–The New York Daily News’ Mike Lupica on the travesty
involving reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams,
who first exposed the BALCO scandal and Barry Bonds’ steroid
use. Now Fainaru-Wada and Williams are being asked to give
up their sources.
“The government says: If you don’t tell us who leaked you
grand jury testimony – from (alleged) drug cheats like Bonds and
Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield – we will convene another one
and use it to send you straight to jail.
“ ‘No matter how you spin it,’ Fainaru-Wada said, ‘coming after
the confidential sources of reporters this way, doing everything
you can to make whistleblowers think twice, is not in the best
interest of the public, and never will be.’
“Fainaru-Wada and Williams served the public by telling the
truth about steroids and baseball, telling the truth in their
newspaper and later in the book ‘Game of Shadows,’ about
Bonds. Only in Bush’s America does that make you the same
kind of target Bonds is, and a better bet to go to jail.”
Well I don’t know if I’d blame Bush, Mr. Lupica, but Barry is
now up to 730…just 25 shy of Hank. This is so freakin’
depressing.
But, heck, maybe Ryan Howard will pass Bonds and Aaron in
like five years. Not for nothing, but on 4/4/06 I wrote “Root for
Philadelphia sensation Ryan Howard to hit 75 home runs.
Seriously. If this guy gets off to a hot start, look out.” He has 53
thus far.
–Wohh, you see this? Paleontologists have uncovered a 25-
million-year-old whale fossil with a giant set of teeth and huge
eyes. [A combination of John Elway and Marty Feldman.]
Boy, I wish this dude were still plying the seas. It was believed
to be 11-feet long and vicious.
–And then there’s this one…passed along by Harry K. [Thanks,
Harry….great to get this in the mail.]
From the Toronto Star
“Boatjacked by a bear”
“Animal scrambles into craft, hits throttle”
By Anna Piekarski
“Bears like eating fish, but they don’t usually catch them with a
line and pole while riding in a boat.
“Marty Descoteaux sees the beasts often near the city of Elliot
Lake, about 150 kilometres west of Sudbury. So he wasn’t
surprised last month to spot one swimming near his boat on
Esten Lake, just outside the city.
“Descoteaux was busy at the time reeling in a 5.4-kilogram lake
trout. He turned away for a moment and that’s when two paws
grabbed the side of his boat.
“The fisherman grabbed a paddle and hit the animal over the
head, but that didn’t deter it.
“ ‘It went ballistic, he wanted in,’ said Descoteaux. ‘I never
thought a bear could climb so fast into a boat. I had no choice, I
had to bail out.’
“He swam for shore, hoping the bear wouldn’t follow.
“When Descoteaux reached rocks he looked back and was
shocked to see his 5-metre aluminum boat speed past. While the
bear was exploring the boat, it had hit the throttle.
“ ‘The bear was fishing with my boat,’ with the baited line
dragging behind it, Descoteaux said.
“ ‘This is what you call a fishing story. I was sitting on the
shoreline watching a bear trolling in my boat.’
“The bear panicked. With no one at the wheel, the boat turned
sharply and hit a rock. The bear tumbled forward, damaging the
front seat, and into the water. It then scrambled ashore and into
the bush.
“The pilotless craft ran in circles for a half-hour until it ran out of
gas. Descoteaux, 35, swam out 2 ½ kilometers to recover the
boat and had to use its electric trolling motor to slowly glide
back to shore.”
When Descoteaux finally retrieved his damaged craft, the lake
trout was still lying inside it. “He never touched it. I guess he
was too excited.”
Harry K. has given this whole incident much thought and can
draw only one conclusion. The bears are in the process of
acquiring a navy. Be afraid…be very, very afraid….
–I purchased the book “The Man-Eaters of Eden” by local
resident Robert R. Frump. Oh baby, good stuff in this one that
I’ll be sharing.
“Generally, a battle between a crocodile and any large mammal
is determined by terrain. In deep water, the crocodile is king; on
land, a mammal such as a man or a lion might have the edge….
“Hans scrambled onto the back of the animal, seeking to again
gouge the eyes. Tom, too, continued to fight his attacker,
straining to poke at the eyes. Louis was still holding the animal’s
midsection, trying to slow the crocodile.”
Just had to whet your appetite. Stay tuned!
[This week’s animal tales were written up before Steve Irwin’s
untimely demise….but he would have approved, you know.]
–In far eastern Russia, just a few hundred miles from Alaska,
there is a region called Chukotka, which is a poverty-stricken
area now governed by $billionaire Roman Abramovich, who is
attempting to help the natives.
Here’s a little description of just how awful the place is, from a
recent piece in the Moscow Times.
“Almost everything is extreme in Russia’s northeasternmost
region, including its location, harsh weather and even the
unusually large and aggressive mosquitoes that make a
shockingly loud crunching sound when squashed.
“The region has no trees except in a small area in the south. The
population is so sparse that its land-to-people ratio is comparable
to 68 people living within the Moscow city limits.
“Locals call the capital, Anadyr, the City of Flying Dogs,
because in winter the wind is so strong that it is often impossible
to walk a step. In such weather, dogs tend to simply take off.”
–Bob Mathias died. The two-time Olympic decathlon champ
and four-term congressman was 75.
What a life this guy had. Born in 1930 in the San Joaquin Valley
farming community of Tulare, Mathias was just 17 when he won
the discus and shot put in a California high school competition.
This was remarkable in itself because as a kid he suffered from
all kinds of maladies including anemia.
But track coach Virgil Jackson suggested Mathias try the
decathlon and with only three weeks to prepare for an event in
Pasadena, and despite never having competed in the pole vault,
long jump, javelin or 1,500-meter run, he won it by a wide
margin.
Next up was an AAU meet in Bloomfield, N.J. Mathias won this
and as the event served as the U.S. Olympic trials, he was off to
London for the 1948 Games.
Despite awful weather conditions, Mathias won gold in the
grueling two-day competition. He then repeated in 1952 at
Helsinki.
But wait…there’s more! In between London and Helsinki, Bob
Mathias enrolled at Stanford and played fullback for two
seasons. In 1951, he scored two touchdowns, including a 96-
yard kickoff return, as Stanford defeated USC to clinch a spot in
the Rose Bowl. [Stanford lost to Illinois.]
Then, after a movie career, he was elected to Congress in 1966,
where he served 8 years before being swept out in 1974 with all
the other Republicans in the Watergate mess.
Bob Mathias…a great American hero.
–The New York Times put the Atlanta Braves” run in
perspective.
The Braves won a record 14 straight division titles (1991-2005),
by far the longest of the four major sports.
NBA: Boston Celtics (1957-65) and Los Angeles Lakers (1982-
90) had 9 straight.
NFL: Los Angeles Rams (1973-79)…7
NHL: Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche (1995-2003)…9
But the Braves run is over, courtesy of my New York Mets, who
I did pick to win it all this year. But us Mets fans are on pins and
needles over the pitching staff…and we were scared to death on
Saturday night when Carlos Beltran went flying into the fence in
Houston in a game-saving catch, only to hurt his knee.
Thankfully, Carlos is OK.
–How about the Florida Marlins? Johnny Mac and I told you
these guys were going to be interesting months ago. And now,
as of Sunday’s play, the Marlins have become the first club in
major league history to go from 20 games under .500 to above
that mark. Florida is in the thick of the wild-card race and
manager Joe Girardi probably just bought himself 20 years of job
security in the big leagues off this impressive comeback.
–Congratulations to Jeff B. for winning his tennis tournament in
Connecticut. After taking the first set 6-2, J.B. fell behind
4-1 in the second, only to rally back and win 7-5 as his father
looked on.
–Here’s a real dirtball…Nicole Williams of Brooklyn…who
faces five years in prison for ripping off more than $400,000 in
music royalties owed to the likes of Chuck Berry and Barry
Manilow. Ms. Williams is joined in dirtballdom by her cousin
Anthony Ray of Providence, R.I., who acknowledged taking
$800,000 in royalty checks from 2001-2005. While it’s unclear
to me if both worked with the Songwriters Guild of America,
they had access to the funds.
–I’m not a Bob Dylan fan but Rolling Stone is giving his latest
offering, “Modern Times,” 5 stars. What the hell, I’ll pick it up.
Top 3 songs for the week of 9/8/73: #1 “Let’s Get It On”
(Marvin Gaye) #2 “Brother Louie” (Stories) #3 “Delta Dawn”
(Helen Reddy)…and…#4 “Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet
Gypsy Rose” (Dawn featuring Tony Orlando…what’s it to you?)
#5 “Touch Me In The Morning” (Diana Ross…hey, Diana, clean
it up!) #7 “Live And Let Die” (Wings… Trader George’s
favorite) #8 “We’re An American Band” (Grand Funk)
NFL Quiz Answers: 1) 2005 rushing leaders:
Shaun Alexander (Seattle)…1,880 yds. (5.1 avg.)
Tiki Barber (NY Giants)…1,860 (5.2)
Larry Johnson (K.C.)…1,750 (5.2)
Clinton Portis (Washington)…1,516 (4.3)
Edgerrin James (Indianapolis)…1,506 (4.2)
2) Tiki Barber (3) and Larry Johnson (2) were the only ones to
rush for 200 in a game…accomplished five times total.
Next Bar Chat, 9/11…looking back five years.
