Interesting Rarely Known Sports Facts/Tidbits Thread

[CanadianGuitarist]

John Madden is famously afraid of flying - His wife is a licensed pilot.

Is that right? I remember having a book of his in high school, where he spoke at length about the MaddenCruiser and its origins. I'd never heard about his wife being a pilot. That's interesting.

 

[BruiserBrody]

John Madden is famously afraid of flying - His wife is a licensed pilot.

Is that right? I remember having a book of his in high school, where he spoke at length about the MaddenCruiser and its origins. I'd never heard about his wife being a pilot. That's interesting.

Wikipedia wouldn't lie....

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Joey Harrington started 4 seasons for Detroit and threw 60 TD vs 62 INT for bad teams despite being the 3rd pick and he's decried as a bust.

Sad part? He seemed to have turned a corner in 2004 (over 3,000 yards with 19 TD vs 12 INT. 77.5 PR). Then came 2005 where he was still serviceable despite RB Kevin Jones falling off and WR Scottie Vines becoming a key cog at WR. Harrington still had 12 TD vs 12 INT but Mariucci got fired after 11 games and Dick Jauron took over in a lost season.

Then Marinelli and Mike Martz came in and schlepped Harrington off to the Miami Dolphins where in essentially 9 games, he threw 12 TD vs 13 INT but was pretty much done.

Really highlights the fact that Harrington actually could have had a halfway decent career if he had gotten drafted into a better organization or at least had Mariucci as HC for another season or two.

 

[Byron The Bulb]

Joey Harrington fucking sucked.

 

[MFer]

Harrington wasn't a top-5 QB bust or anything like that, but he still wasn't any good. He was Captain Checkdown way before Trent Edwards or Matt Leinart. The Lions great pass blocking numbers at that time were misleading because Joey Blue Skies kept getting happy feet and dumping the ball off short. Case in point, his yards per attempt were as follows: 5.3, 5.2, 6.2, 6.1, 5.8, and 6.4. For being in a West Coast offense, his completion percentages were very poor as well (mid-50s on average). Maybe he would've fared better in a different organization, but I doubt it. I am surprised that he didn't spend his 30s as a backup at least though. He started at least 10 games every year of his career yet didn't play a game past 29.

 

[MillenniumMan831]

Tim Couch is the only QB in NFL History to complete two 50+ yard hail maries to win games as time expired (99 in NO; 02 in JAX).

 

[CanadianGuitarist]

Tim Couch is the only QB in NFL History to complete two 50+ yard hail maries to win games as time expired (99 in NO; 02 in JAX).

Great find. My guess would have been probably four, and it certainly wouldn't have been Tim Couch.

 

[BruiserBrody]

The Cowboys and Steelers played in 1962 - The Cowboys tossed a 99 yard TD - it was called back for holding- in the end zone - a safety... The Cowboys went on to lose by 2 pts....

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Thought I'd interrupt y'all's football wankfest for a minute... I know you all hate women's basketball, so I'll keep my facts about the NBA:

- Most people know Jerry West as "The Logo." Slightly fewer people know that he's the only player in NBA history to be named Finals MVP from the losing team (1969, vs. Boston Celtics).
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the only player to be named Finals MVP for two different teams (Milwaukee, Los Angeles).
- Jo-Jo White and Cedric Maxwell are the only two eligible players to have been named Finals MVP who are not in the Hall of Fame.
- As a player for the Boston Celtics, Bill Russell only lost two playoff series in his entire career: 1958 NBA Finals, vs. St. Louis (Atlanta) Hawks, and 1967 Eastern Division Finals, vs. Philadelphia 76ers. Both teams were coached by Alex Hannum.

 

[CanadianGuitarist]

- Most people know Jerry West as "The Logo." Slightly fewer people know that he's the only player in NBA history to be named Finals MVP from the losing team (1969, vs. Boston Celtics).

I believe this has only happened twice in the NHL - Hextall in '87 and Giguere(!) in '03.

 

[MFer]

Only time it happened in the NFL was Chuck Howley of the Cowboys in Super Bowl V. The game was so bad that Mike Curtis of the Colts refused to wear his SB ring.

 

[Richard]

Bobby Richardson was the only World Series MVP from a losing team (1960 Yanks)

 

[Kageho]

Some NHL Tidbits:
Jean Beliveau holds the record for most times on the cup. A total of 17: 10 as a player, 7 as a staff member.

Jacques Plante has amazingly had his name spelt wrong 5 times on Lord Stanley.

The H on the Canadiens jersey does not stand for Habitat like some would think, but actually for Hockey. The proper name of the Montreal Canadiens is actually Club de Hockey Canadiens.

Hockey pucks are frozen before use as the rubber they are made with would make them too bouncy if played with otherwise.

Jacques Plante loves to knit. Seriously? Yup.

Overtime was actually negated during World War II and only re-instated in the 83-84 season.

The Calgary Flames could've had Martin Brodeur but blew their pick by trading it and then selecting bust Trevor Kidd.

There was once a rule stating that the Captain of the team must be on the ice all the time. Hockey loves its weird rules. Like kicking pucks.

Henri Richard was only 10 years old, but had played in the league for 20 years and won 11 championships (most by a player) by the time his tenth year rolled around. Think on it, you'll get it eventually.

Ted Lindsay can be credited with the Lord Stanley Victory lap that occurs now after every cup win.

Denver, Colorado is 1,996 miles away from Quebec. Guess what happened in 1996?

Not really an NHL fact, but involved NHL players. The QMJHL "Les Trois Denis" was made up of Denis Cyr, Denis Savard and Denis Tremblay. But did you know that not only do all of them share the same name; they also share the same birthday and neighbourhood?

What was used before the whistle by referees? A cowbell.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Nick Saban's 2005-2006 Miami Dolphins staff was littered with big name coaches...

- Derek Dooley (TEs in 2005 & 2006. Was Tennessee Volunteers HC)
- Jason Garrett (QB in 2006. Currently Dallas Cowboys HC)
- Hudson Houck (OL in 2005 & 2006. Longtime Dallas Cowboys OL Coach from 1993-2001 & 2008)
- Will Muschamp (Co-DC in 2005. Currently Florida Gators HC)
- Kirby Smart (Safeties in 2006. Currently Alabama Crimson Tide DC)

 

[Mickey Massuco]

If he didn't split prematurely I think he could have made some noise there.

 

[Mickey Massuco]

Imagine if Saban SWERVED everybody and after a swaggy as fuck national title win he announces that he's going to accept offers to coach in the NFL? He seems like the kind of guy who would do that.

 

[Byron The Bulb]

If he didn't split prematurely I think he could have made some noise there.

Imagine if they'd signed Brees instead of Culpepper.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

:'(

 

[Red Baron]

- Most people know Jerry West as "The Logo." Slightly fewer people know that he's the only player in NBA history to be named Finals MVP from the losing team (1969, vs. Boston Celtics).

I believe this has only happened twice in the NHL - Hextall in '87 and Giguere(!) in '03.

Roger Crozier, Glenn Hall and Reggie Leach also won the Conn Smythe and not won the Stanley Cup.

 

[BruiserBrody]

According to a 1978 players poll, almost 86% of NFL players claimed they played w/o a cup

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Never knew that the reason the Patriots never matched the Jets offer was due to a poison pill.

Then the enmity intensified that week two years ago when Parcells, as coach of the Jets, signed one of the Patriots' best players, running back Curtis Martin, to a six-year contract. Worse, the $36 million contract included a poison pill that was a $3.3 million roster bonus. If New England matched the deal for Martin, a restricted free agent, it could wreck its salary cap.

 

[CanadianGuitarist]

A player who records a goal, assist and fight in the same hockey game is said to have notched a "Gordie Howe hat trick". In the 148 years the namesake Howe played in the NHL and WHA, he accomplished this feat twice.

 

[The Amazing Rando]

Henri Richard was only 10 years old, but had played in the league for 20 years and won 11 championships (most by a player) by the time his tenth year rolled around. Think on it, you'll get it eventually.

This is pretty awesome.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Leap Day babies who take that shit seriously need to be hit in the face with a snow shovel. You're forty, not ten, you prick.*


*Please note that I'm speaking in general; I'm not singling out Monsieur Richard, so you hockey fans can relax.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

QB Ricky Santos of New Hampshire should go down as one of the best FCS QBs ever (helped by Chip Kelly).

2004-2007: Threw for 13,212 yards with 123 TD vs 33 INT. He also ran for 1,415 yards with 30 TD.

 

[alkeiper]

In the 1981 All-Star Game, manager Jim Frey ran out of position players. Pitcher Dave Stieb was forced to bat in the 9th inning. Clad in his Blue Jays jersey and a borrowed Mariners helmet.

 

[alkeiper]

Griffith Stadium is kind of a forgotten pitchers' park. It was the home field for the Washington Senators from 1911-1960. It was around 400' to most of left/center field before the team finally built a shorter fence. Check out these numbers.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/play-index/share.cgi?id=VVZ3F

Essentially, before they moved the fences in the Senators had five seasons where they even hit 20+ home runs at home. Ossie Bluege hit 43 career home runs in an 18 year career with the Senators. Six of them came at home. George Case hit 21 home runs for the Senators, 2 at home. Even left handed batters hit twice as many home runs on the road. Notably Goose Goslin and Mickey Vernon.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Here's how insane Oklahoma's Wishbone attack was on the ground... Running for 315-320 yards a game! was considered a down year. Not like you could argue defensive speed as by the mid to late 80's they were still averaging almost 400 a game.

1971: Averaged 469.6 yards per game and 6.6 yards per carry
1972: Averaged 338.1 yards per game and 5.1 yards per carry
1973: Averaged 361.4 yards per game and 5.3 yards per carry
1974: Averaged 438.8 yards per game and 5.9 yards per carry
1977: Averaged 320.7 yards per game and 5.1 yards per carry
1978: Averaged 392.4 yards per game and 6.5 yards per carry
1979: Averaged 322.3 yards per game and 5.9 yards per carry
1986: Averaged 401.5 yards per game and 6.3 yards per carry
1987: Averaged 393.1 yards per game and 6.5 yards per carry
1988: Averaged 314.8 yards per game and 5.7 yards per carry

For comparison's sake to show you how insane those numbers are...
2013 Oregon: 273.5 yards per game and 6.3 yards per carry
2012 Oregon: 315.2 yards per game and 6.0 yards per carry
2011 Oregon: 299.2 yards per game and 6.7 yards per carry
1995 Nebraska: 366.5 yards per game and 7.0 yards per carry

 

[alkeiper]

Most baseball fans with knowledge of the 1970s have heard of Herb Washington. Oakland A's owner Charlie Finley had the bright idea of hiring a track star with the sole purpose of pinch running. Washington was picked off in game 1 of the 1974 World Series, and the idea died. Except it didn't. Running a search on pinch runners, it's immediately apparent how committed Finley was to the concept.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/play-index/share.cgi?id=2rrcI

Four of the top seven played for the Athletics in the 1970s. Before Washington there was Allen Lewis. And after Washington Finley carried two at the same time, Matt Alexander and Larry Lintz. I love Lintz's 1976 season. He only came to the plate four times. Once he bunted, twice he walked. This guy at the plate who is on the team solely to run, and two pitchers still couldn't throw him strikes.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Huh... Rich Rodriguez and West Virginia almost didn't land their most prized weapon from their 2004-2007 dominant run.

Quarterback/athlete Pat White pulled a signing day surprise by switching his allegiance from 2003 national champion LSU to West Virginia, signing his letter-of-intent this morning at Daphne High School. The Mobile, Ala., native committed to LSU, where he would have been a wide receiver, in late January, but had a change of heart and will now be a quarterback for the Mountaineers.