Interesting Rarely Known Sports Facts/Tidbits Thread

[Smues]

It was a game ender, but it wasn't a catch it was a single by Julio Franco to center and then he threw Chipper out at home to end the game.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/ATL/ATL200305230.shtml

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Eddie Robinson coached at Grambling State for 56 years!

In order for Joe Paterno to match that, he'd have to coach through the 2023 season. That'd also make Paterno 98 years old by then.

 

[Red Baron]

The only time Gordie Howe had a 100 point season was when he was 41 years old.

 

[Richard]

During the 1991 Gulf War, when the MLB decreed all players would wear both the Canadian and U.S. flags on their batting helmets as a patriotic gesture, Van Slyke scraped the Maple Leaf off his helmet because, in his words "Canada is a pacifist, socialist country." Van Slyke's insult to Canadian veterans and the country itself did not sit well with MLB Commissioner Fay Vincent, who ordered that the Canadian flag decal be re-inserted onto the helmet.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Was looking at the 1966 Green Bay Packers PB and found this fascinating given the changes over the years... Speed is the 40 Yard Dash times in shorts.

Split End (Weakside WR): Most reliable receiver and the 3rd Down go to option. Speed = 4.80
Strong End (Tight End): Blocker who can catch in a crowd. Speed = 5.0
Wing/Flanker (Strongside WR): The burner or deep threat receiver. Speed = 4.80
Offensive Tackle: Pass Protection #1 quality. Speed = 5.40
Offensive Guards: Need speed/agility to pull and stand up to "260 pound" defensive tackles. Speed = 5.20
Offensive Center: Leader of the OL, calls the blocking assignments. Speed = 5.30
Quarterback: Must be able to throw well long and short. Leadership, intelligence, and poise are key to success.
Fullback: Blocks like a guard with power running capabilities. Speed = 4.90
Halfbacks: Fast, durable runner who can catch the ball as well as a WR. "Smaller" RBs with good speed can be utilized as "Spot" players (sound familiar?) Speed = 4.80

 

[Vitamin X]

SE was Antonio Freeman and Flanker was Robert Brooks on that team if I remember correctly. There was so much depth on that team it was crazy.. after Brooks and Freeman you had Andre Rison, Keith Jackson, and Don Beebe, Mark Chmura and Keith Jackson at tight end, William Henderson, Edgar Bennett, and Dorsey Levens running the ball... reminds me a lot of the current offense, actually, just much younger. Most of the starters on that team were in their 30s or upper 20s on both sides of the ball, a stark contrast to last year's championship team.

 

[Agent of Oblivion]

Check that year again, bro

 

[still fly]

LOL

 

[Vitamin X]

HA! 1996, 66.. It's a bit confusing when you've won more than one Super Bowl!

 

[Byron The Bulb]

What, did quarterbacks not have to run the 40 back then?

 

[HarleyQuinn]

According to Vince Lombardi they didn't... or it didn't matter enough to him.

 

[Vitamin X]

The offensive line was good enough in 66 it didn't matter how fast Bart Starr was. That, and defenses weren't as fast back then.

 

[Agent of Oblivion]

NO ONE was as fast back then, except for like, Jim Brown. The real olde tyme comedy line there is 260lb defensive tackles.

 

[Mazto]

I'm a Defensive Tackle in 66.

 

[BruiserBrody]

Bears/PACK week fun fact:

Kicker Chester Marcol had one of the most memorable plays ever, when he caught his own blocked FG in overtime and ran it in for a TD vs The Bears in 1980, later that year the Packers cut Marcol and he stayed living in GB...The Oilers came to town, with their Kicker being hurt late in the week, signed Marcol because he was close, let him play one game (vs The Pack) and then cut him. Marcol never left town.

 

[Mattdotcom]

Marcol never left town.

That's just as depressing as the Quantum Leap ending.

 

[BruiserBrody]

Walter Payton's bar had a back room that was there specifically for Payton to fuck patrons.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Many know of Urban Meyer as the guy who made Alex Smith a star QB destined for HOF greatness coming out of Utah (and later turned Tim Tebow into Touchdown Jesus at Florida).

I knew he had coached at Bowling Green prior to Utah but had no idea how prolific he made Josh Harris. In 2002, he threw for 2,425 yards with 19 TD vs 11 INT. He also ran for 737 yards with 20 TD.

Compare those numbers to Woody Dantzler's 2001 season at Clemson (where Rich Rodriguez was implementing his own spread option attack as OC). Dantzler threw for 2,360 yards with 17 TD vs 11 INT. He also ran for 1,004 yards with 10 TD.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

The San Francisco 49ers introduced the Shotgun Formation to the NFL in 1960 (and 1961).

The interesting if not funny part? The Dallas Cowboys and Tom Landry re-introduced the Shotgun Formation in 1975. Opposing coaches and players called it a "rinky dink" offense and a gimmick/fad at the time to hide Roger Staubach's ability to read a defense.

 

[bps21]

Many know of Urban Meyer as the guy who made Alex Smith a star QB destined for HOF greatness coming out of Utah (and later turned Tim Tebow into Touchdown Jesus at Florida).

I knew he had coached at Bowling Green prior to Utah but had no idea how prolific he made Josh Harris. In 2002, he threw for 2,425 yards with 19 TD vs 11 INT. He also ran for 737 yards with 20 TD.

Compare those numbers to Woody Dantzler's 2001 season at Clemson (where Rich Rodriguez was implementing his own spread option attack as OC). Dantzler threw for 2,360 yards with 17 TD vs 11 INT. He also ran for 1,004 yards with 10 TD.

Meyer turned bowling green around immediately and his last year there, and the year after he left which was all his recruitment and josh Harriss senior year, they finished in the top 25 both years. A feat infinitely more impressive than winning a title at Florida.

That team the year after Meyer left lost three games. One to #5 Ohio state (they fumbled the ball in Ohio state territory down 7 to end the game) and twice to Ben rapelisberger and his #8 Miami of Ohio team. He torched them both times. But still.

 

[BruiserBrody]

Dick "Night Train" Lane snagged an NFL record 14 ints as a rookie CB - but wasn't named to the Pro Bowl (race is believed to be a factor)

 

[BruiserBrody]

Back in the good old days of Thanksgiving Day football, the hearts and minds of Bay Area football fans were not on dinner, but the day’s “Big Game” between the University of California and Stanford. The 1900 edition of this classic was, of course, sold out. The roofs of the buildings surrounding the stadium were crowded with budget-minded fans craning for a glimpse of the action. Twenty minutes into the game, the roof of one building collapsed. Unfortunately, the building housed a glass factory; complete with a red-hot furnace filled with molten glass. Turkeys weren’t the only things getting roasted in San Francisco that day. Twenty-two people were killed and over 80 injured in what remains the worst — and most bizarre — disaster ever to befall American sports fans.

 

[Mattdotcom]

Back in the good old days of Thanksgiving Day football, the hearts and minds of Bay Area football fans were not on dinner, but the day’s “Big Game” between the University of California and Stanford. The 1900 edition of this classic was, of course, sold out. The roofs of the buildings surrounding the stadium were crowded with budget-minded fans craning for a glimpse of the action. Twenty minutes into the game, the roof of one building collapsed. Unfortunately, the building housed a glass factory; complete with a red-hot furnace filled with molten glass. Turkeys weren’t the only things getting roasted in San Francisco that day. Twenty-two people were killed and over 80 injured in what remains the worst — and most bizarre — disaster ever to befall American sports fans.

lol quality zinger bazinga as shelton the nerd might say

 

[BruiserBrody]

QB Jim Hardy of the 1950 Chicago Cardinals - threw 8 ints and fumbled twice in one game. He tossed 6 TDs the next week and went on to the Pro Bowl.

 

[alkeiper]

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/alexama01.shtml

I'm on a kick of identifying career MLB bench players. Many fans know of Herb Washington of the '74 Oakland A's. A track star brought in for the express purpose of being a pinch runner and only a pinch runner. He was famously picked off in game two of the 1974 World Series. They actually introduced the idea a year prior with "The Panamanian Express" Allan Lewis, using him for only pinch running. Though Lewis at least was a career baseball player.

The A's didn't give up on the idea after Washington though. They brought in Matt Alexander who in 1975 appeared in 63 games but only batted 11 times. What makes Alexander notable is that he filled in the pinch runner role far more than any player in history. In 1980 Alexander appeared in 37 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and batted three times. In seven different seasons Alexander's games played exceeded his plate appearances.

 

[oldskool]

The Bowl Challenge Cup goes to the conference with the best winning percentage during the bowl season (minimum 3 bowls played).
The Mountain West conference has won it 4 times since its debut in 2002. In that same 10 year span, the SEC has never won it or even shared it, tying it for dead last with the Sun Belt and the WAC. C-USA & the MAC would've been included had they not tied for it last year.

 

[Agent of Oblivion]

Phil Jackson only won NBA Coach of the Year once.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

WR Don Hutson had only 1 season over 900 yards receiving but led the NFL in RYPG 8 times during his career.

- In 1936, WR Bill Hewitt had 15 catches for 358 yards but scored 6 TD, just 2 fewer than Hutson who had nearly 20 more catches that season.
- In 1937, WR Gaynell Tinsley led the NFL with 675 yards receiving. He set the then record that would stand until 1939 with Hutson's 846 yards.
- In 1940, WR Don Looney would set a then record of 58 catches and finished with 707 yards. Also the first WR to catch more than 50 passes.
- In 1941, WR Don Hutson would tie Looney's catch record of 58 and get 10 TD. He broke his 1939 record of 9 TD and became the first WR to get double digit TD catches.
- In 1942, WR Don Hutson feasted on a war-torn era with 74 catches for 1,211 yards and 17 TD. WR Ray McLean averaged 30 YPC with 8 TD.
- In 1945, WR Jim Benton became the second WR to top 1,000 yards (1,067) in only 9 games and scored 8 TD. He followed that up with 981 yards and 6 TD in 1946.
- In 1947, the Chicago Bears became the first team to feature 2 WR with double digit TD catches (Jim Keane with 10, Ken Kavanaugh with 13). WR Mal Kutner led the NFL with 944 yards that year though.

 

[BruiserBrody]

John Riggins rushed for more yards after turning 30 than he did prior to 30. This is matched by several other backs who were mere journeymen types.

IIRC RB Otis Anderson of the Cardinals/NYG had his career best game the very 1st game he played. He went on to play many more years and I believe he still leads the Cards in career rushing. He also nearly became the NFL's 1st 1000 yard rusher who didn't have a 100 yard rushing game during the season, but managed to barely cross the 100 mark in a late season game vs the Redskins.

 

[BruiserBrody]

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