Today in Sports History

Today in
Sports History
1931 - The Canadian Rugby Union adopted the forward pass.

1940 - The first televised basketball game was shown. The game featured Fordham University and the University of Pittsburgh from Madison Square Gardens in New York.

1948 - Bud Gartiser set a world record when he cleared the 50-yard low hurdles in 6.8 seconds.

1967 - Wilt Chamberlain set and NBA record with his 35th consecutive field goal.

1987 - Chick Hearn broadcasted his 2,000th consecutive Los Angeles Laker's game.

1988 - Pat Verbeek became the first New Jersey Devil to score 4 goals in a game.

1998 - Mark Messier (Vancouver Canucks) became the fourth NHL player to score 1,600 points.

1999 - Venus and Serena Williams became the first sisters to win WTA Tour events on the same day.

2002 - It was announced that John Madden would be replacing Dennis Miller on "Monday Night Football." Madden signed a four-year $20 million deal with ABC Sports.

Hump Day.....News & Views

In this........small southern college town......I'm running on empty......for I.....am very tired.  It is a Wednesday........"Hump Day".  So we're still following ........"stuff"

Williams to Face Henin in Final; Murray Advances

By JOE DRAPE 8:31 AM ET

Pool photo by Paul Crock

Serena Williams celebrated during her women’s singles semi-final match against Li Na at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Thursday.

Serena Williams is looking for a fifth championship at Melbourne Park. Andy Murray earned just his second appearance in a Grand Slam Final.

Go Serena.......go Serena.....We love you in orange!

On Washington

Where Clinton Turned Right, Obama Plowed Ahead

               
I missed .....the State of the Union address ......but ....I've been told.....My President spoke eloquently ........and re-affirmed......why I voted for him.

Steven Jackson's Alleged Victim -- The Wound

Posted Jan 28th 2010 3:20PM by TMZ Staff

TMZ has obtained a photo of the scar Steven Jackson's ex-girlfriend claims she bears as a result of the alleged attack at the hands of the NFL star.



As we first reported, Supriya Harris filed a complaint with the Las Vegas Police Dept. yesterday accusing Jackson of beating her up while she was 9-months pregnant with their son in March 2009.

In the complaint, Harris claims Jackson smashed her into a door handle so hard that she bled "heavily" and needed to be hospitalized.

So far, Jackson is still not commenting on the incident.

Until........now......

 

Steven Jackson: Accusations Are 'Hurtful, Untrue'

Posted Jan 28th 2010 5:23PM by TMZ Staff

NFL star Steven Jackson is denying the allegations made by his ex-girlfriend that he beat her back in 2009 while she was 9 months pregnant with their son.

The St. Louis Rams running back just released a statement to TMZ saying, "It's disheartening that I have to address any alleged allegations 10 months later, but I have read the accusations made by Supriya Harris, and they are untrue."

Jackson continued, "The accusations are especially hurtful because those who truly know me know that those actions would be out of character for me."

Jackson acknowledged that Harris is the mother of his son, and described the boy as "a son that I love and that I willingly support emotionally and financially."

He concluded, "I will address this matter thoroughly through the appropriate avenues, but not through the media."

As usual.........TMZ.com......is all over it!

 

Supposedly......there is a blizzard ......headed for the deep south....

Actuality.......says.......we will get about a half inch.

The Atlanta Hawks.......were destroyed......last night.

 

Georgia.....lost to Florida......again.....this time on the "hardwood".

Are they still playing.......Hockey?

 

Have a great........."Hump Day"!

Hump Day.....News & Views

It's.....a Wednesday!

Wakey.......wakey......It's  "Hump Day".    It's mid January.....it's cold.....it's winter time.


In this ......small,  southern,  college town....we are following sports news as well as "regular" news.......for we are equal opportunists........in our never ending appetite for the juicy stories available ......on this "internet".

Here's some of that........"stuff":

NFL players go to the Hill about contract

David Akers reacts after kicking a field goal against the New York Giants on Jan. 11, 2009. (UPI Photo/John Angelillo) | Enlarge

WASHINGTON, Jan. 21 (UPI) -- A group of 25 NFL players has gone to Congress about a possible lock-out during negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement.
The group included 20 active and five retired players, including NFL Players Union President and Tennessee Titans center Kevin Mawae and Philadelphia Eagles place-kicker David Akers.
"We're just letting the members of Congress know that we are not trying to walk away from the game, that we want to play," Akers said after an eight-hour meeting Wednesday with more than a dozen members of Congress. "We're just trying to make sure that they know what issues are out there and that the players are united to do whatever we can to have a fair negotiation with the owners, so that we can keep this great product on the field."
The members of Congress included Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., and Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis.                                 

It could get....ugly...Work stoppage in the NFL in 2010?    Say it ain't so!

Phillips to lead Cowboys next two seasons

Published: Jan. 21, 2010 at 2:22 PM

Dallas Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips walks onto the field before the game against the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland on December 27, 2009. UPI/Alexis C. Glenn | Enlarge

IRVING, Texas, Jan. 21 (UPI) -- Dallas Cowboys Coach Wade Phillips has a contract to lead the NFL team for at least the 2010 and 2011 seasons, team owner Jerry Jones said Thursday.

Phillips' tenure was rumored to be in doubt before the team finished strong and won the NFC East with a 11-5 record. Dallas was ousted in the divisional playoffs, however.
The Cowboys are 33-15 with two division titles in three seasons under Phillips.
Jones, at a season-ending news conference, said, Phillips was a "better head coach than he was three years ago and is a better head coach than we when went into training camp (last summer.)
"We want to build on the foundation we've put in place the past three years."
Jones also said he "saw the team moving in the right direction. It's embracing Wade's leadership as head coach."
Dallas is the third NFL head coaching full-time position for Phillips. He led the Buffalo Bills in 1998-2000, going 29-19, and was coach of the Denver Broncos in 1993-94, finishing 16-16. He also served as interim head coach for New Orleans (0-2) and Buffalo (0-1).

A bit of a surprise here.....But Jerry Jones owns the team.  He can call his own shots.  If I was a Cowboy fan.....there's reason to worry.....in Big D. 

Serena Williams, shown in a 2009 file photo, was an easy second-round winner Thursday at the Australian Open. UPI /Monika Graff . | Enlarge

MELBOURNE, Jan. 21 (UPI) -- World No. 1 Serena Williams sailed into the third round of the Australian Open in dominating fashion Thursday in Melbourne.

 Williams dominant in second round win

Williams, who is also the tournament

defending champion, faced only two break-point situations in a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Petra Kvitova. She won nine consecutive games at one point and won 30 of 33 points when she got her first serve, which was 66 percent of the time.
Williams draws No. 32-seeded Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro, who as a 6-1, 6-4 winner over Andrea Petkovic Thursday, in the third round.
No. 4-seeded Carolina Wozniacki was on the court just 65 minutes in a 6-3, 6-1 pasting of Julia Goerges, sixth-seeded Venus Williams also claimed a straight-set win, knocking off Sybille Bammer 6-2, 7-5 while No. 7 Victoria Azarenka topped Stefanie Voegele 6-4, 6-0. Also, No. 9 Vera Zvonareva defeated Iveta Benesova 6-0, 6-3 and 10th-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska swept past Alla Kudryavtseva 6-0, 6-2.
There were a pair of upsets Thursday with 20th-seeded Ana Ivanovic falling 6-7 (6-8), 7-5, 6-4 to Gisela Dulko and No. 21 Sabine Lisicki being ousted by Alberta Brianti 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.
No. 13-seeded Samantha Stosur defeated Kristina Barrios 7-5, 6-3 and No. 16 Na Li rallied to beat Agnes Szavay 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 among wins by highly seeded players.

 Our very first.....Serena sighting of the year.  It will not be out last.

NBA: Atlanta 108, Sacramento 97

 

ATLANTA, Jan. 20 (UPI) -- Jamal Crawford came off the bench to score 20 points Wednesday and lead the Atlanta Hawks to 108-97 decision over Sacramento.
Crawford, a leading candidate for the NBA Sixth Man Award this year, hit 7-of-12 shots and registered a key four-point play in the fourth period. He hit a 3-pointer as he was being fouled with 7:11 remaining and his ensuing free throw gave Atlanta a 91-78 cushion.
Crawford is averaging 19 points a game in his last eight contests.
Joe Johnson added 17 for the Hawks and Josh Smith had 16. Atlanta stayed a half game in front of Orlando at the top of the Southeast Division.
Sacramento, losers of five in a row, was led by Tyreke Evans with 24 points and Kevin Martin with 23.

Don't look now......but these Hawks are in first place in their division.    Go Hawks!

Have a great......."Hump Day"

A Serena........Sighting

It's not too often......in this small, southern, college town....

We are lucky enough to  have a Serena Williams sighting...but .....it has happened:

Serena's charity drive continues in Athens || OnlineAthens.com

 

 

A Few Things..........Learned......From the Week-end

Just a few thoughts........from ....an interesting week-end....Things were following.....courtesy of Google.com:



Serena Williams....is "fine" as "fine" can be..........but....this was a bit much:

News results for serena williams outburst

US OPEN 2009: Serena Williams apologises for her outburst at line ...‎ - 51 minutes ago By Sportsmail Reporter Serena Williams has apologised for what she called her 'inappropriate outburst' during her semi-final defeat against Kim Clijsters. ...

Kanye West..........is an idiot. This is what happens.......when you think.....in your mind....you can do and say........anything........just because you've made a few hit songs.....What a little punk:

News results for kanye west

Kanye West Interrupting Taylor Swift's MTV Awards Speech Not the ...‎ - 2 hours ago By KRISTIN BRASWELL With his controversial comments, the 32-year-old rapper Kanye West continues to make a name for himself. "I'll always push the envelope, ...

Life is good.......at least it was in the ATL .......this week-end....Consider what happened:

Georgia Tech beat Clemson....
Georgia beat South Carolina......
The Braves swept the St. Louis Cardinals, 3-0.....
The Falcons beat the Miami Dolphins........
And..........Notre Dame.......lost!

It just does not get much better..........especially in this small, southern, college town.

Gonna have a ........great week!

Sister Act...........Part IV

Serena........and .....Venus........

Taking their "Sister Act" to the finals......across the pond....at Wimbledon.....again (Venus-Serena final for fourth time ).......

Tomorrows' Wimbledon tennis championship match will .....for the 4th time.....feature these two amazing athletes from Compton, CA.

Serena beat her older sister in 2002 and 2003, with Venus winning last year.

“I feel very calm, actually,” said Venus, who is 2-5 against Serena in Grand Slam finals. “But, of course, I’m going to bring the tough feet to the court.”

For Serena, it’s just more of the same.

“We’re used to being in this position now, so we pretty much have it down,” Serena said Friday after she and Venus beat top-seeded Cara Black and Liezel Huber 6-1, 6-2 to reach Saturday’s doubles final, where they will face Samantha Stosur and Rennae Stubbs.

“I feel like going into this final I have nothing to lose,” said Serena, who is 27 years old, two years younger than Venus. “I feel like obviously she’s playing the best tennis at this tournament.”

No matter what happens.......one thing is for sure. A Williams will be crowned champion.

Hump Day News & Views

It must be Wednesday........

And according to the calenders made available to us........there are 52 of these.....in a calender year. That means 52 "Hump Days". Wow!

In this southern college town, the temperature's rising........Summer..........looms. The "hazy, hot & humid" days........await us. As we crank up our AC's ........and fans.......and other cooling devices.........let's take a look at what's happening around us.......sports........and otherwise.



Magic vs. Lakers..........

Not what the networks wanted......(Kobe vs. LeBron was what ABC was hoping for).....but an intriguing match-up just the same.

Disney Land vs. Disney World............A tale of two franchises.....L A, is in the finals for the 30th time.......the Magic? Only their 2nd.

The Lakers will have Jack Nicholson (long time fan....and the "joker") sitting court side.......The Magic will have Orlando resident, and the best golfer of the planet, Tiger Woods.

Both are led by a player who came straight from high school to the pros........Kobe (Lakers) ........and that man child, from south Atlanta..........Superman himself........Dwight Howard.

The coaches? Phil Jackson has nine rings.........championship rings.......Stan Van Gundy? Weren't they gonna fire him last year?

Regular season meetings? Orlando took 'em both. They last met........61 games ago....

Make no mistake...........Orlando is the real deal..........and they present match up problems for most of the NBA...........

But............the Lakers' front line..........is too big.......too long........too much range.......and they have the x-factor........in that cold blooded.......game on the line ..........cut-throat shooter....in Kobe.

Lakers...........in 6.


A Williams-less.......French Open.......


We don't follow tennis.........except for the William sisters , Venus and Serena.........Well, both have been ousted in the on going French Open Tournament. Bad for tennis........but a lesson for both girls.

Yes.......we know you both want more out of life than tennis.....and you're both capable of "multi-tasking" ...........But........

Tennis...........is what made you famous.......

Tennis ..........is why .......you both have made a fortune....

Tennis..........put the Williams family on a path of greatness...........

So........a note..........and some advice to Serena.......and Venus ........How about getting back to some .......training?

Tennis training..........working on .......your game. Playing in more tournaments to learn more about your competitions' game.

It can only help..........For when it all boils down..............in the end.......with all your "fashion statements"...........Hollywood connections..........and sexy dress lines..........

You both..........are still ........two women..........playing a rich.....white.....sport.......of spoiled elitists............You gave us a reason ..........to watch.

So.......we're begging..........get back..........in the game.


Happy Trails........Tom Glavin.......

Atlanta releases Glavine‎

Today, the Atlanta Braves released the 300 plus win left handed pitcher........a shoo-in hall-of -famer.....The cash strapped Atlanta franchise chose the economy way. Cut Glavin........before he was with the ball club 90 days........Meaning they won't have to pay him a $3 million bonus.

At 42..........Glavin.......vows to pitch again..........in the big leagues.......for somebody.

Tom..........get a grip. You're 42........you've never been a "power pitcher".....You've lived.....on "the corners" and "outsmarting" hitters.

Brand new day..........Retire..........gracefully..........





Things........I ........think I think:

My daughter got her a teaching job.......Middle school math.......May the "force" be with her..

My "great nephew" turns a year old this week-end.......

My step-daughter, Sharmain........graduates from boot camp.....in the US Army tomorrow........at a fort in South Carolina.......I'm proud of you girl!

My garden? With the help of a little watering and fertilization .....it's doing well.

Have a great ........Hump Day!

Another Serena Williams Sighting.....in Hawaii?

Ah........yes...........our girl, Serena.....

On a recent vacation in Hawaii.......

Enjoy.....Courtesy of "The Young, Black, & Fabulous":

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Random Thoughts.......From an Interesting Weekend

5 on Five went 3-2 in our Friday picks......against the spread.


The Atlanta Falcons looked like a contending football team.....But before we get excited, was it that the Detroit Lions are just terrible?


Knowshon Moreno (pictured).......is a special talent. Did you see him actually hurdle that defender form Central Michigan?


Serena Williams won the US Open........and is now ranked #1 in the world ........again.....Imagine if these ladies (the Williams sisters) ever took tennis seriously.

I think the University of Georgia now fully understands the meaning of "style" points.

Don't look now, but the Tampa Bay Rays maybe in for a monumental choke job. Their lead in the AL east is down to a game and a half over Boston.

What has happened to the Chicago Cubs? Losers of 7 out of their last 10....and limping into the post season.

Tom Brady.....lost for the season? Say it ain't so.....

The Chicago Bears sure put a hurtin' on those Peyton Manning led Colts........Go Lovie Smith!

Are you as happy as we are? The NFL is back!

Just some random thoughts.......from an interesting weekend.

A Venus & Serena Show

In the 17th meeting ......

Between the sisters, Venus and Serena Williams......the two tennis superstars put on quite a show in New York last night.

Serena Williams upends sister Venus, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (7), at US Open

In the previous 16 meetings between the two.......each had won 8........and lost 8.

This time , it was Serena who outlasted her older sister. With the parents sitting this one out.....older sister, Isha Price was there to represent the Williams family.

Normally the sisters are seeded in different brackets to potentially meet in final matches.......however , in this years US Open, the two met in the quarterfinals . Still , the match was slated for prime time........in Arthur Ashe Stadium.....in front of 20,000 fans.

Venus and Serena did not disappoint. With a dazzling display of tennis, they wowed the crowd.



And on this night.....it was Serena's turn.