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Rice Sets Record
On this day in 1992, Jerry Rice set a new record for receiving touchdowns in the NFL. Rice caught his 101st touchdown pass for the San Francisco 49ers to move past Steve Largent for first on the all-time list. He was far from finished. He ended his career ...
Joe Louis vs. Jersey Joe Walcott
On this day in 1947, Joe Louis defeated Jersey Joe Walcott in a 15 round match for the world heavyweight title. At the time of the fight, the 33 year old Walcott was the oldest contender to fight for the heavyweight championship. Walcott knocked down Louis ...
December 4, 1997
On this day in 1997, John Elway of the Denver Broncos surpassed 3,000 yards for the season. It was his 12th consecutive season to pass for more than 3,000 yards.
Blast Off Aborted
On this day in 1993, the NBA's Houston Rockets loset to Atlanta – their 1st loss of the season after 15 straight wins.
December 2, 1997
On this day in 1997, Latrell Sprewell's $32 million contract was terminated by the Golden State Warriors. The termination came one day after Sprewell assaulted head coach P.J. Carlesimo, choking him in the team's locker room.
Expensive Cow Juice
Short on cash, Major League Baseball star pitcher Justin Verlander traded 0.001% of his eventual $3.12 million signing bonus for a 50 cent chocolate milk while in the 10th grade at Goochland High School in Virginia.
Out of this World
Golf became the only sport to be played on the moon when, on February 6th, 1971, Alan Shepard hit a golf ball while on a moon walk.
No Ladies Allowed
When the first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece in 1896, there were 311 male - but no female - competitors.
The IOC's Lack of Class
When Michael Phelps broke Russian gymnast Larisa Latynina's nearly 50-year-old record for most Olympic medals in 2012, she asked to be allowed to present him with his record-breaking medal. The IOC, with its customary lack of grace, demurred.
Soccer-Induced Death
Scientists have found evidence that heart attacks increase significantly for people who watch penalty shoot-outs at the end of soccer matches.
Taking One for the Team
Race car driver Lee Petty once left a pit stop and did a full lap with a pit crew member still on the hood.
A Million 4-Baggers
The Houston Astro's Bob Watson hit Major League Baseball's 1,000,000th run on May 4, 1975.
First Women's Libber
Jeanne-Genevieve Garnerin was the first female parachutist, jumping from a hot air balloon in 1799.
Seeing the Curve
Henry Chadwick, the creator of the baseball box score, was the first to setup a demonstration proving that the rotation of a baseball could cause the ball to curve. Before this, some pitchers had already observed and used this to their advantage, but no one ...
Walking the Dog
Long before it became a children's toy, in the 16th century, the Yo-Yo was used by Filipinos to stun prey from trees.
A Reason for Everything
In the NHL in the 1960’s, the league decided that home teams would wear white, while visiting teams would wear their dark jerseys. The reasoning behind this was that it would be more difficult to keep white uniforms clean while on the road.
Stadiums
“Stadium” originally meant “a foot race” or “an ancient measure of length”, which was about a furlong or 1/8 of a Roman mile. The name was also affixed to any track that was one stadium in length. This eventually became any running track and, finally, today's ...
Heep of Trouble
In 1986 Danny Heep became the first player in a World Series to be a designated hitter (DH) with the initials "D.H." Heep, a utility outfielder, may remembered more for becoming Nolan Ryan's 4,000th strikeout, or mopping up games for the L.A. Dodgers in ...
The Sack
In the mid 1970s, Hacky Sack was invented by John Stalberger, a football player who used it to strengthen tendons he had torn in his knee, and Mike Marshall, who would die at 28 only a few years later.
First in a Bad Trend
In 1974, future hall-of-famer Moses Malone became the first basketball player to go directly from high school to a professional American team when he played for the ABA's Spirits of St. Louis.
Rare Air
Scientists have estimated a fly ball will travel about seven feet further for every 1,000 feet of altitude. Coors Field in Denver, Colorado is 4000 feet higher than any other park in baseball, so you do the math.
Ping Pong's Origins
Table tennis was originally played with balls made from champagne corks and paddles made from cigar-box lids. It was created in the 1880s by James Gibb, a British engineer who wanted an invigorating game he could play indoors when it was raining.
Making Book
At horse race tracks, the favorite wins about 30 (or less) percent of the time.
Early Ace
The youngest golfer recorded to have shot a hole-in-one is Coby Orr (5 years) of Littleton, CO on the 103 yd fifth at the Riverside Golf Course, San Antonio, TX in 1975.
Small Strike Zone
Eddie Gaedel was the 3'7' midget who played in only one game against the St. Louis Browns and the Detroit Tigers. In the second inning of a double-header, St. Louis manager, Zach Taylor, sent 3'7', 65-pound Eddie Gaedel up to bat. Gaedel stood in a crouch ...