The news has sort of slowed down here at Inhistoric. Yeah the Saints and Colts could go 16-0; yeah Mark Ingram is the 75th guy to win the Heisman award. But there’s nothing I can elaborate on those stories that you can’t find elsewhere. Starting on December 31st though, I’ll be supplying you with a very thorough this-day-in-history section that should keep you entertained for a long, long time. Until then, here’s some tidbits going on in the world of sports:
History tidbits
- NFL on Christmas? Woo-hoo! On December 25th, you will be treated to a pair of NFL games between three old AFL franchises -- the Chargers, Oilers and Bills. This is historic not only because it’s honoring the 50th anniversary of the AFL, it’s historic because Christmas is on a Friday. Very, very rarely do we see NFL games on Fridays; usually it’s because Christmas or Christmas Eve falls on that day. Only twice in the past dozen years has there been a Friday NFL game, and the last occasion came in 2005, when the Dolphins and Chiefs were forced to reschedule due to Hurricane Wilma.
- Where do we draw the line with throwbacks? A few days ago, the Toronto Raptors put on the uniforms of the Toronto Huskies in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Huskies, of course, played in the very first NBA game (a two-point loss to the Knicks) and disbanded after the 1947 season. While it’s kind of cool seeing one of the two earliest uniforms in NBA history, it does beg the question: how far back should teams go with these throwbacks? After all, most uniforms from the 40’s and 50’s and 60’s were downright awful. Is it really worth seeing a team play in the most basic of duds just for the sake of commemoration?
- Barry Bonds doesn’t read the newspaper much, does he? I was surprised to watch SportsCenter a few days ago and see Jeff Boris, Bonds’ agent, declare that the 45 year-old Bonds would never play in the big leagues again. It just goes to show that different athletes think different ways. Allen Iverson assessed that no one would pick him up and promptly retired, only to promptly un-retire a few weeks later. Barry Bonds has gone two years in the unemployment line, was literally kicked out of San Francisco after reaching 756, and is one of the most unpopular athletes imaginable. And yet he still clings to the hope that he’ll play again. Someone should really inform the guy that it’s not going to happen.
Remember when Bay Area teams used to be good? What happens when the GM of a team happens to also be the team’s owner? In the case of the Oakland Raiders, it’s a recipe for disaster. Oakland was such a powerhouse for so long in the NFL that it’s hard to believe how far they’ve fallen. Unless they can win three of their final five games, the Raiders will post their seventh consecutive season of at least 11 losses, extending what’s already an NFL record.
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