Historically Speaking: 3-16-09

Sometimes, when searching for the right image, you come across two between which you simply cannot choose. I'm not sure if the images are in the proper chronological order (Editor's Note: Whaddayou think this site is, perfeshunuhl?), but eff it. It's our birthday. We'll be wrong if we want to. Your lesson, just after the jump.

* For those of you who prefer the variety of baseball that the National League plays, proceed to the next bullet point. For the intelligent remainder, we should certainly celebrate this day in that 109 years ago today, American League President Bancroft "Ban" Johnson, having presided over a meeting of team owners, announced that the new American League would begin play the following month with teams in Buffalo, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis. The league would remain known as minor throught he fall of that season, but then renewed its National Agreement membership, was declared major, and added clubs in the Baltimore and Boston markets the following spring.

* We fast forward to 1969 when the Boston Bruins set an NHL record by lighting the lamp eight times in one period. Yikes. If that doesn't tilt the fulcrum of momentum, I don't know what does.

* Another big leap: It was 1996 when Mike Tyson became the WBC heavyweight champion via a third-round TKO of Frank Bruno. When I first read that, I imagined it a typo, having never before heard of this Vegas fight. Having looked it up, I'm surprised, having watched the 1989 Vegas fight in which Tyson TKO'd Bruno in five, to learn that Bruno got in the ring with Tyson again.

* Four years later, WRAL-TV offered viewers broadcast four individual digital channels, offering college hoops fans the first ever opportunity to watch any one of the games played in the NCAA tournament.

* Finally, it was seven years ago today when 13-year-old Brittanie Cecil was hit by a puck in a Nationwide Arena seat while viewing a game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Calgary Flames. The young girl died two days later as a result of complications from her head snapping back. The catastrophe became the impetus for the safety netting that each arena now suspends over the plexi-glass behind both goals.

And your Sports Illustrated quote of the day is a bit creepy and came from the mouth of...



...former Notre Dame basketball coach Dick (Digger) Phelps, who once shared with the magazine how he got the nickname: "My father is an undertaker," he said circa 1971, "and I worked for him part-time. There were advantages to the job. For instance, while I was dating my wife I sent her flowers every day."