Historically Speaking: 4-3-09

Even on days that I do have to use my AK, Friday's a pretty damn good day. Here's hopin' the same for y'all.

* Today in 1923, Chicago Black Sox Happy Felsch and Swede Risberg sought $400,000 in damages and nearly seven grand in back salary from the White Sox. They unsuccessfully filed suit on the grounds of conspiracy and injury to reputation following the 1919 World Series court case.

* The longest game of hockey played in North America took place today in 1933. In a playoff match between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens, Leaf Ken Doraty buried the game winner one hour, 44 minutes and 46 seconds into overtime. Three years later in March, the Canadiens would again be invovled when that record was broken, and they would again be on the losing end of another 1-0 tilt. This one came at the hands of Mud Bruneteau and the Detroit Red Wings who lit the lamp in the sixth overtime period, 176 minutes and 30 seconds after the first puck had been dropped.

* Twas 1985 when Major League Baseball's Players Association agreed to the owners' proposal to expand the League Championship Series to the best of seven games instead of the best of five.

* Pittsburgh Penguin Mario Lemieux won the NHL scoring title in 1988, marking the first time in seven years that someone not named Wayne Gretzky would recieve the award.

* We've got two NCAA men's hoops championships to remember today: UCLA knocked off Arkansas 89-78 in 1995, and Michigan State beat Florida 89-76 in 2000.

And your Sports Illustrated quote of the day came from the mouth of...



...former Texas Longhorn tailback Edwin Simmons, who had three arthroscopic knee surgeries in eight months in 1984. Following the third operation, Simmons still had problems, and had this to say about them: "There's no pain when I'm walking, but I'm not a walking back."