Historically Speaking: Free Beer Tomorrow

If I were the spokesperson for Tuesday, this would be my client's slogan: "Tuesday. It ain't Monday." Read stuff, post-jump.

* Heavyweight champion Jack Johnson and contender Tony Ross climbed into a Pittsburgh ring today in 1909 to go at it in a title bout. After six rounds, the fight was declared a no decision. The Washington Post, however, gave Johnson the victory in its next morning's edition.

* In National Football League history, the Portsmouth Spartans became the Detroit Lions today in 1934 and the city of Atlanta was granted a franchise on June 30, 1965.

* Major League Baseball umpire Vic Delmore made a mistake today in 1959 that ultimately cost him his job: During a game in Chicago, hurler Bob Anderson chucks a ball-four pitch to hitter Stan Musial; the throw gets away from catcher Sammy Taylor. Delmore erroneously hands Taylor a second ball, and Taylor heaves it into centerfield in an attempt to catch Musial stealing second after the walk. Third baseman Al Dark, however, had chased down the original wild pitch and relayed it to shortstop Ernie Banks who tagged out Musial. The circus resulted in a 10-minute chat; the crew agreed that Musial was out. Oops.

* It was today in 1970 that Brazil defeated Italy 4-1 in the World Cup in Mexico City.

* Results from 1982 fan balloting in New Jersey determined that the new National Hockey League franchise would be called the Devils, which beat out the Americans, Blades, and Meadowlanders.

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



...Carolina Panther tight end Kris Mangum. In 2006, having learned that Head Coach John Fox had announced that Mangum would be the team's third quarterback, he said, "I think it gives everybody extra incentive to block good."