February 8, 1986: Spud Webb becomes the shortest man to win the NBA Slam Dunk Competition

On February 8, 1986, one of the shortest players in the history of the NBA Spud Webb won the NBA Slam Dunk competition. Standing at just 5' 7", Webb beat his Atlanta Hawks teammate Dominique Wilkins who stood 6' 8". Webb absolutely dazzled the crowd in Dallas as he showed off his leaping ability on the way to winning the competition.

Webb, a native of Dallas Texas used basketball as an outlet from an early age. Despite his size he showed he had the skills to succeed at the sport. In high school he didn't get much playing time until his senior year, but he did learn to dunk in his junior year. His size kept him off the radar of most Division I schools, so he decided to attend Midland Junior College in his home state of Texas. That team went all the way to the Junior College Championship in 1982. Webb led the team in scoring in the Championship game and it caught the eye of an assistant coach from North Carolina State named Tom Abatemarco. After a meeting was arranged with Jim Valvano, Webb was offered a scholarship to N.C. State. In his two years at the school he averaged 10.4 points per game and 5.7 assists per game.

In 1985, Webb was drafted by the Detroit Pistons, after not making the club, he caught on with the Atlanta Hawks. He spent his first six seasons with the Hawks. In 1991 he moved onto the Sacramento Kings where he had his best years, on the stat sheet. He played with the Kings until the end of the '94-'95 season. In the '95-'96 campaign he returned to the Hawks, then finished the season with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The following season he joined the Orlando Magic, he only played 4 games with the Magic before being released in March of 1998. Webb played 814 games in his NBA career, scoring more than 8,000 points in 12 seasons.

His participation in the Slam Dunk competition surprised his teammate Dominique Wilkins who beat Michael Jordan in the contest the year before. Wilkins said he had never seen Webb dunk before and he was in for a show. Webb dazzled the crowd and his peers as he put on a show that included: the elevator two handed double pump dunk, the one handed off the backboard jam, a 360 helicopter dunk, a reverse double pump slam, a 180 degree reverse double pump slam, and last but not least a 180 degree reverse strawberry jam from a lob bounce off the floor. By hitting a perfect score in the final round of the competition, Webb took home the prize. He proved that you don't have to be a giant to do a giants job.

Watch Webb in the Slam Dunk Competition:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1pykLK_CUs

At 5'7" Webb wasn't the shortest player in the history of the game, that title is owned by Muggsy Bogues who stood 5' 3". Here is a look at some of the shortest men in the history of the NBA:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_shortest_players_in_National_Basketball_Association_history

Febuary 7, 1976: Darryl Sittler Scores 10 Points

On February 7, 1976, in an 11-4 win over the Boston Bruins at Maple Leafs Garden in Toronto, Darryl Sittler scored 10 points, it was the greatest individual performance in the history of the NHL. Sittler's 10 points broke a record that had been set in 1944 by the legendary Rocket Richard, then tied in 1954 by Bert Olmstead, both of those players recorded 8 point nights. It took 6 goals and 4 assists to reach the monumental feat, Sittler simply couldn't be stopped that night in Toronto.

In the first period the Maple Leafs jumped on top early with goals by Lanny McDonald and Ian Turnbull, both goals were assisted by Sittler. Before the period ended the Bruins cut the lead in half when Jean Ratelle scored. The second period was when the Darryl Sittler show went crazy. Less than three minutes in Sittler put his first goal on the score sheet. Then a little over thirty seconds later he recorded another assist when Borjie Salming lit the lamp. Boston fought back, Bobby Schmautz was able to get one passed the Maple Leafs goalie. The score was 4-2 Maple Leafs, Sittler quickly took the momentum right back as he scored back to back goals and put his team up 6-2, as he recorded a hat trick. Boston answered back with a goal by Johnny Bucyk only to have Toronto score two more goals, one from Norm Ferguson then another by Borjie Salming. Sittler recorded his fourth assist of the night on Salming's second goal of the game. Boston's Jean Ratelle scored late in the second, it would be all the Bruins could muster. By the end of the second period the score was 8-4 and it would be all Sittler from there on out.  During the second intermission Sittler was told he only needed one point to tie the record for points in a game, so he simply came out and scored three goals. Why tie a record when you can just break it, right?

It was an astounding night for Sittler that will never be forgotten. The one person who probably wishes he could forget it was the netminder for the Bruins, Dave Reece. The rookie goaltender only played in thirteen games before that night, his fourteenth game would prove to be his last game in the NHL. Reece played the entire game with Sittler assaulting the net he was trying to protect. Sittler's career was much more than this one night as it ended with him being enshrined into the Hockey Hall of Fame. With that said, the 10 point performance was the highlight of his great career and it's hard to say that anyone will come close to matching the performance, much less surpassing it. There are 13 men including Sittler in the 8 point night or more club, Sittler is the only one in the "or more" category. Mario Lemieux scored 8 points in a game three times and "The Great One" Wayne Gretzky did it twice, the most recent person to accomplish the feat was Sam Gagner from the Edmonton Oilers, who reached the plateau in February of 2012. When you think of all the great players in the history of the game, then you realize only 13 men are in that club, it makes it a pretty exclusive club, Sittler is the king of the club. There are records in all sports that are likely to never be broken, Darryl Sittler owns one of them.

Footage from the 10 point night:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GqeFP7ubPs

8 point club:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_players_with_eight_or_more_points_in_an_NHL_game

The artwork is from https://www.heritagehockey.com/index.php/

February 6, 1968: Former President Dwight D. Eisenhower hits a hole in one

On February 6, 1968, on the thirteenth hole at Seven Lakes Country Club in Palm Springs, California former President Dwight D. Eisenhower dropped a hole in one. He hit the holy grail of golf on a par 3, 104 yard shot. An avid golfer, Eisenhower help popularize the sport. The great Arnold Palmer once said "One would be hard pressed to find any single person who did more to popularize the game of golf, not only in the united States but throughout the world, than President Eisenhower. His visibility, coupled with his passion for the game, were inspiration for literally millions of people picking up the game for the first time." Palmer went onto say "Those involved in golf today owe him great gratitude." What Palmer said was very true. When Eisenhower took office in 1953 it was estimated that 3.2 million people played the game of golf, by the time he left office in 1961 the number had nearly doubled.

Eisenhower was said to have played more than 800 games of golf in the 8 years he was the Commander in Chief. He spent so much time at Augusta National that some called it the second White House. There are several fixtures at Augusta that will always remind people of the former President, after his election in 1952 a special cabin was built for him that even featured an area for the Secret Service. Eisenhower hit a pine tree off the 17th hole so much that he proposed that it be cut down, not wanting to offend the President the head of Augusta, Clifford Roberts quickly adjourned the meeting. The tree would become known as the "Eisenhower Tree" and it still stands today. There is also a pond that President Eisenhower stumbled upon and suggested that a damn be built so it could be a good place for fishing, it would become known as "Ike's Pond." The impact the President had on golf led him to be enshrined into the Golf Hall of Fame in 2009. His handicap ranged between 14 and 18 and he only shot under 80 a few times but what he did for the sport is undeniable which led to that great honor. Eisenhower wasn't the only President to score a hole in one in his lifetime, Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford also achieved the feat. Nixon once called it the thrill of his lifetime. I'm sure Eisenhower felt the same way the day he dropped it in from 104 yards out.

February 5, 1972: Bob Douglas becomes the first African American elected into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame

On February 5, 1972, Bob Douglas became the first African American elected into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Known as "The Father of Black Professional Basketball", Douglas organized two amateur teams in Harlem called the Spartan Braves and the Spartan Hornets. The Braves and Hornets played other teams in the New York City area form 1919 to 1923. After losing players to professional leagues Douglas decided to start a team of his own, by doing so Douglas became the first African American to own a Professional Basketball team. With Douglas looking for a place for his new team to play he made a deal with the owner of the Renaissance Casino in Harlem. Set to play at their ballroom that had opened just one year earlier, in turn Douglas would call his team the New York Renaissance. Nicknamed "The Rens" they were not only the first African American owned team, they were the first all-black professional team. Douglas was more than an just the owner, as he was also the head coach.

The team played in a time that they were not accepted socially or professionally, it wouldn't keep them from becoming one of the great stories in the history of basketball. They played hectic schedules often playing more than 120 games a season,  former player Jim Usry said they played every day and twice on Sunday. The Rens would play any team that would play them, including the Original Celtics, an all white team from New York they were one of the premier teams of the era. The games between the Celtics and the Rens drew great crowds with more than 15,000 people showing up to watch them play. The games between the two teams were well played on the court but caused race riots off the court. The players knew that it caused issues within the community but both sides also knew that what they were doing was something very important in helping advance their sport. The Celtics showed that they truly supported the Rens in 1925 when they refused to join the ABL, after the Rens were not invited to the league. With the ABL having to suspend operations in 1931 due to the Great Depression, the Rens had their greatest success. In the 1932-'33 season they put together 88 consecutive wins on the way to a 112-8 record. They won many Championship titles through the years which included some great showdowns with the Celtics for the title.

The facts aren't real easy come by when it comes to the Rens, which makes it a little difficult to give you the years that they won their Championships. The only Championship Douglas is credited with came in 1939, the Rens beat the Oshkosh All Stars taking home the title. The Oshkosh All Stars were the champs from the National Basketball League an all-white league, so the Rens beating them was a monumental occasion. They were a dominant bunch from the day they were formed until they day the team came to an end. In 1946, Joe Lapnick a former player for the Celtics and the current coach of the New York Knicks tried to persuade the Basketball Association of America to allow the Rens to join their league only to be denied. Lapchick looked well beyond the color of a mans skin as he is credited with signing the first African American player in the history of the New York Knicks. By 1949, the BAA merged with the NBL and became the NBA, it led to the end of the New York Renaissance. The team had dominated the sport of basketball for more than 25 years posting an unbelievable record of 2,588-539 record.

Some of the greatest men from the history of sports were the men who dealt with racial inequality and had great success. What they faced is unimaginable today, like not being allowed to stay at hotels or eat at a restaurant simply because of skin color. By remembering men like Bob Douglas it does make it so, what they lived through meant something and it will not be forgotten. His team the New York Renaissance is recognized collectively in the Naismith Hall of Fame as well as two of the players from the team, Charles "Tarzan" Cooper and William "Pop" Gates were both enshrined. Before today I didn't know much about the man nicknamed "The Father of Black Professional  Basketball" after running across the fact I am glad to have learned about his life, he really was a pioneer that should be celebrated more.

February 4, 1993: The Boston Celtics retire Larry Bird's #33

On February 4,1993, the Boston Celtics retired Larry Bird's number 33 before a sold out crowd at the Boston Garden. It was a well deserved honor, Bird spent his entire 13 year career in Boston and was one of the best forwards in the game.

After the Celtics selected him with the sixth overall pick in the 1978 draft, Bird decided to play his senior year at Indiana State. The Celtics retained the rights to him and after his senior year they were able to ink him to a 5 year deal worth $3.25 million. It was the most money a rookie had ever seen. He would prove that he was worth every penny. Before he arrived the Celtics had suffered through a 28-54 regular season, in his first season with the team they posted a 61-21 record, which led the entire NBA. Bird took home rookie of the year honors following that first season as he averaged 21.3 points per game. Despite being knocked out in the Eastern Conference Finals that season, what he did in his rookie year was a sign of things to come. In his second year in the league the Celtics traded for Robert Parrish and drafted Kevin McHale, together they forged one of the best trios in NBA history. With the trio formed they would put together a season that would be capped off with an NBA Title, the first of three in Bird's career.

The same year Bird was drafted so was his college rival Magic Johnson. Johnson was drafted by the Lakers and their two teams absolutely dominated the eighties, with one team or the other appearing in every NBA championships in the decade. The rivalry between the two players grew and they met each other in the 1984 NBA Finals with Bird and the Celtics winning the title in 7 games. Bird would win one more ring in 1986 as the Celtics toppled the Houston Rockets in The Finals.

The last few seasons of his career he posted solid numbers but was hampered by a chronic back injury. He joined the USA Olympic Basketball "Dream Team" in 1992 and helped bring home a gold medal for the United States. Following his Olympic appearance Bird announced that he would be retiring from the NBA, his playing days were over but his legacy would be forever ingrained into the history of Boston sports. In his 13 seasons as a member of the Celtics the team only missed the playoffs one time. He scored 21,791 points, was selected to 12 All Star Games and boasted the three NBA titles, as well as the gold medal before he retired. He was one of the most dominant men of his time and 20 years ago today his number was raised to the rafters.

February 3, 1977: Bernie Federko Scores His First NHL Goal

On February 3, 1977, a 19 year old Bernie Ferderko of the St. Louis Blues scored the first goal of his NHL career in a 5-4 loss to the Bruins in Boston. Ferderko had recorded an assist earlier in the contest giving him two points in the game. It was the beginning of a career that would lead to a Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

A native of Foam Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada he had great success in his youth, winning scoring titles in the lower leagues before moving onto the WHL, where he played for the Saskatoon Blades. While a member of the Blades he set an assist record that still stands today. In the '75-'76 season Federko broke the WHL record for points with 187 on the season which brought the young player plenty of attention from NHL scouts. The Blues took Federko with the 7th overall pick of the 1976 amateur draft and he proved that they made a great selection as he thrived with their minor league affiliate out of Kansas City. After scoring 42 points in 69 games with the Baby Blues he was called up to the NHL club along with teammate Bruce Sutter. After scoring in his first game as a member of the Blues he would continually impress the coaches and fans alike. In 31 games with the club, he lit the lamp 23 times, recording 3 hat tricks as he helped the Blues win the top spot in the Smythe Division. In his first full season in the NHL Federko became a star recording 85 points in the '78-'79 campaign. He would have continued success in his 13 seasons with the Blues. The first player to record 50+ assists in ten consecutive seasons, led the team in scoring nine times, scored 20 goals or more in 11 seasons and had four seasons where he surpassed a 100 points. He was a very unselfish player who would set up a play, just as quick as he would finish one. In the summer of 1989 the Blues traded Federko to the Detroit Red Wings, he played one last season there recording 57 points before hanging up the skates.

Federko was one of the most underrated players of his time, despite his accomplishments he would only be selected to the All Star Game twice. Despite that fact his career would not be forgotten especially in St. Louis. In March of 1991 Federko's #24 was retired by the Blues and a statue of him stands outside of the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. In 2002 he received well deserved recognition as he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He played in exactly 1,000 games in the NHL, in those games he scored a grand total of 369 goals along with 761 assists bringing his point total to 1,130. Federko is still a part of St. Louis today, he does color commentating for the team and is a big part of the community, involving himself in local charities, always willing to lend himself to anything that he can help with. There are great athletes and great people Bernie Federko is both of those. As a St. Louisan I am proud to say that he not only played in this city, he become part of this city.

February 2, 1976: Cal Hubbard elected into Cooperstown

On February 2, 1976, former American League umpire Cal Hubbard was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame, making him only the fifth umpire to receive such an honor. What makes Hubbard's story remarkable is he was also elected to both College Football Hall of Fame and the Professional Football Hall of Fame as a player.

Born in the small town of  Keyetsville, Missouri, Hubbard went to a school that only had 30 students. He would attend high school in a neighboring town because Keyetsville didn't have a football team. After graduating high school he attended Chillicothe Business College. In 1922 he met Bo McMillan who was an All American quarterback and the coach of Centenary College in Shreveport, Louisiana. McMillan convinced the 6' 4 " tower of a man to join his team and he was a star tackle there from 1922 to 1924. When McMillan took a job with Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania Hubbard followed the coach. Due to eligibility rules Hubbard was forced to sit out a year but returned in 1926 and helped Geneva win a historic game against Harvard that year. Hubbard came from the era that players would play both sides of the ball on the offensive line he was one of the most dominant men to play the game and on defense he helped revolutionize the sport as he played the defensive tackle position more like the modern day linebacker, so in a lot of ways Hubbard had a hand in inventing the linebacker position.

He started his professional football career in 1927 as a member of the New York Giants and in his rookie year he helped them win a Championship. After the Giants played the Packers in Green Bay in 1928 Hubbard asked to be traded to the Packers citing that he didn't care for big cities and he thought he was much better suited to play in a smaller city like Green Bay. The Giants granted him his wish and traded him to the Packers. He thrived as a member of the Packers, as the team won three Championships in his first three years with the team.  Hubbard played from 1929 to 1935 in Green Bay then retired temporarily only to be convinced to come back to play for the Giants in 1936. Hubbard thought he was just going to fill in a little in one game but ended up playing six before he hung up his cleats for good. When it was all said and done for the football career he had nine years under his belt and many thought he was one of the bet of his time, in fact the legendary George Halas the head coach of his longtime rival Chicago Bears called him "the best lineman" in the game.

In his early years in the NFL, Hubbard started umpiring minor league ballgames during the offseason to make a little extra money while he waited for the football season to return. Following his retirement from the NFL in 1936 he was called up to umpire games in the American League. Hubbard spent 16 years and was considered to be one of the best umpires in the game who was well respected by players. Hubbard umpired 4 World Series  and 3 All Star games in those 16 years. In 1951, Hubbard was on a hunting trip when a he caught some shrapnel in his eye from one of his fellow hunters guns, the injury caused permanent eye damage  and forced him to relinquish his duties as an American League umpire. It was said that the injury devastated Hubbard but his time in Major League Baseball was far from over.After a short stint as the Assistant Supervisor of League Umpires he took on the the Head Supervisor role and held that position from 1953 to 1969.  Looking back on his career Hubbard once said "I'm just a big ole country boy who hated to sit on the sidelines. I wanted to be in the middle of the action." What Hubbard was is a big ole country boy that led a pretty remarkable life. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1962 then  the Professional Football hall of Fame in 1963 before receiving his final Hall of Fame honors from baseball in 1976. Hubbard would pass away late in 1977 but will truly live forever as the only person to have his name enshrined into three different major sports halls of fame.