December 1, 1997: The Latrell Chokewell Incident

On December 1, 1997, Golden State Warriors All Star guard Latrell Sprewell choked his head coach P.J. Carlesimo after a heated exchange during practice. The incident began with Sprewell making a few lazy passes as the team prepared for the next opponent. His coach told him to sharpen things up, in turn Sprewell told him he wasn't in the mood for it and threatened to kill him. When the coach shot back with "I'm right here" Sprewell grabbed him by his throat and for a brief moment the threat looked like he might just go through with it as both coach and player went to the ground with the hands of Sprewell around Caliesimo's neck. The melee was broken up quickly then Sprewell was removed from  the practice only to return 15 to 20 minutes later to confront the coach again before throwing a punch at him. After the second incident Sprewell stormed into the General Manager's office and expressed his desire to get out of Oakland. Not only would he be suspended for 10 games, he got his wish the Warriors released him which voided more than $27 million that he had left on his deal. The lockout that shortened the next season would keep him off the NBA radar until he was signed by the Knicks in 1999. He spent the next 5 seasons in New York and made his fourth and final All Star appearance of his career with a Knicks uniform in in 2001. After the 2003 season he was a part of a four team deal that landed him in Minnesota where he spent the last two seasons of his career. With Sam Cassell and Kevin Garnett on his sides they became one of the best scoring trios in the league as they made a trip to the Western Conference Finals where they lost to the Laker. Disagreements in what he should be paid ended the career of Sprewell. He was insulted by a 3 year $21 million offer that would lead to an early end of his career at the age of 34. The story of Latrell Sprewell is an interesting one. He was obviously a very talented player that had a solid career in the NBA. Unfortunately for him he will be remembered for one bad moment, but the way I see it is that was of his own doing. Gotta think before you act. When it comes to the early retirement, I guess he had plenty of money and a championship didn't mean that much to him. Sprewell received offers from several legitimate contenders and turned them down simply because he felt he was worth more than those offers. I try hard not to criticize athletes for the choices they make because I do believe it is their own life and they can live it how they choose. With that said, I also have a great appreciation for athletes that will go to the ends of the earth simply to win a championship. When it comes to Sprewell if he is happy with the choice he made, I guess that is all that matters. I know capping off a career with a title would have been a much better ending to a story about some guy who lost his shit and choked his coach.

November 30, 1996: Michael Jordan Reaches The 25,000 Point Plateau

On November 30, 1996, in a 97-88 win over the Spurs in San Antonio, Chicago Bull legend Michael Jordan became the tenth player in the history NBA to score 25,000 points in his career. The milestone for Jordan came on the last shot of the game and capped off a 35 point performance. He came into the game a man on a mission as he sat just 35 points away from the mark. He came out the gate a man on a mission, knocking down 15 points in the first quarter alone. By halftime he sat at 22, then he was held scoreless in the third quarter. Things started to drop for him in the fourth and with a 3 pointer with just 3 minutes and 10 seconds left in regulation he found himself two points away from joining the elite list. After missing four shots his teammates kept putting the ball in his hands and he finally dropped the milestone basket through the hoop. It took Jordan 782 games to reach the milestone, only Wilt Chamberlain accomplished the feat in less games. He reached the mark in his 691st game. Jordan finished his career with 32,292 points. His legendary career included 14 All Star appearances, 5 MVP awards, as well as 6 NBA Championship titles. The list of accomplishments by Jordan is too long to list which is one reason why he will always be considered one of the greatest to ever pick up a basketball.

The artwork was done for Nike by HelloVon studios out of London. Check out their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/HelloVon/289118247784376

November 29, 1992: Jets Lineman Dennis Byrd Paralyzed

On November 29, 1992, New York Jets defensive end Dennis Byrd was paralyzed after colliding with his teammate Scott Mesereau as they pursued Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Dave Krieg. The play was just another play in a football game, the Jets came with a rush, and Krieg stepped up to avoid it. It was during the third quarter when it all happened, as Krieg stepped up the two players collided violently with Byrd's helmet going squarely into the chest Mesereau resulting in a break in the vertebrae of  the 26 year old. After an exhausting physical therapy Byrd was able to learn to walk again. However, his life would be changed forever. He was in his fourth year in the NFL and was showing that he deserved to be there. The same day he was injured he had recorded the 28th sack of his career, he had 110 tackles under his belt as well and at the age of 26 you would think the best was yet to come. In one moment everything changed. That moment might have ended a promising young career, but it did not end Byrd's impact on people or the game. Less than a year later he would serve as an honorary captain and he walked to the middle of the field for the coin toss. He simply became an inspiration for those that suffer debilitating injuries and for that matter for anyone that realizes you just can't give up when life deals you a bad hand. Following the injury Byrd's #90 was unofficially retired, the Jets organization chose to make it official in 2012 and no man will ever wear that number again as a member of the New York Jets. Before a playoff game in 2011 Byrd sent the head coach of the team Rex Ryan the jersey that had been cut off if his body that fateful day, the coach was so inspired by the gesture that he he asked him to speak to the team before they played the Patriots. They would win that game by the score of 28-21 and punch a ticket to the AFC Championship game. I remember watching this game quite well. In all of my years watching sports I can't remember a game that was as devastating as this one. I was just a 15 year old Chiefs fan when it happened. I do believe that no matter who you have rooting interest in that nobody in their right mind wants to see a player seriously injured. After all sports are all about greatness and accomplishment. Unfortunately, injuries are a part of all sports as well. In the end, the story of Dennis Byrd is truly a story of inspiration. He did not let bad fortune defeat him.

You can watch the play here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEmK7eMRcAM

November 28, 1981: Bear Bryant Wins #315

On November 28, 1981, legendary coach Bear Bryant became the all time winningest coach in NCAA history when he led his Alabama Crimson Tide to a thrilling 28-17 victory over their inter-state rival Auburn in the Iron Bowl. It was the 315th win of Bryant's career which surpassed Alonzo Stagg's record. Stagg amassed his wins over 57 seasons at Springfield Mass, Chicago, and Pacific. The 68 year old Bryant needed 38 years to win 315 games. He made stops at Maryland, Kentucky, and Texas A&M before becoming the head coach of the Crimson Tide in 1958. His stamp on the team was noticed immediately, before he arrived the team won a total of four games in three years and he would give them instant credibility by guiding them to a 5-4-1 record. In his second season he led the Tide to a bowl game and by 1961 he led them to a National Title. It was the first of six National Titles for Bryant at Alabama as he established a coaching career that would also include 13 SEC Championships. The game against Auburn in 1981 will be one the fans of the Tide will always remember. With the coach on the verge of owning one of the most prestigious records in college sports the matchup couldn't had been any better with the arch rival on the agenda. Pat Dye had served as an assistant coach on Bryant's staff from 1965 to 1973 and was in his first year as head coach of the Auburn Tigers. While his team was unranked they would give the #4 Alabama team a fight that to the end. Throughout the game the Tigers proved that being a 13 point underdog was the farthest thing from their mind, they had beaten Alabama in every aspect of the game besides the scoreboard before they finally took a 17-14 lead with 12:58 left in the fourth. The 78,170 fans that packed Legion Field in Birmingham were about to witness a comeback for the ages as well as a historic milestone in the career of Bear Bryant.  With sophomore quarterback Walter Lewis under center, the Alabama offense went to work on a methodical march up the field. Then with a first down at the Auburn 38, Lewis found Jesse Bendross open near the endzone and fired the ball into his waiting arms where he took it in for the score. As Peter Kim split the uprights the Tide had a 21-17 lead and Bryant was mere minutes away from adding an impressive win to his resume. The pumped up crowd chanting "D-E-F-E-N-S-E!!!" "D-E-F-E-N-S-E!!!" would get exactly that out of Alabama as they regained possession at the Auburn 49. Sophomore running back Linnie Patrick pulled a rabbit out of his hat on the first play of the drive as he ran over and around the Auburn defense on a 33 yard dash, two plays later Patrick capped off the drive with a 14 yard run to put Alabama up 28-17. The win came on the last day of the regular season and moved Alabama to 9-1-1 who was in line for a matchup against Texas in the Cotton Bowl. Bryant coached for one more season in 1982 and moved his all time record to 323-85-17, with 232 of those wins coming at Alabama. His record has since been surpassed and today he sits at number 5 for most coaching wins in the college ranks. In my opinion not one of those names that sit ahead of him on that list are as legendary as the one, the only, Bear Bryant.

I said this in a comment on yesterday's post and I'll say it again today; One of the things I am very thankful for is the fact that each and everyone of you follow and support this page. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you and your families.

November 27, 1980: Bears and Lions Play to A Thrilling Finish in a Turkey Day Classic

On November 27, 1980, the Chicago Bears won a Thanksgiving thriller in Detroit as they tied the ballgame
as time expired in regulation, then on the first play of the overtime return specialist Dave Williams took the opening kickoff 95 yards and scored the game winning touchdown in the 23-17 Bears victory. The Chicago quarterback Vince Evans was instrumental in the victory as well. He led the Bears back from a 14 point deficit in the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter was less than three minutes old when Evans capped off a nine play 86 yard drive with a 20 yard pass touchdown pass to Bob Fisher that put the Bears within 7 of evening things up. The tying drive of the ballgame began with the Bears on their own 6 and 3:37 left in regulation. Evans marched them all the way down to the Lions 4 using up most of the clock on the way. With just enough time to run one more play, he dropped back, couldn't find a receiver, then darted up the middle  and scored the tying touchdown as the zeros ran across the clock.  The overtime period lasted exactly 21 seconds, after the Bears won the toss Williams was off to the races on the return and victory was theirs. After the game Bears head coach, Neill Armstrong said "I've been in football a long time, but I just don't ever remember a game like this. A touchdown scored with no time left, we win the toss and run the kickoff back for a touchdown" as he sat there stunned by his own good fortune. He joked that the only coaching he did that day was tell them to go out and win the toss before the overtime began. When Williams was interviewed he said "After I caught the ball, I was just trying to get us the best field position possible. I felt I had a chance to go all the way after I cut left and could see the goal line."  He found his running lane and ran all the way to victory, capping off what was a great Thanksgiving for the fans in the Windy City.

Watch Williams take it to the house: http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-thanksgiving/09000d5d8242a3a9/Thanksgiving-Memories-The-walk-off-return

November 26, 1989: Flipper Anderson Stuns New Orleans

On November 26, 1989, in a stunning  20-17 win over the Saints in New Orleans, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Willie "Flipper" Anderson caught 15 passes for 336 yards which established a record for most receiving yards in one game. Flipper, a second year player out of UCLA literally took matters into his own hands. He was catching everything that Jim Everett threw at him and when they found themselves down 17-3 with time winding down in the fourth quarter the tide began to turn. Anderson hauled in a 46 yard pass that set up a 5 yard touchdown run by Buford McGee that closed the gap to 17-10 with just 2:46 left on the clock. The Saints offense stalled before it started and with 2:04 left in regulation they had to punt the ball right back to the Rams who took over on the Saints 40.  Once again Flipper was the man who got the job done as they drove down the field for the tie. He caught a 14 yard pass that put the Rams at the Saints 15, then eight seconds later he caught a perfectly lofted ball in the right corner of the endzone to tie the ballgame. Flipper wasn't done just yet, in the overtime he caught a 14 and a 26 yard pass to set up the game winning field goal by Mike Lansford who split the uprights from 31 yards out. After the game Everett said "I hope our fans stick in there. We're going to send too many people to the hospital with heart attacks." Anderson rather stunned by his stunning performance said "It just happened. It just hasn't sunk in yet." The previous record  of 309 receiving yards had been set by Kansas City's Stephone Paige in 1985 in a game against the San Diego Chargers. The comeback win was a huge one for the Rams, it moved them to 8-4 and kept them within arms reach of the division leading 49ers who sat at 9-2. The Rams would end up with an 11-5 record and would meet the 14-2 Niners in the NFC Championship game. They were no match for Joe Montana's San Francisco team  that would end up winning the Super Bowl. However, that late November day by Anderson will never be forgotten. Calvin Johnson nearly surpassed it with a 329 yard performance just last month, but no man has been able to get passed that guy they called Flipper.

Only 5 men have achieved more than 300 reception yards in a game. You can check the list out here: http://www.pro-football-reference.com/leaders/rec_yds_single_game.htm

Here's the box score from Flipper's historic day: http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198911260nor.htm

November 25, 1980: Duran vs. Leonard II "No Mas" "No Mas"

On November 25, 1980, at the Superdome in New Orleans, Sugar Ray Leonard won the WBC welterweight title when his opponent Roberto Duran surprised the world by throwing in the towel in the eighth round. Duran had taken the title from Leonard six months earlier in a brawl in Montreal that would take 15 rounds for him to win by unanimous decision. That wasn't the case in New Orleans. Leonard controlled the fight from beginning to end. Duran claimed that he started experiencing stomach cramps in the fifth which led him to telling the referee "no mas, no mas" in the eighth round. Leonard looked slightly stunned by his decision to call it quits as he lifted his arms in the air before jumping up on the ropes in celebration.Many thought that 29 year old Duran was simply getting beat so handedly that he just gave up to the 24 year old Leonard. Some said that Duran lost heart, his own trainer said he quit because he was embarrassed. It was a crushing blow for Duran who contemplated retirement after the fight. Although, his career would continue after a two year hiatus from the sport and would even fight Leonard 10 years later. Once again Leonard would get the best of him and win by unanimous decision.

You can watch the fight here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7aChC6U3Ks