American League is founded

On January 28, 1901, professional baseball’s American League is founded in Chicago. The league plans for a 140-game schedule, 14-man rosters and a players’ union. Franchises are in Baltimore (Orioles), Boston (Americans), Chicago (White Stockings), Cleveland (Blues), Detroit (Tigers), Milwaukee (Brewers), Philadelphia (Athletics) and Washington (Senators).

The American League’s formation came shortly after professional baseball’s other major league, the National League, contracted from 12 to eight teams. Formed in 1876, the NL had been professional baseball’s most stable league for decades. 

Other leagues, such as the American Association (established in 1881), the Union Association (1884) and the Players League (1890), struggled to complete with the NL.

The American League’s attempt to disrupt the National League’s monopoly on baseball was led by its commissioner, Bancroft Johnson. He had renamed the Western League, a minor league, the American League in 1899. Johnson also withdrew from the National Agreement—a pact governing relations between the baseball leagues at the time—and, in 1901, declared the American League to be a major league. 

The move was resisted by the National League, which wanted to maintain its monopoly on Major League Baseball.

“The National League is forcing this war on us,” Johnson told the Chicago Tribune. “All we ask is a chance for good, healthy rivalry and competition, but if the National League insists on fighting we shall be able to take care of ourselves.”

Eventually, the National League realized it needed to co-exist with the American League. In 1903, the leagues agreed each was a major league and that their champion would meet annually in the World Series.

READ MORE:  7 of the Most Memorable World Series in Baseball History

Source

American becomes first non-Japanese to achieve highest rank in sumo wrestling

On January 25, 1993, American Chad Rowan becomes the first non-Japanese sumo wrestler to become a “yokozuna,” the sport’s highest rank. Rowan, a 23-year-old Hawaii native who stands 6-foot-8 and weighs 455 pounds, is the 64th person to hold the top rank in sumo, Japan’s national sport. 

Rowan, who went by his sumo name, Akebono, which means “Sunrise” or “Dawn,” was unnaturally tall for a sumo wrestler but extremely long and athletic. Despite only playing high school basketball his senior year, he earned a basketball scholarship to Hawaii Pacific University. However, he quit basketball and dropped out of college to pursue a career in sumo wrestling.

Using his long reach, Rowan perfected a thrusting style, generating enormous force— enough to send opponents flying out of the ring. After breezing through the lower divisions and setting records along the way, he joined the senior division in 1990.

In 1992, Rowan won two tournament championships. After winning a second consecutive championship in early 1993, he was promoted to yokozuna. He went on to win four of the next eight championships before injuries slowed him. 

Rowan initially faced skepticism upon his promotion. “I don’t have any complaints about [his] ability,” former grand champion selection committee chairman Yoshitaka Takahashi told the Associated Press. “But I don’t feel good about this.” 

Added Shinichi Suzuki, the governor of Tokyo: “Akebono is still young and there should be no hurry for promotion. He should have more chances to study sumo and build up dignity.”

In response to the criticism, Rowan simply said, “I’ll do my best to train well and fulfill everyone’s expectations.”

When Rowan retired in 2001, he was sixth on the all-time list with 11 championships.

Source

Colts win NFL title in ‘Greatest Game Ever Played’

On December 28, 1958, the Baltimore Colts defeat the New York Giants, 23-17, in overtime in the NFL Championship Game—a back-and-forth thriller that later is billed as “The Greatest Game Ever Played.” The nationally televised championship—the league’s first overtime contest—is watched by 45 million viewers and fuels the NFL’s meteroric rise in popularity.

“Never has there been a game like this one,” Tex Maule of Sports Illustrated wrote. “When there are so many high points, it is not easy to pick the highest.”

According to the New York Daily News, gross receipts for the sellout at Yankee Stadium in New York, including television and radio, were $698,646. That resulted in a a $4,718.77 bonus for each Colts player, $3,111.33 for each Giant.

READ MORE: The greatest games in sports history

The star of the game was Colts quarterback and future Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas, who completed 26 of 40 passes for 349 yards and a touchdown—impressive statistics in the pre-Super Bowl era. 

Near the end of regulation, Unitas led the Colts on a drive from their 14-yard line to tie the score. In overtime, he led a 13-play, 80-yard drive that culminated with a one-yard touchdown run by Alan “The Horse” Ameche.

When asked about the winning drive, in which he completed four of his five passing attempts, Unitas responded with his trademark confidence, “Why shouldn’t I have passed then? After all, you don’t have to risk anything when you know where you’re passing.” 

“The Greatest Game Ever Played” was sloppy, with the teams combining for eight fumbles (six lost). But the championship featured 16 future Hall of Famers besides Unitas. Among them were Giants running back (and future TV star) Frank Gifford andassistant coach Vince Lombardi, who went on to lead the Green Bay Packers to five NFL titles.

Source

MLB owners approve interleague play

On January 18, 1996, Major League Baseball owners unanimously approve interleague play for the 1997 season. The owners’ vote, which called for each team to play 15 or 16 interleague games, breaks a 126-year tradition of teams only playing games within their league during the regular season.

In defending the move, acting MLB commissioner Bud Selig told reporters: We have the greatest tradition in the world, but tradition shouldn’t be an albatross. This will be a tremendous success.” He added he wasn’t concerned if the World Series featured teams that had played each other during the regular season. 

READ MORE: Who Invented Baseball?

“There’s nothing in the Constitution that forbids that,” he said. “I remember sitting at the Super Bowl last year and watching San Francisco play San Diego, and somebody said they played last November. There was no less interest.”

Some owners were initially skeptical of breaking tradition, but they all were swayed to make the big step. The MLB Players Association subsequently gave its approval. “[I]nterleague games deserve a hard look,” MLB Players Association leader Don Fehr said.

Interleague play was proposed as early as 1933, by Chicago Cubs owner Bill Veeck. It was proposed again in 1973, when the American League adopted the designated hitter, but the plan was rejected by the National League.

On June 12, 1997, the San Francisco Giants beat the Texas Rangers, 4-3, in the first interleague game.

Source

NFL’s Rams announce move to St. Louis

On January 17, 1995, the Los Angeles Rams announce they are leaving Southern California after 49 years and moving to St. Louis. The team, which reportedly lost $6 million in 1994, is lured to Missouri with a package that includes a new $260 million stadium and a $15 million practice facility.

The Rams’ move, which came seven years after the NFL’s Cardinals (1962-87) left St. Louis for Phoenix, was led by then-majority owner Georgia Frontiere and minority owner Stan Kroenke. St. Louis’ competitors for the franchise were Baltimore and Anaheim, California.

After the decision, Frontiere—who was born in St. Louis—told reporters: “I’m overwhelmed. I don’t think I’ve been this happy since the last game we won.”

The Rams were competitive throughout the 1970s and 1980s, but the team declined in the 1990s. From 1991-94, the team finished last in the NFC West.

After struggling in St. Louis during their first four seasons, the Rams had an unexpected season for the ages in 1999. Led by NFL Most Valuable Player, Kurt Warner, they finished the regular season with a 13-3 record and defeated the Tennessee Titans, 23-16, in the Super Bowl. Warner started the season as a backup to quarterback Trent Green, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the preseason.

In 2016, the Rams moved back to Los Angeles—a move spurred by majority owner Kroenke, who had purchased land in Inglewood, California for a new stadium. In 2017, St. Louis sued Kroenke and the NFL over the move to Los Angeles. In 2021, the lawsuit was setted for $790 million.  

Source

Meet and Chat with BCPS Interim Superintendent Dr. Vickie L. Cartwright Hosted by Broward County School Board Members

November 29, 2021 

Parents, students, teachers, administrators, staff and community members are invited to Meet and Chat with Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) Interim Superintendent Dr. Vickie L. Cartwright, a series of events hosted by Broward County School Board members, which kicked off on Tuesday, October 26.

There are three sessions left in the Meet and Chat series. The schedule below has been updated to reflect a date change for District 4, which now takes place on Thursday, January 6, 2022 (also see the attached flyer). For all events, attendees can submit questions starting at 5:30 p.m. and the events take place from 6 – 7:30 p.m. Each event is live-streamed at becon.tv/MeetandChat.

Tuesday, October 26, 2021  

Sarah Leonardi, School Board Member, District 3

Northeast High School Auditorium                

700 N.E. 56th Street, Oakland Park, FL 33334

Monday, November 29, 2021

Dr. Rosalind Osgood, Chair, School Board Member, District 5

Plantation High School Auditorium               

6901 N.W. 16th Street, Plantation, FL 33313

Wednesday, November 3, 2021

Patricia Good, School Board Member, District 2

Charles W. Flanagan High School Auditorium

12800 Taft Street, Pembroke Pines, FL 33028

Thursday, December 16, 2021

Ann Murray, School Board Member, District 1

Hollywood Hills High School Auditorium       

5400 Stirling Road, Hollywood, FL 33021

Monday, November 8, 2021

Nora Rupert, School Board Member, District 7

Monarch High School Auditorium                  

5050 Wiles Road, Coconut Creek, FL 33073

NEW DATE – Thursday, January 6, 2022

Lori Alhadeff, School Board Member, District 4

J.P. Taravella High School Auditorium       

10600 Riverside Drive, Coral Springs, FL 33071

Monday, November 15, 2021

Laurie Rich Levinson, Vice Chair, School Board Member, District 6

South Plantation High School Auditorium   

1300 S.W. 54th Avenue (Paladin Way) Plantation, FL 33317

Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole and ASL interpreters will be available at each event. 

Countywide At-Large School Board Members
Donna P. Korn, Seat 8
Debra Hixon, Seat 9

 

For additional details, contact Broward County Public Schools Legislative Affairs Department at 754-321-2608.

###

 

ABOUT BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
“Committed to educating all students to reach their highest potential.”
Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth largest school district in the nation and the second largest in the state of Florida. BCPS is Florida’s first fully accredited school system since 1962. BCPS has nearly 261,500 students and approximately 110,000 adult students in 241 schools, centers and technical colleges, and 93 charter schools. BCPS serves a diverse student population, with students representing 170 different countries and 147 different languages. To connect with BCPS, visit browardschools.com, follow us on Twitter @browardschools, on Facebook at facebook.com/browardschools.com and download the free BCPS mobile app.

Source

Dallas Cowboys win playoff game on ‘Hail Mary’ pass

On December 28, 1975, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach throws a 50-yard touchdown pass to Drew Pearson in the waning seconds to beat the Minnesota Vikings in a playoff game, 17-14. Afterward, Staubach calls the miraculous touchdown a “Hail Mary,” thus cementing the term for a desperation pass in the sports lexicon. 

 “It was a play you hit one in a hundred times if you’re lucky,” Staubach told reporters after the game in Bloomington, Minnesota. “I guess it’s a Hail Mary pass. You throw it up and pray he catches it.” 

READ MORE: 7 of the Greatest Hail Mary Passes of All Time

Said Dallas coach Tom Landry: “Our only hope was to throw and hope for a miracle.” 

The play was controversial. Minnesota contended Pearson pushed off against defensive back Nate Wright and should have been called for pass interference.

“It was just as clear as day and night,” Minnesota coach Bud Grant said. 

But Pearson said Wright was the one who pushed. “… I might have put my hands on him,” he said. “The ball hit my hands and then something hit my arm. The ball slid down and stuck between my elbow and my hip. That’s all there was to it. It was a lucky catch.”

In 1963, after a victory by his Navy team over Michigan, Staubach described a touchdown as “a Hail Mary play.” But the term didn’t become widespread until after his miraculous completion against the Vikings. 

Since 1975, many quarterbacks have completed Hail Marys.

Source

First NFL playoff game is played indoors

On December 18, 1932, the Chicago Bears defeat the Portsmouth (Ohio) Spartans, 9-0, in the NFL’s first playoff game—and first game played indoors. The victory gives the Bears the championship and leads to a playoff system for the first time. Because of frigid weather and waist-deep snow, the game was moved from Wrigley Field to Chicago Stadium, home of the city’s NHL team.

Chicago Stadium could not accommodate a regulation-sized football field, so the game was played on a field 60 yards long, 40 yards less than regulation, and with constricted end zones. The field was covered with 400 tons of dirt from a recent circus. 

In 1932, the eight-team NFL did not have a formal playoff system. The champion was the team with the best winning percentage. In the regular season, Portsmouth and Chicago each finished with 6-1 records. (The Bears had six ties, the Spartans four.) To determine a champion, the Bears and Spartans agreed to play a winner-take-all game in Chicago. 

READ MORE: The NFL’s First Playoff Game Was Played Indoors in a Hockey Arena

The game, attended by nearly 12,000 fans, was bizarre. By mutual agreement, neither team attempted a field goal. When the teams crossed midfield, the ball was moved back 20 yards, artificially lengthening the field. Only one punt was returned during the game—the rest landed in the stands. One struck an organist in the stands. Kickoffs came from the 10-yard line.

A wire service reporter panned the event. “There have been comical happenings on the football battlefields without number,” he wrote, “but herewith is submitted the champion football comic strip. And it was for a championship.”

In 1933, the NFL enacted a two-division alignment, with the winners of each division playing in an annual championship game. The NFL used that setup for the next 33 years. 

In 1967, the first Super Bowl was held. 

Source

BCPS Welcomes Accreditation Engagement Review

November 23, 2021

Rigorous External Review Aims to Achieve Districtwide Accreditation for Five More Years  

Cognia

Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is excited to welcome experts from Cognia, a global network of educators, for a weeklong Accreditation Engagement Review, taking place Monday, November 29 – Friday, December 3, 2021.

The Engagement Review, which is conducted virtually, is a comprehensive process to evaluate the District’s adherence to rigorous performance standards for ensuring students receive a high-quality education and that the District has mechanisms in place for maintaining continuous improvement. The standards are developed around three main areas, including Leadership Capacity, Learning Capacity and Resource Capacity.

As part of the review process, the external review team, comprised of 16 trained educators from around the country, will:

  • Interview every principal in the District.
  • Conduct group interviews with stakeholders (students, teachers, school leaders, etc.) at 48 schools.
  • Interview School Board members, the Interim Superintendent, District administrators, staff, labor representatives and other community stakeholders.
  • Review BCPS performance data and supporting documentation.
  • Observe District and school practices.

At the conclusion of the Engagement Review, the evaluation team will determine if BCPS will be awarded the Districtwide Accreditation for five more years. The previous Engagement Review was conducted by AdvancED (which is now Cognia) in the 2016/17 school year. BCPS is Florida’s first fully accredited school system since 1962.

For more information on Cognia and the Accreditation Engagement Review, visit

cognia.org/services/accreditation-certification/.

 

###

 

ABOUT BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS 

“Committed to educating all students to reach their highest potential.”  

Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth largest school district in the nation and the second largest in the state of Florida. BCPS is Florida’s first fully accredited school system since 1962. BCPS has nearly 261,500 students and approximately 110,000 adult students in 241 schools, centers and technical colleges, and 93 charter schools. BCPS serves a diverse student population, with students representing 170 different countries and 147 different languages. To connect with BCPS, visit browardschools.com, follow us on Twitter @browardschools, on Facebook at facebook.com/browardschools and download the free BCPS mobile app.

Source

Update Regarding COVID-19 Facial Covering and Quarantine Guidance

Update Regarding COVID-19 Protocols

November 19, 2021

Broward County Public Schools has been implementing protocols to ensure the health and well-being of our students and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to legislation signed into law by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, effective immediately, facial coverings will be strongly encouraged but not mandatory in schools.

Additionally, no asymptomatic students or employees will be required to quarantine if they are a close contact due to COVID-19 exposure.

COVID-19 safety protocols implemented this school year – which are in compliance with the new law – will continue.

Source