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7/09/1932 - The Redskins are born

The NFL officially grants the city of Boston a football team. Initially called the "Boston Braves," as they were contracted to play in Braves Field, home of the Major League Baseball team of the same name, they would change their name to the Redskins less than a year later. In 1937, they moved to the nation's capitol and were christened the Washington Redskins, a name that they still play with.

The most notable aspect of their name is that they have incurred numerous lawsuits over the years, mostly from Native American groups who find the name "Redskins" racially offensive. In 2008, the team won a 16-year court battle with a group of Native Americans who tried to overturn their trademark of the team name.

However, whenever public opinion polls are conducted about their name, a wide majority usually says they have no problem with it.

7/08/1941 - Williams' homer wins All-Star Game

The 1941 All-Star Game was notable for bringing the Yankees' Joe DiMaggio and the Red Sox' Ted Williams together on the same team. The two Hall of Fame outfielders were rather friendly off the field (Joe's brother Dom played for the Red Sox), though on it they were fierce rivals. In 1941, Williams and DiMaggio had two of the greatest seasons of all time, with Williams batting over .400 and DiMaggio breaking the consecutive games hit record.

In this game, the two sluggers played in left and center field while also hitting back-to-back in the batting order. DiMaggio came in with his hit streak at 48 games; he would collect a base hit in this game as well, although it wasn't added to his total. In the bottom of the ninth, DiMaggio came to the plate with Williams waiting on-deck. The National League had Claude Passeau of the Cubs on the mound -- the NL was leading 5-3 with the bases loaded and one out.

DiMaggio grounded it to the shortstop, setting up what looked to be a game-ending double play. The NL collected the forceout at second, but Billy Herman's throw pulled the first baseman off the bag. With DiMaggio on base thanks to an error, Williams stepped to the plate with two outs and two on. Having struck out against him in the previous inning, Williams delivered in the clutch with a towering, three-run homer to the upper deck of Briggs Stadium (AKA Tiger Stadium).

Williams trotted home, even displaying a rare show of emotion, and was congratulated by DiMaggio. His three-run home run was one of the most memorable in All-Star Game history, and the one Williams described as the best of his career.

In an already hectic NBA arms race, the Cavs have added Shaq, the Magic have added Carter, the Celtics have added Rasheed, and the Lakers, it now appears, are going to add Ron Artest. Teams around the league are getting significantly better, and the Warriors have the opportunity to be one of them. They have the opportunity to add perennial All-Star Amare Stoudemire to their team, via a trade with the Pheonix Suns, without giving up Monta Ellis, Stephen Jackson, or Corey Maggette.

All they would need to trade is Marco Belinelli, Brandon Wright, Andris Biedrins, and draft pick Stephen Curry (and maybe an extra draft pick or something). But they don't want to do it. They don't want to trade Curry.

This is the epitome of a bad management, which the Warriors assuredly have; they're hesitant to make moves when they should, and they're quick to hand fat contracts to people who don't deserve it. Somehow, the same team that gave Troy Murphy, Derek Fisher, and Mike Dunleavy max contracts was reluctant to give Baron Davis, the face of their team, $65 million. But they were more than willing to give that cash to Andris Biedrins, and then $50 million to Corey Maggette.

Golden State doesn't need Curry -- they already have a good rotation of guards and small forwards in Ellis, Jackson, Azubuike, and Maggette; they certainly don't need Belinelli, not when they have Anthony Morrow, who did more in less playing time than Marco has done in two years; they don't need Brandon Wright, not when they have another good-looking, left-handed, up-and-comer in Anthony Randolph; and if they can get Amare Stoudemire, they sure as hell don't need Biedrins -- Ronny Turiaf, who makes more than four times less money than Biedrins, can take his place.

The Warriors need to realize that they are never going to go anywhere as long as they continue to trot out 6'5 guys to play power forward -- not when the Lakers have the dominant front court of Artest, Gasol, and Bynum. Even if Stephen Curry becomes exactly as good a player as Baron Davis -- which isn't going to happen -- this team still isn't a contender. They would have three great perimeter players and nothing else down low -- they'd be the same damn team they were two years ago, when they missed the playoffs.

I don't understand how coaches and GM's think. I don't understand why the Warriors would rather keep a player who may be good one day, when they can get a player who is great, today, and they wouldn't have to give up that much. If they don't make the trade, they are just going to remain the way they are now, since they have pretty much run out of cap room. And even if Amare was to leave after one season, which is of course the fear, it would free up a lot of cap room.

In the NBA, you don't win with marginal players at your position -- you win with great players. Next season, Golden State can either pay big money to Amare Stoudemire, who is worth it, or they can give that money to Andris Biedrins, who is a pretty good player, but he's no Amare. This isn't the time to be hesitant. Steve Kerr knows that Amare is gone in a year, and he's looking to sell him off while he still can. The Warriors have the chance to steal the best big man suited for Don Nelson's up-and-down, play-no-defense style of ball.

I know it's tough to give away a promising rookie, but if they don't get Amare, they will remain in the dreaded purgatory of the NBA: good enough to just make the playoffs, but not bad enough to get a high draft pick. The best teams always win, and they have a chance to be one of them. If they don't get him, this team is going nowhere. And Andris Biedrins and Brandon Wright and Marco Belinelli will be along for the ride.

7/06/1946 - Durocher speaks adage (sort of)

July 6th, 1946 is the date that one of the most known phrases in America was born. Brooklyn Dodgers manager Leo Durocher was unhappy with the lax demeanor of Mel Ott, the manager of the rival New York Giants. Asked why his Dodgers were leading the National League and why the Giants were in seventh place, Durocher said "The nice guys are all over there, in seventh place, not in this dugout"

It wasn't until author Ralph Keyes located this quote in New York's Journal-American that this was proven to be the real quote. Before that, Durocher had been misquoted as saying, "Nice guys finish last." The Giants would in fact finish last in 1946, and Durocher, for all his noteworthiness, is best known coining a famous phrase that he never fully uttered.

7/06/2008 - Federer and Nadal battle at Wimbledon

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer duel for hours and hours in the championship match. When it was all said and done, Nadal came out on top, although the real winners were the television viewers (cheesy, but true).

To read more about this story, click here for an in-depth Inhistoric article:

Further reading:
New Yorker: Notable Quotables

Stepping in place of the retired Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, Roger Federer was dominating tennis at an historic level. The Swiss superstar had been the No. 1 ranked player in the world for over four years, had won a dozen Grand Slams, appeared in ten straight singles finals, and set records for consecutive hard court and grass victories. From 2004 to 2006, Federer won all but 13 of the 280 games he played and even surpassed Tiger Woods in scale of invincibility.

As Federer climbed to new heights, the one player who seemed capable of opposing him was Rafael Nadal of Spain. Nadal was an expert on clay and once held an 81-match win streak on the surface before Federer took him down. Nadal had somehow compiled a winning record over the unstoppable Federer, though he still struggled to challenge him on grass.

But in 2008, Federer had begun to show signs of vulnerability. He had lost eight matches that year alone, with three of them coming at the hands of Nadal. At the French Open, Nadal not only beat Federer, he destroyed him in straight sets. Factoring in his obliteration at the French, and his close five-set win over Nadal at the previous Wimbledon, many were predicting a passing of the guard.

With Nadal's improvement on grass and Federer's slight decline, that year's Wimbledon was seen as the place where their talents could best converge in terms of competitiveness. To no one's surprise, Nadal and Federer once again faced off in the tournament's final round. Sure enough, the two men put on a five-set masterpiece that many experts consider the greatest tennis match of all time.

Historic significance was at stake for both competitors. If Nadal won, he would be the first man in 28 years to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year. A win by Federer would move him within one Grand Slam of Sampras' record total, and would give him his sixth consecutive Wimbledon title, a streak that hadn't been done in 128 years.

Getting the contest in was difficult at the All England Club. Rain delayed the start of the match by 35 minutes and interrupted it twice again, once for almost an hour and a half. It would take nearly five hours for the champion to be decided, and to the purists, this just elongated the pressure and intensity even more.

Nadal won the first two sets 6-4, 6-4, and was on his way to a convincing victory. But the rain came in the third set, and Roger retaliated with the desperation of a king trying to hang on to his mantle. Federer won the next two sets -- much to the delight of the Centre Court crowd, who had become accustomed to him -- though he struggled mightily to prevail. The third set went to a tie-break, which he narrowly won 7-5.

The fourth set epitomized the greatness of the match. Nadal and Federer won each game alternatively, making it the ultimate back-and-forth competition. The set went to another tie-break, which was preceded by a series of brilliant rallies and well-positioned shots. Nadal had the match in his hands. He led the breaker 5-2 and had two championship points to walk away as the victor. Federer again responded terrifically and alluded defeat by sending it to a 5-5, 7-7, and 8-8 tie. On Nadal's last championship point, Federer backhanded the ball down the right line for a point that had the crowd rejoicing. He eventually won the tie-break 10-8 and sent it to a decisive fifth set.

The weather intervened again with the finale at 2-2. After a 30-minute reprieve, the tightness of the match did not let up. A 40-15 serve by Nadal was mishandled by Federer, giving Rafa the game and bringing the set to 6-6. Since there was no tie-breaker for the final set in Wimbledon, the dramatic dual continued.

With it at 7-7, Federer's shots were long as he failed to hold serve for the first time in three sets. Now serving with the title on the line, with impending nightfall threatening to suspend play, Nadal was looking at match point number four. 4 hours and 48 minutes after the start of the championship, Federer responded to Nadal's serve by forehanding the ball into the net. Nadal collapsed to the ground in triumph; Federer's 65-match winning streak on grass was over.

Nadal jumped into the crowd before accepting his first place trophy. He hugged his overjoyed relatives and conversed with the prince of Spain before returning to the court, his native flag in hand. Federer was gracious in defeat, and saved his real emotions until after the cameras were off.

"I’m disappointed, and I’m crushed,” said Federer, who called it the toughest loss of his career. “He played a super match, and I’m sure it was a great match to watch and to play, but it’s all over now. I need some time.”

“The most important thing is to win the title," said Nadal, who won the longest Wimbledon final ever. “After that, you think about winning against the No. 1, probably the best player in history or close, and the fact it was so dramatic. But it’s one of the most powerful feelings I’ve had in my life.”

He also added, "I am very happy for me, but sorry for him, because he deserved this title, too."

There was no question that this Wimbledon final was one of the greatest matches in tennis history. But if the experts and players are to be considered, this was definitively the best match of all time.

Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe, who were involved in what was previously considered the greatest match ever, both thought Nadal-Federer was the creme de la creme of tennis. "The Wimbledon final was probably the best I've ever seen played," Borg said. McEnroe was even more emphatic, calling it, "the greatest match I've ever seen!"

Despite the loss, Federer retained his No. 1 world ranking the following week. But in the eyes of the public, it was Rafael Nadal who was atop the tennis world.

Can competitive eating be considered a sport? That depends -- when you see a 400-pound guy riding in one of those scooters at the mall, do you say, "Damn, that guy is athletic"? For most of us the answer is no. So then why do we get behind the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest? Easy: because it's the most American thing we've got. We watch fellow Americans gorge themselves on the most American of foods, hot dogs, and the winner gets to be draped in the American flag.

But a dark storm had fallen on this illustrious competition. An outsider from the land of the rising sun named Takeru Kobayashi had stolen the championship mantle away from America for six consecutive years. We had already suffered defeats in the World Baseball Classic, basketball championships, and Winter Olympics -- now we were losing in an eating contest. If the fattest country in the world couldn't produce a single person to out-eat a skinny Japanese guy, what hope did we have for humanity?

Luckily for us, an apply-named man named Joey Chestnut rose to the occasion. He had recently broken Kobayashi's world-record with 59.5 hot dogs during the Nathan's qualifier. Chestnut had eaten 52 hot dogs the previous two Nathans competitions, and many were thinking that this was his year. The Chestnut bandwagon got even bigger on June 25th when Kobayashi announced that he had an arthritic jaw. The severity of his injury was to be disputed, as Kobayashi showed up on July 4th in top form.

The two combatants battled until the very end; both eclipsed the previous hot dog eating record with minutes to go. With 12 seconds left, the score was knotted at 62-62. Chestnut and Kobayashi tried to cram in as much mush as their mouths would allow. Kobayashi, desperately trying to cling to his hot dog dynasty, vomited when his esophagus couldn't handle anymore. In one of the grossest moments in television history, Kobayashi tried to corral the puke still in his hands back into his mouth. ESPN decided to edit the "reversal" (as it’s referred to in hot dog terms) out of the competition's replays, for obvious reasons.

When the scorers came back from deliberation, they confirmed the hopes and dreams of millions of kids: Chestnut had won, 66-63. Kobayashi was gracious in his defeat to the new champion. Kobayashi was still considered the superior eater -- he did win six times after all; Chestnut would win it again the following two years.

ESPN didn't cover the Hot Dog Eating Contest in a Snakes On A Plane haha-it's-stupid-but-we’re-rolling-with-it way. No, they were treating this heavy. It led off SportsCenter and analysts were brought on to dissect Chestnut's eating performance. The play-by-play announcer took it more seriously than anyone, producing some wonderful quotes during the telecast:

"This will be the greatest moment in the history of American sports."
"This… this could be what this country needs to get back on the right track: the yellow belt coming home to America."
My favorite: "If he can hang on, google 'hero' tomorrow -- you're going to get Abe Lincoln, Neil Armstrong, Taylor Hicks, and Joey Chestnut."

7/04/2007 - Chestnut topples Kobayashi

Takeru Kobayashi, the man who made the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest relevant, loses by a few hot dogs to Joey Chestnut. But just as importantly, Taylor Hicks was used in the same sentence as Abe Lincoln. Whaa??

To read more about this fairly disgusting story, click here for an in-depth Inhistoric article: