Monday, September 24, 2012

Happy Birthday Eddie George

This Day in Sports History - 9/24/1972

Oakland Raiders cornerback Jack Tatum sets an NFL record returning a fumble 104 yards during a 20 - 14 win over the Packers at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. The Packers lead 7 - 3 in the first quarter when Tatum picks up running back MacArthur Lane's fumble in the Oakland end zone and sprints across the Green Bay goal line. The 104 yard fumble return breaks the 98 yards record set by George Halas when he played for the Chicago Bears in 1923. A review of the film shows that Lane's turnover was actually a muffed lateral and should have been ruled a touchback with Oakland gaining the ball on its own 20. Had the instant replay rule existed in 1972, it's likely that Tatum's touchdown would have been nullified. Tatum remains in the record books, however. His 104 yard fumble return will be tied by cornerback Aeneas Williams of the Arizona Cardinals on November 5, 2000.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

This Day in Sports History - 9/5/1972

Eleven Israeli athletes, five terrorists and a German policeman are killed during a 23-hour drama that begins with an invasionof the Olympic village in Munich by terrorists. It ends in a shootout at a military airport some 15 miles away as the terrorists attempt to fly to Cairo with their Israeli hostages. The first two Israelis are killed earlier in the day when the terrorists, armed with automatic rifles, break into headquartersof the Israeli team and seize the nine others as hostages. The terrorists demand the release of more than 200 Arab commandos imprisoned in Israel. The bloodbath brings about a suspension of the Games and there is some doubt the Olympics will continue. However; Avery Brundage, chairman of the IOC, famously says, "The games must go on," and 34 hours later competition resumes.