This Day in Sports History - 10/31/1999

The Cleveland Browns claim their first victory as an expansion team with a dramatic 21 - 16 win over the New Orleans Saints at the Louisiana Superdome. Browns owner Art Modell moved the Browns to Baltimore following the 1996 season. Cleveland was granted an expansion team to begin play in 1999 and retained the previous team's nickname, colors, and records. The Browns start the '99 season 0-7 and seem headed for an eighth loss when Doug Brien kicks a 46-yard FG to give the Saints a 16 - 14 advantage. The Browns hold the ball on their own 44 with time for just one more play. QB Tim Couch launches a Hail Mary into the air, and WR Kevin Johnson catches it in the corner of the end zone for the game-winning score. The Browns will finish 1999 with a 2 - 14 record. The other win is achieved on a FG as time expires, to down the Steelers, 16 - 15, at Three River Stadium in Pittsburgh on November 14.

Best by the Numbers - Denver Edition

1. Jason Elam
2. Troy Tulowitzki: Tulowitzki is a 2-time All-Star
3. Allen Iverson
4. Rob Blake
5. Matt Holiday
6. Jay Cutler
7. John Elway: The former QB for the Broncos is currently their Executive VP of Football Operations
8. Gary Kubiak
9. Vinny Castilla
10. Dante Bichette
11. Chris Anderson
12. Clint Barmes
13. Charlie Hayes
14. Brandon Stokely
15. Carmelo Anthony
16. Jake Plummer
17. Todd Helton
18. Peyton Manning
19. Joe Sakic: Sakic is a two-time Stanley Cup Champion
20. LaPhonso Ellis
21. Andre Goodman
22. Scott Hannan
23. Marcus Camby
24. Champ Bailey
25. Chris Stewart
26. Clinton Portis
27. Steve Atwater
28. Cornell Buckhalter
29. Howard Griffith
30. Terrell Davis: Davis was the MVP of Super Bowl XXII
31. Nene
32. LaTroy Hawkins
33. Larry Walker: Walker won 3 Batting Titles as a member of the Rockies
34. Reuben Droughns
35. Lenny Walls
36. Mark Haynes
37. Ryan O'Reilly
38. Mike Anderson
39. Ray Crockett
40. Byron Beck
41. Karl Paymah
42. Armando Reynoso
43. Izell Reese
44. Dan Issel: Issel played for the Nuggets for 10 years and then had two coaching stints with them
45. Raef LaFrentz
46. Jason Hammel
47. John Lynch
48. George Coghill
49. Jose Mesa
50. Ben Hamilton
51. John Mobley
52. D.J. Williams
53. Bill Romanowski
54. Andra Davis
55. Dikembe Mutombo
56. Al Wilson
57. Tom Jackson: Jackson ranks 3rd in games played for the Broncos (behind Jason Elam and John Elway)
58. Von Miller: Miller is in his 2nd season with the Denver Broncos
59. Glen Cadrez
60. John Engelberger
61. Gerard Warren
62. Dan Neil
63. Rafael Betancourt
64. Stanley Daniels
65. Gary Zimmerman
66. Tom Nalen
67. Doug Widell
68. Zane Beadles
69. Mark Schlereth: Schlereth's son Daniel is a current MLB pitcher
70. Dave Studdard
71. Ross Hochstein
72. George Foster
73. Simon Fletcher
74. Ephraim Salaam
75. Mansato Pope
76. Ken Lanier
77. Ray Borque/Karl Mecklenburg
78. Ryan Clady
79. Dave Widell
80. Rod Smith: The undrafted Free Agent went on to have a distinguished career for the Broncos
81. Richard Quinn
82. Stephen Alexander
83. Anthony Miller
84. Shannon Sharpe: Sharpe got inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011
85. Ashley Lelie
86. Byron Chamberlain
87. Ed McCaffery
88. Tony Scheffler
89. Dwayne Carswell
90. Neil Smith
91. Chester McGlockton
92. Elvis Dumervill
93. Trevor Pryce
94. Jarvis Moss
95. Kavika Pittman
96. Michael Myers
97. Mike Lodish
98. Ma'a Tanuvasa
99. Vonnie Holiday

This Day in Sports History - 10/26/2002

In Game 6 of the World Series, the Anaheim Angels come from behind to defeat the San Francisco Giants, 6 - 5, in Anaheim. The Giants, who haven't won a World Series since moving to San Francisco in 1958, come into the game with a 3 - 2 lead in the Series. Russ Ortiz shuts out the Angels for six innings and holds a 5 - 0 lead before giving up two singles in the seventh. In the eighth, Tim Worrell surrenders a leadoff homer to Darrin Erstad, and the score is 5 - 4. After a pair of singles, Rob Nen comes in from the bullpen, and Troy Glaus belts a two-run double to put the Angels ahead. Troy Percival records the save with a perfect ninth. In Game 7, the Giants go down 4 - 1, and the Angels have their first world championship in franchise history.

This Day in Sports History - 10/23/2000

The Jets shock the Dolphins 40 - 37 in overtime on a Monday night at the Meadowlands. Heading into the fourth quarter, Miami is ahead 30 - 7 before the Jets mount an amazing comeback to tie the score. Vinny Testaverde fires three TD passes, John Hall boots a field goal, and a two-point conversion fails. But it takes only 22 seconds for the Dolphins to strike on a 47-yard kickoff return and a 46-yard TD pass from Jay Fiedler to wide receiver Leslie Shepherd for a 37 - 30 lead. The Jets knot the contest again with 42 seconds remaining in regulation on Testaverde's fourth TD pass of the fourth quarter, a three yard toss to tackle Jumbo Elliott, who bobbles the ball but holds on for the only reception of his career. The game is won 6:47 into OT on a 40-yard field goal by Hall.

This Day in Sports History - 10/18/2009

With snow falling on Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, the New England Patriots thrash the Tennessee Titans 59 - 0. It is the largest margin of victory in the NFL since 1976. The Patriots score 10 points in the first quarter, then pile on with 35 in the second. The 45 - 0 lead gives New England the largest halftime lead in NFL history. Tom Brady breaks the NFL record for touchdown passes in a quarter with five. In all, Brady has six TD tosses, along with 29 completions in 34 attempts and 380 yards. The loss drops the Titans to 0 - 6 in the 2009 season, but the club recovers to win their next five games and eight of their last 10 to finish at 8 - 8. The Patriots are 10 - 6 during the regular season in 2009 and lose in the first round of the playoffs.

This Day in Sports History - 10/14/2002

Before a national television audience on Monday night, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Terrell Owens demonstrated a novel way to celebrate a touchdown during a 28 - 21 win over the Seahawks in Seattle. With the Seahawks leading 21 - 20 and 7:46 remaining, Owens scores on a 37-yard touchdown pass, pulls a Sharpie from his sock, autographs a football, and hands it to a fan.

This Day in Sports History - 10/12/1982

Paul Molitor becomes the first player in World Series history to collect five hit in a game while leading the Brewers to a 10 - 0 thrashing of the Cardinals in Game 1 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. It is also Molitor's first World Series. Batting leadoff, Molitor grounds out in the first inning, then hits singles in the second, fourth, and sixth innings off Bob Forsch. Facing Dave LaPoint, Molitor singles again in the eighth and adds a fifth single in the ninth with Jeff Lahti on the mound. Three of Molitor's five hits fail to leave the infield. Robin Yount, batting second, has four hits in six at bats. Molitor will end the 1982 Series with a .355 average (11 - 31), although Milwaukee loses to St. Louis in seven games. He will play in one other Fall Classic, with the Blue Jays in 1993, and bat .500 (12 - 24) as Toronto downs the Phillies in six games.

This Day in Sports History - 10/10/1982

The California Angels lose the fifth and deciding game of the ALCS, 4 - 3, to the Brewers at County Stadium in Milwaukee. The Angels won the first two games in Anaheim before dropping games 3 & 4 by scores of 5 - 3 and 9 - 5. In game 5, the Angels lead 3 - 2 in the seventh with two out, the bases loaded, and left-handed-batting first baseman Cecil Cooper at the plate. Angels manager Gene Mauch decides to stick with right-handed pitcher Luis Sanchez instead of bringing in lefty Andy Hassler who is warming up in the bullpen. Cooper delivers a two-run single for a 4 - 3 lead. The Angels have the tying run on second base with one out in the ninth, but reliever Bob McClure retires the final three batters to give the Brewers their first World Series berth. Milwaukee will lose the Series in seven games to the Cardinals.

Happy Birthday Mike Singletary

Farewell Chipper Jones

This past Friday the Atlanta Braves hosted the St. Louis Cardinals in a one game Wild Card showdown. The Braves lost which means that Chipper Jones played in his final game.

Chipper Jones was drafted #1 overall in the 1990 MLB Draft. Other players drafted that year include, Tony Clark, Mike Mussina, Jason Varitek and Jorge Posada. Chipper started his career as a shortstop but was quickly moved to third base. He played 3B from 1993-20001, in 2002 he moved to left-field to make room at 3B for Vinny Castilla. Although he would eventually move back to 3B he showed that he would do anything to help the team win.

Chipper is a career .303 hitter and is very consistent as he has hit over .300 from both sides of the plate. In 2008 he was the batting champion with a batting average of .364 which is one point lower than the all-time best batting average by a switch hitter which was accomplished by Mickey Mantle. Chipper Jones was an 8-time All Star, World Series winner in 1995 and NL MVP in 1999. He's hit 468 homeruns and 549 doubles.

For 19 years Chipper Jones played hard and played at a high level. He bid him adieu and look forward to when he gets elected into the Hall of Fame.

Happy Birthday Dennis Eckersley