January 7, 2012

Really Random Sport Facts...


...cause you know you love 'em. 

This is the time of year when fans start getting crazy about sports games, at least in the US. Football playoffs start tonight, and I know that my hometown is going crazy because the Texans have finally made it into the playoffs! So, in light of all the hype, I thought I'd share a few sports facts with ya'll. Haven't done a fact-filled post in a long time anyways, so I figured it was due. Plus, I just read about a few of these a couple of days ago and thought there were too random and interesting to pass up. 

So here goes, sports facts that even non-sports lovers will love. 

The High Five

The High Five wasn't invented until 1977. Hard to believe that this ubiquitous and international gesture has been around for only the last few decades. The high five is credited to major league baseball player Dusty Baker, who was with the Dodgers then. He had just hit a home run (off the Astros, thankyouverymuch) and was rounding third and on his way to score. His teammate, Glenn Burke, put his hands up over his head and was waiting for him to cross home plate. Baker wasn't sure what to do and in an act of excitement he reached up and slapped his hand. He said "It seemed like the thing to do". And thus changing history forever. Ok, maybe not that drastic, but you get the point. 

Welcome to the world, baby high five. (source)


The Wave

There is a bit of dispute on who actually invented "The Wave", but it is pretty clear that sometime in the early 1980s this sporting game phenomenon, and time passer/crowd pleaser, was first performed. Some claim it happened at a MLB game in Oakland, others at various college football games. No matter which group of bored fans invented it, it remains a fun, and then overly repetitive, wish-it-would-just-die-down-so-I-can-watch-the-game crowd activity. 

Here is a video of the hubs and I doing The Wave with 90,000 of our closest friends at a Barcelona Football game at Camp Nui. (That's soccer for you N.A. folks ;)). They were winning something like 7-0 at this point. Not much else to do, really.




The First Million Dollar Sports Endorsement Deal

Long before Tiger Woods and Micheal Jordan were making millions and millions on products they wouldn't be caught dead using, the first million dollar endorsement deal went to the king of the lanes. Yes, I'm talking about professional bowling. The now often-mocked sport was big time back in the day and the man known as Mr. Bowling, Don Carter, was the first man to make a million bucks by selling name for marketing purposes. The Ebonite Bowling Company used his name on a line of bowling balls and Carter raked in the cash. Interesting, huh!?
(on a side note, Don Carter just passed away this week. Here is to the man who paved the way for all the Gillette, State Farm, Lincoln, and Hanes underwear crazes)

Good for you, Don! (source)



How Many Baseballs are Used?!?

(source)
It is estimated that the average lifespan for a baseball in an MLB game is 6 pitches. That means that each game uses around 45-50 balls. At this rate, that would mean that almost 115,000 balls are used throughout the entire season! No wonder it is "America's Pasttime". The founders of the game must have already known how the U.S. just looooves to waste. Joking, love you 'Muurica and you too baseball. Make April come soon, K??


So, I'm pretty much huddled up inside today. The snow has finally made it's big debut and I don't have any desire to greet it. Just waiting for next week's warmer weather in Texas. WHICH, BTW, is not looking all that warm. Forecasters are calling for a cold front to come in the day I land. Thanks Houston, I really, really appreciate that. Here's for wishing for at least a little bit of sunshine!

Blog Widget by LinkWithin

24 comments:

  1. Gotta love sports trivia! That fact about baseballs is incredible - 50 balls used each game?!

    ReplyDelete
  2. wait, what are we talking about... sports, why sports. kidding great trivia.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Those are some very interesting facts! I must say, even though I've known a couple of professional bowlers, I didn't realize quite the past time bowling was...

    ReplyDelete
  4. love these facts!! I learned so much today. can't wait to impress people with my knowledge hah

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great Facts Ltl Tex. We finally got some snow too and it was "just a dusting", enough to look white, like early morning heavy frost. Well, its mild again today and forecast looks like WARM is here for another week - warm here is anywhere from -19 to +3. We are used to those temps.
    I did not know that about "45-50" baseballs - NEAT and interesting to know the Bowling Alley made it big FIRST. WOW - Yep, I agree with you on the football thing and I'm ready to CHEER for my GB Packers.
    Luv ya kiddo, stay warm
    Slick Stick to HUB :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Nice facts :) Can you also please find out who started the fist pump, followed by the exploding fist pump? I feel like it might have come out of Jersey but I have no fact checker :P

    Also, I gave you an award today :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh dear lord. *Bump*. Fist *bump*, as in "pound it, dude" (TWSS). I clearly have Jersey Shore on the brain.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I really had no idea the high five was so relatively new. I still refuse to high five Erik but still...

    ReplyDelete
  9. That's funny- I just read that story about the high five a month or two ago, but had never heard it before. Now I'm hearing it again- Great Minds!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ahh the high five...a personal favourite of mine :-) I have quite the reputation within my sporting friends set for the high five haha!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. You always teach me something new! Just by coming here, I become smarter and more worldly. Thank you, friend :) Seriously though, I had NO idea about the high five. I just assumed it'd always been around. Like cockroaches and taxes. Very cool sports facts. I shall share this new knowledge with others and make the world a better place!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Interesting factoids! I did not know that the high five was so young. Or that Dusty Baker was the one that started it! Have fun in TX! At least it will be warmer than Finland, no matter how "cold" it is!

    ReplyDelete
  13. You do know the only reason it's going to get cold here is because your coming? lol...It's been absolutely gorgeous here the past couple of weeks!! Do NOT bring the snow with you, please!! Thanks for the sports facts, love to learn something new everyday!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I had no idea that the high five was "invented" so late!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Sports has never been my thing but now I have some really cool facts to share with my sports nut family. Thanks for that. We had a cold snap here in South Fl but all is ok. It will be 80 today. Are you sure you want to fly all the way to Texas??

    ReplyDelete
  16. Wow, I can't believe the high-five is barely older than I am. That's somewhat disappointing, isn't it? I give humanity too much coolness credit sometimes, I guess.

    ReplyDelete
  17. http://www.slate.com/content/dam/slate/archive/2010/10/1_123125_123050_2240796_2270148_101012_cb_2m5gfu0.jpg

    ReplyDelete
  18. Stop it! That high five fact is totally my new party fact. 1977?!! Blown away!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hahaha..I love the story about High-Five!! I had no idea:)

    ReplyDelete
  20. These are pretty cool! The high five is one of my favorites so kudos to the guy who started it!

    ReplyDelete
  21. So why is 'the Wave' also known as 'the Mexican Wave'?? Or is that just downunder?!?!?!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I loved this! So much fun. I may have gone through life never knowing the origin of the High Five, the Wave or that the first big endorsement deal went to a bowler. Fascinating! Thanks for sharing :).

    ReplyDelete
  23. Love these!! And love that you could share most with folks in Europe and they are things they had never heard before!!!

    ReplyDelete
  24. What interesting sports facts! As usual you provide us with a great post! Your husband seemed real enthusiastic when he was doing the wave!!Ha!Ha!

    ReplyDelete

Whoomp, there it is!