Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

BillNye,

Missing field goals does more than take points off the board. I highly doubt ATL would have gone 13-2-1 if they missed every FG.

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

[ QUOTE ]
Please,

We all know that only baseball play...err Barry Bonds does steroids!

[/ QUOTE ]

ESPN did a special series today on cheating in different sports, undoubtedly inspired by the recent events.

For the NFL, they had about a 3,000 word piece on cheating in the NFL that mentioned steroids exactly once...and it was in this context:

"Most people think steroids, but...."

Shawn Merriman's name or suspension was not mentioned at all.

The Steelers doctor indicted for purchasing $150k worth of HGH was not mentioned at all.

Some anecdote about a 1960's college football rival where they stole hand signals was mentioned.

And it went on to describe several other cute anecdotes of gamesmanship, and a paragraph or two on ephedra as a banned substance.

See....the NFL doesn't have a steroid problem, it was solved by testing they instituted back in the '80s!!!. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

[ QUOTE ]
I thought everyone knew the thing about the #1 seeds and the FF?

[/ QUOTE ]

Everyone probably does. The thread title was to post a "random sports stat/fact that surprise(d) you when you first heard it".

That stat surprised me when I first heard it. It's also random.

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

[ QUOTE ]
BillNye,

Missing field goals does more than take points off the board. I highly doubt ATL would have gone 13-2-1 if they missed every FG.

[/ QUOTE ]

Its MIN, and that is amazingly obvious, it would change the whole game, but from a points perspective (which I thought was very clear, from the topic) they didnt need Andersons "perfect FG season" save for the 1 he missed.

Also, even if he did miss all of them, the whole game changes but I think they still make it to the ATL game.

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

Please quit talking about that game.

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear them
 

[ QUOTE ]
In the past 25 years no team had outscored their opponents by a 2-1 margin. Under Dilfer, the Ravens outscored their opponents by a 3-1 margin.

[/ QUOTE ]

'00 Ravens outscored opponents by 2.02-to-1 margin. (not 3-1)

First other team I checked in the last 25 years....

'85 Bears outscored opponents by 2.30-to-1

And there could be more, but didn't bother after that...

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

Mike Pemberthy has more NBA Championship rings than Reggie Miller, Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing do, combined.

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

BillNye,

Whoops on MIN/ATL.

I understand what you were trying to say about MIN and points, etc. I just think it's really contrived, irrelevant, and not really in the spirit of the thread.

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

[ QUOTE ]

Similar note, Brent Barry was a slam dunk champ. Not surprising if you've followed the NBA for a while. But if you started watching during this year's playoffs, it'd surprise you that some 3 point shooter once won the slam dunk contest.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not surprising. Barkley talks about it often. The NBA canceled the slam dunk contest after Barry won.

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear them
 

That Brooks Kieschnick actually put up decent numbers as a PH/RP for the Brewers in 03/04. I thought he sucked, but I was wrong. Kind of surprised Milwaukee didn't hang on to him for another season or two.

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
In the past 25 years no team had outscored their opponents by a 2-1 margin. Under Dilfer, the Ravens outscored their opponents by a 3-1 margin.

[/ QUOTE ]

'00 Ravens outscored opponents by 2.02-to-1 margin. (not 3-1)

First other team I checked in the last 25 years....

'85 Bears outscored opponents by 2.30-to-1

And there could be more, but didn't bother after that...

[/ QUOTE ]

You are using the whole season, not after Dilfer took over.

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

Most hits in the

90s:
Mark Grace
80s:
Willie Wilson
70s:
Lou Brock
60s:
Roberto Clemente
50s:
Richie Ashburn

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

Last place team in NFCS has won the division the following year 4 straight years. And each team has done it, concluding with Saints last year.
CAR went to SB, NO and ATL went to NFC title game even more amazingly [meaning they won at least one postseason game.]

TB is up!

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

John Daly has won as many majors as Greg Norman.

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

[ QUOTE ]
Last place team in NFCS has won the division the following year 4 straight years. And each team has done it, concluding with Saints last year.
CAR went to SB, NO and ATL went to NFC title game even more amazingly [meaning they won at least one postseason game.]

TB is up!

[/ QUOTE ]

intersting, not this year tho NO is too good.

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

[ QUOTE ]
Last place team in NFCS has won the division the following year 4 straight years. And each team has done it, concluding with Saints last year.
CAR went to SB, NO and ATL went to NFC title game even more amazingly [meaning they won at least one postseason game.]

TB is up!

[/ QUOTE ]

Tampa has the highest mean wins (among NFCS teams) for 2007 according to Pro Football Prospectus. 9.0, which is 3rd in the NFC.

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

Carl Yastrzemski is the only MLB HOFer to have played in the Little League World Series. Jason Marquis also played in the LLWS, and I firmly believe he would probably lead his team to the title if he played again.

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

[ QUOTE ]

You are using the whole season, not after Dilfer took over.

[/ QUOTE ]


And yet comparing it to entire seasons of all other teams for the past 25 years?

Seems like someone is trying real hard to contrive an interesting stat about the Ravens offense.

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

No Padre has ever hit for the cycle or thrown a no hitter.

Philip Rivers is 6'5''.

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

[ QUOTE ]
At the time of his retirement, the National League's all-time home run leader for switch-hitters was Howard Johnson.

[/ QUOTE ]

This one really surprised me.


Let's just take a quick browse through Tim Kurkjian's archive and see what I can pull up:

Eddie Murray holds the all time sacrifice-fly record with 128 followed by Cal Ripken with 127.

Don Mattingly is tied with Travis Hafner for the single season record for grand slams (6). Mattingly did not hit a grand slam after the season in which he hit 6.

Robin Ventura had 19 career grand slams in 294 career grand slams. Willie Mays with 660 career homers had 8 grand slams.

Dom DiMaggio led the AL in steals in 1950 with 15.


I'll find some more later...

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

This thread is cool. Nice going OP.

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

At the 1968 Olympics, Bob Beamon set a new world record in the long jump with a leap of 29 feet, 2 1/2 inches.

It was the first time anyone had ever exceeded 28 feet in the long jump, much less 29 feet.

Other than the gold medal leap, Beamon's best career long jump was 27 feet, 4 inches, and he never jumped farther than 26-11 after the '68 Olympics.

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

[ QUOTE ]
At the 1968 Olympics, Bob Beamon set a new world record in the long jump with a leap of 29 feet, 2 1/2 inches.

It was the first time anyone had ever exceeded 28 feet in the long jump, much less 29 feet.

Other than the gold medal leap, Beamon's best career long jump was 27 feet, 4 inches.

[/ QUOTE ]

can we get comparison before and after pictures of his head/hat size?

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

[ QUOTE ]


In the past 25 years no team had outscored their opponents by a 2-1 margin. Under Dilfer, the Ravens outscored their opponents by a 3-1 margin.

[/ QUOTE ]

would u rather win 9-3 or 35-20?

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

Tom Glavine was drafted by the LA Kings of the NHL.

Mike Vick was drafted by the Colorado Rockies.

JD Drew was drafted 3 seperate times in the MLB draft: 1994 by the Giants, 1997 by the Phillies, and 1998 for the Cardinals.

Danny Ainge played 3 seasons for the Toronto Blue Jays before quitting baseball to join the Celtics.

Dave Winfield was drafted by the Padres of MLB, the Vikings of NFL, the Hawks of the NBA, and the Stars of the ABA.

The only two days of the year in which there are no professional sports games (MLB, NBA, NHL, or NFL) are the day before and the day after the Major League All-Star Game.

Deion Sanders middle name is "Luwynn". It is pronounced "Lou-Anne".

Adrian Peterson of the Chicago Bears is the all-time leader in career rushing yards for NCAA Division I football.

The NBA was the last major sport to allow blacks to play.

The first black NFL head coach was hired in 1921.

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

[ QUOTE ]
Dave Winfield was drafted by the Padres of MLB, the Vikings of NFL, the Hawks of the NBA, and the Stars of the ABA.

[/ QUOTE ]

And yet he is best remembered by some for coming off the bench in a nasty brawl as a freshman against OSU.

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

I can't believe I forgot to include one of my favorites.

At the 1985 NFL combine, Jerry Rice and William "The Refridgerator" Perry both ran a 4.7 40-yard dash.

***

In 1985, only 5 players in the league were listed as weighing 300lbs or more.

This past season, 570 players.

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

[ QUOTE ]

The first black NFL head coach was hired in 1921.



[/ QUOTE ]

Why is this surprising? Is it earlier or later than you expected?

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

The first black NFL head coach was hired in 1921.



[/ QUOTE ]

Why is this surprising? Is it earlier or later than you expected?

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I was expecting it to be 1872.

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear them
 

I read this one a few years back, not sure if it's still true.

There is no player in any pro sports hall of fame who played with a playing weight above 300 pounds (came up during discussing Shaq and how he might be the first)

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
In the past 25 years no team had outscored their opponents by a 2-1 margin. Under Dilfer, the Ravens outscored their opponents by a 3-1 margin.

[/ QUOTE ]

'00 Ravens outscored opponents by 2.02-to-1 margin. (not 3-1)

First other team I checked in the last 25 years....

'85 Bears outscored opponents by 2.30-to-1

And there could be more, but didn't bother after that...

[/ QUOTE ]

The 1991 Super Bowl champion Redskins outscored opponents by 2.16 to 1.

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

The Cubs haven't won the World Series in 90+ years... actually it's not surprising, I just like to say it cause it makes me laugh.

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

One player won three League batting crowns, yet had a career avg of only .285

Yaz

He also holds the lowest avg to win a batting crown, .301 in '68

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

Tenth on list of career batting average: Babe Ruth

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

In 1991, Kirby Puckett was the first player in 56 years to have two 6-hit games for his career. It has only been accomplished by 5 other players, one of which is Jimmie Foxx.

Only one player in the last 55 years had a streak of 10 consecutive hits without a putout: Bip Roberts in 1992

In 2003, Johnny Damon became the first player in 50 years to have 3 hits in an inning, which has only been accomplished 4 other times in baseball history.

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
At the 1968 Olympics, Bob Beamon set a new world record in the long jump with a leap of 29 feet, 2 1/2 inches.

It was the first time anyone had ever exceeded 28 feet in the long jump, much less 29 feet.

Other than the gold medal leap, Beamon's best career long jump was 27 feet, 4 inches.

[/ QUOTE ]

can we get comparison before and after pictures of his head/hat size?

[/ QUOTE ]
I know it's a joke, but this was mainly due to him jumping in Mexico City.

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

Ty Cobb stole home 54 times.

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

Jim Rice holds the record for most GIDPs in a season. He actually holds the top two spots, and they were in consecutive years: 36 in 1984 and 35 in 1985.

He ranks 6th all time in GIDPs with 315, behind Cal Ripken, Carl Yastrzemski, Dave Winfield, Eddie Murray... and Hank Aaron.

In 1982 Rickey Henderson was caught stealing 42 times, but he also stole 130 bases that year. Through 113 games, Jose Reyes has 54 stolen bases, which puts him on pace to steal 77 by year's end.

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

Isiah " J.R." Riders whole name is Isiah Rider, Jr. Hence his nickname.

Re: random sports stats/facts that surprise you when you first hear th
 

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In 2000 Marhsall Faulk set the record for most TDs in a season. In 2003 Priest Holmes broke it. In 2005 Shaun Alexander broke it. In 2006 Ladanian Tomlinson broke it.

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this is awesome