5 Things You Should Know About Jackie Robinson

Baseball has always been a game of numbers, and on April 15, 2011, no number will be more important than 42. That’s the jersey number of Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson, and it will be worn by all 780 Major League Baseball players and managers as they honor the legacy of the first black player to break major-league baseball’s color line.

Born in Cairo, Georgia and raised in Pasadena, California, Robinson began his career in the Negro leagues before leading the Brooklyn Dodgers to six pennants and one World Championship over a memorable 10-year span.

His competitive nature made him one of the finest Major League Baseball players of his day and led Dodgers manager Leo Durocher to quip, “This guy didn't just come to play. He come to beat ya. He come to stuff the goddamn bat right up your ass."

Learn more about Jackie Robinson by clicking here.

In The Spotlight

Steve Nash isn’t your typical NBA player. While most of his peers are muscular mutants with single digit IQs, Nash is a hyper-intelligent, floppy-haired goofball whose passion for basketball is rivaled only by his keen interest in politics, filmmaking and sustainability. Despite his unusual makeup, this carefree Canuck has become a six-time All-Star and a two-time league MVP, proving once and for all that good guys don’t always finish last. Read more about Nash by clicking here.

Question of the Week

David, Fort Smith, AR
Subj: Coaching titles
Okay, what is it with these coaches and their titles of "assistant head coach" and "associate head coach" and co-offensive coordinator and co-head coach and such? Heck, here at Arkansas we had a running game coordinator and a passing game coordinator and an offensive coordinator (I think-- he might have gotten lost in the title shuffle). Whatever happened to "coach"?

You bring up a fabulous point David. It wasn’t long ago that men like Pud Galvin pitched 72 complete games a year, football players like Jim Thorpe played on both sides of the ball and a single coach could control an entire team all on his own. Although I can appreciate the need for specialization, a part of me also longs for a time when your dentist could simultaneously cut your hair while also giving you a good bleeding with a leech. Now those were the days!

What's In A Name?

Frank, Bethesda, MD
Subj: What’s in a name?
How did Muggsy Bogues get his nickname?

Most basketball fans recall Tyrone Curtis Bogues as being a cute and huggable ambassador of the game, but the reality is that this 5’3” sparkplug grew up in one of Baltimore’s most dangerous housing projects and saw his father carted off to the clink on an armed robbery charge when he was just 12. "I grew up as hard as you can get it," Bogues told Sports Illustrated years later. "I wasn't proud of what my pops did, but I guess at the time he felt that was his only means of survival." That experience, combined with his diminutive size contributed to Bogues usually being the dirtiest and most physical player on the court. In fact, Bogues manhandled his opponents so much that fellow Dunbar Poet – and 5’5” guard - Dwayne Woods named him “Muggsy” because his style of play reminded him of a mugging. The name stuck and Bogues still answers to his colorful moniker to this day.

NCAA Powerhouses

This year’s NCAA tournament bracket has plenty of names that may be unfamiliar to casual basketball observers. St. Peters? Never heard of ‘em. Morehead State? Heck, we didn’t even know that Morehead was a state. Luckily for you, we’ve separated the wheat from the chaff with our comprehensive list of NCAA powerhouses. Each of the following programs has been selected to reflect its perennial dominance in tournament and conference play, its list of outstanding alumni, and, of course, it’s overall consistency. There are no Cinderellas here, just collegiate goliaths who are always in the thick of the hunt. Read all about it by clicking here.