The Centre Cannot Hold » Sport

1913 – Emily Davison runs in front of a horse at the Epsom Derby

Loki — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 21:23:03 +0000

No one really knows what Emily Davison had in mind when she ran in front of the racehorse Amner that day. She had already established herself as a determined and clever protester – seriously, take a look at some her prior stunts – and it can’t be ruled out that this was intended as another one.

She was carrying a suffragette banner, so some sort of protest was probably intended. She was also carrying a return train ticket and a ticket for dance being held by the Suffragettes later that day, so it’s unlikely that she intended to die. Most likely, she expected the horse to stop.

For whatever reason, the horse did not. Davison was trampled and died four days later of a fractured skull. Whether it was her intent or not, she became a martyr to the Suffragette movement.

Referenced in:

Emily Davison – Greg Kihn

1962 – Sonny Liston defeats Floyd Patterson

Loki — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:23:11 +0000

Charles L. ‘Sonny’ Liston pushed hard to get his shot at the title. He was a kid from the wrong side of the tracks who occasionally went a little too far – as in 1956, when he was charged with assault and served six months before being paroled. He was a strong fighter who won a large number of his fights by knockout. When Floyd Patterson finally let him in, after months of refusing on the grounds of Liston’s supposed Mob ties, he didn’t waste the opportunity.

Liston knocked Patterson out in the first round, winning the title of World Heavyweight Boxing Champion. On July 22 of the following year, he did it again in the rematch.

But his triumph was short-lived. Cassius Clay beat him in their first bout in 1964, and again in 1965 (although by that time, Clay had renamed himself Muhammed Ali). Liston continued to fight, and won most of his bouts. He retired from professoinal boxing in 1970, and later died in early 1971, in suspicious circumstances.

Referenced in:

We Didn’t Start The Fire – Billy Joel

1966 – Rubin Carter is falsely accused by Alfred Bello

Loki — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:23:22 +0000

Alfred Bello, and his partner-in-crime, Arthur Dexter Bradley, were small-timers. Knocking over factories was their style, and the last thing they wanted to was to get involved in anything more serious.

But on June 17, 1966, they saw two men leaving the Lafayette Bar and Grill is New Jersey – two light-skinned black men, one carrying a pistol, the other a shotgun. They gave statements to the police, and tried not to incriminate themselves.

If that had been as far as it went, it might have been okay. But on October 14 of that year, Bello fingered Rubin ‘Hurricane’ Carter as one of the shooters. His testimony was essential to the guilty verdict that sent Carter to prison for murder.

In 1974, Bello recanted, claiming that the police had pressured him into making the statement. In 1975, he changed his story yet again, leading to the 1976 over-turning of the convictions of Carter and his alleged accomplice, John Artis. The pair were tried anew and convicted again. Their convictions were over-turned permanently in 1986.

Referenced in:

Hurricane – Bob Dylan

1970 – Alex Jesaulenko marks over Graeme Jenkin in the 1970 VFL Grand Final

Loki — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 21:23:24 +0000

By half time, it looked like it was all over for Carlton. Another good year for them, but on the day, Collingwood had them outmatched. Minutes before the end of the second quarter, Jesaulenko marked over Jenkin (in what would become one of the game’s most iconic images), but it availed the Blues little. When the second quarter siren sounded, Carlton trailed by 44 points, an all-but insurmountable lead.

The half-time oration by Ron Barassi, with its legendary injunction to handball, has also become legend. Carlton changed their style of play in the game’s second half, to a faster, looser style of play that depended more on handballing than kicking to move the ball forward. Carlton kicked 8 goals to Collingwood’s 3 in the third quarter, and even though they entered the final term trailing by about three goals, the momentum had decisively shifted in their direction. They won the game by only 10 points, but a narrow win is still a win.

Referenced in:

The Back Upon Which Jezza Jumped – This Is Serious Mum

Happy Grand Final Day to my fellow Aussie Rules fans!

And to the rest of you:
honestly, you don’t know what you’re missing out on here

1976 – Bruce Jenner wins Gold in the decathlon at Montreal

Loki — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 21:23:30 +0000

Born on October 28, 1940 in Mount Kisco, New York, Bruce Jenner attended Graceland College on a football scholarship, until a knee injury forced him to reassess his priorities. With the encouragement of his coach, he took up the decathlon, and represented the US in the event at the Munich Olympics in 1972. He placed tenth, and encouraged by this, devoted himself to training for the 76 Olympics.

At Montreal, as at the Pan-American Games the year before in Mexico City, he placed first, winning the gold medal for America.

He returned home a celebrity, and had a short-lived career as an actor and a celebrity endorser. These days, he makes his living as a motivational speaker.

Referenced in:

Spam – Save Ferris

1994 – Ayrton Senna crashes and dies during the San Marino Grand Prix

Loki — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 21:23:29 +0000

One of the best Grand Prix drivers in history, Senna’s death came while in the lead of the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. The cause of his fatal accident had never been conclusively determined, but the result of it was never in doubt. Senna was traveling at 135 miles per hour when his car hit the wall at Tamburello corner, and his car folded up. Senna sustained a number of injuries, including three separate blows to the head – any one of which would likely have been fatal by itself.

Ironically, Senna had spent much of that morning meeting with his fellow drivers to form a committee to help ensure Grand Prix driver’s safety after the death of Austrian driver Roland Ratzenburger the previous day on the same track. As one of the most senior and respected drivers, Senna offered to head the committee. Later, when his car was examined, it was discovered that Senna had placed a furled Austrian flag in the vehicle, presumably intending to fly it in memory of Ratzenburger during his victory lap.

In the wake of Senna’s death, the committee for driver safety was indeed formed, and today the Grand Prix Driver’s Association stands alongside his many sporting acheivements as Senna’s legacy.

Referenced in:

Saudade Part 1 & 2 (Tribute To Ayrton Senna) — Chris Rea

1994 – Skater Nancy Kerrigan is attacked by a jealous rival

Loki — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:23:33 +0000

Nancy Kerrigan, a skater who was training as a member of the US Olympic team, was attacked at practice by Shane Stant. Stant was in the pay of two men, Jeff Gillooly and Shawn Eckhardt. Her injuries forced her to withdraw from competition, and rival skater Tonya Harding won handily.

However, Gillooly was the ex-husband of Harding, and when brought up on criminal charges in the matter, incriminated her in the conspiracy also. Harding only ever admitted to helping cover up the attack, not to any prior knowledge or approval of it. Even so, the resulting scandal effectively ended her career as a skater.

Referenced in:
Headline News – Weird Al Yankovic
Tonya’s Twirls – Loudon Wainwright III

2001 – Malcolm Blight sacked as coach of St Kilda

Loki — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 21:23:28 +0000

Malcolm Blight was one of the champion Australian Rules players of his era. He played in the VFL for North Melbourne, kicking 444 goals in 178 games, and won the Brownlow Medal, the game’s highest honour, in 1978.

After retiring from playing, he coached for several seasons at different teams, including two premiership victories with the Adelaide Crows. But as time went by, his coaching fell behind the times.

In 2001, he became the coach of St Kilda, signing a $1 million (Australian) contract with the team. The season was unsuccessful. In particular, relations between Blight and players soured increasingly as the season progressed. He was sacked after round 15, having led the team to only three victories in those 15 games.

Referenced in:

Don’t Come Back – Human Nature