Unknown America Page 9

  The comeback kid, again!

  In 1984 quarterback Frank Reich recorded the most impressive comeback in the history of college football. His team, the University of Maryland, was down 31 points to the Miami Hurricanes, when Reich was called in to sub for Stan Gelbaugh. The Terps would go on to defeat the Canes 42-40 with Reich at the helm.

  Nine years later, the Buffalo Bills who were 32 points down in their game against the Houston Oilers, subbed Reich for the injured Jim Kelly. Reich came on the field to lead the Bills to the greatest comeback in professional football, defeating the Oilers 41-38 in overtime.

  Passing is for Pansies

  In the 20th century before professional football existed and college football was all there was, an incomplete forward pass used to earn a team a 15-yard penalty. Not only that, but if the pass was never touched, the defense then took possession of the ball. Though many coaches at the time regarded the forward pass as a rather “unmanly” way to play, the lower levels of contact that occurs during passing plays may have saved lives. In 1905, there were 18 football fatalities between high school and college leagues.

  Bring on the TP

  Fans of the Auburn University Tigers in Alabama have long engaged in the tradition of rolling (Throwing toilet paper) the oak trees after a victory at a placed known as Toomers Corner. Toomers is located on a corner of the campus adjacent to the old drug store and now soda fountain, that bears the same name. What many people do not know is that a sapling from one of the Toomers trees was planted on the grounds of the US Capital in Washington DC.

  The idea was spearheaded by US. Rep. Dennis Ross, a 1981 Auburn graduate. The spot on the House side of the Capitol was chosen because it had been occupied by a tree in the original 1874 landscape design for the grounds by Frederick Law Olmsted. Dave Ferguson, the chief administrative officer of the Office of the Architect of the Capitol, and a 1974 Auburn graduate assisted with the project and the addition of the tree was also approved by House and Senate leaders. The young DC oak is frequently “rolled” by Auburn Grads who work on Capital Hill after an Auburn victory.

  -“Extinct” Olympics”-

  Over the years many different sports have made their way into the Olympic line up. And over the years some competitions have been eliminated, and usually for good reason. Here are some of the stranger events that Olympic fans are no longer tortured by.

  Live Pigeon Shooting

  The live pigeon shooting event made its only Olympic appearance at the Paris Games in 1900.

  Swimming Obstacle Course

  Paris' River Seine was the scene of the one and only 200-meter obstacle swimming race at the 1900 Games. Swimmers had to climb over a pole and row of boats before swimming under another row of vessels. Australia’s Fred Lane took home the gold medal in the event, as well as finishing first in the 200 meter freestyle.

  Tug Of War

  Featured in five Olympic Games from Paris 1900 through to Antwerp 1920 (1916’s Olympiad was canceled after the outbreak of the first World War). Teams of eight men had five minutes to pull their opponents six feet over a line. If there was no winner after the time limit expired, the team who’d pulled their rivals the furthest would win.

  Long Jump For Horses

  The first and only time was also in Paris in 1900. The winner was Constant Van Langendonck of Belgium atop his mount Extra Dry. He won gold with a 6.10-meter leap.

  Croquet

  As is the case with “extinct” Olympic Events, croquet appeared at the Olympics on just one occasion. It’s notable for being the first Olympic event in which women were allowed to compete — although it was against their male counterparts and not in their own competition.

  Rope Climbing

  Making an appearance at five Olympics from 1896 to 1932, competitors began from a seated position, using only their hands to climb up 49 feet at the Athens Games in 1896, but then the climb was changed to 25 feet in the later games.

  -What's in a name?-

  Apparently for these sports teams, not much. Here are some of the, arguably, worse team names from the Amateur ranks.

  The Chinks

  The town of Pekin, IL got its name because it's believed that it's located on the exact opposite side of the globe from Pekin, China. So in light of this discovery they decide to name their athletic teams the Chinks. As sort of a backhanded salute to China. After finally coming to their senses they opted to renamed their sports teams the Dragons.

  Hot Dogs

  Frankfort High School in Frankfort Indiana is home of this team. Despite the intimidating Wiener Dog Mascot, “The Dogs” stay in the perpetual losing season category.

  Hardrockers

  Although you probably thought it something different, the Hardrockers suit up to represent The South Dakota School of Mines.

  The Fighting Planets

  The brain trust at Mars High School in Pennsylvania, thought this a clever way to give a nod to the town. But just putting the word “fighting” in front of any other word is not the way you name a team - unless maybe you're from Mars!

  The Chokers

  Grays Harbor College is a community college located in Aberdeen, Washington. This school fields men's teams for baseball and wrestling, women's teams for soccer, softball and volleyball and men's and women's teams for basketball and golf. The name has not proven to be an omen as this Northwest Athletic Conference school earns their share of victories despite the name.

  The Dirtbags

  This moniker is used exclusively for the Long Beach State baseball team. The nickname refers to the programs style of play and success against higher level teams. The name was first used in 1989 when LBS fielded it's first team and without a home field the team was forced to practice at an all dirt pony field. The schools official name is the 49'ers which all the other teams go by.

  Banana Slugs

  When Santa Cruz joined NCAA's Division III in 1981, athletic officials presented the school with its first official mascot; the sea lion. But the students were having none of it. After five years of dealing with a two-mascot problem, an overwhelming pro slug straw vote by students in 1986 persuaded the chancellor to make the Banana Slug UCSC's official mascot.

  The Criminals

  This nickname was originally an insult hurled at Yuma Union High by Phoenix Union High after Yuma defeated Phoenix for the state football championship. Yuma adopted it as their official team name in 1917. Ironically, after a fire damaged the school in 1910 Yuma High moved to the Yuma Territorial Prison for a brief “incarceration.”

  The Cornjerkers

  Referring to the motion that was used to harvest corn before the invention of modern machinery, this Hoopeston Illinois Area High School, has been resistant to keeping up with the times by perhaps considering a name change to say, the Combines.

  The Violets

  For more than a century, NYU athletes have worn violet and white in competition, which is the root of the nickname Violets. In the 1980's, after briefly using a student dressed as a Violet for a mascot, the school adopted the bobcat as its mascot. A little more intimidating for a college football team.

  Space Pioneers

  Is the name of the mascot of Indianapolis NW High School. The school, built in 1962, adopted the “Space Pioneer's” as a nod to the United States early man in space program which was under way during the school's founding. And no, the Junior Varsity team is not named the Space Cadets.

  The Macon Whoopee

  Located in Macon Georgia, the now defunct Whoopee was a professional hockey team that played from the mid 90's until 2001in the Central Hockey League. Reportedly the Whoopee had no shortage of walk-ons looking for a chance to “make” the team.

  MYTH BUSTER ALERT!

  No Double Play for Doubleday

  One of the most enduring myths of American sports history is that a fellow named Abner Doubleday invented the sport of baseball in Cooperstown New York in 1839. But there's problem with this story. There's a small town in Massachusetts call
ed Pittsfield that has in it's possession a document dated 1791 that warns against playing games of several names, one of them baseball, within eighty yards of the meeting house. The document is expressing concerns over the expense of replacing glass windows in the building. Abner Doubleday wasn't even born until 1823, casting serious doubt over his role in the sports origin.

  Although Abner most assuredly did not invent the game, he may very well have influenced it's spread and evolution. During the Civil War Doubleday served as an officer in the Union Army and his troops often played a game called baseball. The rules then were frequently adapted to fit the grounds on which the game was being played – hence the term “ground rules.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  BEFORE AMERICA

  What America looked like before it was America

  MYTH BUSTER ALERT!

  Our “real” Independence Day

  Americans mistakenly celebrate Independence on July 4th. However the day the Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence from British rule was actually July 2nd, 1776 and not the 4th. The vote took place during a meeting in Philadelphia. The “Declaration of Independence” was formally adopted by Congress on the fourth.

  To prove the 2nd is our real Independence Day, John Adams penned a letter to his wife Abigail on July 3rd which included the line; “The second day of July 1776, will be the most memorable epocha in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding generations, as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty.”

  Although Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams all claimed to have signed the document on the 4th, whether that occurred is unclear. Also many historians believe most of the signers did not sign until August 2nd and later, perhaps months later. Some historians believe the signing was not complete until as late as November of that year. The unpublished and secret Journals of Congress which were eventually made public in 1821, contain an entry stating that on August 2nd; “The declaration of independence being engrossed & compared at the table was signed by the Members.”

  Although the end result is the same, that is independence from England, it's worth noting that the signing of the Declaration of Independence was a more lengthy process than the single day event that some historians claim and most artists have portrayed.

  Party like it's 1776

  Two days before the signing the Declaration of Independence began, the delegates of the Constitutional Convention threw a party where they consumed 54 bottles of Madeira, 60 bottles of Claret, 8 bottles of fine Whiskey, 22 bottles of Porter, 8 bottles of hard cider, 12 beers, and 7 bowls of the Colonial version of “Hunch Punch.” And considering the signing may have begun on the 4th of July and the vote for Independence took place on the second, is it possible the Framers were a wee bit tipsy when they decided to stand in defiance of King George? Obviously we will never know for certain if a bit of booze was the impetus for America's Independence. But it does seem possible the framers might have engaged in a collective drunken “hey y’all watch this” moment directed at the King.

  Our family tree

  An estimated one tenth of Americans could be a blood relative of one of the original 102 pilgrims who arrived at Plymouth Rock Massachusetts aboard the Mayflower in 1620.

  England passes

  Sir Francis Drake, the English sea captain and explorer during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, claimed the land on the west coast of North America for the Crown in 1579. His claim was valid by sixteenth century standards. He had obtained consent from local natives and is thought to be the first European to discover the place. But as it turned out the Crown wasn’t much interested in the Pacific side of the New World.

  By the time the twentieth century rolled around, the event had been mainly forgotten, until 1936, when the discovery of an artifact in San Francisco Bay proved Drake’s visit and the British claim on California, or New Albion as it was called at the time. Had the claim been accepted America today could have two “New Englands.”

  An Army before America

  During the Revolutionary war both the Battles of Lexington and Concord were fought by Colonial militias. (According to the history books, the men were famously called to arms by Paul Revere, who did not shout “The British are coming.” At this point in history most residents of Massachusetts considered themselves British citizens. So that warning would have actually made no sense to them nor would it have been a cause for alarm). Once it became clear that war was at hand, the Second Continental Congress authorized a Continental Army with a unified command structure to be led by Major General George Washington. The measure passed on June 14, 1775, and is still celebrated as the Army’s birthday. Meaning the United States Army pre-dates the country of the United States. (The Continental Marines also predate the country having been founded on November 11th of that same year).

  The winds of war

  The Revolutionary War nearly started earlier than it did thanks to Sarah Tarrant. Tarrant was a nurse with a fiery temper who lived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1775. When British commander Alexander Leslie came to Salem in search of cannons he believed were hidden there, some of the locals taunted him refusing to let his troops cross the bridge into town, and scuttled his boat. During the confrontation the Salem militia gathered, armed and ready for a fight. To save face, and his troops, he ordered his men to return to Boston. On their way out, Sarah Tarrant hurled insults at the retreating redcoats, one of whom stopped and aimed his musket at her despite Leslie’s order to stand down. Fortunately, the soldier didn’t fire otherwise it’s possible the Revolutionary War would have started right then and there.

  Colonial Homophobia

  In 1647, when Manhattan was still a Dutch Colony, a married barber-surgeon, (A common combined career at the time) named Harmen Meyndertsz van den Bogaert was caught sodomizing another man—a black slave. At the time sodomy was a capital offense according to the strict Calvinist faith practiced by the Dutch.

  Van den Bogaert was arrested but broke out of jail and fled with his lover to an Iroquois village, but was tracked down. In the ensuing struggle to capture him, a shoot-out occurred and a longhouse was set on fire. He was dragged away by the posse and returned to Fort Orange. He tried to escape a second time, but drowned in the attempt. Possibly making Harmen the first victim of homophobia in North America.

  Popular Virginia

  In 1775, over two million people lived in the thirteen American colonies with about 25% of them residing in Virginia alone.

  The “Real” first POTUS

  Some historians challenge the commonly held belief that George Washington was the first President of the United States. Some claim that it was really a man named John Hanson who died in 1783. Sometimes called the “Forgotten President,” Hanson was the first elected President under the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation, which were formally known as the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, was an agreement among all thirteen original states that served as the First Constitution. It was drafted by a committee appointed by the Second Continental Congress beginning on July 12, 1776, and an approved version was sent to the states for ratification in late 1777. The formal ratification by all thirteen states was completed in early 1781. Government under the Articles was superseded by today's Constitution and Federal form of government in 1789.

  The rebellious “King Philip”

  King Philip’s War, which was waged for 14 months beginning in 1675, is one of the forgotten wars of Colonial America. Sometimes referred to as Metacom’s Rebellion, this was the final effort by Native Americans in the southern part of New England to drive out the English settlers. Although the US Civil War was the deadliest in terms of raw numbers, King Philip’s War was the deadliest in terms of per capita losses. 52 English towns were attacked, and 14 of them were destroyed. More than 2,500 colonists died which was around 30% of the English population of New
England. At least double that number of Native Americans were killed.

  The rebellion was lead by Pokunoket Indian chief Metacom whom the settlers called King Philip, and included warriors from the Wampanoag, Nipmuck, Pocumtuck and Narragansett tribes.

  Although the sequence of events leading to the war is not entirely clear, some historians believe it was due to the Indians’ increasing dependency on English goods including food and guns, and their diminishing ability to pay for them as the fur trade dried up. This caused an enormous amount of friction between the native Americans and the settlers. Apparently the last straw was when Metacom and other tribal leaders were forced to accept and recognize English sovereignty. Although other issues also contributed to the uneasy relationship, it was this dependency that seemed to tip the scales towards war.

  The conflict ended in August 1676, shortly after Metacom was captured and beheaded. Some of his supporters escaped to Canada. Those who surrendered were shipped off as slaves to the West Indies.

  It's worth noting that the settlers sought military help from England and were refused. Many historians believe it was King Philip's war that compelled the settlers, who were often uncooperative with each other, to join forces to defeat Metacom. And this new sense of cooperation and unity fostered the American identity, which would pave the way for the eventual desire for independence.