This Date in Chicago Sports-----December 31, 2009

A scoring error erases an apparent Northwestern 20-19 basketball victory over Notre Dame at Evanston. The official scorer discovers a lost Irish point, and the game is officially recorded as a 20-20 tie.

This Date in Chicago Sports--- December 30, 1987

The Bears defeat the New Orleans Saints, 33-25, at Soldier Field. Devin Hester is the star of the game with a 64 yard punt return and a 55 yard pass reception, both for touchdowns.

December 29, 1963

The Bears convert two Y.A. Tittle interceptions into touchdowns, and defeat the New York Giants, 14-10, in chilly Wrigley Field, as they win their eighth NFL championship.

This Date in Chicago Sports--- December 28, 1950

In a basketball game played at the Milwaukee Arena, Northwestern topples the Marquette Warriors, 81-69, as Jack Fendley and Ray Ragelis lead the Wildcat attack with 18 points each.

Walter Payton High School

Walter Payton High School is a select enrollment school on Chicago's North Side. Select enrollment means that kids must have high test scores to get into the school. Walter Payton is ranked as one of the best schools academically, not only in Chicago but the state as well. Students at Payton who go out for sports do well in track and field and volleyball for instance, and not the hit'em hard, knock'em down variety of football that Walter Payton played for the Bears. Although Payton fields a football team for CPS competition, they are not very good. A little ironic, in my opinion.

This Date in Chicago Sports--- December 27, 1987

Walter Payton plays in his last regular season game as a Bear, in a 6-3 victory over the LA Raiders in Southern California. "Sweetness" gains 82 yards rushing and catches two passes for 21 yards.

Sid Luckman

There is an argument among fans about who was the best Jewish baseball player. Was it the slugger Hank Greenberg or the great pitcher Sandy Koufax? There is no split opinion though about who was the best Jewish football player. Only one name comes up in the discussion, and that is Sid Luckman.

Luckman played collegiate ball at Columbia where he was an All-American. However it was with the Chicago Bears that Luckman made his name among the football greats. Playing for the Bears from 1939-1950, with a stint along the way in the Merchant Marine, Luckman led the Bears to four NFL titles. He was the first "T" formation quarterback in the pros, revolutionizing the offensive-side of football. Luckman, a member of the NFL Hall of Fame, threw for a total of 14,686 yards with 137 passing touchdowns.

This Date in Chicago Sports--- December 26, 1943

A crowd of about 33,000 fans come out to see the war-time NFL championship game between the Bears and the Redskins at Wrigley Field. Sid Luckman, who is on leave from the Merchant Marine, throws five touchdown passes as the Bears win the title, 41-21.

This Date in Chicago Sports---December 25, 1896

Playing a Christmas Day game on the Midway in the relatively new sport of football, the University of Chicago soundly defeats Northwestern University, 46-6.

This Date in Chicago Sports---December 24, 1952

DuSable crushes Forman, 102-62, in the Chicago High School Prep Illinois Tech Basketball Tournament, held at the International Amphitheater.

Howie Carl

As a high school kid and Chicago sports fanatic, Howie Carl was my favorite local basketball player. I remember treking down to Alumi Hall on Belden and Sheffield by bus and el to watch Howie play on Coach Ray Meyer's Blue Demons. As a fellow Jewish kid from the North Side, I thought that it was pretty amazing that Howie was playing at Catholic DePaul. Howie was an incredible long shooter and he played well with his backcourt companion Bill Haig. I know that he had a cup of coffee with the NBA Packers, but my best memories of him are those beautiful long shots going swish through the hoops on those cold winter nights in that gym on Belden.

This Date in Chicago Sports---December 23, 1960

DePaul guard Howie Carl scores 43 points against the Marquette Warriors at Alumni Hall on Belden Street, which are the most points ever scored by a Blue Demon in that venue.

This Date in Chicago Sports---December 22, 1982

Reggie Theus pours in 46 points, but the Bulls fall to the Celtics, 140-131, in a game played at the Boston Garden.

This Date in Chicago Sports---December 21, 1947

The Chicago Cardinals win their first NFL championship, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles, 28-21, in the title game.

This Date in Chicago Sports---December 20, 1948

The Fighting Illini trounce DePaul, 89-51, in hoops action in Champaign. Illinois gets revenge after falling to the Blue Demons, 60-50, in Chicago nine days before.

This Date in Chicago Sports---December 19, 1969

Bulls star guard Jerry Sloan is seriously hurt in a game played against the Knicks at the Stadium. Sloan misses 29 games due to the injury.

This Date in Chicago Sports---December 18, 1932

The Bears win the first NFL playoff title game, which was played indoors at the Chicago Stadium, defeating the Portsmouth (Ohio) Spartans, 9-0. The indoor "field" was 80 yards long.

This Date in Chicago Sports-----December 17, 1949

DePaul defeats Loyola, 59-53, and Northwestern topples Notre Dame 66-56, in a basketball doubleheader at the Chicago Stadium.

This Date in Chicago Sports---December 16, 1951

Charlie Trippi leads the Cardinals to a 24-14 win over the Bears at Wrigley Field. Trippi rushes for 145 yards and throws nine passes for 106 yards.

This Date in Chicago Sports---December 15, 1979

Teddy Grubbs scores 28 points to lead DePaul to a 99-94 victory over UCLA. This game is only the fourth Bruin defeat at Pauley Pavilion since the building opened in 1965.

This Date in Chicago Sports---December 14, 1965

Eddie Stanky succeeds Al Lopez as White Sox skipper. Stanky manages for two and one-half years and compiles a 206-197 record for the Pale Hose.

This Date in Chicago Sports---December 13, 1942

After a dominant regular season, with a record of 11-0, and scoring 376 points to their opponents 84, the Bears lose the NFL championship game, 14- 6, to the Redskins in a game played at Griffith Stadium.

This Date in Chicago Sports---December 12, 1965

Gale Sayers scores six touchdowns in the Bears 61-20 rout of the San Francisco 49ers at Wrigley Field. Sayers scores on four rushes, one pass and a punt return.

This Date in Chicago Sports---December 11, 1949

Bears quarterback Johnny Lujack sets an NFL passing record as he throws for 468 yards with 24 completions, as the Bears clobber the hometown rival Cardinals, 52-21, in the final game of the season. However the Bears finish one half game behind the Rams in the title race.

This Date in Chicago Sports---December 10, 1976

The White Sox trade future Hall of Famer, Rich Gossage, and Terry Forster to the Pittsburgh Pirates for pitcher Silvio Martinez and outfielder Richie Zisk. Gossage and Forster are reunited with ex-Sox skipper Chuck Tanner in Pittsburgh.

This Date in Chicago Sports---December 9, 1978

The Chicago Hustle play in the debut game of the Woman's Professional Basketball League. The Hustle defeat the Milwaukee Does, 92-87, as Debra Waddy-Rossow tosses in 30 points.

KUP

Irv Kupcinet, known to many Chicagoans of a certain generation as a fabled newspaper and television personality, had quite an interesting sports career as well. Kup was a star quarterback with an outstanding Harrison High team. He went on to play at the University of North Dakota as an All-American. Drafted by the Eagles, Kup played in two NFL games as quarterback in 1935, tossing five passes, while completing one pass for six yards. Injuries curtailed his playing career, but he stayed in the game as a referee for many years. Later on, he was the legendary Jack Brickhouse's sidekick as the color man on Bear radio broadcasts.

This Date in Chicago Sports---December 8, 1940

A stunned crowd of 36,034 see the Chicago Bears trounce the Washington Redskins, 73-0, in the NFL title game at Griffith Stadium. The Bears ground game gains 381 yards, contrasted to only 5 by the Redskins. One of the officials during the game is Irv Kupcinet, the head linesman.

This Date in Chicago Sports---December 7, 1941

Despite the news of Pearl Harbor, Chicago's great NFL rivalry continues, as the Bears defeat the Cardinals, 34-24, at Comiskey Park.

My Book

Some of you already know that I am working on a book. Its subject is the White Sox from 1921 through 1950, from the aftermath of the Scandal to the start of the Go Go era. I've recently joined SABR (the Society of American Baseball Research) and will use its resources as well as documents in the Charles Comiskey archives at the Chicago History Museum in my pursuit.

This Date in Chicago Sports---August 10, 1938

After playing just one season with his hometown Cubs, shortstop Dick Bartell is traded to the Detroit, where he plays a major role in the Tigers' 1940 American League championship season.

This Date in Chicago Sports---December 5, 1964

Weber, champion of the Catholic League, trounces CVS, champion of the Public League, 34-13, in the annual High School Prep Bowl at Soldier Field. Chuck Kurzawski rushes for 148 yards in eighteen carries and scores a touchdown for the winners.

This Date in Chicago Sports---December 4, 1943

The 3rd annual National All-Star bowling tournament opens at the Servicemens' Center in the Auditorium Theater. There are 132 contestants competing in the event, co-sponsored by Tribune Charities and the Bowling Proprietors Association of America.

This Date in Chicago Sports---December 3, 1970

The great glove leaves Chicago once again! Luis Aparicio is traded to the Red Sox for two mediocre infielders, Mike Andrews and Luis Alvorado

This Date in Chicago Sports---December 2, 1942

Ray Meyer coaches his first game at DePaul University. The Blue Demons defeat the Aero MACS, a team of servicemen who had played college ball, 51-28. The game was played at the Navy Pier gymnasium.

This Date in Chicago Sports---December 1, 1982

The visiting Bulls are defeated by the Kansas City Kings, 143-132, in a game played at the Kemper Arena.