This Date in Chicago Sports--- February 28, 1959

Guard Paul Sheedy, playing in his last collegiate basketball game, sets the Loyola University scoring record by netting 46 points in a game. The Ramblers also set their all-team game scoring record by routing John Carroll, 127-89, at the Loyola gymnasium.

February 27, 1980

Notre Dame ends DePaul's twenty-five game basketball winning streak, as the Irish defeat the Blue Demons, 76-74, in double overtime at South Bend.

This Date in Chicago Sports--- February 26, 1987

Air Jordan is traveling at mach speed scoring 58 points, as the Bulls defeat the New Jersey Nets, 128-113. Jordan's performance breaks Chet Walker's single game high of 56 for a regular season game.

The Blue Demon Blues

All of us DePaul basketball fans were hoping that the 1983-84 season would be a memorable one. It was Coach Ray Meyer's last year at the helm before turning things over to son Joey. The Blue Demons had two outstanding players that year, Dallas Comegys and Tyrone Corbin, both of whom were headed for the NBA.

But once again DePaul fell short of its championship goal, being eliminated this time in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Coach Ray's last seven teams, won 180 games, while losing just 30. They advanced twice to the Elite 8 and once to the Final 4, but the coveted NCAA Championship eluded them.

This Date in Chicago Sports--- February 25, 1984

DePaul rallies in the second half to overtake the Louisville Cardinals, 73-63, in college basketball action at the Rosemont Horizon. Dallas Comegys and Tyrone Corbin each score 19 points for the Blue Demons.

This Date in Chicago Sports--- February 24, 1948

The White Sox trade left-handed pitcher Eddie Lopat to the Yankees, in exchange for pitchers Fred Bradley and Bill Wight. Lopat becomes a fixture in the Yankees starting rotation, while hurling in five World Series. Fred Bradley only pitched nine games in the Majors, all with the Sox. Wight lost 20 games in his first season in Chicago, but did manage a record of 15-13, with an outstanding 3.31 ERA in 1949.

This Date in Chicago Sports--- February 23, 1957

Eddie Litzenberger of the Black Hawks slaps the puck past Red Wings goalie, Glen Hall, at 19:11 in the 3rd period to give Chicago a 4-3 home ice victory.

Max Zaslofsky and the Chicago Stags

Max Zaslofsky was the best Jewish professional basketball player in Chicago. He played for the Stags from 1946-1950. During the first three years of his career, the Stags played in the Basketball Association of America (BAA), a rival league founded to compete with the already established National Basketball League in 1946. The two leagues merged at the end of the 1948-49, and became the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Chicago Stags played one year as an NBA team, folding the franchise after the 1949-50 season, and letting its players be picked up in a dispersal draft.

A guard, Zaslofsky had a great two-handed set shot. He played one collegiate year at St. John's in his hometown of New York, and then signed on with the new Stag franchise, who had Arthur Wirtz in its ownership group. The team played at Wirtz's Chicago Stadium.

Zaslofsky had four outstanding seasons with he Stags. He led them in the BAA Finals in his rookie year, but the team lost the title to the Philadelphia Warriors. Zaslofsky's 877 points that year was the fourth highest total in the League. One of his fellow backcourt players for the Stags was another Jewish player, Chicago's Mickey Rottner, who played played high school hoops at Tuley and collegiate basketball at Loyola.

Zaslofsky was a prolific scorer, by the professional standards of the time, scoring over 1,000 points per season for the Stags for the next three years. He was picked up by the New York Knicks in the dispersal draft, and he had three productive years for the Knicks. He played for three other teams in the NBA before ending his career in 1956.

During the NBA's Silver Anniversary in 1971, Max Zaslofsky was chosen as one of the League's top twenty-five players in its first twenty-five years (the other Jewish player being Dolph Schayes). After all, his 7900 points scored was the third highest scored in the history of the League when he retired in 1956.

This Date in Chicago Sports--- February 22, 1948

The Chicago Stags rout the Boston Celtics, 97-77, before 3,980 fans at the Boston Arena in Basketball Association of America competition. Max Zaslofsky leads the Stags in scoring with 21 points.

This Date in Chicago Sports--- February 21, 1970

Bobby Hull scores his 500th career goal, as the Black Hawks defeat the New York Rangers, 4-2.

This Date in Chicago Sports--- February 20, 1944

In a defensive masterpiece on Chicago Stadium ice, the Black Hawks and Toronto Maple Leafs play to a penalty-free, 0-0 tie.

This Date in Chicago Sports--- February 19, 1938

The University of Chicago defeats the Iowa Hawkeyes, 38-35, in basketball action at Iowa City. The win marks the Maroons first Big Ten win since 1935, snapping a conference losing streak of 34 consecutive games.

This Date in Chicago Sports--- February 18, 1991

Air Jordan is on cruise control, as Michael Jordan's 32 points pace the Bulls to a 110-95 road victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

This Date in Chicago Sports--- February 17, 1959

A consortium of stockholders, headed by Bill Veeck, assume control over the White Sox, thus formally ending Comiskey family ownership of the team.

February 16, 1983

The Bulls, behind Reggie Theus' 35 points, defeat the Indiana Pacers, 117-113, in front of a sparse turnout of 2,745 fans in Indianapolis.

Tragedy strikes the Chicago Cubs! Twenty-two year old Ken Hubbs, the Cubs' regular second baseman for the last two seasons, dies in a Utah plane crash.

This Date in Chicago Sports--- February 14, 1951

Sugar Ray Robinson isn't exactly Jake Lamotta's Valentine as he knocks out the Raging Bull in the thirteenth round, and becomes middleweight champion in a title bout at the Stadium.

This Date in Chicago Sports--- February 13, 1977

Chris Evert defeats three-time Wimbledon tennis champ, Margaret Court, 6-1 and 6-3, in the finals of the Virginia Slims tournament held at the Amphitheater.

This Date in Chicago Sports--- February 12, 1970

The Bulls "shock" the visiting Baltimore Bullets edging them by a score of 122-121, as Chicago guard, Shaler Halimon, known to fans as "Mr. Electricity", scores 27 points.

This Date in Chicago Sports--- February 11, 1977

The Cubs trade two-time batting champion, Bill Madlock, to the San Francisco Giants, for outfielder Bobby Murcer and two other players.

Dan Davis

After graduating high school at Crane Tech, Dan Davis played at Northwestern, where he was an excellent athlete as well as student. He achieved Academic All-Big Ten honors in 1968. Davis returned to Crane as basketball coach and led his team to the 1972 state finals. Later he coached at Malcolm X College. His son, Aaron Spears,was an outstanding collegiate basketball player at St. John's.

This Date in Chicago Sports--- February 10, 1965

Crane Tech crushes Wells, 83-67, for its eighteenth consecutive win in Chicago high school basketball competition, as Dan Davis scores 41 points for Crane.

This Date in Chicago Sports--- February 9, 1924

Sybil Bauer, representing the Chicago Athletic Club, sets two world records for women swimmers in Miami Beach, as she breaks her previous world marks in the 200 meters and 300 yards back stroke.

This Date in Chicago Sports--- February 8, 1976

The Bulls quiet a Super Dome crowd of 24,382 as they defeat the New Orleans Jazz by a score of 96-92.

This Date in Chicago Sports--- February 7, 1986

The Chicago Sting overcome a 5-0 Los Angeles Lazers lead by scoring five goals in the fourth quarter and the winning goal in the first 16 seconds of overtime, to achieve a 6-5 victory in indoor soccer competition at the Chicago Stadium.

This Date in Chicago Sports--- February 6, 1972

Chet "The Jet" Walker sets the Bulls individual game scoring record, as he nets 52 points in a 119-94 victory over the Cincinnati Royals.

This Date in Chicago Sports--- February 5, 1967

The Golden State Warriors edge the Bulls, 142-141, in an exciting overtime game played at the Chicago Amphitheater.

This Date in Chicago Sports--- February 4, 1950

DePaul loses to the University of San Francisco, 53-51, and Northwestern falls to Indiana, 64-59, in a Chicago Stadium collegiate basketball doubleheader.

This Date in Chicago Sports-----February 3, 1949

The Chicago Cardinals decide that two heads are better than one. The South Side NFL team appoints Phil Handler and Ray Parker as co-coaches.

This Date in Chicago Sports-----February 2, 1895

George Halas is born in Chicago. He grows up to become the legendary "Papa Bear", founder and owner of the Chicago Bears, as well as one of the co-founders of the National Football League.

This Date in Chicago Sports--- February 1, 1950

Earl "Curly" Lambeau signs a two-year contract to coach the Chicago Cardinals. Lambeau, who had been the Green Bay Packers coach for thirty-one seasons, will be paid $30,000 per year as the Cardinal coach.