November 20h: This Day in History

 

Once again, it should be reiterated, that this does not pretend to be a very extensive history of what happened on this day (nor is it the most original - the links can be found down below). If you know something that I am missing, by all means, shoot me an email or leave a comment, and let me know!

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

On this day in 1789, my home state of New Jersey ratified the Bill of Rights. In 1815 on this day, in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars, Russia, Prussia, Austria & England signed the Alliance "for the maintenance of peace in Europe" on the same day as the Treaty of Paris following the second and final defeat of Napoleon (The Battle of Waterloo). On this day in 1945, the Nuremburg War Crimes trials began. In 1969 on this day, journalist Seymour Hersh filed a follow-up to the My Lai story during the war in Vietnam.

Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history:

284 - Diocletian is proclaimed Roman Emperor by his soldiers in the army of the east

762 - Bögü, Khan of the Uyghurs, conquers Lo-Yang, capital of the Chinese Empire.

1168 - Giovanni di Struma elected anti-Pope

1194 - Palermo is conquered by Emperor Henry VI.

1272 - Edward I proclaimed King of England

1342 - Pope Clemens VI names John IV of Arkel as bishop of Utrecht

1347 - Coke di Rienzo, later Roman Tribunal, addressess a meeting of on the Capitol during people's revolt in Rome

1407 - A truce between John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy and Louis of Valois, Duke of Orléans is agreed under the auspices of John, Duke of Berry. Orléans would be assassinated three days later by Burgundy.

1431 - 1st meeting of Order of Guilder Flies

1520 - Friesland hit by heavy hail storm

1521 - Arabs attribute shortage of water in Jerusalem to Jews making wine

1583 - Duke of Parma conquerors Aalst

1616 - Bishop Richelieu becomes French minister of Foreign affairs/War

1637 - Peter Minuit & 1st Swedish immigrants to Delaware sail from Sweden

1695 - Zumbi, the last of the leaders of Quilombo dos Palmares in early Brazil and ex-slave, is executed.

1719 - Sweden & Hannover sign peace Treaty of Stockholm

1755 - English minister William Pitt Sr resigns

1759 - -22] Battle in Bay of Quiberon, British beat French

1789 - New Jersey is 1st state to ratify Bill of Rights

British Prime Minister (The Great Commoner) William Pitt the ElderBritish Prime Minister (The Great Commoner) William Pitt the Elder 1795 - Curacao government forbids slave work on Sunday

1805 - Beethoven's "Fidelio," premieres in Vienna

In 1815 on this day, in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars,  Russia, Prussia, Austria & England signed the Alliance "for the maintenance of peace in Europe." It was agreed to on the same day as the Treaty of Paris between France and the allies following the final defeat and abdication of Napoleon Bonaparte.

1817 - 1st Seminole War begins in Florida

1829 - Jews expelled from Nikolayev & Sevastopol Russia

1833 - Charles Darwin reaches Punta Gorda, sees Rio Uruguay

1852 - Charles Reade/Tom Taylor's "Masks & Faces," premieres in London

1861 - Secession ordinance is filed by Kentucky's Confederate government.

1862 - Confederate armies of Mississippi and Kentucky merge as Army of Tennessee, under General Braxton Bragg

1866 - 1st natl convention of Grand Army of Republic (veterans' org)

1866 - Howard University founded (Washington DC)

1866 - Pierre Lalemont patents rotary crank bicycle

1873 - Rival cities of Buda & Pest unite to form the capital of Hungary

1888 - William Bundy patents timecard clock

Naturalist Charles DarwinNaturalist Charles Darwin 1889 - Gustav Mahler's 1st Symphony

1890 - Pope Leo XIII encyclical "On Slavery in the Missions"

1894 - US intervenes in Bluefields, Nicaragua

1901 - Opera "Grisélidis" is produced (Paris)

1902 - Geo Lefevre & Henri Desgrange create Tour de France bicycle race

1906 - George Bernard Shaws "Doctor's Dilemma," premieres in London

1909 - Jack Williams of Ottawa Rough Riders kicks 9 singles in a game

1910 - Revolution broke out in Mexico, led by Francisco I Madero

1911 - Gustav Mahler's "Das Lied von der Erde" (Song of the Earth) premieres in Munich

1914 - US State Department starts requiring photographs for passports

1915 - 7th CFL Grey Cup: Hamilton Tigers defeats Toronto Rowing, 13-7

1917 - 1st tank battle (Britain breaks through German lines)

1917 - Ukrainian Republic declared

1919 - 1st municipally owned airport in US opens (Tucson Az)

1920 - Nobel Peace Prize awarded to US president W Wilson

Playwright George Bernard ShawPlaywright George Bernard Shaw 1922 - Zoe Akins' "Texas Nightingale," premieres in NYC

1923 - Garrett Morgan invents & patents traffic signal

1923 - Rentenmark replaces the Papiermark as the official currency of Germany at the exchange rate of one Rentenmark to One Trillion (One Billion on the long scale) Papiermark

1928 - Boston Gardens opens, Mont Canadiens beat Boston Bruins, 1-0

1928 - WGH-AM in Newport News VA begins radio transmissions

1929 - 1st broadcast of "Goldbergs" on US radio

1929 - Salvador Dali's 1st one-man show

1931 - Commercial teletype service begins (AT&T)

1932 - Earthquake at Uden Netherlands

1934 - Eiji Sawamura, 17, gives up 1 hit, Lou Gehrig's HR, US beats Japan 1-0

1934 - Lillian Hellman's "Children's Hour," premieres in NYC

1934 - New Belgian government of Theunis, Francqui & Gutt (3 bankers)

1934 - Tornoto Maple Leaf Harvey Jackson is 1st to score 4 goals in 1 period

1936 - Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera, founder of the Falange is killed by a republican execution squad.

1938 - 1st documented anti-semitic remarks over US radio (by Father Coughlin)

Painter Salvador DaliPainter Salvador Dali 1940 - German air raid on Birmingham fails

1940 - Hungary joins 3 Power pact

1940 - World War II: Hungary, Romania and Slovakia join the Axis Powers.

1941 - Adm Nomura & Kurusu hands over Japanese last diplomatic note

1941 - German Q/pirate ship Kormoran sinks near Australia

1942 - 26th Russian Armoured Corps recaptures Perelazovski

1942 - British 8th Army recaptures Benghazi, Libya

1942 - NHL abolishes regular season OT until WW II is over

1942 - Soviet army offensive, 1 million Russians breach German lines

1943 - U-538 sinks in Atlantic Ocean

1943 - US forces land on Tarawa & Makin Atoll in Gilbert Island

1944 - 1st Japanse suicide submarine attack (Ulithi Atol, Carolines)

1944 - Amsterdam: Vondelpark closed because of kappen of trees

1944 - Prince Bernhard establishes staff in Breda

1945 - 24 Nazi leaders put on trial at Nuremberg, Germany

1945 - Dmitri Sjostakovitch's 9th Symphony under J Mravinski premieres

1945 - Queen Wilhelmina opens parliament in Hague

1946 - Lillian Hellman's "Another Part of the Forest," premieres in NYC

1947 - "Meet the Press" makes network TV debut on NBC

1947 - 1st permanent TV installed on seagoing vessel (New Jersey)

1947 - Pope Pius XII publishes encyclical Mediator Dei

1947 - UN General assembly begins debate on printing their own stamps

1948 - US balloon reaches height of 42.7 km (record)

1949 - Jewish population of Israel reaches 1,000,000

1951 - Snowdonia becomes a National Park

1952 - Cubs slugger Hank Sauer wins NL MVP

1952 - George Axelrods "7 Year Itch," premieres in NYC

Soviet Union Premier Joseph StalinSoviet Union Premier Joseph Stalin 1952 - Slánský trials begin - a series of Stalinist and anti-Semitic show trials in Czechoslovakia.

1953 - Scott Crossfield in Douglas Skyrocket, 1st to break Mach 2 (1,300 MPH)

1954 - KTRK TV channel 13 in Houston, TX (ABC) begins broadcasting

1955 - Kripal Singh scores 100 on Test Cricket debut, India v NZ

1955 - Polly Umrigar scores India's 1st Test Cricket double century, 223 v NZ

1957 - Morton Wishengrad's "Rope Dancers," premieres in NYC

1959 - UN adopts Universal Declaration of Children's Rights

1959 - WABC fires Alan Freed over payola scandal

1961 - WPLG TV channel 10 in Miami, FL (ABC) begins broadcasting

1962 - Mickey Mantle wins AL MVP

1962 - USSR agrees to remove bombers from Cuba, & US lifts blockade

1964 - Dmitri Sjostakovitch's 9th/10th String Quartet premiers in Moscow

1965 - "Pickwick" closes at 46th St Theater NYC after 56 performances

1965 - UN Security council calls for boycott of Rhodesia

1965 - WCNY TV channel 24 in Syracuse, NY (PBS) begins broadcasting

1966 - "Cabaret" opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 1166 performances

1966 - Clifford Ann Creed wins LPGA Success Golf Open

1966 - Dallas sacks Pittsburgh QBs an NFL record 12 times

1966 - Men in Zurich vote against female suffrage

1967 - At 11 AM, Census Clock at Dept of Commerce ticks past 200 million

1967 - Mets pitcher Tom Seaver (16-12) is named NL Rookie of Year

1968 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

1969 - Alcatraz Island off SF, is seized by militant Native Americans

1969 - Gundappa Viswanath scores 137 on Test Cricket debut v Australia Kanpur

Brazilian Football Legend PeleBrazilian Football Legend Pele 1969 - Pele scores his 1,000th soccer goal

1969 - SF Giant Willie McCovey edges Tom Seaver as NL MVP

1970 - UN General Assembly accepts membership of China PR

1971 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

1974 - Rangers' Jeff Burroughs wins AL MVP

1974 - The US files antitrust suit to break-up AT&T

1975 - Ronald Reagan announces candidacy for Republican nomination for US President

1976 - George Harrison appears on Saturday Night Live

1976 - Judy Rankin wins LPGA Colgate-Hong Kong Golf Open

1977 - Egyptian Pres Sadat became 1st Arab leader to address Israeli Knesset

1977 - Steve Largent begins NFL streak of 177 consecutive game receptions

1977 - Walter Payton (Bears) rushes for NFL-record 275 yards

1979 - Sji'ieten occupies great mosque of Mecca, 100s killed

1979 - US's 1st artificial blood transfusion occurs at U of Minn Hospital

1980 - Billy Martin named AL Manager of Year (Oakland A's)

NFL Running Back Walter PaytonNFL Running Back Walter Payton 1980 - Steve Ptacek in Solar Challenger makes 1st solar-powered flight

1980 - UA withdraws $44 million movie "Heaven's Gate" for reediting

1981 - Anatoly Karpov, USSR retains world chess championship

1981 - Burundia adopts its constitution

1981 - El Salvador guerrilla group FMLN opens "limited offensive"

1981 - Ringo releases "Stop & Smell Roses" album

1982 - Drew Barrymore at age 7 hosts Saturday Night Live

1983 - "Marilyn: An American Fable" opens at Minskoff NYC for 16 perfs

1983 - 100 million watch ABC-TV movie "Day After," about nuclear war

1983 - Cleveland Browns shutout Patriots 30-0

1983 - NY Giants Butch Woolfolk ties NFL record of 43 attempts rushing

1984 - McDonald's made its 50 billionth hamburger

1984 - Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden wins NL Rookie of Year

1984 - SETI is founded.

1985 - NY Yankee Don Mattingly easily wins AL MVP

Actress Drew BarrymoreActress Drew Barrymore 1985 - Microsoft Windows 1.0 is released.

1986 - Afghanistan President Babrak Karmal flees

1986 - UN's WHO announces 1st global effort to combat AIDS

1988 - "Les Miserables," opens a Bus & Truck tour in Tampa

1989 - Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Robin Yount wins AL MVP

1990 - Oakland's Rickey Henderson wins AL MVP

1990 - Sacramento Kings last NBA win on the road for over a year

1990 - Thatcher fails to defeat Heseltine's bid for party leadership

1990 - US 68th manned space mission STS 38 (Atlantis 7) returns from space

1991 - Atlanta Braves Terry Pendleton wins NL MVP

1992 - Queen Elizabeth's home Windsor Castle catches fire

1993 - Jakovlev-42 crashes into mountain at Ohrid Macedonia, 116 killed

1993 - Sam's Town Bowling Invitational won by Robin Romeo

1993 - Winnie Mandela's driver/bodyguard murdered in Johannesburg

1993 - Savings and Loan scandal: The United States Senate Ethics Committee issues a stern censure of California senator Alan Cranston for his "dealings" with savings-and-loan executive Charles Keating.

1994 - "Flying Karamzov Brothers..." opens at Helen Hayes NYC for 50 perfs

1994 - "Shadow Box" opens at Circle in Sq Theater NYC for 49 performances

1994 - Kosmos 2294/2295/2296 launches

1994 - The Angolan government and UNITA rebels sign the Lusaka Protocol in Zambia, ending 19 years of civil war (localized fighting resumed the next year).

1995 - "Beatles' Anthology, Vol 1" released

1995 - "Racing Demon" opens at Vivian Beaumont Theater NYC for 48 perfs

1995 - FDA approves new therapy for use as an initial AIDS treatment, 3TC

1995 - Princess Di admits she cheated on Prince Charles in a TV interview

1995 - STS 74 (Atlantis 15), lands

1997 - "Ivanov," opens at Vivian Beaumont Theater NYC for 51 performances

1997 - Flyers Eric Lindros tries to bite San Jose defenseman Marty McSorley

1997 - Last original Florida Marlin, Jeff Conine, traded to KC Royals

1997 - Mavericks' A C Green sets NBA record of 907 consecutive games played

1997 - NY Islanders lose, beginning a 10 game losing streak

Islamic Militant & Terrorist Osama bin LadenIslamic Militant & Terrorist Osama bin Laden 1998 - A court in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan declares accused terrorist Osama bin Laden "a man without a sin" in regard to the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania.

1998 - The first module of the International Space Station, Zarya, is launched.

2001 - In Washington, D.C., U.S. President George W. Bush dedicates the United States Department of Justice headquarters building as the Robert F. Kennedy Justice Building, honoring the late Robert F. Kennedy on what would have been his 76th birthday.

2003 - After the November 15 bombings, a second day of the 2003 Istanbul Bombings occurs in Istanbul, Turkey, destroying the Turkish head office of HSBC Bank AS and the British consulate.

2008 - After critical failures in the US financial system began to build up after mid-September, the Dow Jones Industrial Average reaches its lowest level since 1997.

2012 - Toshiba unveils a robot designed to help in nuclear disasters

1789 - New Jersey became the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights.   1818 - Simon Bolivar formally declared Venezuela independent of Spain.   1873 - Budapest was formed when the rival cities of Buda and Pest were united to form the capital of Hungary.   1901 - The second Hay-Pauncefoot Treaty provided for construction of the Panama Canal by the U.S.   1910 - Francisco I. Madero led a revolution that broke out in Mexico.   1929 - The radio program "The Rise of the Goldbergs," later known as "The Goldbergs," made its debut on the NBC Blue Network.   1943 - During World War II, U.S. Marines began their landing on Tarawa and Makin atolls in the Gilbert Islands.   1945 - 24 Nazi leaders went before an international war crimes tribunal in Nuremberg, Germany.   1947 - Britain's Princess Elizabeth married Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh in Westminster Abbey.   1959 - Britain, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark and Sweden met to create the European Free Trade Association.   1962 - The Cuban Missile Crisis ended. The Soviet Union removed its missiles and bombers from Cuba and the U.S. ended its blockade of the island.   1962 - Mickey Mantle was named the American League Most Valuable Player for the third time.   1967 - The Census Clock at the Department of Commerce in Washington, DC, went past 200 million.   1969 - The Nixon administration announced a halt to residential use of the pesticide DDT as part of a total phase out of the substance.   1970 - The majority in U.N. General Assembly voted to give China a seat, but two-thirds majority required for admission was not met.   1977 - Egyptian President Anwar Sadat became the first Arab leader to address Israel's parliament.   1983 - An estimated 100 million people watched the controversial ABC-TV movie "The Day After." The movie depicted the outbreak of nuclear war.   1986 - Dr. Halfdan Maher, the director of the World Health Organization, announced the first coordinated global effort to fight the disease AIDS.   1987 - Police investigating the fire at King's Cross, London's busiest subway station, said that arson was unlikely to be the cause of the event that took 31 lives.   1988 - Egypt and China announced that they would recognize the Palestinian state proclaimed by the Palestine National Council.   1989 - Over 200,000 people rallied peacefully in Prague, Czechoslovakia, demanding democratic reforms.   1990 - Saddam Hussein ordered another 250,000 Iraqi troops into the country of Kuwait.   1990 - The space shuttle Atlantis landed at Cape Canaveral, FL, after completing a secret military mission.   1992 - A fire seriously damaged the northwest side of Windsor Castle in England.   1993 - The U.S. Senate passed the Brady Bill and legislation implementing NAFTA.   1994 - The Angolan government and rebels signed a treaty in Zambia to end 19 years of war.   1995 - Princess Diana admitted being unfaithful to Prince Charles in an interview that was broadcast on BBC Television.   1998 - Afghanistan's Taliban militia offered Osama bin Laden safe haven. Osama bin Laden had been accused of orchestrating two U.S. embassy bombings in Africa and later terrorist attacks on New York City and the Pentagon.   1998 - Forty-six states agreed to a $206 billion settlement of health claims against the tobacco industry. The industry also agreed to give up billboard advertising of cigarettes.   2001 - The U.S. Justice Department headquarters building was renamed the Robert F. Kennedy building by President George W. Bush. The event was held on what would have been Kennedy's 76th birthday.





1789 New Jersey became the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights. 1910 Francisco Madero began an armed revolt against the president of Mexico, Porfirio Diaz. 1945 The war crimes trials of 24 German World War II leaders began in Nuremberg, Germany. 1947 The future Queen Elizabeth II married Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Ediburgh. 1962 President John F. Kennedy agreed to lift the American blockade of Cuba, ending the Cuban missile crisis. 1975 Spain's General Francisco Franco died. 2000 Peru's president Alberto Fujimori resigned.


The following links are to web sites that were used to complete this blog entry:

http://www.historyorb.com/today/events.php

http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/nov20.htm

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory

My Predictions For the Next Four Years

It's been slightly over two weeks since Trump won the 2024 presidential election, and the Republicans took both the House and the Senate.

So what happens now?

Here are some of my own personal predictions on what I believe we might see over the next four years:

The Republicans will succeed in deporting and/or incarcerating millions of immigrants (and possibly tens of millions). I suspect that millions will indeed be deported, while possibly millions more will be in newly constructed facilities to hold them at or near the border. There will be whispers of criticism of inhumane conditions within these facilities, but that will not deter anything.

Massive tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans and corporations, once again. This is a Republican trend, not unique to Trump, although he seems to really double down on these economic policies. 

Market numbers will look good, at least initially. But inflation will creep back up, especially if Trump does indeed proceed with tariffs the way that he is planning.

More international trade wars, possibly with countries traditionally perceived as alllies (paritcularly Europe). 

The national debt will exceed $40 trillion, and possibly start to reach $45 trillion.

The war between Russia and Ukraine will end.

The war between Israel and Palestine will not end anytime soon.

Support for Israel will increase, perhaps dramatically, under Trump. Particularly militarily, but also politically. There will be no serious criticism that Israel might be going too far or is conducting genocide. Support for Israel will become a gold mine for Washington politicians, at least for the next four years.

Once again, we will see the United States withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord.

We will see the United States withdraw from NATO (no, I am not kidding).

There will even be talk from some high-ranking government officials to withdraw the United States from the United Nations. The numbers of Americans supporting this withdrawal, will continue to grow, although it likely will not be overly significant ( at least not yet). 

Democrats will seem to win the 2025 elections and, more importantly, will win at least one if not both chambers of Congress in the mid-terms.

More leaks from within the White House. Trump will be rabid at times, but that will likely not prevent more such leaks, as occurred during his first term in office.

A national emergency of some sort or other, possibly involving "illegals," which will see Trump exerting greater forceful authority than we have seen him use before. 

There will be more signs that hatred and division are consuming the country. More displays of Nazi flags and other symbols of hatred will be paraded on American streets, and likely without comment from the White House. We will hear about some prominent members of government having ties to hate groups and/or holding positions which are considered very extremist.

At least some reporters critical of Trump and his administration will not only be attacked and considered "enemies of the people," but will be prosecuted and possibly jailed.

Those who participated in January 6th will receive a pardon (with possibly a few exceptions). In fact, I believe that January 6th may be turned into a new patriotic holiday. 

And at the end of these four years, yes, I stand by my belief that we will see Donald Trump run for yet another term in office. Some people really question why I believe this, and I will not go into details as to why I believe it. But I believe it, and suspect that within four years, you will, too. I suspect that he will try to coordinate with the Republican controlled-Congress and Supreme Court to assure that barriers to his running for a third term will be removed. At first, there will be more comments and possibly "jokes" about him running for a third term, or even being "president for life." It will remain a rumor, or be passed off as a joke, until it becomes very serious. 

However, Trump might not run again. I have a difficult time believing that, but he did text at one point that Vance would run in 2028. That actually suggests that he would honor the legal term limits. However, I suspect that if Trump does not run again, it will be because things in the country get bad fairly quickly. My suspicion is that we are overdue for some kind of serious economic crisis or even crises, and Trump's economic policies might accelerate this process. If things go really badly, we may even see more calls for accountability on Trump's part, even from Republicans. However, my suspicion is that Biden and his legacy will be blamed, and that at least initially, these arguments will hold sway among most Americans and the Republican-controlled government. They will turn on Trump only if things start to get really, undeniably bad (and they very well could). 

State of the 2024 NFL Season in Mid-November

Okay, so it has obviously been a while since I posted anything substantive about the NFL. In fact, it was just prior to my vacation, which now is approaching the two-month anniversary.

So yeah, it's been a while.

I did not have the energy to break each game down and diagnose it. That is the traditional way that I covered it, but it just sometimes feels exhausting.

Instead, it felt like a better idea just to discuss how the season is progressing so far, and to perhaps rate the best teams, as well as the worst, which I will go ahead and do.

Here goes:

The biggest game this past weekend was the rematch of last year's divisional round game between the defending champion Chiefs and the Bills. Back in January, KC handed the Buffalo faithful a devastating playoff loss which has since come to be known as "Wide Right 2," since another field goal sailing wide right cost the Bills a chance, and evoked memories of Scott Norwood's missed field goal to win the game at the end of Super Bowl XXV. 

This time around, however, the Bills were able to take care of business. Kansas City entered this weekend as the league's sole remaining unbeaten team. But the Bills bested them, earning what most likely qualifies as their biggest win in recent years. It looked great and is something which they should feel proud of. That said, however, the Bills have to prove that they can do that if these two teams meet again in the playoffs this January. Otherwise, this win will ring hollow.

After that, the Steelers win over the Ravens felt like probably the biggest and most impactful game, as it might help to decide the AFC North division race. Baltimore gave themselves a chance late, scoring a touchdown while down eight in the game's final minutes. However, they were unable to convert on a poorly executed (and it felt to me, poorly planned) two-point conversion attempt. Indeed, the announcers mentioned numerous times how the Ravens had made mistake after mistake in the game, so this appears to have been a wasted opportunity for them.

Otherwise, it is difficult to ignore the Detroit Lions, who crushed the Jaguars, 52-6. It was the second time this season that Detroit has scored 50+ points, having beaten the Titans, 52-14 just a few weeks ago. They have one of the most explosive and dangerous offenses, and appear to be one of the most dangerous teams in the league so far. In fact, I think that they may take the top spot now in overall team rankings following this performance, as well as KC's loss to Buffalo. 

Meanwhile, on the opposite end of the spectrum, the New York Jets suffered yet another disastrous loss. This one was at home to the Colts. But to me, it felt like this was the one which effectively ended any remote chance for the Jets to still qualify for the postseason. They are just too far behind too many other teams to seriously entertain any real hopes for recovery and playoff contention. I cannot help but think back to January, when quarterback Aaron Rodgers said that the Super Bowl logo this year had better have green, since he seemed to think that would mean that the Jets would qualify. Far from helping the team's title shots, or even playoff shot, it feels like Rodgers has hindered them thus far. He's not the same quarterback he was years ago, when he ranked among the elites in the league. Still, Gang Green has expressed a commitment to have Rodgers back at least for next year. Because, you know, it's been working out so well for them so far. 

Sigh. 

Anyway, here is my ranking of the top ten teams in the league to this point in the season:

1. Detroit Lions (9-1) - They just look awesome at the moment. Their offense is explosive and dangerous, and their defense is tough. And it feels like they are a team on a mission.

2. Kansas City Chiefs (9-1) - The defending champs had an active 14-game winning streak going for them as they took the field in western New York, and that would have been enough to put them in the top spot in my book. However, this loss was a big one, and suddenly, they now have not one, but two teams (the Bills and the Steelers) nipping at their heels in the AFC. Also, let's face it: they have barely escaped with some wins which could just as easily have been losses (such as the blocked field goal against Denver that felt flukey). 

3. Buffalo Bills (9-2) - I put the Bills at number three, behind the team that they just beat, because they still are a game behind KC in the race for home field advantage. If they keep playing on this level, and keep winning, however, they might go up the rankings. Still, I maintain that in the case of the Bills, they have to win in January and finally reach a Super Bowl. Until they do, I have reservations, admittedly.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-2) - Their win over the Ravens looked a little shaky towards the end. Still, a win is a win, and their record is very impressive. They have to keep it going to still be considered among the elite teams. But for now, they rank number four on my list.

5. Philadelphia Eagles (8-2) - Like with the Steelers, the Eagles have taken me by surprise. It felt like their offseason was a bit chaotic, and I was not sure that they had ironed out all the wrinkles from their disastrous collapse last year, following an awesome 10-1 start. I still feel that they need to prove that they can close this season out on the same high they are currently on. However, they have a very impressive record, and that must be for a reason.

6. Minnesota Vikings (8-2) - They are not even on top of their division, yet they are technically still only one game behind Detroit, and a game ahead of the Packers. So they are in good position to be a true contender. But the Vikings still feel like a team that is hard to trust come January, so this high rating feels a bit on shaky ground to me, and is based on where they are right now, at this point in the season, and not necessarily indicative of where they might end up when the season wraps up.

7. Green Bay Packers (7-3) - A third place team ranked number 7? Yeah, because the NFC North just looks so good this year, that it feels like that should be taken into consideration. And the Packers have been earning those win so far, so I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt.

8. Baltimore Ravens (7-3) - They lost the big showdown to the Steelers yesterday. Yet, they will get another chance against them in the coming weeks. Baltimore feels like the kind of team that could get hot at any time, and still could win the division title and have one of the higher seeds in the conference. Don't sleep on them just because of that disappointing loss yesterday.

9. San Francisco 49ers (5-5) - How can a .500 team make my list of top ten, especially after suffering a surprising loss yesterday? Well, I just suspect that they are better than their record suggests. Also, they are only one game behind the Cardinals, and I admittedly do not trust Arizona's success this season so far. So I feel the 49ers are still more dangerous and have bigger potential, if they play up to the level that they are capable of. Just saying that I will not dismiss or overlook them at this point.

10. LA Chargers (7-3) -  Another team that I am not entirely sold on. I felt that they would be going in the right direction under new head coach Jim Harbaugh, who was successful during his previous NFL tenure with San Francisco, as well as at the collegiate level with Michigan. Also, they are riding the wave of a winning streak which just reached four straight this past weekend. However, they have also consistently fallen short whenever they have faced tougher competition, with losses to the Steelers, Chiefs, and Cardinals. So while they seem to win when they are supposed to win, it also feels like they will lose when you expect them to, as well. 

Now, here is my list of the five worst (or most underperforming, or disappointing) teams in the league to this point in the season:

32. Jacksonville Jaguars - Hard to believe that they were a division winning team which won a playoff game just two seasons ago. They were regarded by many as a young, up and coming team, with a quarterback in Trevor Lawrence who had a promising future ahead of him. Times and circumstances have certainly changed since, have they not? They have an offense which produces lower than average results. However, it is their defense which has been particularly disastrous, as they are ranked damn near the bottom. They just got scorched for 52 points by the Lions in Detroit, so their defensive ranking likely isn't going to improve after such a performance.

31. New York Giants (2-8) - I have no idea if the G-Men are actually the second worst team in the league, or if this reveals my disappointed status as a fan of the team. However, their offense currently ranks dead last. Their defense is a bit better, more or less middle of the road. But they also just benched Daniel Jones. That is a move which seems to signal their willingness to admit that his tenure with the team is now effectively over. Not sure why they believed in him to the degree that they did in the first place. But this team has one of the worst records in the league, and they just feel to me like one of the very worst teams in the entire NFL at this point.

30. Tennessee Titans (2-8) - It feels as if the Titans have become almost a background team in the league in recent seasons. They have been quite horrid on both sides of the ball, with a bad defense, as well as ranking among the worst teams on offense. They have managed to score more than 17 points in only two games so far this season, and they won both of those games. So it feels like it is on offense that this team is particularly egregious.

29. Cleveland Browns (2-9) - This franchise ranks low among NFL teams this season. But they also may top the charts in terms of disappointing high expectations. I heard one or two people who predicted amazing things for this team this year, with one even predicting a Super Bowl appearance. My own expectations for them was not nearly as high, but I admittedly did expect them to return to the playoffs, following their success last season. Apparently, many of us gave this team too much credit. They did manage a surprising upset win over the Ravens just a few weeks ago. However, that was more of an aberration, as this season has spun out of control for this franchise a long time ago. That win against the Browns marks the first - and so far, the only - time that Cleveland managed to score 20 points of more this year. 

28. Las Vegas Raiders - Believe it or not, I half expected the Raiders to be decent this season. Maybe even contend for a playoff spot. Boy, was I ever wrong! They have now dropped six straight, and sport one of the worst overall records in the league. They look bad on offense, but their defense ranks among the worst in the entire league. That is falling quite short of the expectations that many had for this franchise this season. 

November 19th: This Day in History

 

Once again, it should be reiterated, that this does not pretend to be a very extensive history of what happened on this day (nor is it the most original - the links can be found down below). If you know something that I am missing, by all means, shoot me an email or leave a comment, and let me know!

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

On this day in 1805 during their famous expedition, Lewis & Clark reached the Pacific Ocean. They became the first European Americans to cross the North American continent. Warsaw University was established in 1816 on this day. On this day in 1863, American President Abraham Lincoln delivered one of his most famous and iconic speeches, the Gettysburg Address, during a visit to the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the American Civil War. On this day in 1940, Hitler urged Spain to take Gibraltar. The Nazis had assisted Franco to grab power following the Spanish Civil War, and expected him to pay them back for their help by joining the Axis. However, Franco never did, which proved a source of real frustration to Hitler. On this day in 1942 during World War II, the Red Army of the Soviet Union began their wintertime counterattack at Stalingrad under General Georgi Zhukov along the Don front. This counterattack came to be known as Operation Uranus, and turned the tide of that battle, ultimately handing Nazi Germany their first real loss during the war. Stalingrad is now known as the biggest battle in the history of warfare, which is really saying something. On a lighter note, it was on this day in 1969 that Pele scored his 1,000th career goal.

Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history:

461 - St Hilary begins his reign as Catholic Pope

615 - Pope Deusdedit/Adeodatus I elected to succeed Boniface IV

1302 - Pope Boniface VIII delegates degree "Unam sanctam"

1367 - League of Cologne goes against Danish king Waldemar IV

1493 - Christopher Columbus discovers Puerto Rico, on his 2nd voyage

1521 - Battle at Milan: Emperor Karel V's/pontifical/Spanish/German troops beat France & occupy Milan

1523 - Giulio de' Medici chosen as Pope Clemens VII

1530 - Augsburg] Emperor Karel I enables Edict of Worms

1544 - Pope Paul III opens council of Trente

1620 - Mayflower reaches Cape Cod & explores the coast

1621 - Rabbi Isaiah b Abraham aha-Levi Horowitz arrives in Israel

1644 - 1st protestant ministry society in New England

1700 - Battle at Narva: Swedish King Karel XII defeats Russians

1794 - Jakobin Club forms in Paris

1794 - Jay Treaty, 1st US extradition treaty, signed with Great Britain

On this day in 1805 during their famous expedition, Lewis & Clark reached the Pacific Ocean. They became the first European Americans to cross the North American continent. Warsaw University was established in 1816 on this day.

1824 - Storm causes St Petersburg flood, killing 10,000

1837 - Floridsdorf-Deutsch Wagram railway in Austria opens

Poet Alfred TennysonPoet Alfred Tennyson 1850 - Alfred Tennyson becomes British Poet Laureate, succeeding William Wordsworth

1861 - Julia Ward Howe committed "Battle Hymn of the Republic" to paper

1863 - Lincoln delivers his address in Gettysburg; "4 score & 7 years..."

1873 - William Marcy "Boss" Tweed, of Tammany Hall (NYC) convicted of defrauding city of $6M, sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment

1879 - Natl Association of Trotting Horse Breeders determines what "is" a trotter

1881 - A meteorite lands near the village of Großliebenthal, southwest of Odessa, Ukraine.

1887 - Start of Sherlock Holmes "Adventure of Dying Detective" (BG)

1893 - 1st newspaper color supplement (NY World)

1894 - 1st mushroom on a stamp (China 1 & 5 Ap)

1894 - Dutch troops occupy & plunders palace of Tjakra Negara, Lombok

1895 - Frederick E Blaisdell patents the pencil

1896 - Start of Sherlock Holmes "Adventure of Sussex Vampire" (BG)

1903 - Carrie Nation attempts to address Senate

1906 - London selected to host 1908 Olympics

1909 - Former Dutch premier Abraham Kuyper denies corruption

Explorer of the New World Christopher ColumbusExplorer of the New World Christopher Columbus 1910 - Ferenc Molnàrs "Tester," premieres in Budapest

1911 - NY receives 1st Marconi wireless transmission from Italy

1916 - Samuel Goldwyn and Edgar Selwyn establish Goldwyn Pictures (the company later became one of the most successful independent filmmakers).

1919 - US Senate rejects (55-39) Treaty of Versailles & League of Nations

1922 - Demonstration for a French Language University in Ghent

1923 - Béla Bartòk's "Tancsuite," premieres

1926 - British mine strikes after 28 weeks ends

1928 - 1st issue of Time magazine, Japanese Emperor Hirohito on cover

1932 - Joe Kershalla scores 71 points in a college football game

1932 - Shaft & Thyssen demand Hitler become German chancellor

1933 - Women allowed to vote in Spain (helps right wing)

1939 - Don Lash wins 6th straight AAU cross-country 10K championship

On this day in 1940, Hitler urged Spain to take Gibraltar. The Nazis had assisted Franco to grab power following the Spanish Civil War, and expected him to pay them back for their help by joining the Axis. However, Franco never did, which proved a source of real frustration to Hitler. 

1940 - Belgian King Leopold III visits Adolf Hitler

1940 - German air raid on Birmingham fails

1942 - Joseph Goebbels visits "German Theatre in the Niederlanden"

On this day in 1942 during World War II, the Red Army of the Soviet Union began their wintertime counterattack at Stalingrad under General Georgi Zhukov along the Don front. This counterattack came to be known as Operation Uranus, and turned the tide of that battle, ultimately handing Nazi Germany their first real loss during the war. Stalingrad is now known as the biggest battle in the history of warfare, which is really saying something. 

1942 - Russia launches winter offensive against Germans along Don front

1943 - U-536 sinks in Atlantic Ocean

1944 - World War II: U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt announces the 6th War Loan Drive, aimed at selling $14 billion USD in war bonds to help pay for the war effort.

1946 - Bradman scores 119 South Australia v Victoria, 183 mins, 8 fours

1947 - 200" mirror arrives at Mt Palomar

1948 - Belgian government of Spaak, forms

1949 - Prince Rainier III coronation as 30th ruling Prince of Monaco

1950 - US General Eisenhower becomes supreme commander of NATO-Europe

1951 - Roy Campanella named NL MVP on his 30th birthday

1951 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

1952 - North American F-86 Sabre sets world aircraft speed record, 1124 KPH

1952 - Spain joins UNESCO

1953 - US Supreme Court rules (7-2) baseball is a sport not a business

1953 - US VP Richard Nixon visits Hanoi

1955 - KXMB TV channel 12 in Bismarck, ND (CBS/ABC) begins broadcasting

37th US President Richard Nixon37th US President Richard Nixon 1955 - National Review publishes its first issue.

1957 - Antonin Novotny appointed president of Czechoslovakia

1958 - First 2 F-27 Fokker's Friendships delivered on Aer Lingus

1959 - "Rocky & His Friends" debuts on ABC

1959 - Ford cancels Edsel

1960 - Mickey Vernon is hired as 1st manager of new Washington team

1961 - Houston George Blanda passes for 7 touchdowns vs NY Titans (49-13)

1962 - Fidel Castro accepts removal of Soviet weapons

1962 - KOET (now KULC) TV channel 9 in Ogden, UT (PBS) begins broadcasting

1962 - SN Behrman's "Lord Pengo," premieres in NYC

1962 - Todor Zjivkov becomes premier of Bulgaria

1965 - ABC radio begins weekly "Vietnam Update" report

1965 - Kellogg's Pop Tarts pastries created

1966 - Mad Dog Vachon beats Dick The Bruiser in Omaha, to become NWA champ

1967 - Mickey Wright wins LPGA Pensacola Ladies' Golf Invitational

Cuban President Fidel CastroCuban President Fidel Castro 1967 - The establishment of TVB, the first wireless commercial television station in Hong Kong.

1968 - Mali military coup, president Modibo Keita flees

1968 - Yankees pitcher Stan Bahnsen wins AL Rookie of Year

1969 - Apollo 12's Conrad & Bean become 3rd & 4th humans on Moon

1969 - WENY TV channel 36 in Elmira, NY (ABC) begins broadcasting

1970 - Golden Gate Park Conservatory becomes a Cal state historical landmark

1970 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

1971 - Ft Wilderness opens

1972 - "Ambassador" opens at Lunt-Fontanne Theater NYC for 9 performances

1972 - "Dear Oscar" closes at Playhouse Theater NYC after 5 performances

1972 - Gershwin Theater (Uris) opens at 1633 Broadway NYC

1972 - KFIZ TV channel 34 in Fond du Lac, WI suspends broadcasting

1972 - Willy Brandts SPD wins West German election

1973 - Elections in Suriname, premier Sedney's PNP doesn't win a chair

1975 - Reds 2nd baseman Joe Morgan is named NL MVP

1976 - George Harrison releases "This Song"

1976 - Patty Hearst is freed on $15 million bail

1976 - Jaime Ornelas Camacho takes office as the first President of the Regional Government of Madeira, Portugal.

1977 - -21] Egyptian president Sadat visits Israel

1977 - Canuck's Ron Sedlbauer fails on 3rd penalty shot against Islanders

1977 - Egyptian Pres Anwar Sadat arrives in Israel

1977 - Libya drops diplomatic relations with Egypt

1978 - Gavaskar gets twin cricket tons for India for 2nd time

1979 - Astros sign Nolan Ryan, to record 4 year, $4.5 million contract

1979 - Chuck Berry released from prison on income tax evasion

Supermodel & Actress Brooke ShieldsSupermodel & Actress Brooke Shields 1980 - CBS TV bans Calvin Klein's jean ad featuring Brooke Shields

1983 - Edmonton Oilers beat NJ Devils, 13-4, Wayne Gretzky calls the Devils "a Mickey Mouse organization"

1984 - Liquid gas tank in Mexico City explodes; 334 die

1984 - NY Met Dwight Gooden, 20, is youngest to be named NL Rookie of Year

1985 - Herb Gardner's "I'm Not Rappaport," premieres in NYC

1985 - US President Reagan & Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev meet for 1st time

1986 - Phillies 3rd baseman Mike Schmidt wins NL MVP

1986 - Tina Howe's "Coastal Disturbances," premieres in NYC

1987 - France performs nuclear test

1989 - US beats Trinidad, 1-0 qualifing for 1990 world soccer cup finals it was US' 1st qualification since 1950

1990 - Greyhound files reoganization plan so they can be traded publically

1990 - Iraq announces it will free all German hostages

1990 - Pittsburgh's Barry Bonds wins NL MVP

1991 - Balt Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken wins his 2nd AL MVP

1992 - "3 From Brooklyn" opens at Helen Hayes Theater NYC for 45 performances

General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Mikhail GorbachevGeneral Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev 1993 - Algerian Moslem fundamentalists uprising, 27 killed

1993 - Curacaose vote to remain part of Dutch Antilles

1994 - Aishwarya Rai, 21, of India, crowned 44th Miss World

1994 - Sam's Town Bowling Invitational won by Tish Johnson

1995 - "Beatle Anthology" premieres on ABC-TV

1995 - "Sacrilege" closes at Belasco Theater NYC after 21 performances

1995 - "School for Scandal" opens at Lyceum Theater NYC for 23 performances

1995 - 83rd CFL Grey Cup: Balt Stallions defeats Calgary Stampeders, 37-20

1995 - CNET lauches www.shareware.com

1995 - Keelin Curnuck, 23, Ms Venus Swimwear 1994, crowned Miss NY USA

1995 - Suicide bomber blasts into Egyptian embassy in Islamabad, kills 16

1996 - "God Said, Ha!," opens at Lyceum Theater NYC for 22 performances

1996 - "Sex & Longing" closes at Cort Theater NYC

1996 - Albert Belle, signs record five-year, $55 million with White Sox

1996 - Space Shuttle STS 80 (Columbia 21), launches into space

1996 - The case of the Port Arthur massacre comes to trial.

1996 - Lt. Gen. Maurice Baril of Canada arrives in Africa to lead a multi-national policing force in Zaire.

1997 - "Eugene Onegin," opens at Martin Beck Theater NYC

1997 - "Old Neighborhood," opens at Booth Theater NYC

1997 - STS 87 (Columbia 24) launches into orbit

1997 - In Des Moines, Iowa, Bobbi McCaughey gives birth to septuplets in the second known case where all seven babies were born alive. They would go on to become the first set of septuplets to survive infancy, with all seven alive in 2007.

1998 - Vincent van Gogh's Portrait of the Artist Without Beard sells at auction for $71.5 million USD.

42nd US President Bill Clinton42nd US President Bill Clinton 1998 - Lewinsky scandal: The United States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee begins impeachment hearings against U.S. President Bill Clinton.

1999 - Shenzhou 1: The People's Republic of China launches its first Shenzhou spacecraft.

1999 - In Istanbul, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ends a two-day summit by calling for a political settlement in Chechnya and adopting a Charter for European Security.

1794 - Britain's King George III signed the Jay Treaty. It resolved the issues left over from the Revolutionary War.   1850 - The first life insurance policy for a woman was issued. Carolyn Ingraham, 36 years old, bought the policy in Madison, NJ.   1863 - U.S. President Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg Address as he dedicated a national cemetery at the site of the Civil War battlefield in Pennsylvania.   1893 - The first newspaper color supplement was published in the Sunday New York World.   1895 - The "paper pencil" was patented by Frederick E. Blaisdell.   1919 - The U.S. Senate rejected the Treaty of Versailles with a vote of 55 in favor to 39 against. A two-thirds majority was needed for ratification.   1928 - "Time" magazine presented its cover in color for the first time. The subject was Japanese Emperor Hirohito.   1942 - During World War II, Russian forces launched their winter offensive against the Germans along the Don front.   1954 - Two automatic toll collectors were placed in service on the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey.   1959 - Ford Motor Co. announced it was ending the production of the unpopular Edsel.   1966 - Sandy Koufax (Los Angeles Dodgers) announced his retirement from major league baseball.   1969 - Apollo 12 astronauts Charles Conrad and Alan Bean made man's second landing on the moon.   1970 - Hafiz al-Assad seized power in Syria.   1977 - Egyptian President Anwar Sadat became the first Arab leader to set foot in Israel on an official visit.   1979 - Nolan Ryan (Houston Astros) signed a four-year contract for $4.5 million. At the time, Ryan was the highest paid player in major league baseball.   1981 - U.S. Steel agreed to pay $6.3 million for Marathon Oil.   1984 - Dwight Gooden, 20-year-old, of the New York Mets, became the youngest major-league pitcher to be named Rookie of the Year in the National League. (MLB)   1985 - U.S. President Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev met for the first time as they began their summit in Geneva.   1990 - NATO and the Warsaw Pact signed a treaty of nonaggression.   1993 - The U.S. Senate approved a sweeping $22.3 billion anti-crime measure.   1994 - The U.N. Security Council authorized NATO to bomb rebel Serb forces striking from neighboring Croatia.   1997 - In Carlisle, IA, septuplets were born to Bobbi McCaughey. It was only the second known case where all seven were born alive.   1998 - The impeachment inquiry of U.S. President Clinton began.   1998 - Vincent van Gogh's "Portrait of the Artist Without Beard" sold at auction for more than $71 million.   1998 - Michelle Lee received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.   1999 - In Istanbul, Turkey, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) concluded a two-day summit after adopting a new arms accord. During the conference, Russia was criticized for its military campaign against Chechnya's separatist movement.   2001 - U.S. President George W. Bush signed the most comprehensive air security bill in U.S. history.   2002 - The oil tanker Prestige broke into two pieces and sank off northwest Spain. The tanker lost about 2 million gallons of fuel oil when it ruptured November 13th and was towed about 150 miles out to sea.   2002 - The U.S. government completed its takeover of security at 424 airports nationwide.   2003 - Eight competing designs for a memorial to the victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center were unveiled. One design would be built at the site of the World Trade Center.




1703 A masked man held prisoner in the Bastille in Paris died. His true identity was the cause of much intrigue, and his story became the basis of literary works by François Voltaire and Alexandre Dumas. 1794 John Jay and Lord Grenville signed Jay's Treaty. 1863 Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the national cemetery on the Civil War battlefield of Gettysburg, Pa. 1977 Egyptian president Anwar Sadat became the first Arab leader to visit Israel. 1985 Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev met for the first time in Geneva. 1990 Milli Vanilli's Grammy award was rescinded after it was discovered they didn't do their own singing.



The following links are to web sites that were used to complete this blog entry:

http://www.historyorb.com/today/events.php

http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/nov19.htm

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory

CFL 2024 Grey Cup Review: Toronto Dominates Winnipeg

        

Grey Cup/Coupe Grey

Grey Cup Review:

Toronto Argonauts 41, Winnipeg Blue Bombers 24

Well, that was not how I expected this one to go, admittedly. I had picked Winnipeg to win it, based on what I assumed was superior experience, as well as Toronto having to play without their normal starting quarterback, Chad Kelly.

However, none of that seemed to matter in this one. Once Toronto started to roll, the Blue Bombers just looked helpless to stop their momentum, as the Argos romped to a surprisingly easy championship.

Despite having lost their starting quarterback, the Toronto Argonauts absolutely dominated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 111th Grey Cup last night. The final score was 41-24, which of course looks quite lopsided. The Argos just managed to pull away in the final quarter. Yet, the crazy part is that it was not even as close as that final score would indicate, as Winnipeg managed to score a final touchdown very late to make the final score appear more respectable than it was.  

Toronto stunned the Blue Bombers in the Grey Cup two years ago, in a much closer game. In this one, however, they ended the suspense quite early. With this win, it is now the Toronto Argonauts who appear to be on the brink of establishing themselves as the new dynasty of the CFL. It was the 19th Grey Cup title in franchise history for the Argos. They have not lost any of their eight appearances in the big game dating back to 1991, and they are 9-0 specifically against Winnipeg all-time in the Grey Cup, something which I personally was not aware of prior to this particular game.

Nick Arbuckle stepped up in a big way at QB for the Argonauts in place of the injured Chad Kelly. Arbuckle completed 26 of 37 for 252 yards, with two touchdowns, but also two INT's. Ultimately, that was a solid enough performance to earn him MVP honors for the game. Running back Ka'Deem Carey also helped Toronto in a big way as well, grounding out 79 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.

On the opposite end, Winnipeg quarterback Zach Collaros had a pretty disastrous day. He completed 15 of 30 for 202, with zero touchdowns and a rather astonishing four INT's. He did not help the Blue Bombers and their hopes of another title in this one. Wide receiver Ontaria Wilson picked up 99 yards on five catches. On the ground, Brady Oliviera picked up 84 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries for the Blue Bombers.

However, none of that was nearly enough. The Blue Bombers simply looked flat on offense almost all day, at least following a touchdown drive to open the game and briefly take the lead. For all intents and purposes, Winnipeg was ineffective on offense from that point onwards. 

As for Toronto, they managed to show more consistency. They were able to keep ahead of Winnipeg for most of the game, with an offense that did just enough early, and a defense that was tough and opportunistic, ultimately forcing too many turnovers by the Blue Bombers for them to be able to win. So it is the Toronto Argonauts who emerge as Grey Cup champions once again, for the second time in three years.

My Pick: Wildly Inaccurate

Arbuckle throws for two touchdowns to lead Argos past Bombers 41-24 in Grey Cup by Dan Ralph of The Canadoan Press, Updated Nov. 17, 2024:

https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/arbuckle-throws-for-two-touchdowns-to-lead-argos-past-bombers-41-24-in-grey-cup-1.7113509

111th Grey Cup Recap: Winnipeg vs Toronto

November 18th: This Day in History

 

Once again, it should be reiterated, that this does not pretend to be a very extensive history of what happened on this day (nor is it the most original - the links can be found down below). If you know something that I am missing, by all means, shoot me an email or leave a comment, and let me know!

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history 

On this day in the year 326, the old St. Peter's Basilica was consecrated. It had stood from the fourth until the sixteenth century, but was ultimately replaced by the modern St Peter's Basilica in Rome. In 1477 on this day, the first book printed in English "Dictes & Sayengis of the Phylosophers" was published. French King Charles VIII occupied Florence, in modern day Italy, on this day in 1494. Vasco da Gama reached the Cape of Good Hope on this day in 1497. Voltaire's "Oedipe" premiered in Paris on this day in 1718. On this day in 1863, American President Abraham Lincoln traveled to Gettysburg. The next day, he would deliver one of his most famous and eloquent speeches. In 1916 on this day during World War I, the Battle of the Somme ended. On this day in 1940, Hitler was absolutely furious after learning about Italy's debacle in Greece.  In 1987 on this day, Congress issued a final report on the Iran-Contra scandal, which helped cement American President Reagan's legacy as the "Teflon President."

Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history:

On this day in the year 326, the old St. Peter's Basilica was consecrated. It had stood from the fourth until thesixteenth century, but was ultimately replaced by the modern St Peter's Basilica in Rome.

794 - Japanese emperor Kammu deallocates residence of Nara to Kioto

1105 - Maginulf elected anti-Pope Silvester I

1210 - Pope Innocent III excommunicates Roman Catholic Emperor Otto IV

1307 - William Tell shoots apple off his son's head

1421 - Southern sea floods 72 villages, killing estimated 10,000 in Netherlands

1424 - Storm flood ravages Dutch coast

In 1477 on this day, the first book printed in English "Dictes & Sayengis of the Phylosophers" was published. French King Charles VIII occupied Florence, in modern day Italy, on this day in 1494. Vasco da Gama reached the Cape of Good Hope on this day in 1497. 

1626 - St. Peter's Basilica is consecrated. Replaced an earlier basilica. Largest Christian basilica

1667 - Treaty of Bongaja: King Hassan-Udin of Makasar & VOC

1686 - Charles Francois Felix operated on King Louis XIV of France's anal fistula after practising the surgery on several peasants.

Voltaire

Voltaire's "Oedipe" premiered in Paris on this day in 1718. On this day in 1738, France & Austria signed a peace treaty. Prussia & England signed an anti-French military covenant on this day in 1742.

1745 - Bonnie Prince Charlies troops occupy Carlisle

1755 - Worst quake in Mass Bay area strikes Boston; no deaths report

1776 - Hessians capture Ft Lee, NJ

French Enlightenment Philosopher VoltaireFrench Enlightenment Philosopher Voltaire 1787 - 1st Unitarian minister in US ordained, Boston

1793 - Louvre officially opens in Paris

1803 - Battle of Vertieres, in which Haitians defeat French

1804 - Palver Purim 1st celebrated to commemorate miraculous escape

1805 - 30 women meet at Mrs Silas Lee's home in Wiscasset Maine, organizes Female Charitable Society, first woman's club in America

1820 - Antarctica discovered by US Navy Capt Nathaniel B Palmer

1833 - Netherlands & Belgium sign Treaty of Zonhoven

1835 - -20] Charles Darwin travels to Tahiti

1852 - State funeral of Duke of Wellington (London)

1852 - Rose Philippine Duchesne dies in St. Charles, Missouri. She would be canonized on July 3, 1988 by Pope John Paul II.

On this day in 1863, American President Abraham Lincoln traveled to Gettysburg. The next day, he would deliver one of his most famous and eloquent speeches

1865 - Mark Twain publishes "Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County"

1871 - American suffragette Susan B Anthony arrested after voting on the 5th November in Rochester NY

1874 - National Woman's Christian Temperance Union organizes in Cleveland

1883 - Antonin Dvorák's "Husitska" premieres

1883 - Standard time zones forms by railroads in US & Canada

Naturalist Charles DarwinNaturalist Charles Darwin 1889 - Oahu Railway begins public service in Hawaii

1893 - Pope Leo XIII publishes encyclical Providentissimus Deus

1894 - 1st newspaper Sunday color comic section published (NY World)

1894 - 1st comic strip "Origin of a New Species" by Richard Outcault

1899 - Trumper scores 208 in 185 mins (1 five 25 fours) NSW v Qld

1902 - Bkln toymaker Morris Michton names teddy bear after Teddy Roosevelt

1903 - Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty gives US exclusive canal rights in Panama

1904 - General Esteban Huertas steps down after the government of Panama fears he wants to stage a coup.

1905 - George Bernard Shaws "Major Barbara" premieres in London

1905 - Prince Carl of Denmark becomes King Haakon VII of Norway

1906 - Langdon Mitchells "New York Idea" premieres in NYC

1909 - US invades Nicaragua, later overthrows Pres Zelaya

1911 - Britain's 1st seaplane flies

1911 - Opera "Lobetanz" 1st American performance

1912 - Albania declares independence from Turkey

Playwright George Bernard ShawPlaywright George Bernard Shaw 1913 - Lincoln Deachey performs 1st airplane loop-the-loop (San Diego)

1916 - Gen Douglas Haig finally calls off 1st Battle of the Somme in Europe

1917 - Sigma Alpha Rho, a Jewish high school fraternity, is founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1918 - Brussels free Stofnar

1918 - Latvia declares independence from Russia

1919 - H Tierney & J McCarthy's musical "Irene," premieres in NYC

1920 - Apollo Theater (Academy, Bryant) opens at 221 W 42nd St NYC

1922 - Turkish National Assembly nominates Abdul Medjid kalief

1926 - Pope Pius XI encyclical On persecution of Church in Mexico

1928 - Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse appears in NY in "Steamboat Willie"

1929 - Dr Vladimir K Zworykin demonstrates "kinescope"

1929 - Large quake in Atlantic breaks Transatlantic cable in 28 places

1929 - Stalin routes troops to Manchuria

1930 - Musical "Smiles" with Bob Hope and Fred Astaire premieres in NYC

1930 - Sjostakovitch' opera "The Nose" premiers in Lenningrad

Entertainer Bob HopeEntertainer Bob Hope 1930 - Sōka Kyōiku Gakkai, a Buddhist association later renamed Soka Gakkai, is founded by Japanese educators Tsunesaburo Makiguchi and Josei Toda.

1932 - "Flowers & Trees" receives 1st Academy Award for a cartoon

1932 - 1st tie for Best Actor Academy Award Wallace Beery & Fredric March

1936 - Germany & Italy recognized Spanish government of Francisco Franco

1936 - Main span of Golden Gate Bridge joined

1938 - Trade union members elect John L. Lewis as the first president of the Congress of Industrial Organizations.

1939 - Neth KNSM passenger ship Simon Bolivar hits German mine, 86 die

1940 - George Matesky, New York City's Mad Bomber places his first bomb at a Manhattan office building used by Consolidated Edison.

1941 - British troops open attack on Tobruk, North Africa

1941 - Jerome Chodorov/Joseph Fields' "Junior Miss," premieres in NYC

1941 - Mussolini's forces leave Abyssinia/Ethiopia

1942 - Thornton Wilders "Skin of our Teeth," premieres in NYC

1943 - 1st US ambassador to Canada, Ray Atherton, nominated

1943 - 444 British bombers attack Berlin

1943 - U-211 sinks in Atlantic Ocean

Italian Dictator Benito MussoliniItalian Dictator Benito Mussolini 1945 - Arnold Schoenberg's Prelude for orch & mixed choir, premieres

1949 - NL batting leader (.342) Jackie Robinson wins NL MVP

1950 - South Korea President Syngman Rhee forced to end mass executions

1951 - "See it Now" premieres on TV

1951 - British troops occupy Ismailiya Egypt

1951 - Former Cubs 1st baseman & future TV star of Rifleman Chuck Connors is 1st player to oppose the major league draft

1953 - Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) accept female suffrage

1954 - Yanks trade Woodling, Byrd, McDonald, Triandos, Miranada & Smith to Orioles for Turley, Larsen & Hunter as part of an 18 player deal

1955 - Bell X-2 rocket plane taken up for 1st powered flight

1956 - Morocco gains independence

1957 - Tunisia refuses Russian weapons

1958 - 1st true reservoir in Jerusalem opens

1958 - Indians minority stockholders sell their stock to William Delay

1959 - Wash Senator Bob Allison wins AL Rookie of Year

1960 - Charlie Finley makes a bid to purchase expansion LA Angels

First President of South Korea Syngman RheeFirst President of South Korea Syngman Rhee 1960 - Copyright office issues its 10 millionth registration

1961 - "Gay Life" opens at Shubert Theater NYC for 113 performances

1961 - "Kwamina" closes at 54th St Theater NYC after 32 performances

1961 - JFK sends 18,000 military advisors to South Vietnam

1961 - US Ranger 2 launched to Moon; failed

1963 - Bell Telephone introduces push button telephone

1963 - England's Dartford-Purfleet tunnel under Thames opens

1963 - King Hassan II opens 1st parliament in Morocco

1964 - Baltimore Oriole Brooks Robinson wins AL MVP

1964 - J. Edgar Hoover describes Martin Luther King as "most notorious liar"

1965 - Twins SS Zoilo Versalles is named AL MVP

1966 - Sandy Koufax announces his retirement due to arthritic left elbow

1966 - US RC bishops ends rules against eating meat on Fridays

1966 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

1967 - British government devalues pound from US equivalent of $2.80 to $2.40

First Director of the FBI J. Edgar HooverFirst Director of the FBI J. Edgar Hoover 1970 - Joe Frazier KOs Bob Foster in 2 for heavyweight boxing title

1970 - Johnny Bench wins NL MVP

1970 - Linus Pauling declares large doses of Vitamin C could ward off colds

1970 - Netherlands & Albania form diplomatic relations

1970 - Russia lands self propelled rover on Moon

1971 - China PR performs nuclear test at Lop Nor PRC

1973 - Greek regime calls emergency crisis due to mass protests

1975 - Black Panther leader Eldridge Cleaver returns to US

1975 - Calvin Murphy (Houston) ends NBA free throw streak of 58 games

1976 - Spain's parliament establishes democracy after 37 yrs of dictatorship

1976 - Yanks sign free agent Don Gullett

1978 - Great Britain performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

1978 - In Jonestown Guyana 918 members of Peoples Temple are murdered/commit suicide under leadership of cult leader Jim Jones

1979 - Ayatollah Khomeini charges US ambassador/embassy espionage

1980 - "Heaven's Gate" premieres

Chemist & Peace Activist Linus PaulingChemist & Peace Activist Linus Pauling 1980 - Despite missing 45 games, George Brett wins AL MVP

1980 - Honduras & El Salvador signs peace (after "soccer war" 1969)

1981 - Phillies 3rd baseman Mike Schmidt wins his 2nd consecutive NL MVP

1982 - Mariasela Alvarez of Dominican Republic, crowned 32nd Miss World

1982 - Duk Koo Kim dies unexpectedly from injuries sustained during a 14-round match against Ray Mancini in Las Vegas, Nevada, prompting reforms in the sport of boxing.

1984 - "3 Musketeers" closes at Broadway Theater NYC after 9 performances

1984 - 72nd CFL Grey Cup: Win Blue Bombers defeats Hamilton Tiger-Cats, 47-17

1984 - Browns set team records for most sacks (11)

1984 - Flyers' Ron Sutter fails on 11th penalty shot against Islanders

1984 - NJ Devils shutout NY Rangers 6-0

1985 - Dwight Gooden (NL) & Bret Saberhagen (AL) win Cy Young

1985 - Enterprise (OV-101) flies from Kennedy Space Center to Dulles Airport

1985 - Howard Stern radio show returns to NYC (WXRK 92.3 FM-afternoons)

1985 - Paul McCartney releases "Spies Like Us"

1986 - Roger Clemens wins AL MVP

Musician & member of the Beatles Paul McCartneyMusician & member of the Beatles Paul McCartney 1987 - 31 die in a fire at King's Cross, London's busiest tube station

1987 - Congressional committee reports on Iran-Contra affair

1987 - Cubs Andre Dawson is 1st from last-place club ever to win an MVP

1989 - Penn is 1st to restrict abortions after Supreme Court gave states the right to do so

1990 - "Fiddler on the Roof" opens at Gershwin Theater NYC for 241 perfs

1990 - 1st Solheim Cup: US beats Europe 11½-4½ at Lake Nona CC FLA

1990 - NFL NY Giants beat Det Lions 20-0, to run 1990 record to 10-0

1990 - Saddam offers to free an estimated 2,000 men held in Kuwait

1991 - France deports Marlon's daughter Cheyenne Brando to Tahiti

1991 - Moslem Shites release hostages Terry Waite & Thomas Sutherland

1991 - Auburn men's basketball team was placed on 2 yr probation for recruiting violations & is not eligble for post-season play in 1991-92

1992 - "Malcolm X" with Denzel Washington premieres in US

1992 - Howard Stern Radio Show premieres in Las Vegas NV on KXTE 107.5 FM

1993 - 27 killed at prison in Morazan, El Salvador

1993 - Black & white leaders in South Africa approve new democratic constitution

Actor Denzel WashingtonActor Denzel Washington 1993 - NAFTA passes House

1993 - North-Siberia record cold for November (-55°C)

1993 - Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie Vedder arrested for public drunkiness

1993 - WWF boss Vince McMahon charged with steroid distribution

1994 - "Star Trek VII - Generations" premieres

1995 - Jacqueline Aguilera Marcano, 19, of Venezuela, crowned 45th Miss World

1995 - Sam's Town Bowling Invitational won by Michelle Mullen

1996 - Eappens hire Louise Woodward as nanny, later she's charged with murder

1997 - Arizona Diamondbacks & Tampa Bay Devil Rays expansion draft

1997 - FBI says no evidence of foul play in 1996 TWA 800 crash

1997 - 70s glam-rock star Gary Glitter (real name Paul Gadd) arrested by British police in child porn probe

1997 - Mavericks' A C Green ties Randy Smith's NBA record of 906 cons games

1997 - Rare black pearl necklace auctioned for record $902,000

1997 - Willem de Kooning painting "Two Standing Women" sold for $4,182,500

1999 - In College Station, Texas, 12 are killed and 27 injured at Texas A&M University when a massive bonfire under construction collapses.

2002 - Iraq disarmament crisis: United Nations weapons inspectors led by Hans Blix arrive in Iraq.

2003 - The congress of the Communist Party of Indian Union (Marxist-Leninist) decides to merge the party into Kanu Sanyal's CPI(ML).

2003 - In tEngland, the Local Government Act 2003, repealing controversial anti-gay amendment Section 28, becomes effective.

2004 - Russia officially ratifies the Kyoto Protocol.

2012 - Lewis Hamilton wins the 2012 US Formula One Grand Prix

2012 - Israeli Gaza rocket strikes kill 80 alleged terrorist targets

2012 - Brad Keselowski wins the 2012 Nascar Sprint Cup




1477 - William Caxton produced "Dictes or Sayengis of the Philosophres," which was the first book to be printed in England.   1820 - Captain Nathaniel Palmer became the first American to sight the continent of Antarctica.   1865 - Samuel L. Clemens published "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" under the pen name "Mark Twain" in the New York "Saturday Press."   1883 - The U.S. and Canada adopted a system of standard time zones.   1903 - The U.S. and Panama signed a treaty that granted the U.S. rights to build the Panama Canal.  1916 - Douglas Haig, commander of the British Expeditionary Force in World War I, called off the Battle of the Somme in France. The offensive began on July 1, 1916.   1928 - The first successful sound-synchronized animated cartoon premiered in New York. It was Walt Disney's "Steamboat Willie," starring Mickey Mouse.  Disney movies, music and books   1936 - Germany and Italy recognized the Spanish government of Francisco Franco.   1942 - "The Skin of Our Teeth," by Thornton Wilder opened on Broadway.   1951 - Chuck Connors (Los Angeles Angels) became the first player to oppose the major league draft. Connors later became the star of the television show "The Rifleman."   1959 - William Wyler's "Ben-Hur" premiered at Loew's Theater in New York City's Times Square.   1966 - U.S. Roman Catholic bishops did away with the rule against eating meat on Fridays.   1969 - Apollo 12 astronauts Charles "Pete" Conrad Jr. and Alan L. Bean landed on the lunar surface during the second manned mission to the moon.   1976 - The parliament of Spain approved a bill that established a democracy after 37 years of dictatorship.   1978 - In Jonestown, Guyana, Reverend Jim Jones persuaded his followers to commit suicide by drinking a death potion. Some people were shot to death. 914 cult members were left dead including over 200 children.   1983 - Argentina announced its ability to produce enriched uranium for use in nuclear weapons.   1985 - Joe Theismann (Washington Redskins) broke his leg after being hit by Lawrence Taylor (New York Giants). The injury ended Theismann's 12 year National Football League (NFL) career.   1987 - The U.S. Congress issued the Iran-Contra Affair report. The report said that President Ronald Reagan bore "ultimate responsibility" for wrongdoing by his aides.   1987 - 31 people died in a fire at King's Cross, London's busiest subway station.   1987 - CBS Inc. announced it had agreed to sell its record division to Sony Corp. for about $2 billion.   1988 - U.S. President Reagan signed major legislation provided the death penalty for drug traffickers who kill.   1991 - Shiite Muslim kidnappers in Lebanon freed Anglican Church envoy Terry Waite and Thomas Sutherland.   1993 - The U.S. House of Representatives joined the U.S. Senate in approving legislation aimed at protecting abortion facilities, staff and patients.   1993 - American Airlines flight attendants went on strike. They ended their strike only 4 days later.   1993 - Representatives from 21 South African political parties approved a new constitution.   1994 - Outside a mosque in the Gaza Strip, 15 people were killed and more than 150 wounded when Palestinian police opened fire on rioting worshipers.   1997 - The FBI officially pulled out of the probe into the TWA Flight 800 disaster. They said the explosion that destroyed the Boeing 747 was not caused by a criminal act. 230 people were killed.   1997 - First Union Corp. announced its purchase of CoreStates Financial Corp. for $16.1 billion. To date it was the largest banking deal in U.S. history.   1999 - 12 people were killed and 28 injured when a huge bonfire under construction collapsed at Texas A&M in College Station, TX.   2001 - Nintendo released the GameCube home video game console in the United States.

1820 Captain Nathaniel Palmer discovered Antarctica. 1883 Standard time began in the United States. 1886 Chester A. Arthur, the 21st president of the United States (1881–1885), died in New York at 56. 1928 Mickey Mouse made his debut in Steamboat Willie. 1976 Spain's parliament approved a bill to establish a democracy after 37 years of dictatorship. 1978 Jim Jones, a U.S. pastor, led 914 of his followers to their deaths at Jonestown, Guyana, by drinking a cyanide-laced fruit drink. Cult members who refused to swallow the drink were shot. 2003 The Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that the right to same sex marriage was guaranteed by the state constitution. 2004 The UN Security Council held a two-day session in Nairobi. This was the first time it had convened outside of New York headquarters.

The following links are to web sites that were used to complete this blog entry:

http://www.historyorb.com/today/events.php

http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/nov18.htm

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory