A Brief History On November 25, 1851, the first YMCA located in North America was organized in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The organization, originally titled Young Men’s Christian Association, though better known by its initials, was founded in London, England, back in 1844. Digging Deeper The Montreal chapter was soon followed by the first American chapter, located in Boston, Massachusetts on December 29, 1851. The organization made famous by the disco era song with the eponymous name, “Y.M.C.A.,” brought a lot of attention to the organization, but with about 10,000 US branches of various types, we believe “The Y” has plenty…
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A Brief History On November 3, 1956, future New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms was born, and while he played in the NFL from 1979 to 1993, it is unlikely he would recognize the NFL from the year of his birth! Digging Deeper Here are some of the major differences in the NFL between 1955 and today: 1955- The Cleveland Browns were NFL Champs and the league consisted of 12 teams with no playoffs, just a Championship game. The season was 12 games long. 2022- The Browns are abysmal in recent years, including this one, and the league boasts 32…
A Brief History On November 2, 1898, the day recognized as the “birth of cheerleading,” University of Minnesota student Johnny Campbell became the first cheerleader in history, directing fans in cheering on the Golden Gophers football team. UM proudly calls itself the “Birthplace of Cheerleading,” and apparently deserves that title. Digging Deeper Prior to Campbell’s date with history, regular fans that would start cheers in the stands were called “cheerleaders,” on an unofficial basis. Today, most high school, college, and professional sports teams have cheerleaders, with a few notable exceptions. The Cleveland Browns famously or infamously do not and never…
A Brief History On September 23, 1986, Houston Astros’ pitcher Jim Deshaies set a record, striking out the first eight batters he faced. We ask you, what MLB record is the hardest to top? Digging Deeper We list some possible answers below but go ahead and tell us your own ideas if you prefer. Denton “Cy” Young, Most Wins by a pitcher, 511, 1890-1911 (Young is also the only pitcher to have pitched over 700 Complete Games) Ty Cobb, career Batting Average, .366, 1905-1928 Joe DiMaggio, 56 game hit streak, 1941 Nolan Ryan, 7 career No Hitters, 1973-1991 (Nolan Ryan…
A Brief History On September 10, 1960, Abebe Bikila, representing Ethiopia, became the first ever Sub-Saharan Black African to win an Olympic Gold Medal by taking first place in the ultimate event of the Summer Olympics, the Marathon race. Digging Deeper The 26.2-mile-long Marathon is a grueling race and is possibly the premier event of the Summer Olympics, but the fact that Bikila won the race while barefoot gives this story an entirely different angle! Bikila was a last minute substitute runner and no shoes that fit were available for him, leading to his running barefoot. Nearly as incredible as…