This day in 1970 – The Oregon Highway Division attempts to destroy a rotting beached Sperm whale with explosives, this became the infamous “exploding whale” incident.

Matthew Sean “Matt” Bowen
Born: November 12, 1976, Glen Ellyn, Illinois
NFL football Strong Safety
Pro-career: 2000-2006
College: University of Iowa
Teams: St. Louis Rams, Green Bay Packers, Washington Redskins, Buffalo Bills
Honors: Rams Rookie of the Year

Lance Marell Briggs
Born: November 12, 1980, Sacramento, California
NFL football Linebacker
Pro-career: 2003-present
College: University of Arizona
Teams: Chicago Bears
Honors: (2005) First-Team All-Pro selection
(2006) Second-Team All-Pro selection
(2005-2008) Pro Bowl selection

Ronald Raymond Bryant
Born: November 12, 1947, Redlands, California
MLB baseball Pitcher
Pro career: 1967-1975
Teams: San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals
Honors: 1973, 24-12 record

Homer Giles Bush
Born: November 12, 1972, East St. Louis, Illinois
MLB baseball Second Baseman
Pro-career: 1997-2004
Teams: New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Florida Marlins, New York Yankees
Honors: 1998 World Series champion

Jack Butler
Born: November 12, 1927, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
NFL football Cornerback
Pro career: 1951-1959
College: St. Bonaventure University
Honors: 4 Pro Bowls (1956-1959)

Jules “Zuck” Carlson
Born: November 12, 1904, Ahsahka, Idaho
Died: January 21, 1986
NFL football Center, Guard
College: Oregon State University
Teams: Chicago Bears

Mikhail Ivanovich Chigorin
Born: November 12, 1850, Gatchina, Russia
Died: January 25, 1908
Russian chess professional
Pro career: 1873-1907
Tournament of New York 1889 he was equal first with Max Weiss
Won a ‘telegraph match’ against the great Steinitz
The 1892 rematch against Wilhelm Steinitz was included in plot of 1964 novel by John Brunner entitled “The Squares of the City.”

Chris Cole
Born: November 12, 1977, Orange, Texas
NFL football League Wide Receiver
Pro-career: 2000-2003
College: Texas A&M University
Teams: Denver Broncos

Nadia Elena Comaneci
Born: November 12, 1961, Onesti, Romania
Romanian gymnast Uneven Bars
Honors: Scored 10.0 on Uneven Bars in 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal – age of 14
Captured the all-around, beam, and bars titles in Montreal
Earned a bronze medal on the floor exercise in Montreal
First Romanian gymnast to win the all-around title at the Olympics
Olympic Order- highest award; International Olympic Committee, 1984 and 2004

Joseph Coors, Sr. (Athletics without beer? Unthinkable!)
Born: November 12, 1917,
Died: March 15, 2003
Pro career: 1941-1988
College: Cornell University
Teams: Coors Brewery
Accomplishments: Joseph refined the cold-filtered beer manufacturing system
Offered 1-cent returns on Coors aluminum cans

Denis DeJordy
Born November 12, 1938, Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, CAN
Canadian professional ice hockey Goaltender
Pro career: 1959 – 1974
Teams: Chicago Black Hawks, Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings
Played with Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull on Chicago Black Hawks
Honors: > 1959 OHA-Jr. First All-Star Team
> 1959-60 Best Rookie – Sault Thunderbirds (EPHL)
> 1961 Stanley Cup Championship (Chicago)
> 1962-63 Les Cunningham Award – Buffalo Bisons (AHL)
> 1962-63 Harry (Hap) Holmes Memorial Award – Buffalo Bisons (fewest goals against)(AHL)
> 1963 AHL First All-Star Team
> 1966 CPHL First All-Star Team
> 1966-67 Vezina Trophy – Chicago Black Hawks (shared with Glenn Hall) (NHL)
> 1974 AHL Second All-Star Team

Gregory Carpenter Gagne
Born: November 12, 1961, Fall River, Massachusetts
MLB baseball Shortstop
Pro-career: 1983-1997
Teams: Minnesota Twins, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Dodgers
Honors: 1987, 1991 World Series champion Minnesota Twins
Two inside-the-park home runs in one game October 4, 1986

Lucas Hendley Glover
Born: November 12, 1979, Greenville, South Carolina

Past and Present Glover
PGA Tour golfer
Pro-career: 2001-present
College: Clemson University
Wins: PGA Tour 2 wins (including 2009: U.S. Open Champion) Nationwide 1 win
2009 PGA Championship 5th place
October 2009, Glover won the PGA Grand Slam of Golf in Bermuda (four major winners of 2009, Glover, Ángel Cabrera, Stewart Cink and Y. E. Yang). Glover won the two day event by five strokes over Cabrera.

Tonya Maxene Harding
Nickname: Bruiser ( I am joking) haha – no nickname
Born: November 12, 1970, Portland, Oregon
American figure skating champion
Honors: 1991 – won the U.S. Figure Skating Championships
1991 – placed second to Kristi Yamaguchi in the World Championships
1991 Received event’s first 6.0 to a female single skater for technical merit
After skating: 2002, Tonya (Bruiser) Harding beat Paula Jones when she boxed on the Fox TV network Celebrity Boxing event. Tonya’s boxing career was 3 wins, 3 losses and no draws.

Clifford Allen Harris
Nickname: “Captain Crash”
Born: November 12, 1948, Fayetteville, Arkansas
NFL football Safety
Pro career: 1970-1979
College: Ouachita Baptist University
Teams: Dallas Cowboys
Honors: > Pro Bowl (x6) (1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979)
> 4 time First-team All-Pro selection (1975 1976, 1977, 1978)
> 1 time Second-team All-Pro selection (1974)
> NFL 1970s All-Decade Team
> Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor

Aaron Michael Heilman
Born: November 12, 1978
MLB baseball Pitcher
Pro-career: 2003-present
College: University of Notre Dame
Teams: New York Mets, Chicago Cubs

Renaldo Hill
Born: November 12, 1978, Detroit, Michigan
NFL football Safety
Pro-career: 2001-present
College: Michigan State University
Teams: Arizona Cardinals, Oakland Raiders, Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos

Nathan William Hodel
Born: November 12, 1977, Fairview Heights, Illinois
NFL football Long Snapper
Pro-career: 2001-present
College: University of Illinois
Teams: Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots

Erik Matthew Howard
Born: November 12, 1964, Pittsfield, Massachusetts
NFL professional football Defensive Tackle
Pro-career: 1986-1996
College: Washington State University
Teams: New York Giants, New York Jets
Honors: 1990 Pro Bowl selection

Mark Hunter
Born: November 12, 1962, Petrolia, Ontario, CAN
Pro career: 1981 – 1993
NHL ice hockey Right Winger
Teams: Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, Hartford Whalers, Washington Capitals

Cesar Jimenez
Born November 12, 1984, Cumaná, Sucre, Venezuela
MLB baseball Pitcher (LH)
Pro-career: 2006, 2008
Teams: Seattle Mariners

Robert Martin “Bob” Johnson
Born: November 12, 1948, Farmington, Michigan
NHL ice hockey Goaltender
Pro-career: 24 games, 1972-1975
Teams: Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues

Mike Keim
Born: November 12, 1965, Anaheim, California
NFL football Tackle
Pro-career: 1991-1995
College: Brigham Young University
Teams: New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks

Randy Duane Knorr
Born: November 12, 1968, San Gabriel, California
MLB baseball Catcher
Pro-career: 1991-2001
Teams: Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, Florida Marlins, Texas Rangers and Montreal Expos
Honors: 1993 World Series champion

Robert Konrad
Born: November 12, 1976, Rochester, New York
NFL football Fullback
Pro-carrer: 1999-2004
College: Syracuse University
Teams: Miami Dolphins

Ron Lapointe
Born: November 12, 1949, Verdun, Quebec, CAN
Died: March 23, 1992
NHL Canadian ice hockey coach
Teams: Quebec Nordiques
Honors: Ron Lapointe Trophy awarded to Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Coach of the Year

Alphonse “Tuffy” Emil Leemans
Born: November 12, 1912, Superior, Wisconsin
Died: January 19, 1979
NFL football Running Back
Pro career: 1936-1943
Teams: New York Giants
Honors: Inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame 1978

Jason Edward Lezak
Born: November 12, 1975, Irvine, California
American Olympic swimmer
Career: World Championships 8 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze | Olympic Games 4 Gold, 1 silver and 12 Bronze other games 9 Gold, and 3 Silver.

Bryan Little
Born: November 12, 1987, Edmonton, Alberta
NHL ice hockey Right Winger
Pro career: 2007-present
Teams: Atlanta Thrashers
Honors: 2003-04 OHL Rookie of the Year
2004-05 Eastern Conference OHL All-Star
2005-06 Eastern Conference OHL All-Star
2006-07 OHL All-Star.

Corey Antoine Maggette
Born: November 12, 1979, Melrose Park, Illinois
NBA basketball Guard/Forward
Pro career: 1999-present
College: Duke University
Teams: Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Clippers

Nancy Jean Metcalf (nee: Nancy Jean Meendering)
Born: November 12, 1978, Sioux Center, Iowa
American indoor volleyball player
Honors: 2004 Summer Olympics, Athens, Greece, fifth place with the USA National Team
2009 Final Four Women’s Volleyball Cup, Lima – USA National Team

Alan Richard “Al” Michaels
Born: November 12, 1944, Brooklyn, New York
American television sportscaster
Pro-career: 1964-present
College: Arizona State University
Teams: NBC (1977-2006)
Accomplishments: Called Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Finals
5 times Emmy Award for Outstanding Sports Personality (Play-by-Play Host)
inducted into National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame in 1998
2004 Michaels was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Future: Cover NBC’s 2010 Winter Olympics, Vancouver, British Columbia

Michael Lee Moorer
Born: November 12, 1967, Monessen, Pennsylvania
Light heavyweight and Heavyweight World Champion
Pro career: 1988-2004
Honors: Moorer scored knockouts in each of his first 26 winning bouts and became one of five over 20 wins in a row: Wilfredo Gómez 32 wins in a row; Carlos Zarate Serna 23 and 28 wins in a row; John “The Beast” Mugabi 26 wins in a row; and Aaron Pryor 26 wins in a row.

Charles A. Morton
Born: November 12, 1983, Flemington, New Jersey
MLB baseball Right handed Pitcher
Pro career: 2008-present
Teams: Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates

Adam Munro
Born: November 12, 1982, St. George, Ontario
NHL ice hockey Goaltender
Pro-career: 2003-present
Teams: Chicago Blackhawks

Andrae Malone Patterson
Born: November 12, 1975, Riverside, California
NBA basketball Forward/Center
Pro-career: 1998-2000
Teams: Minnesota Timberwolves

Gerald June Perry
Born: October 30, 1960, Savannah, Georgia
MLB baseball First Baseman
Pro-career: 1983-1995
Teams: Atlanta Braves, Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals
Honors: 1988 All-Star (NL)

Jeffrey Scott Reed
Born: November 12, 1962, Joliet, Illinois
MLB baseball Catcher
Pro-career: 1984-2000
Teams: Minnesota Twins, Montreal Expos, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs
Honors: 1990 World Series Champion, Cincinnati Reds

Samuel Peralta Sosa
Born: November 12, 1968
MLB baseball Right fielder
Pro career: 1989-2007
Teams: Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers
Honors: > 7 times All-Star selection (1995, 1998-2002, 2004)
> 6 times Silver Slugger Award winner (1995, 1998-2002)
> 1998 NL MVP
> 1998 Roberto Clemente Award
> 1999 NL Hank Aaron Award
> 2000 Home Run Derby winner
Note: June 16, 2009 the New York Times reported Sosa was on a list of 103 players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003

Grant Garland Teaff
Born: November 12, 1933, Hermleigh, Texas
College football Coach
Career: 1956-1992
Noted as Baylor head coach for 20 years (1972-1992)
Honors: Paul “Bear” Bryant Award 1974
Texas Sports Hall of Fame 1995
College Football Hall of Fame 2001
Amos Alonzo Stagg Award 2006

Chris Wells
Born: November 12, 1975, Calgary, Alberta, CAN
NHL ice hockey Center/Left Wing
Pro-career: 1995-1996
Teams: Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins

Russell Westbrook
Born: November 12, 1988
NBA basketball Guard
Pro career: 2008-present
College: UCLA
Teams: Seattle SuperSonics (Now – Oklahoma City Thunder)
Honors: 4th draft pick overall, 2008
2009 NBA All-Rookie First Team

Chris Wells
Born: November 12, 1975, Calgary, Alberta, CAN
NHL ice hockey Cdenter/Left Winger
Pro career: 1995 – 2005
Teams: Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers

Rodriques “Rod” Wilson
Born: November 12, 1981, Cross, South Carolina
NFL football Linebacker
Pro-career: 2005-present
College: University of South Carolina
Teams: Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers