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HomeSportsHart AttackHARTLEY MILLER’S HART ATTACK – (Happy Friday the 13th) OCTOBER 13th, 2017...

HARTLEY MILLER’S HART ATTACK – (Happy Friday the 13th) OCTOBER 13th, 2017 EDITION 649

I sincerely hope you are not one of the reported 60 million people worldwide suffering from paraskavedekatriaphobia, a morbid, irrational fear of the date “Friday the 13th.”

In English, German, and Portuguese cultures, Friday the 13th of any month is considered a “bad luck” day.

Friday the 13th certainly impacts sports teams and athletes.

Many players avoid signing contracts on this day and are reluctant to wearing jersey #13, however, that hasn’t stopped several all top greats from having number 13 on their back.

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Here’s a list of 13 prominent athletes that have donned #13:

WILT CHAMBERLAIN:

The seven-foot-one center averaged 30.1 points and 22.9 rebounds during his NBA career.

The four-time MVP hooped a record 100 points in a game on March 2nd, 1962 against the Knicks.

He has my vote as the greatest athlete to wear #13.

He may be just as famous for another number.

Chamberlain boasted in his autobiography to have slept with more than 20,000 women in his lifetime.

 

STEVE NASH:

While wearing #13 in Phoenix, Nash won two MVP awards and was an eight-time NBA All-Star.

Canada’s greatest basketball player has the third-most assists in league history behind only John Stockton and Jason Kidd.

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JAMES HARDEN:

This summer, the Houston Rockets gave Harden the richest contract in NBA history.

He signed a four-year extension for $160 million, giving him a total six-year deal with $228 million.

 

MATS SUNDIN:

A nine-time all-star, Sundin averaged a point-per-game over an 18-season NHL career with Quebec, Toronto, and Vancouver.

He is the first Swedish-born player to score at least 500 goals in the NHL (564).

Sundin posted at least 70 points in 15 consecutive NHL seasons.

 

PAVEL DATSYUK:

He averaged 92 points-per-season from 2005 to 2009 and was a key member of Stanley Cup winning teams in Detroit in 2002 and 2008.

Datsyuk also was a four-time winner of the Lady Byng Trophy (gentlemanly play) and a three-time winner of the Selke Trophy (best defensive forward).

 

DAN MARINO:

A nine-time Pro Bowl selection, the former Miami Dolphins quarterback was the first player to pass for 5,000 yards in an NFL season.

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Marino is arguably the greatest NFL player never to win a Super Bowl.

 

KURT WARNER:

Arguably the greatest undrafted player in NFL history, Warner won two MVP awards (1999, 2001) and was the quarterback that led the St. Louis Rams to a championship in Super Bowl 34.

 

DON MAYNARD:

The Hall of Fame receiver holds the New York Jets franchise records with 627 receptions, 11,732 receiving yards, and 88 touchdowns (1960-72).

 

ODELL BECKHAM JR.:

The New York Giants best offensive weapon has made numerous highlight reel catches, some of them one-handed.

His luck ran out, at least for this year, when he suffered a season-ending ankle injury on Sunday in a loss against the Los Angeles Chargers.

 

ALEX RODRIGUEZ:

He won two MVP awards and a World Series title with the New York Yankees in 2009, but his reputation took a massive hit after he was suspended for his use of performance-enhancing drugs, including his full-season biogenesis ban in 2014.

 

OMAR VIZQUEL:

During his 24-year Major League Baseball career, Vizquel won 11 Gold Glove Awards, including nine straight from 1993 to 2001.

The Venezuelan-born shortstop finished with a 0.985 career fielding percentage, which is tops all-time at his position.

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KRISTINE LILLY:

She was a member of the United States women’s national soccer team for 23 years, making a record 352 international appearances through 2010.

Lilly is third all-time in United States women’s national team in goals with 130 behind only Abby Wambach (184) and Mia Hamm (158).

 

MICHAEL BALLACK:

He is among the top goal scorers in the history of the German national soccer team.

Ballack led Germany to the World Cup Finals in 2002 with game-winning goals in the quarterfinals and the semi-finals.

 

Whether one is concerned about #13 or not, just to be on the safe side, I suggest the following:

  • Stick a wade of gum on your hat when playing baseball
  • Wipe the soles of your sneakers just before tip-off of a basketball game
  • Avoid wearing yellow when playing tennis
  • Fishermen are to throw back the first catch (In my case, I never get to that first catch)
  • Rodeo performers are to always shave before a competition (only the men)

 

DID YOU KNOW???

The 13th day of the month is more likely to fall on a Friday than on any other day of the week.

The pattern of our calendar, days, weeks, and months, repeats itself exactly every 400 years.

In that 400-year period there are 688 Friday the 13th’s.

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The next Friday the 13th will be in April 2018, followed by July 2018.

 

FROM THE QUOTE RACK:

Byron Scott, a former coach of the Lakers, had his home broken into and money and valuables stolen. Afterwards, Scott said, “It could be worse. I could still be the coach of the Lakers.

*Conan O’Brien of TBS

 

Vice President Mike Pence left the Indianapolis Colts game Sunday after some of the 49ers kneeled during the national anthem. Do you believe that, though? He left before the game even started. Then 49ers fans were like, “So? We’ve been doing that all year.”

*Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon

 

The Boise State football team has trained a dog to retrieve kicking tees. Too bad it’s too late to teach them to rush QB Michael Vick.

*Comedy writer TC Chong of Vancouver

 

A judge in a divorce case ordered joint custody of the couple’s Edmonton Oilers season tickets: Those will be the only hockey games where the players stop to watch the fighting in the stands.

*Comedy writer Jim Barach of WCHS-TV in Charleston, W.Va., http://jokesbyjim.blogspot.ca/

 

British tennis player Dan Evans received a one year suspension after testing positive for cocaine. What was authorities’ first clue? When Evans jumped the net to congratulate an opponent, and cleared it by 20 feet?

*Comedy writer Janice Hough of Palo Alto, California www.leftcoastsportsbabe.com

 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

WWE and reality TV star Nikki Bella and ex-NFL receiving great Terrell Owens are on Dancing With the Stars. One is a big name in total divas; the other is Nikki Bella.

*Comedy writer RJ Currie www.Sportsdeke.com

 

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Hartley Miller is the sports director and morning news anchor for 94.3 the Goat.
He also is the 94.3 radio color commentator for P.G. Cougars home games.
His column appears Fridays on myprincegeorgenow.com.
Send along a quote, note, or anecdote to [email protected]
Follow him on twitter: @Hartley_Miller

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