After a back-and-forth first quarter that ended with the Hornets up by one, the basement-dwellers of the Western Conference looked to steal one on the road from Jeremy Lin ’10 and the Houston Rockets. But a 25-foot jumper from Lin in the very next frame capped off a 12-5 Rockets run that saw the final lead change of the game.
Lin recorded nine points and seven assists as the Houston Rockets took their second straight in a 104-92 win over the New Orleans Hornets Wednesday night.
After a 2012 regular season that began with playoff hype but ended with the Buffalo Bills posting a 6-10 record for the third time in four years, Ryan Fitzpatrick ’05 heads into the offseason with an organization facing more questions than answers. Although Fitzpatrick signed a seven year contract valued at more than $60 million dollars with the Bills last season, with the head coach that developed him—Chan Gailey—gone, his future with the organization is in doubt. Looking both at the franchise and the current free agency situation around the NFL, The Back Page offers a look at where Fitzpatrick could be playing next year.
With the year and the NFL regular season coming to a close, The Back Page takes a look back at the ups and downs of Harvard alums in the big leagues. While some found success and others faltered, the Crimson made its mark on professional sports in 2012.
On the gridiron, Baltimore Ravens Center Matt Birk ‘98 is the only Harvard alum slated to make an appearance in the NFL postseason. After a 17-23 loss to the Bengals on Sunday, the Ravens will take on the Colts next Sunday in the AFC Wild Card Round. The Ravens finished atop the AFC North for the second straight year, ending the season with a 10-6 record despite losing four of their last five contests.
Birk made a splash off the field this season, coming out against gay marriage in an editorial in the Minnesota Star Tribune. While some may take issue with his politics, Birk’s anchoring presence in the Ravens’ defensive line this season has been undeniable. Before helping secure a playoff spot for his team, Birk was named a finalist for the 2013 Bart Starr Award, an honor bestowed by Athletes in Action to the NFL player who shows the strongest commitment to family and community as decided by a vote of NFL players.
Well, we made it. The world didn’t end (even though Harvard men’s basketball fans might feel like it did), and the Crimson is back on the court and ice starting tomorrow, when the women’s basketball team hosts intrastate rival UMass to kick of a packed January schedule for Harvard sports. Now that we’re on the other side, let’s take a minute to reflect on the performances of 2012 and what teams should resolve to change going forward in 2013.
After a quick Christmas break, Harvard winter athletes have returned to practices and competitions. Will any performances this month that rival these historic January feats?
January 17, 1933: Ian Baldwin Scores Six Goals vs. Brown
This January marks the 80th anniversary of the oldest Harvard men's hockey record on the books. Ian Baldwin '33 scored a single-game record six goals in a 15-3 shellacking of Brown way back when the Crimson practiced at the old Boston Garden. The record has been matched twice--once by Amory Hubbard '53 in 1951 vs. Williams and once by Bill Cleary '56 in 1954 vs. Providence. But given improved goaltending and increased parity since the 1950s, it is unlikely that a Harvard skater will break this record anytime soon.
