"Beyond Category!" is how Duke Ellington would describe. . .

[Kibitzer]

. . . an unmatchable performer (or performance). Like Lionel Hampton playing the vibes or Benny Goodman playing the clarinet. Cy Young winning over 500 games. Bill Russell's eleven NBA championship rings. Mozart composing five operas and over 40 symphonies. Jerry Rice catching a football and running with it. Mariano Rivera closing.

There a few astonishing but often unnoticed achievements in sports. Rogers Hornsby not only hit .400+ three times (.424 tops) but compiled a cumulative average of .400+ over a five season span. Wilt Chamberlain once averaged (AVERAGED!) 50+ points per game over a season. He also averaged 48+ minutes per game over an entire grueling NBA season (a couple OT games put him over the top). "Beyond category" indeed.

In wcbb, there has been some recent discussion of streaks. We were reminded that Stanford broke Baylor's 42 game winning streak and that the Cardinal has a long home-game streak of its own -- but UConn's record of 90 consecutive wins is still safe, at least for now.

One of our many Boneyard stats experts pointed out that UConn (I will avoid reference to "our girls") started the season with 693 games without ever losing two of them back-to-back. I can't imagine any other team even approaching this, certainly not MLB, NFL, NBA. Not even Penn State volleyball or North Carolina soccer ("their girls"?). Maybe the Harlem Globetrotters vs. the hapless Washington Generals.

Back to UConn. By my math, they are now at 695 and counting. Should they follow the script, they will win three in Paradise and another in a less celestial setting called the XL Center vs Colgate. That would set up the game with Powerhouse Maryland as #700 for this extraordinary streak. I hope somebody at SNY at least mentions it.

After all, it is Beyond Category!

EDIT NOTE: Excuse the length, but I wanted my 1,000th post to be better than the preceding 999.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

Kibs...Congrats on the 58% likes to posts ratio.

 

[Phil]

.

One of our many Boneyard stats experts pointed out that UConn (I will avoid reference to "our girls") started the season with 693 games without ever losing two of them back-to-back. I can't imagine any other team even approaching this, certainly not MLB, NFL, NBA. Not even Penn State volleyball or North Carolina soccer ("their girls"?). Maybe the Harlem Globetrotters vs. the hapless Washington Generals.

Back to UConn. By my math, they are now at 695 and counting. Should they follow the script, they will win three in Paradise and another in a less celestial setting called the XL Center vs Colgate. That would set up the game with Powerhouse Maryland as #700 for this extraordinary streak. I hope somebody at SNY at least mentions it.

After all, it is Beyond Category!

EDIT NOTE: Excuse the length, but I wanted my 1,000th post to be better than the preceding 999.

I agree that the consecutive games without back to back losses is an incredible streak that deserves more mention. It does have two small flaws – it is slightly awkward to say, doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, and it is partially under one's control. Not much you can do about NCAA Tourney game, but you can make sure not to schedule Stanford and Baylor back-to back.

However (and I think I've said this before) there is a way to compare records across sports. When trying to argue whether Bob Beamon's jump was more incredible that DImaggios streak, look at how it compares to second best. If you score 30 points a game, and second best is 29, well, the 30 is impressive but it doesn't set itself apart from other records. Beamon's jump has now been surpassed, but when he set it, he jumped almost 22 inches longer than second best. That's an incredible margin.

UConn's record is so far ahead of second place, I wonder how hard you would have to dig to find something comparable. Not even the Wayland Baptist win streak of 131 surpasses the UConn 90 by close to the same margin. Yes, it is possible that the Harlem Globetrotters have such a streak, but that one is clearly artificial. How about the Edmonton Grads, or All-American Red Heads?
(Congrats on a very impressive 100th post.)

 

[doggydaddy]

Kibs...Congrats on the 58% likes to posts ratio.

You and Kib are my idols.

I'm at 48.2% and rising. I find the key is not wasting posts with any "I agree" responses.

You will soon be in my rear view mirror. I plan on begging for "likes" soon.

 

[Icebear]

The game threads are Like killers. After the season last year my Like % was at or about below 10. Presently, I have pulled it up to 22.6%. That increase is not easy at 8200 posts.

 

[RadyLady]

What's not to "like"?

 

[Kibitzer]

The game threads are Like killers. After the season last year my Like % was at or about below 10. Presently, I have pulled it up to 22.6%. That increase is not easy at 8200 posts.

I am over 7,000 posts behind you. Our fellow Boneyarders will be relieved to know that I have no intention of trying to catch up.

 

[Biff]

You and Kib are my idols.

I'm at 48.2% and rising. I find the key is not wasting posts with any "I agree" responses.

You will soon be in my rear view mirror. I plan on begging for "likes" soon.

#begharder

 

[Bestiarius]

You and Kib are my idols.

I'm at 48.2% and rising. I find the key is not wasting posts with any "I agree" responses.

I "like" for money. **Bestiarius, "The Problem Solver"** Just PM me.

Will anyone ever beat Wilt Chamberlain's record of 20,000?

 

[msf22b]

The Goodman Trio or Quartet w Lionel; three or four of the most closely matched jazzers of any era.
Thanks for the memory.

 

[MilfordHusky]

The game threads are Like killers. After the season last year my Like % was at or about below 10. Presently, I have pulled it up to 22.6%. That increase is not easy at 8200 posts.

I was thrilled when my "Like" percentage moved from 15% to above 20%. I'm not sure how Kib and DD do it. I've always considered myself a rather likable guy.

 

[Kibitzer]

The Goodman Trio or Quartet w Lionel; three or four of the most closely matched jazzers of any era.
Thanks for the memory.

The Goodman concert at Carnegie Hall was historic in more than one way.

First, it brought jazz (then more often referred to as "swing") to a level of respectabilty that had not existed prior to that momentous event but has endured ever since.

Second, it was extraordinary in those days for black and white musicians to perform together. Benny led the way when he established a long-lasting relationship with Fletcher Henderson, then hired Teddy Wilson as the pianist (to join him and drummer Gene Krupa) for his trio. Later, he added the incomparable Lionel Hampton as vibraharpist.

I doubt that Goodman perceived himself as a civil rights pioneer, he simply wanted the best musicians on stage with him.

How good were they? CD's of the concert still enjoy robust sales. And I know of nothing recorded since to match what they did in Carnegie Hall over 50 years ago.

 

[meyers7]

Will anyone ever beat Wilt Chamberlain's record of 20,000?

I was gonna give it a shot, but being old, bald, fat and poor, pretty much put a damper on that.