Did you know?

On July 4, 1939, one of the most memorable moments in American sports history happened. Nearly 62,000 fans and members of the 1927 New York Yankees championship team were in attendance when former first baseman Lou Gehrig gave an emotional farewell between games of a doubleheader against Washington. Two months earlier, Gehrig was forced out of the lineup for the first time in 2,130 games by a debilitating form of infantile paralysis. Looking haggard and tired, Gehrig choked back emotion and spoke. "What young man wouldn't give anything to mingle with such men as I have for all these years? You've been reading about my bad break for weeks now. But today I think I'm the luckiest man on the face of the earth."

This Week in

Illini and Spartan History

ILLINI HISTORY - Brandon Lloyd, one of Illinois football's most outstanding receivers, celebrates his 45th birthday on July 5th. From 1999 through 2002, he recorded 160 receptions for 2,583 yards, an average of more than 16 yards per catch. Lloyd played in the National Football League for 11 seasons, leading all NFL receivers in receiving yards in 2010 (1,448) as a member of the Denver Broncos. He will be inducted into the Illini Athletics Hall of Fame in September.

SPARTAN HISTORY - If there is one person that emblemizes Michigan State soccer, it's Joe Baum. Born July 5, 1947, Baum was a part of Spartan soccer as a player, assistant coach and head coach for a combined 39 seasons. As a goalkeeper, he led MSU to back-to-back co-national championships. Later, he served as the head coach of the men's program for 32 years and the women's program for five years, compiling a combined 389 victories.