Friday, November 25, 2005
NYS Museum hits home run with Greatest Sports Moments
11/25/2005
ALBANY -- Babe Ruth, Secretariat, Muhammad Ali -- the greatest in their fields. They're among the galaxy of sports celebrities whose stories and memorabilia are captured in two separate exhibits at the New York State Museum.
'We were still installing this the day it opened,' museum Director Cliff Siegfried said. 'It is a daunting task. You have to think, what are the objects that epitomize this or that event.'The two displays are separate, yet unmistakably intertwined.The first, on loan from The Smithsonian Institution, is called 'Sports: Breaking Records, Breaking Barriers.' Artifacts include everything from Abraham Lincoln's handball to Jim Brown's practice jersey.The second, 'Miracles: New York's Greatest Sports Moments,' is dedicated to the Top 10 athletic feats in state history, as selected by area sportswriter Mark McGuire.'It really is about the top moments in all of sports, because so many of them happened here in New York,' Siegfried said.Both exhibits challenge fans to think beyond the scoreboard, to the social and cultural impact of various athletes and events. Bobby Thomson hit the most dramatic home run in baseball history, but who changed the face of America more than Jackie Robinson?'It's hard to imagine a time when African-Americans could not play in the big leagues,' Siegfried said.The Jets' victory over the Colts in Super Bowl III might have been the biggest upset in football history, but the 1958 NFL title game changed the way people spend Sunday afternoons, because that game ushered in the sport's TV era.'Records & Barriers' opens people's eyes to many unknown heroes. Some achieved stardom with unparalleled acts of courage, while others changed the way people play games with revolutionary new equipment. Howard Head, for example, introduced the modern tennis racquet.Other articles include a full uniform and helmet worn by Roberto Clemente, John L. Sullivan's championship belt, the basketball Bill Russell used to record 10,000 rebounds, and Ali's white robe. Sullivan was America's first national sports celebrity and the first to earn $1 million.Clemente was the first Latino elected to the Hall of Fame, while Russell was the first African-American coach in any major professional sports league. Sandy Koufax, ironically, wore a Mickey Mantle-model glove while earning three Cy Young Awards for the Los Angeles Dodgers.'I became a good pitcher when I stopped trying to make them miss the ball and started trying to make them hit it,' Koufax said.All aspects of athletics are portrayed, from Betsey 'Sock 'em' Jochum, of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League to the late Tim Brauch, who brought skateboarding to national prominence before his untimely 1999 death, at age 25.Gertrude Ederle was the first woman to swim the English Channel; her goggles are on display.Native American Jim Thorpe, a 1912 Olympic champion, was named the 20th century's greatest athlete by ABC's Wide World of Sports. After witnessing Thorpe's feats in Stockholm, King Gustav V of Sweden proclaimed, 'Sir, you are the greatest athlete in the world.'To which Thorpe replied: 'Thanks king.'The top New York sports moments exhibit starts with the 'Miracle on Ice' at Lake Placid, when the 1980 U.S men's hockey team shocked the world by defeating a heavily favored Soviet squad. Hollywood recreated that event with the motion picture, 'Miracle,' starring Kurt Russell as coach Herb Brooks.'You know how it ends, but it's still a great movie,' Siegfried said.McGuire chose Robinson's breaking the color barrier No. 2, followed by the 1969-70 Jets, Mets and Knicks championships at No. 3.The exhibit promotes debate and invites fans to cast their own votes with an electronic balloting machine.Siegfried, who grew up in California's Bay Area, said his own favorite moment wasn't even mentioned. That's when Horace Stoneham moved the New York Giants to San Francisco, giving Siegfried a big league team to follow.Other moments left off the Top 10 include Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak, and the Red Sox' sale of Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees.'That's the good thing about sports,' Siegfried said. 'Everybody's got an opinion. So much of it is who you grew up with.'Both exhibits invite people to reconnect with their childhood heroes by getting an up-close look at the equipment and uniforms they wore. The displays have also broadened the museum's influence by attracting visitors who'd previously never been to the facility before.'This has been really popular,' Siegfried said. 'We've had lots of feedback saying this is the best thing we've ever put up.'Related eventsALBANY -- The state museum is hosting a variety of special activities in conjunction with two sports exhibits now on display.- Dec. 9 (7:30-9:30 p.m.). 'Breaking What Barriers?' A discussion on color, race and ethics in sports, in the museum theater.- Jan. 14 (11 a.m.-4 p.m.) and Jan. 15 (1-3 p.m.). 'Sports Bowl Trivia Contest.' Preliminary round on Saturday, followed by finals on Sunday. Pre-register by Dec. 30.- Jan. 28-29. Sports film festival, noon and 2:30 p.m. in the museum theater and student center.In addition, the 45-minute film, 'Miracles and Moments' shows continuously at the museum exhibit. It features a nostalgic retrospective of sports history and a look at how the exhibits were installed.'Miracles and Moments' will also be broadcast on Fox 23 on the following dates.- Saturday, Nov. 26 (7-8 p.m.)- Sunday, Dec. 11 (3-4 p.m.)- Saturday, Dec. 31 (7-8 p.m.)The exhibit continues through March 26. The museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 474-5877.
Source: http://www.zwire.com/
ALBANY -- Babe Ruth, Secretariat, Muhammad Ali -- the greatest in their fields. They're among the galaxy of sports celebrities whose stories and memorabilia are captured in two separate exhibits at the New York State Museum.
'We were still installing this the day it opened,' museum Director Cliff Siegfried said. 'It is a daunting task. You have to think, what are the objects that epitomize this or that event.'The two displays are separate, yet unmistakably intertwined.The first, on loan from The Smithsonian Institution, is called 'Sports: Breaking Records, Breaking Barriers.' Artifacts include everything from Abraham Lincoln's handball to Jim Brown's practice jersey.The second, 'Miracles: New York's Greatest Sports Moments,' is dedicated to the Top 10 athletic feats in state history, as selected by area sportswriter Mark McGuire.'It really is about the top moments in all of sports, because so many of them happened here in New York,' Siegfried said.Both exhibits challenge fans to think beyond the scoreboard, to the social and cultural impact of various athletes and events. Bobby Thomson hit the most dramatic home run in baseball history, but who changed the face of America more than Jackie Robinson?'It's hard to imagine a time when African-Americans could not play in the big leagues,' Siegfried said.The Jets' victory over the Colts in Super Bowl III might have been the biggest upset in football history, but the 1958 NFL title game changed the way people spend Sunday afternoons, because that game ushered in the sport's TV era.'Records & Barriers' opens people's eyes to many unknown heroes. Some achieved stardom with unparalleled acts of courage, while others changed the way people play games with revolutionary new equipment. Howard Head, for example, introduced the modern tennis racquet.Other articles include a full uniform and helmet worn by Roberto Clemente, John L. Sullivan's championship belt, the basketball Bill Russell used to record 10,000 rebounds, and Ali's white robe. Sullivan was America's first national sports celebrity and the first to earn $1 million.Clemente was the first Latino elected to the Hall of Fame, while Russell was the first African-American coach in any major professional sports league. Sandy Koufax, ironically, wore a Mickey Mantle-model glove while earning three Cy Young Awards for the Los Angeles Dodgers.'I became a good pitcher when I stopped trying to make them miss the ball and started trying to make them hit it,' Koufax said.All aspects of athletics are portrayed, from Betsey 'Sock 'em' Jochum, of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League to the late Tim Brauch, who brought skateboarding to national prominence before his untimely 1999 death, at age 25.Gertrude Ederle was the first woman to swim the English Channel; her goggles are on display.Native American Jim Thorpe, a 1912 Olympic champion, was named the 20th century's greatest athlete by ABC's Wide World of Sports. After witnessing Thorpe's feats in Stockholm, King Gustav V of Sweden proclaimed, 'Sir, you are the greatest athlete in the world.'To which Thorpe replied: 'Thanks king.'The top New York sports moments exhibit starts with the 'Miracle on Ice' at Lake Placid, when the 1980 U.S men's hockey team shocked the world by defeating a heavily favored Soviet squad. Hollywood recreated that event with the motion picture, 'Miracle,' starring Kurt Russell as coach Herb Brooks.'You know how it ends, but it's still a great movie,' Siegfried said.McGuire chose Robinson's breaking the color barrier No. 2, followed by the 1969-70 Jets, Mets and Knicks championships at No. 3.The exhibit promotes debate and invites fans to cast their own votes with an electronic balloting machine.Siegfried, who grew up in California's Bay Area, said his own favorite moment wasn't even mentioned. That's when Horace Stoneham moved the New York Giants to San Francisco, giving Siegfried a big league team to follow.Other moments left off the Top 10 include Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak, and the Red Sox' sale of Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees.'That's the good thing about sports,' Siegfried said. 'Everybody's got an opinion. So much of it is who you grew up with.'Both exhibits invite people to reconnect with their childhood heroes by getting an up-close look at the equipment and uniforms they wore. The displays have also broadened the museum's influence by attracting visitors who'd previously never been to the facility before.'This has been really popular,' Siegfried said. 'We've had lots of feedback saying this is the best thing we've ever put up.'Related eventsALBANY -- The state museum is hosting a variety of special activities in conjunction with two sports exhibits now on display.- Dec. 9 (7:30-9:30 p.m.). 'Breaking What Barriers?' A discussion on color, race and ethics in sports, in the museum theater.- Jan. 14 (11 a.m.-4 p.m.) and Jan. 15 (1-3 p.m.). 'Sports Bowl Trivia Contest.' Preliminary round on Saturday, followed by finals on Sunday. Pre-register by Dec. 30.- Jan. 28-29. Sports film festival, noon and 2:30 p.m. in the museum theater and student center.In addition, the 45-minute film, 'Miracles and Moments' shows continuously at the museum exhibit. It features a nostalgic retrospective of sports history and a look at how the exhibits were installed.'Miracles and Moments' will also be broadcast on Fox 23 on the following dates.- Saturday, Nov. 26 (7-8 p.m.)- Sunday, Dec. 11 (3-4 p.m.)- Saturday, Dec. 31 (7-8 p.m.)The exhibit continues through March 26. The museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 474-5877.
Source: http://www.zwire.com/
