Ask Mr. Know-It-All-NFL game ball sold to the general public since 1941
Q: How long has Wilson been the ‘Official Football of the NFL’? Is there a way to tell if I have an official NFL football or one made for the general public? ‘ G.R.B., Monroe, La.
A: Wilson has been the NFL’s official football since 1941. NFL footballs are sold exclusively to the NFL teams and are stamped with the model number F1010. For the general public, those footballs are marked F1000. The folks at Wilson tell me the F1000 is the same football that is provided to the NFL, but that it has undergone less stringent quality-control checks.
Q: Mel Brooks’ 1974 comedy ‘Blazing Saddles’ is possibly the funniest movie I’ve ever seen. The movie was set sometime after the American Civil War in the Old West. A railroad is being built, but, because of quicksand, its course must be changed. The new route will be going through a frontier town. What is the name of that town? ‘ N.H.F., Murfreesboro, Tenn.
A: The town is Rock Ridge, where everyone has the last name of ‘Johnson.’
Q: In the 1990s, there was a movie about an all-female baseball team during World War II. I can’t think of the name of the film. Is this enough information for you to tell me? ‘ V.A.J, Tulsa, Okla.
A: I’m thinking this was the 1992 film ‘A League of Their Own,’ starring Geena Davis, Tom Hanks, Madonna and Rosie O’Donnell. Set in 1943, the story followed the exploits of the Rockford Peaches. The movie is based on a true story.
Q: The football game between Mississippi State and Ole Miss (University of Mississippi) is called ‘The Egg Bowl.’ Why? ‘ R.W., Wayland, N.Y.
A: The game is also known as the ‘Battle for the Golden Egg.’ The winner, not too surprisingly, gets the Golden Egg trophy, an old-time football sitting on a pedestal. Its shape resembles an egg, giving the contest between the two schools and the trophy its unusual name. Although the two schools have been gridiron rivals for more than 100 years, the Golden Egg trophy was first awarded in 1927.
Q: Who said, ‘Doctors can bury their mistakes; architects must live with them’? ‘ C.G., Beaumont, Texas
A: I think the statement should read, ‘Doctors can bury their mistakes; architects can only advise their clients to plant vines.’ The quote came from the self-described greatest architect in the world, Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959).
Q: I enjoy reading detective stories. What was the title of the first story of this genre? ‘ W.R., Springfield, Kan.
A: There is some debate as to who wrote the first detective story and when it was written. So, we can simplify the answer by using the word ‘modern.’ The first modern detective story was ‘The Murders in the Rue Morgue,’ written by Edgar Allan Poe and published in 1841.
Q: Do you remember Mikey from the Life cereal commercials? Whatever happened to him? There was a persistent rumor that he died while eating Pop Rocks along with drinking carbonated soda. ‘ T.Y.B., Billings, Mont.
A: Rest assured, Mikey is alive and well. John Gilchrist (born in 1968) played Mikey, one of the most famous TV commercial icons ever. The two brothers in the commercial are, in fact, his real-life brothers, Michael and Tommy. Mikey, by the way, works in advertising.
Q: Lake Mead is the lake formed by Hoover Dam blocking the Colorado River. Who was Mead? ‘ K.L., St. Petersburg, Fla.
A: The lake was named after Elwood Mead, the commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation from 1924 to 1936. During his tenure in office, the planning and construction of the dam were carried out.
(Send your questions to Mr. Know-It-All at gclothier@readingeagle.com or c/o United Feature Syndicate, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016)