June 11 is an important day for American football fans, and it seems almost destined to someday become a national holiday. It marks the birthdays of Vince Lombardi (1913) and Joe Montana (1956).
Mr. Lombardi played at Fordham University and worked as a Latin and chemistry teacher in New Jersey before becoming the head coach of the Green Bay Packers at the age of 46. The Packers had won only one of twelve games the season before he was hired, but they won seven in his first year. Over the course of his brief career, the Packers won five NFL championships and the first two Super Bowls (Super Bowl I and Super Bowl II).
It was Coach Lombardi’s background in Latin that persuaded the NFL to use Roman numerals to number the Super Bowls.
“Winning isn’t everything,” Coach Lombardi famously declared, “but it’s awfully darn important in competitive endeavors.” (He was the first NFL coach to hire a publicist, and his statements were often edited for distribution to the Green Bay press corps.)
Over the course of his career, Joe Montana completed 3,409 of 5,391 passes and threw 273 touchdowns. In the playoffs, he completed 460 of 734 passes and threw 45 touchdowns. As a starter, he won 117 and lost 47 regular-season games (for those who need to know).
Upon his retirement, the town of Ismay, Montana, changed its name to Joe. The town of Joe, Rhode Island, attempted to change the name of its state to Montana but was prohibited from doing so by heavily-monied special interests.
Adrienne Barbeau and Gene Wilder were also born on this day—neither of whom ever won a Super Bowl.
The Haus of Dcaligari 