You know it’s a unique day when I had to fight WordPress to get it to accept February 29 in its calendar. Anyway, I was bored so here a few

Leap Day Historical Facts!

• 1980 – Gordie Howe scores his 800th NHL goal.  
  • He’d score one more in his career, giving him 801 & the NHL record until Wayne Gretzky breaks it.
  • Because he was a Hartford Whaler when he did it, there’s only one sound effect that matters:

Other important February 29th events:

• 1796 – The Jay Treaty comes into effect between Britain & the USA.
  • Properly known as The Treaty of Amity, Commerce, and Navigation, Between His Britannic Majesty and the United States of America (the Jay Treaty is not so much a mouthful), it helped settle trade disputes after the Revolution as well as the the boundary between Canada – technically, “British North America” – and the USA vis-à-vis the 13 colonies.
    • the peace lasted until the War of 1812.
  • A side effect is that it allowed, via its language & subsequent legislation, Native Indians born in Canada to be entitled to freely enter the United States for the purpose of employment, study, retirement, investing, and/or immigration.
    • Article III of the Treaty stated that Great Britain and the United States would allow First Nations people to live on either side of the newly established border and to freely cross the border.
    • For immigration purposes, the person must be 50% aboriginal, as such evidence would include either an identification card from the Ministry of Indian and Northern Affairs or a written statement from an official of the tribe from which they or their ancestors originated.
    • It’s a right still enforced today.
• 1916 – In South Carolina, the minimum working age for factory, mill, and mine workers is raised from twelve to fourteen years old.
  • There were strenuous objections from the SC senators, who argued for state & local governance over a federal imposition.
  • In context, marriages under age 16 were only prohibited by state law in 2019.
    • The age of consent had been raised in South Carolina from age 10 in 1880 to age 16 by 1920.
• 1936 – The “Pocket Rocket” Henri Richard is born.
  • Fifteen years younger than his elder brother, Maurice “Rocket” Richard, he played 20 years for the Habs & won 11 Cups, the most by any one player.

Tonight’s sports:

• NHL:
  • Canucks at Leafs – 7:00PM | CBC / Sportsnet
  • Hurricanes at Habs – 7:00PM | CityTV
  • Red Wings at Senators – 7:00PM | Sportsnet1
  • Jets at Oilers – 10:00PM | CBC
• NBA:
  • Rockets at Celtics – 8:30PM | ABC
• NCAA: highlighted matchups
  • Duke at Virginia – 6:00PM | ESPN
  • DePaul at Butler – 6:30PM | FS1
  • Michigan State at Maryland – 8:00PM | ESPN
  • Arizona at UCLA – 10:00PM | ESPN
  • St. Mary’s (Cal.) at Gonzaga – 10:00PM | ESPN2
• Fútbol:
  • MLS Soccer:
    • Nashville SC vs. Atlanta United – 8:30PM | FOX / TSN4
    • Whitecaps FC vs. Sporting KC – 10:30PM | TSN
  • Liga MX:
    • Club América vs. Necaxa – 7:55PM | UNI
    • Tigres UANL vs. UNAM – 9:55PM | UNI
• XFL Football:
  • Seattle Dragons at St. Louis Battlehawks – 5:00PM | FOX
• Fisticuffs:
  • UFC Fight Night: Benavidez vs. Figueiredo
    • Prelims – 6:00PM | TSN2 / ESPN+
    • Main Card – 8:00PM | TSN2 / ESPN+
  • AEW Revolution – PPV

Tonight’s TV:

• Saturday Night Live – 11:30PM ET / 8:30PM PT – NBC / Global
  • Host: John Mulaney
  • Musical guest: David Byrne

I will be out at a bar watching the AEW show, hopefully enjoying myself & not getting roped into some sort of physical confrontation. I will keep you posted.