We've finally washed down all the Thanksgiving turkey, the Christmas store windows are all set up, and the sports records keep falling. It obviously is the most wonderful time of the year.
Here's our look at some of the best record notes from the world of pro sports in November.
JIMMIE JOHNSON - G.O.A.T.?
NASCAR's most dominant driver added another reason to wonder if he'll go down as the greatest of all time this month. Johnson took his sixth NASCAR title this season, capturing his half dozen crowns in just the last 8 years.
At 38 years old, Johnson is the youngest driver to ever amass that many titles in the sport, and he's now just one behind from tying Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for most career championships. He already holds the records for most consecutive NASCAR championships with his five from 2006-10. And now that his "6Pack" is out of the way, anything seems within reach for the man some are already willing to crown as the greatest ever.
Want more sports records? Be sure to check out our Sports Vlog, complete with a golf cart topping 100 mph (160 km/h!)
NFL ROUNDUP
This time every season, teams in the NFL start eyeing their potential playoff positioning, wondering if they’ll make the postseason come end of the year. And that’s well and good, but we’ve got our eyes on a month full of quirky achievements around the league.
First, of all people, Nick Foles (!) tied the record for most passing touchdowns in a game with his 7-TD performance against the Raiders on Nov. 3. The heretofore unheralded Eagles quarterback became, amazingly, the second person to tie the record this season alone, joining Peyton Manning (a much more expected name for a record like this), who accomplished it back in Week 1. Before 2013, this record had stood untouched for 44 years.
With the continued proliferation of the passing game in the league, the obvious sufferers are the league’s rushing attacks. So much so, in fact, that the combined NFL is on pace this year to attempt the fewest rushes per game ever in a season. Somewhere, Jim Brown and Emmitt Smith are shaking their heads.
Two last NFL records from November, on opposite ends of the spectrum of success: With their win-loss-win-loss pattern continuing for the first 10 games of the season, the New York Jets set the record for most consecutive alternating results in NFL history. And from the definition of mediocrity to a beacon of success, New England’s Tom Brady continues to win, solidifying himself this month as the quarterback whose career record sits at the most games over .500, at 145-42.
AROUND THE WORLD
Stoke's Asmir Begovic scored the fastest goal by a keeper in Premier League History, netting 12 seconds into a 1-1 draw with Southampton. Here's video of what's also the fourth-fastest goal ever scored in the league.
Meanwhile, Manchester City recorded a 7-0 demolishing of Norwich City to start the month. The seven-goal differential was just two off the largest margin of victory in a Premier League game, Man United's 9-0 win over Ipswich in 1995. ...Tatyana McFadden won the women's wheelchair division of the New York City Marathon, becoming the first-ever person - in any classification - to sweep the World Marathon Majors in the same year. ...LeBron James scored in double digits for the 500th straight game on Nov. 5. He has added 14 more as he climbs the record list for that acheivement, topped by Michael Jordan at 866 times.
And that does it for the look back at November. Next month, we review some of the best sports records for all of 2013. Until then, may your favorite team win all the big ones!
