Leaping through the daze

IF YOU THINK being born on Christmas is a rip off, pity the poor kids who will be born today. It's Feb. 29, which like a Sixers winning streak, comes around once every four years. For 75 percent of their lives, people born on Feb. 29 don't get to celebrate their birthdays on their birthdays.

What a rip off.

To commemorate leap day, here is our quadrennial report on some of the significant and not so significant things that happened in the world of sports on Feb. 29 over the last 60 years.

* This will be the 11th consecutive leap day the Sixers have played and the 12th time in 14 possibilities since they moved from Syracuse to Philadelphia prior to the 1963-64 season.

* From leap day 2012 until today, the Sixers are 93-243 (.277).

* From leap day 1980 until Feb. 28, 1984, they went 230-90 (.719).

* When the Sixers lost at home to Oklahoma City last leap day, their starting lineup was Lavoy Allen, Elton Brand, Jrue Holiday, Andre Iguodala and Jodie Meeks.

* This will be the fourth time the Sixers and Flyers both play on the same leap day. The last was in 2000 when the Sixers lost at home to Dallas and the Flyers lost at St. Louis. The Flyers are 2-2 all-time on Feb. 29.

* The Phillies announced that Ryan Howard had a setback in his Achilles' surgery recovery. The first baseman, who tore his tendon making the final out of the 2011 Division Series, had a "minor procedure" to clean out an infection.

* Penn State coach Bill O'Brien received his first verbal commitment for the class of 2016: quarterback Christian Hackenberg. Hackenberg would go on to set school records for passing yards (8,457) and touchdowns (48). He has foregone his senior season and will enter the NFL this year.

* The Steelers announced they were releasing Hines Ward, a move the led to the retirement of the team's all-time leading wide receiver. The sands of time are relentless.

* Asante Samuel was designated the starting left cornerback by Eagles coach Andy Reid, signaling Lito Sheppard's exit from the team. Samuel had 23 interceptions in his four seasons, though his legacy was his reluctance for tackling.

* The first 5,000 fans received a Harvey Pollack bobblehead toy as the Sixers beat Minnesota, 81-74. Allen Iverson had someone call the Sixers to inform the team he would miss the game with a stomach ailment. Coach Chris Ford was enraged.

* Tiger Woods became the fastest golfer to 40 PGA Tour wins when he beat Davis Love to capture the Match Play Championship. It was Woods' 149th event. It took Jack Nicklaus 221 events to reach 40.

* St. Joe's (11-14) shocked fifth-ranked Temple, 62-59, in a Big 5 classic at the Palestra. Marvin O'Connor led the Hawks with 20.

* Allen Iverson shot 15-for-18 from the field and scored 35 points as the Sixers thumped the Mavericks, 106-87.

* Wilt Chamberlain was released from an Inglewood, Calif., hospital 3 days after checking in with an irregular heartbeat.

* Boston's Ray Bourque became the third defenseman to reach 1,000 career points when he had a goal and two assists in the Bruins' 5-5 tie with the Washington Capitals.

* Willis Reed agreed to a three-year deal to become coach of the New Jersey Nets. "This is going to be a challenge," said Reed. He resigned about 18 months later after posting a 33-77 record.

* Mike Shanahan was introduced as head coach of the Raiders. "As I went into his character, as I went into his background, I found no flaw," said Raiders owner Al Davis. Shanahan's tenure lasted all of 20 games before Davis fired him.

* Behind 29 points from Andrew Toney, the Sixers beat the Jazz to end a four-game losing streak, the team's longest skid since 1979.

* The Flyers beat Edmonton, 5-3, holding Wayne Gretzky (who had 205 points that season) to two assists.

* John Chaney's Cheyney State Wolves lost to Hartwick in a Division II playoff game.

* Gordie Howe scored his 800th career goal.

* A fight between the Sonics' Willie Norwood and the 76ers' Doug Collins was all anyone talked about after the Sixers beat their visitors, 130-115. "If it'd been a hockey game, you might've seen a brawl," said Fred Carter, who led the Sixers with a game-high 33 points.

* Bobby Clarke scored twice during a five-goal second period to lead the two-time defending champion Flyers past the visiting California Seals, 6-1.

* A scheduled rematch between Villanova's Marty Liquori, the world's No. 1 miler, and Jim Ryun was nixed when Liquori withdrew because of a foot injury.

* Hank Aaron became the first player to break the $200,000 salary mark when he agreed to a 3-year, $600,000 contract with the Atlanta Braves.

* North Catholic coach Jack Friel reinstated his varsity three days after suspending them before a Catholic League playoff game. Friel benched 12 varsity players and instead suited up the junior varsity, which stunned Bishop McDevitt, 77-60, in one of the most memorable high school games in Philadelphia history. North, with the varsity back in uniform, would lose to O'Hara in the semifinals, 51-49, on a buzzer-beating tap by Lou Ferro.

* For the second consecutive leap day, Oscar Robertson scored 43, this time to lead the Cincinnati Royals past the host 76ers.

* Oscar Robertson scored 43 to help the University of Cincinnati roll over Tulsa, 110-64.

* Wilt Chamberlain was voted the NBA's Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year, the first player to receive both awards in the same season.

* Neil Johnston (21 points) and Tom Gola (18 points) led the Philadelphia Warriors past the Rochester Royals, 86-81, in front of 3,120 fans at Lincoln High School.

Born on Feb. 29

1904: Pepper Martin, major league baseball

1924: Al Rosen, major league baseball

1936: Henri Richard, NHL; Alex Rocco, played Moe Greene in the Godfather

1940: Billy Turner, trainer for Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew

1944: John Niland, NFL; Dennis Farina, another great actor

1960: Dan Daoust, NHL

1968: Bryce Paup, NFL (wrecked the Eagles' 1991 season by injuring Randall Cunningham); Chucky Brown, NBA

1976: Vonteego Cummings, NBA; Ja Rule, rapper

1980: Simon Gagne, Flyers

1984: Cullen Jones, Olympic swimming gold medalist; Cam Ward, NHL

1988: Bobby Sanguinetti, AHL (South Jersey native; Sabres farm system)

1992: Vikings LB Eric Kendricks (Mychal's brother)

@EdBarkowitz