Ford Field - Detroit, Michigan

Row 42 at the site of Super Bowl XL, Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.

Jim Leonhard - S - Buffalo Bills

Jim Leonhard, out of Wisconsin, was the only member of the Buffalo Bills opening day, 53-man roster to be undrafted in 2005. Leonhard is shown here on the sidelines of the Bills November 13, 2005 home game against the Kansas City Chiefs proudly sporting The Number.

On April 29, 2008, Leonhard signed with the Baltimore Ravens.

Matt Robinson - DE - Wake Forest

Yesterday, Matt Robinson and The Number made their debut in the Inaugural Eagle Bank Bowl at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC.

Here Robinson is shown going by three Navy defenders who are demonstrating how they will be doing the "The Train" at the club after the game.

Wake Forest held on to top Navy, 29 to 19.

42 Ways to Kill Hitler

For those of you who kept saying, "I wonder when Hitler will make his way into the blog?", the time has come.

Courtesy of National Geographic, I give you "42 Ways to Kill Hitler". You may be thinking that old Quattro Due made this one up, but no, check the link. This is very real and unavoidable my friends.

USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)

Anyone want to guess how many decks the United Star Ship Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) has?

You got it Star Trek fans. 42

Rainbows

The angle at which light reflects off of water to create a rainbow is 42 degrees. So a rainbow can be located at an angle 42 degrees off the axis of the sunlight. That is, the angle between incoming white sunlight and the outgoing rainbow colors is 42 degrees.

Who knew?

State of Washington and the 42 Star Flag

On November 11, 1889, (right after Montana and shortly before Idaho) Washington proudly became the 42nd state in the Union. For a brief period of seven months and twenty-two days, our nation proudly had forty-two states.

However, because a new flag design does not become official until July 4th, there should not have been a 42 star flag. Since Washington was admitted as the 42nd state on November 11, 1889, the 42 star flag would have become official the following July 4th, but Idaho became the 43rd state on July 3rd, so the new official flag would have had 43 stars.

But do you think something like that could stop 42 from having it's own flag?

Low and behold, the public outcry for the 42 star flag was so great that many manufacturers took it upon themselves to produce, in bulk, the coveted yet unofficial 42 star flag seen below.

Love: All Heart - 42 cent stamp

On June 10, 2008, in Washington, DC, the Postal Service™ issued a 42–cent, Love: All Heart commemorative stamp.

The stamp was designed by Ethel Kessler of Bethesda, Maryland. Illustrator Paul Zwolak of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, created the design for the 2008 Love series stamps. Entitled All Heart, the design focuses on a large, bright red heart that is transporting its owner to an unseen beloved who will be gifted with this heart full of love.

Chris Crocker - S - Cincinnati Bengals

Chris Crocker (not to be confused with the crackpot Britney Spears fan of The Soup infamy) signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as a free agent on October 30, 2008.

Crocker entered the NFL as the third-round draft choice of the Cleveland Browns in 2003 out of Marshall and played for the Browns through 2005. So given that he has now played for both the Browns and the Bengals, wearing The Number maybe the highlight of his career.

To the right Croker is shown posing for the camera while his teammate breaks up a pass to the Eagles' Kevin Curtis during the Bengals 13-13 tie with the Eagles on November 16, 2008. The tie was the first in the NFL since 2002. (Photo by Ron Cortes)

Crocker did get his head in the game in the fourth quarter, sacking Donovan McNabb. Crocker ended the game with a respectable, Number-inspired four tackles, one sack and one interception.

Photo by Steven M. Falk

Rule 42

In Chapter XII of Alice in Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll the King interjects Rule 42, which states, “All persons more than a mile high to leave the court.”

Everyone turns to Alice, who denies she is a mile high and accuses the King of fabricating the rule. The King replies that Rule 42 is the oldest rule in the book, but Alice retorts that if it is the oldest rule in the book, it ought to be the first rule.

An intriguing conundrum....

Connect Four

How many cells do you think there are to slide your disks into? Go ahead and count them.

Connect Four was published under the famous Connect Four trademark by Milton Bradley in 1974; however, the much older original version is known as "The Captain's Mistress".

BenJarvus Green-Ellis - RB - New England Patriots

Spurred on by The Number, BenJarvus Green-Ellis has moved from being an undrafted free agent to the starting running back for the New England Patriots (sort of a mixed blessing).

BenJarvus was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent on May 2, 2008 after a stellar career at the University of Mississippi. As a senior in 2007, he became only the second Mississippi running back to reach the 1,000 yard single season mark twice in his career, gaining 1,137 yards rushing. He was born on July 2,1985 and attended St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Seen above, Green-Ellis runs against the New York Giants in a 2008 preseason rematch of Super Bowl XLIII. Green-Ellis ran for 28 yard on 6 carries for the Patriots to help them complete their winless preseason.

42nd Annual CMA Awards

This morning we wanted to call your attention to the 42nd Annual County Music Association Awards (certain to be the biggest and best county music award show ever).

The reigning CMA Male and Female Vocalists of the Year, Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, will unite to host the show. This is the first time that either artist will have hosted “Country Music’s Biggest Night™.” “The 42nd Annual CMA Awards” airs live from the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tennessee on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 8:00 PM/ET on the ABC Television Network.

Ryan Torain - RB - Denver Broncos

The latest Denver Bronco to sport The Number is Ryan Torain. Torrain was selected by the Broncos in the fifth round (139th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft out of Arizona State.

Before moving on to Arizona State Ryan played two seasons at Butler Community College, where he rushed for 1,396 yards on 228 carries with 20 touchdowns. Previous to that he received first-team all-state honors at Shawnee Mission N.W. High School in Kansas.

One Barrel

Did you know? One barrel of crude oil contains 42 gallons. Now did that really surprise you?

Terrence Holt - DB - Carolina Panthers

In March of this year The Carolina Panthers signed free agent safety Terrence Holt, a former North Carolina State standout and brother of Rams wide receiver Torry Holt. He was a second-team All-American at NC State as a senior in 2002 and was picked by the Detroit Lions in the fifth round of the 2003 draft. The Panthers then waived Holt at the end of the preseason.

In late October the Bears signed Holt to the active roster to replace Zackary Bowman, who underwent season-ending surgery for a torn biceps. Holt has however, seemed to abandon The Number in Chicago where he is now wearing number 32. This does not seem to be a good career move for Holt.

Photo by Getty Images

During his stint with the Detroit Lions Holt proudly displays The Number as he celebrates his fumble recovery against the New England Patriots on December 3, 2006 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

Photo by Paul Connors

Here Holt and The Number pull down Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander as he tries to fall into the end zone for a touchdown during the Arizona Cardinal's game on September 16, 2007, in Glendale, Arizona against the Seahawks. The Cardinals won 23-20.

Charley Taylor - WR - Washington Redskins

The Number is unofficially retired in our Nation's Capitol thanks to one Charles Robert Taylor.

Born on September 28, 1941, in Grand Prairie, Texas Taylor was the Redskin's number one draft pick in 1964 out of Arizona State. He went on that year to be named the NFL's Rookie of the Year. At retirement, Charley Taylor was the all-time leading receiver for the Redskins with 649 catches for 9,110 yards and 79 TDs.

Charley is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1984.

2008 USPS Holiday Stamps - The Nutcrackers

The U.S. Postal Service dedicates the Holiday Nutcrackers commemorative stamps Thursday, October 23, 2008 during the Fall Postage Stamp Mega Event at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Four eye-catching nutcracker designs are featured on the stamps. Santa or “Father Christmas” has a lantern in one hand and a snowflake-topped staff in the other. There is a gold and ruby-crowned king, a yellow-jacketed military captain, and a green-garbed drummer with a red drum.

These nutcrackers were custom-made for the U.S. Postal Service by Glenn A. Crider of T.R.C. Designs, Inc., of Mechanicsville, Virginia. Crider based the characters on sketches and notes provided by Sally Andersen-Bruce of New Milford, Connecticut, who later photographed the completed nutcrackers for the stamps. The art director for the 2008 Holiday Nutcracker stamps was Derry Noyes of Washington, D.C.

In addition to the Holiday Nutcrackers stamps, four additional holiday stamps will be available nationwide as well: Virgin and Child with the Young John the Baptist stamp was also issued today; Eid, the Muslim Holiday stamp was issued Sept. 23; Kwanzaa, the celebration of family, community and culture; and Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, stamps will be issued Oct. 24.

The Postal Service printed 2.171 billion holiday stamps: 1.486 billion Holiday Nutcrackers, 600 million Virgin and Child with the Young John the Baptist, 25 million Eid, 35 million Kwanzaa and 25 million Hanukkah.

The 42-cent Holiday Nutcrackers stamps go on sale nationwide in late October 2008.

2008 USPS Christmas Stamp - "Virgin and Child With the Young John the Baptist"

Working from a detail of a painting titled “Virgin and Child With the Young John the Baptist” by the Italian master Sandro Botticelli, designer Richard Sheaff of Scottsdale, Arizona, created the Postal Service’s 2008 Christmas stamp. The painting, tempera and oil on wood, dates to around 1490 and is now in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. It presents one of the most common figural groups in religious art. Botticelli’s beautifully rendered figures capture the tender relationship between mother and child and at the same time suggest Mary’s foreknowledge of Christ’s fate. The facial expression of John the Baptist, seen standing to the side in a prayerful gesture, also suggests a heightened awareness.

Minnesota

The U.S. Postal Service celebrated the 150th birthday of Minnesota’s statehood May 17 with the issuance of the 42 cent Minnesota Statehood Stamp. The ceremony was held in St. Paul on the grounds of the State Capitol.

T.J. Duckett - RB - Seattle Seahawks

After years of trying out lesser numbers, T.J. Duckett finally saw the light in 2008 and began to sport The Number. Here he is indicating a first down in Week 3 of the 2008 season against the Saint Louis Rams. It is unclear if he had ever experienced a first down prior to his number change.

Brooks Reed - DE - Arizona Wildcats

Brooks Reed of the Arizona Wildcats closes in on Stanford QB Tavita Pritchard during the Wildcats October 11, 2008 23-24 loss to the Cardinal at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, California.

Reed is out of Sabino High School in Tucson, Arizona. He was born February 28, 1987.

Michael Mauti - LB - Penn State

Photo by Maxwell Kruger

Michael D. Mauti is the latest in a great line of Nittany Lions to sport The Number. Above he is shown forcing a fumble during Penn State's 2008 thumping of Michigan.

As the son of a former Nittany Lion and brother of a current one, Michael and his brother Patrick Mauti are the latest brother tandem to play for Joe Paterno, who also coached their father, Rich, in the mid-1970s.

The former Mandeville High School All-American is a talented, instinctive and intelligent athlete. He spent time at linebacker and safety during spring practice and promptly demonstrated that he has the skills and work ethic to earn playing time on defense.

His father was a letterman at Penn State in 1975 and '76 as a wide receiver and played in the National Football League for the New Orleans Saints (1977-83) and the Washington Redskins (1984).

Mauti was born January 19, 1990 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Ivan Kane's Forty Duece - Las Vegas

And now a 42 from Sin City.

(description from Ivan Kane's Forty Duece web site)

Ivan Kane's Forty Deuce Las Vegas nightclub in the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino is even sexier and more soulful than the original in glamorous Hollywood, if that's possible. Walk into the smoke-stained brick, wood-paneled bar and feel immediately transported to old-school Times Square, New York. But this is Sin City, and this intimate nightclub and burlesque show has some surprises! As the room fills to capacity, small lamps with sultry pink shades cast a warm glow over the packed club. And then ... Showtime! The circular back bar vanishes, the band appears and the vintage paintings of reclining nudes retract, so even more people can see the show! A blue light silhouettes the sax man as one of the sexy, sensual dancers slowly slinks down the stairs to the stage and leans out over the crowd, holding on with only a handful of the world-famous curtain of pearls! Jaws drop and drinks are ignored as the tempo picks up and the dancer steps up, shedding boa, gown and gloves towards the electrifying finale. After the show, the celebrity DJ drops in a dance groove and it's dancing 'til dawn!

Antti Pihlstrom - LW - Nashville Predators

Photo by Jay LaPrete

Columbus Blue Jackets' Sheldon Brookbank, right, and Nashville Predators' Antti Pihlstrom, of Finland, chase a loose puck during the first period of a preseason NHL hockey game Sunday, Sept. 16, 2007, in Columbus, Ohio.

Pihlstrom signed a two-year contract with Nashville as a free agent on June 1, 2007.

P.J. Stock - C - Boston Bruins

Photo by Getty Images

P.J. Stock was originally signed as a free agent by the New York Rangers on November 18, 1997. He then moved on to Montreal signing with them as a free agent on July 7, 2000. Then in December he was traded to Philadelphia by Montreal along with Montreal's 6th round choice (Dennis Seidenberg) in the 2001 Entry Draft for Gino Odjick.

Stock returned to New York by signing as a free agent with the Rangers once again on August 23, 2001. He finally found The Number when he was claimed by Boston from New York in the Waiver Draft on September 28, 2001.

Despite his smallish stature, Stock's hard-nosed style of play, made him a fan-favorite with every team he played with.

Julien Vauclair - D - Ottawa Senators

Julien Vauclair played exactly one game in the NHL. On October 25, 2003 Vauclair put on The Number and logged 12 minutes and 48 seconds of ice time for the Ottawa Senators against the Montreal Canadians.

Vauclair was drafted in the 3rd round (74th overall) by the Ottawa Senators in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft.

Here Vauclair delivers a check against the Buffalo Sabres in a preseason game.

Kyle Wellwood - C - Toronto Maple Leafs

Kyle Wellwood sports The Number in this November 24, 2006 game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Washington Capitals at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC.

Wellwood got the scoring going on this night at 1:03 of the first period on his fifth foal of the year (assists going to Nik Antropov and Alexei Ponikarovsky). The Maple Leafs went on to thump the Capitals 7 to 1.

Wellwood was drafted in the 5th round (134th overall) by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. He was waived by the Maple Leafs in June of this year only to be signed the next day by the Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks however waived Wellwood yesterday.

Mikhail Yakubov - C - Florida Panthers

Photo by Graig Abel

As the hockey season gets on its way once again this year, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at some guys who have sported The Number on their sweater. Here is Mikhail Yakubov of the Florida Panthers skating against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the NHL game at Air Canada Centre on April 11, 2006 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Toronto won 6-5.

Yakubov was drafted 10th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. He is currently playing for Cherepovets Severstal in Russia.

Iggy Del Carre - K - Big Piney Punchers

Sporting The Number, Big Piney kicker Iggy Del Carre came up one yard short of a touchdown on a fake field goal in the 1st quarter of the 2006 Wyoming Class A Semifinals against Glenrock (November 3, 2006).

However, Iggy and The Number came back strong to kick a field goal with 4:29 left in the 3rd quarter to give the Punchers a 3-0 lead. Big Piney defeated Glenrock 16 to 0 to move on to the State Championship Game where they defeated Tongue River 21 to 18 on November 11, 2006 at Dayton, Wyoming.

Texas Stadium - Irving, Texas

Section 11, Row 42 - Texas Stadium - Irving, Texas - Home of the Dallas Cowboys. 2008 will be the Cowboys last year at Texas Stadium. In 2009, they will move to their new home in nearby Arlington, Texas.

Anthony Henry - CB - Dallas Cowboys

Anthony Henry is a cornerback out of South Florida. He was originally selected in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. He played with the Browns from 2001 through 2004 before signing with the Dallas Cowboys.

Here Henry is shown sporting The Number in a game on October 5, 2008 against the Cincinnati Bengals at Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas.

Here Henry flights off the block to bring down the Bengal's Cedric Benson.

Henry lines up opposite Chad Ocho Cinco (Johnson). Henry finished the game with 4 solo tackles.

Anthony Heygood - LB - Purdue Boilermakers

Photo by Tom Strickland

Purdue linebacker Anthony Heygood tackles Oregon wide receiver Jeff Maehl during the first half of the game in West Lafayette, Indiana at Ross-Ade Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008. Oregon won in double overtime, 32-26.

Born April 3, 1986, Heygood is a graduate of Cardinal O'Hara High School in Springfield, Pennsylvania.

Clinton Hart - FS - San Diego Chargers

Photo by Mike Nowak, Chargers.com

Another example of The Number and those who wear it rising to the top through hard work and dedication.

Clinton was born on July 20, 1977 in Dade City, Florida. He was an all-state defensive back at South Sumter High School in Bushnell, Florida where he also lettered in basketball, baseball and track. However Hart never donned a helmet or shoulder pads in college. Instead, he was a standout on his school’s baseball team at Central Florida Community College from 1996 to 1998.

In 2000, Hart had a tryout with the Tallahassee Thunder of AFL2 and made the team. In 2001, he signed with the Tampa Bay Storm of the AFL and had a breakout season that ended with him earning AFL Rookie of the Year honors.

In January of 2002 he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. Once signed, he was allocated to NFL Europe where he played for the Rhein Fire and Amsterdam Admirals. Upon returning to the states, he went to training camp with the Eagles, but was released toward the end of camp. Philadelphia later signed him to their practice squad. In 2003, he was called upon in midseason to replace injured Pro Bowl safety Brian Dawkins, he was however, again waived by the Eagles. This time in September of 2004 he was claimed by the San Diego Chargers.

Hart recently signed a new five-year deal in April 2008 that will keep him in San Diego through the 2012 season.

United Nations - Sport for Peace – Games of the XXIX Olympics - Beijing, China - First Day of Issue Cover

On 8 August 2008, the United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) issued a set of six commemorative stamps in mini-sheet format on the theme “Sport for Peace”. The stamp issue coincides with the OLYMPIC EXPO BEIJING 2008 which was held in Beijing, China from 8 to 18 August in conjunction with the Games of the XXIX Olympics.

UNPA commissioned the world-renowned South American artist Romero Britto to create six pieces of original artwork to design the stamps. A modern day pop culture phenomenon, Romero Britto, has created contemporary masterpieces with his vibrant colors, bold patterns and a continuous message of hope. “An art that is too important not to share ” says Britto – one that elevates the soul and nourishes the heart.

Bette Davis

This is a pane of 20 42–cent Bette Davis commemorative stamps.

On September 18, 2008, at Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts, the Postal Service™ issued a 42–cent Bette Davis commemorative stamp, designed by Richard Sheaff of Scottsdale, Arizona.

With the issuance of this 14th stamp in the Legends of Hollywood series, artist Michael J. Deas of New Orleans, Louisiana, based his painting for the stamp on a black and white still of Bette Davis made during the filming of “All About Eve” (1950), in which Davis brilliantly portrayed aging Broadway star Margo Channing.

The Art of Disney

On August 7, 2008, at Disneyland Resort, in Anaheim, California 92803, the Postal Service™ issued 42–cent The Art of Disney: Imagination commemorative stamps in four designs.

The stamps were designed by David Pacheco of Burbank, California. The four stamps feature Mickey Mouse as Steamboat Willie; Princess Aurora and her helpers Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather from Sleeping Beauty; Pongo and one of his pups from 101 Dalmatians; and Mowgli and Baloo from The Jungle Book.

This is the fifth stamp pane honoring the art of Disney to be issued by the Postal Service. The first, issued in 2004, was on the theme of Friendship. The second, issued in 2005, focused on Celebrations. The third, issued in 2006 was on Romance and the fourth, issued in 2007, was Magic.

Latin Jazz

Latin Jazz, designed by San Francisco artist Michael Bartalos, is the first commemorative stamp to celebrate that vibrant style of jazz mixed with musical traditions from Africa, Europe and the Americas.

The new stamp premiered on September 8, 2008 so it would be readily available during Hispanic Heritage Month September 15-October 15.

Cincinnati Bengals to wear The Number

This list does not include preseason or exhibition games. A second number after the player's name indicates that he also wore that number at some point during his career.

Warren McVea 1968
Boobie Clark (35) 1974-78
Mike Fuller 1981-82
Clay Pickering 1984-85
Rob Niehoff 1987
Eric Ball 1989-94
Lawrence Wright 1997, 99
Chris Carter 2000-01
LaVar Glover 2002
Anthony Mitchell 2004-06
Chris Crocker 2008

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) - Gate 42

42 - Coldplay

Today we bring you "42" from Coldplay's fourth studio album "Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends". The album was released June 17, 2008 in North America. Track number four is a three minute and fifty-seven second song called, you guessed it, "42".

It starts out a little slow but picks up.







Those who are dead are not dead
They're just living in my head
And since I fell for that spell
I am living there as well

Time is so short
And I'm sure
There must be something more

Those who are dead are not dead
They're just living in my head
And since I fell for that spell
I am living there as well

Time is so short
And I'm sure
There must be something more

You thought you might be a ghost!
You thought you might be a ghost!
You didn't get to heaven but you made it close
You didn't get to heaven but you made it close

You thought you might be a ghost!
You thought you might be a ghost!
You didn't get to heaven but you made it close
You didn't get to heaven but you, oh...

Those who are dead are not dead
They're just living in my head

Addisen Sexton - LB - Hutto High School Hippos

Photo coutesy of Cheryl Rollman

Hutto High School (Hutto, Texas) Hippo's Addisen Sexton (at the time a 175 pound Sophomore LB and RB) sports The Number as he and teammate Dylan Martinez watch their teammates put a beating on Elgin, 48 to 24. The game took place on September 8, 2006 in Elgin, Texas.

Molybdenum

Molybdenum? you say. I know you all knew that that atomic number of Molybdenum is, of course, 42!

Molybdenum (Mo) from the Greek meaning "lead-like", is a refractory metallic element used principally as an alloying agent in steel, cast iron, and superalloys to enhance hardenability, strength, toughness, and wear and corrosion resistance.

The world's largest producers of molybdenum materials are the United States, Canada, Chile, Russia, and China. Molybdenum was discovered in 1778 by Carl Wilhelm Scheele and first isolated in 1781 by Peter Jacob Hjelm.