April 21 in sports history: The Michael Jordan of NFL Draft?

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1991: On the same date a decade before the Vick draft, another quarterback was selected by the Falcons with slightly less fanfare. With the sixth pick in the second round, Atlanta took Southern Mississippi's Brett Favre.

His Falcons career got off to an inauspicious start: "Brett 'Favor'," he was called when his selection was announced.

"Sure, I'm disappointed," Favre told The Greenwood (Mississippi) Commonwealth about his draft position. "... I know who Brett Favre is and what he can do." The Jets reportedly were desperate to move up to get him, but they couldn't pull off a deal. With the pick after Favre, New York selected Louisville QB Browning Nagle. 

Two quarterbacks were selected in Round 1: Dan McGwire of San Diego State went to Seattle with the 16th overall pick and Southern Cal's Todd Marinovich was picked by the Raiders with the 24th overall selection. Both flamed out in the NFL. Favre, a future Hall of Famer, was traded by the Falcons in 1992 to Green Bay for a first-round pick. He did OK there.

The top of the 1991 first round didn't provide much sizzle. With the No. 1 overall pick, the wheeling-and-dealing (and rebuilding) Cowboys selected Miami defensive lineman Russell Maryland, an above-average player who never became a star.

Jimmy Johnson's team made four deals, three in the first round. "Trying to move around as much as we did was hectic," the Cowboys coach said. Dallas also selected Tennessee receiver Alvin Harper and Mississippi defensive tackle Kelvin Pritchett in the first round.

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1991: Portugal's Rosa Mota, the first woman to win multiple Olympic marathon medals, won the London Marathon. She said the race was easy. Her only fear was when a spectator threw a flag in her path and she had to hurdle it. "I was afraid I would fall down," she said, "but I was lucky."

1995: In the final game at the old Boston Garden, the Celtics lost to the Knicks, 98-92. But an epic halftime ceremony was an exclamation point for the building that oozed Celtics history. 

Former Boston coach Red Auerbach passed the ball to Tiny Archibald, who passed to another former Celtic, who passed it to another Boston great. Finally, John Havlicek tossed it to Larry Bird, who banked it home. Two points. 

The cheers were thunderous.

1996: With a Michael Jordan-fueled win over the Washington Bullets, the Bulls wrapped up the best regular season in NBA history. Although he sat out the second and fourth quarters, MJ scored 26 points for 72-10 Chicago, which rested most regulars to prepare for the playoffs. (The 2015-16 Warriors finished 73-9, breaking the Bulls' record.)

Jordan and Scottie Pippen didn't exactly take this game seriously, joking with Washington players most of the time.  "I didn't even want to play today," said Bulls forward Dennis Rodman, who grabbed 11 rebounds and won his fifth straight NBA rebounding title. "There was no incentive and no motive to even go out there."

Properly motivated for the playoffs, the Bulls beat Seattle in six games in the NBA Finals — the fourth championship of the Jordan Era in Chicago.

2012: In a 4-0 win over the Mariners, 29-year-old White Sox right-hander Philip Humber pitched the 21st perfect game in MLB history. He was stunned to make the select list.

 "I have no idea what my name is doing there," he told reporters afterward. "But I'm thankful it's there."

Humber finished the season with a 5-5 record and a 6.44 ERA.  After an 0-8 season with the Astros the following year, he was done in the big leagues. His career record: 16-23.

2016 and 2018: This date was uber popular for no-hitters.

In 2016 in Cincinnati, Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta no-hit the Reds in a 16-0 win. He had no-hit the Dodgers the previous August.

"It's only a matter of time," Chicago Tribune columnist Paul Sullivan wrote, "before someone invents a Jake app that sends out no-hit notifications on your smartphone every time Jake Arrieta bids for another one."

In 2018 in Oakland, A's left-hander Sean Manaea pitched a no-no in beating the Red Sox, 3-0. Afterward, Oakland players spilled onto the field, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wrote, as if they had won the World Series. Fearful that he would jinx Manaea, Oakland manager Bob Melvin didn't look at him after the sixth inning. You know, baseball superstition and all.

Happy birthday...

• NFL broadcaster and rock-solid golfer Tony Romo, who recently signed a contract extension with CBS reportedly worth $17 million a year. (40). He used to play a little quarterback for the Cowboys too.
• Former NHL goaltender Ed Belfour (55.)

R.I.P.

1996: Sportscaster and oddsmaker Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder died of a heart attack in Las Vegas at 77. Snyder was once a popular figure on CBS' "NFL Today" broadcast on Sundays. But he was fired by the network in 1988 for inappropriate remarks about black athletes.  

2010: Former International Olympic committee president Juan Antonio Samaranch died. He was 89.

April 20: "It's just God disguised as Michael Jordan."