Vow to Rosenbloom Landed Job for Knox

The meeting dragged on past midnight. The Los Angeles Rams’ owner, Carroll Rosenbloom, was interviewing Detroit Lion assistant coach Chuck Knox at Rosenbloom’s Bel-Air home.

At 2:30 a.m., Knox looked Rosenbloom in the eye and told Rosenbloom what he’d been waiting to hear: “I can win.”

That said, Knox became the Ram coach, replacing recently fired Tommy Prothro.

And win he did. Five consecutive NFC West titles. Double-digit wins in each of his five seasons. But he also went 3-5 in postseason games and was sent packing in 1977.

Knox went on to coach in Buffalo and Seattle. He also returned to lead the Rams again in 1992, but retired after three consecutive losing seasons.

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On this date in 1954, a 23-year-old Navy man, Gene Littler, won the San Diego Open in the rain by four strokes . . . but got no check. He became the second amateur since World War II to win a PGA open event.

Littler, who would go on to a stellar pro career, started the day shakily--he was two over after three holes. But he made long putts at 12 and 17 to defeat veteran pros such as Dutch Harrison, Cary Middlecoff and Ted Kroll.

Also on this date: In 1973, pitcher Warren Spahn, who won 20 games in a season 13 times, was inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame.