This Day in Sports History: December 17
Sports in December include the NBA and NHL seasons, NFL teams pushing for the playoffs, the end of the college football season, and some college basketball tournaments. Over the years,…
Sports in December include the NBA and NHL seasons, NFL teams pushing for the playoffs, the end of the college football season, and some college basketball tournaments. Over the years, Dec. 17 has witnessed many notable moments and stories involving sporting legends. Here are some of them.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Great moments in sports history from Dec. 17 include:
- 1924: The Hamilton Tigers and Ottawa Senators played in the first scoreless game in NHL history.
- 1932: The St. Louis Cardinals traded future Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Bottomley (first baseman) to the Cincinnati Reds.
- 1933: In the first ever NFL Championship game, the Chicago Bears beat the New York Giants 23-21.
- 1944: The Green Bay Packers beat the New York Giants, 14-7, and won their sixth NFL Championship title.
- 1957: Real Madrid soccer player Alfredo Di Stefano won the Ballon d'Or award.
- 1963: Dynamo Moscow goalkeeper Lev Yashin won the Ballon d'Or award.
- 1977: Rookie defenseman Barry Beck scored his first career hat trick and set an NHL record for rookie defensemen with a goal in his sixth straight game.
- 1983: Wayne Gretzky scored a goal and five assists in an 8-1 game against the Quebec Nordiques.
- 1984: Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino finished his record-setting season with 5,084 passing yards, 48 touchdown passes, and 362 completions.
- 1986: Wayne Gretzky scored four goals, including a natural hat trick in the first period against the Quebec Nordiques.
- 1988: Bryan Murray became the 17th NHL coach to win 300 games.
- 1988: The New York Islanders ended their 12-game losing streak and beat the Devils 5-2.
- 1991: The NBA's most lopsided game happened, as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Miami Heat 148-80.
- 1999: Ray Bourque became just the third player in NHL history to score 1,100 assists.
- 2000: San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Terrell Owens set an NFL record with 20 catches in a single game.
- 2005: John Ruiz lost his WBA heavyweight title to Nikolay Valuev, who became the tallest and heaviest heavyweight champion of all time.
- 2006: Gilbert Arenas set a franchise record with 60 points in a game for the Washington Wizards.
- 2008: Chris Paul set an NBA record for the most consecutive games with a steal during the 106th match.
- 2014: 103-year-old Gus Andreone recorded the eighth ace of his career and became the oldest golfer to record a hole-in-one.
- 2017: Brazilian soccer player Kaká retired.
- 2019: Fallon Sherrock became the first woman to win a darts match at the PDC World Championship.
Three athletes who stood out on Dec. 17 were Wayne Gretzky, Gilbert Arenas, and Kaka.
Gretzky revolutionized the game with his intelligence and vision, transcended the sport to boost hockey's popularity, especially in the U.S., and had his number 99 jersey retired across the league upon his retirement from pro sports in 1999. Arenas was famous for being a dynamic, high-scoring NBA guard known for his clutch play, his nicknames such as "Agent Zero" and "Hibachi," and the 2003 Most Improved Player award. Kaka is best known for his incredible talent, dribbling, and creativity during his peak at AC Milan between 2003 and 2009.
