This Day in Sports History: December 28
Sports in December include the NBA and NHL seasons, NFL teams pushing for the playoffs, the end of the college football season, F1, UFC Fight Nights, and college basketball tournaments….
Sports in December include the NBA and NHL seasons, NFL teams pushing for the playoffs, the end of the college football season, F1, UFC Fight Nights, and college basketball tournaments. Over the years, Dec. 28 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. 28 included:
- 1918:Â Montreal's Georges Vezina became the first NHL goalie to record an assist.
- 1944:Â Montreal right winger Maurice "Rocket" Richard became the first player in NHL history to get eight points in one game, with five goals and three assists.
- 1946:Â The U.S. defeated Australia 5-0 to win the Davis Cup.
- 1947:Â The Chicago Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Eagles 28-21 in the Cardinals' only title win.
- 1951:Â Australia beat the U.S. to retain the Davis Cup.
- 1958:Â Dubbed "the greatest game ever played," the Baltimore Colts beat the New York Giants 23-17 to win the NFL Championship. It was the first sudden-death overtime game in NFL history, and the encounter featured 17 future members of the Football Hall of Fame.
- 1963:Â Jim Clark won his record seventh Grand Prix of the F1 season.
- 1965: Benfica's Eusébio won the Ballon d'Or award.
- 1971: Johan Cruyff of Ajax won the Ballon d'Or award.
- 1974:Â Oklahoma State beat BYU 16-6Â in the fourth Fiesta Bowl.
- 1975:Â With 32 seconds left in the NFC Divisional playoff game, Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to win the match against the Minnesota Vikings.
- 1976:Â Bayern Munich's Franz Beckenbauer won his second Ballon d'Or award.
- 1978:Â Hockey player Mike Bossy scored the 30th hat-trick in the New York Islanders' franchise history.
- 1982:Â Paolo Rossi of Juventus won the Ballon d'Or award.
- 1990:Â Florida State defeated Penn State 24-17Â in the Blockbuster Bowl.
- 1993: Roberto Baggio of Juventus won the Ballon d'Or award.
- 2008:Â The Detroit Lions became the first team in NFL history to go winless in a 16-game season.
- 2013:Â Chris Weidman defeated Anderson Silva to retain the UFC Middleweight Championship title.
- 2018:Â Bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes knocked out featherweight Cris "Cyborg" Justino in 51 seconds in the opening round, making her the first female fighter to win UFC titles in multiple weight classes.
- 2019:Â LSU beat Oklahoma 63-28Â in the 52nd Peach Bowl.
Three athletes who stood out on Dec. 28 were Georges Vezina, Jim Clark, and Roger Staubach.
Vezina was a legendary Canadian NHL goalie for the Montreal Canadiens, famous for his incredible stamina (playing 328 consecutive games) and winning two Stanley Cups in 1916 and 1924. Clark won the F1 World Championship in 1963 and 1965 and the 1965 Indianapolis 500, while Staubach, nicknamed "Captain Comeback" for his incredible clutch performances, helped the Cowboys to two Super Bowl wins and earned a Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award.
