From the original Ancient Grecian olympics to last year’s Super Bowl, sports have been around for millenia. Today’s public, however, often don’t know the history of some of the nation’s favorite sports. Here you can find some relevant, monumental, and inspiring games that have changed the future of sports forever.
November 12, 1972: Richard Petty won his second straight NASCAR championship
The next five seasons Petty finished in the top five each season and secured two more championships. Richard “The King” Petty went on to become a NASCAR legend. His career included seven championships and 200 career wins making him the winningest NASCAR driver of all-time. Hall of Famer David Pearson is the closest to Petty’s record with 105 wins.
November 13, 1875: First college football game with uniforms
This hallmark in sports history is attributed to Harvard and Yale. The two Ivy League teams played each other in the first college football game with team uniforms. The two teams played a rugby and soccer combination of football. This was the first of many meetings between the two teams. Harvard won the historic game 4-0.
November 14, 1993: Don Shula becomes the winningest head coach with the Miami Dolphins
The 19-14 win against the Philadelphia Eagles propelled Shula to 325 victories throughout his 31 seasons as a head coach. The record was previously held by George Halas. Shula spent 25 seasons coaching the Miami Dolphins, including the perfect 1972 season and Super Bowl win, and retired in 1995. Shula remains the winningest NFL head coach with 328 wins. The closest threat to Shula’s record is the Patriots’ Bill Belichick with 255 wins. His illustrious football career started as a player for the Cleveland Browns and ended with a Hall of Fame induction in 1997.
November 15, 1960: Elgin Baylor scored 71 points in NBA game
In his third NBA season, Baylor dominated against the New York Knicks leading the Lakers to a 123-108 victory. A performance like Baylor’s was unheard of in the NBA at the time. At the time, there was no three point line in the NBA. Only five other players have scored 70 points or more in a game since Baylor. Those men are Wilt Chamberlain with six of those feats and a 100 point game in the early 1960s, David Thompson in 1978, David Robinson in 1994, Kobe Bryant in 2006 with 81 points and Devin Booker in 2017.
November 16, 1926: The New York Rangers win their first game
The Rangers beat the Montreal Maroons 1-0. The Blueshirts went onto play in the playoffs in all of their first 16 seasons except for their 1935-1936 ten year anniversary season. They are currently in their 92 season. The Rangers have appeared in the playoffs for 59 seasons and hoisted the Stanley Cup four times.
