January 14
Green Bay Packers are victorious in Super Bowl II
On Jan. 14, 1968, Miami hosted Super Bowl II. The game featured a faceoff between the Green Bay Packers and the Oakland Raiders, and in their second Super Bowl victory, the Packers beat the Raiders 33 to 14. The Packers had previously won the first Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA in 1967. Since the first Super Bowl, the event has grown in popularity, amassing an average TV audience of 98.2 million viewers on CBS in 2019.
This year, Miami will host Super Bowl LIV on Sunday, Feb. 2 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Since the first Super Bowl in 1967, Miami has held the event 10 times, 11 including the upcoming faceoff.
January 17
Miami Heat game canceled due to riots
On Jan. 17, 1989, the Miami Heat were forced to cancel their scheduled game against the Phoenix Suns due to widespread riots. After a police chase in Miami ended with the deaths of two African-American men, riots broke out in black communities and violent protests ensued. Hundreds of police officers were required to bring the riots under control, but by the time they had, there had been more than $1 million in damages to the city and other properties, one death, 22 injuries and 385 arrests. Despite the chaos, Super Bowl XXIII carried on as planned, just five days later in Miami.
PGA approves allowing black players
On Jan. 17, 1952, Joe Louis became the first black golfer to compete in an official Professional Golfer’s Association (PGA) event. According to an article from The Undefeated, Louis wasn’t satisfied with only his inclusion. He went on to use his entry as a tool to pressure PGA officials to change “the organization’s bylaws and rules preventing black golfers from participating.” After Louis broke the color barrier, three other African American athletes competed in the Phoenix Open the following week.
Armstrong admits to doping in all seven of his Tour de France victories
On Jan. 17th, 2013, Lance Armstrong admitted to doping charges related to all seven of his Tour de France victories. The charges were confirmed in October 2012 when the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency released over 1,000 pages of evidence of doping allegations against Armstrong and various teammates. He was stripped of his Tour de France titles as well as the bronze Olympic medal he won in 2000.
Photo: A. Luengo
