Sports Then and Now

It was 40 years ago that Hank Aaron became the all-time home run king.

Given how much emphasis sports put on championships, it may seem a little strange that the most significant home run in Major League Baseball history was not hit during the month of October, but instead was struck in early April by an aging player on a team that wouldn’t come close to reaching the postseason.

Such was the case 50 years ago, on April 8, 1974, when Hank Aaron forever cemented a place for himself in baseball lore with his record breaking 715th home run.

Every die-hard sports fan has a number of moments that are forever etched in their subconscious memory – to the point that even years after the fact they can recall not just the special moment, but also where they were and what they were doing at the time.

Though I was only six-years old, the night when Aaron set the home run record is one of those moments for me.

My family was paying special attention to the record because we had family friends who were from Atlanta and thus big fans of Aaron and the Braves. “Hammerin’ Hank” had tied the record during the season opener in Cincinnati and there seemed to be little doubt that he was going to set the record during the home opener, which was being shown on national television by ABC. However, for a while there was some doubt whether we would be able to see it.

It was a stormy Monday night in my hometown of Keysville, Virginia, thanks to a powerful early spring thunderstorm that brought lightning, thunder and heavy rains. There was no such thing as cable television in our town in 1974 and because we were about 75 miles from the closest television station, even with having an antenna on the roof we never really had crystal clear reception. The general practice at that time was also to unplug the television during electrical storms so that the TV wouldn’t get zapped. Read the rest of this entry →

Participating in sports has been shown to provide significant benefits to the physical and emotional health of those who participate. It is a significant aspect that helps to contribute to our overall health and happiness. On the other hand, some people are just not cut out for sports, and they would rather sit back and watch the action unfold on TV or even watch it on the field.

Being a spectator is, unfortunately, often associated with the lazy. However, watching sports is not something that only the lazy do. People who have a lot on their plates throughout the week working different jobs such as nursing, teaching, building homes, or manufacturing hardware for barn doors, for example, often make time to relax by watching their favorite sporting events during the weekend. 

Watching sports has a favorable effect on your overall health and well-being, but that’s not all. If you watch sports with family and friends, you can create unforgettable memories. This article discusses how watching sports with friends and family creates memories.

Watching sports with family creates a familiar atmosphere

Have you ever gone to your favorite joint to watch a game on your own, and it did not feel as great even if your favorite team won? But when you watch the game with your friends or family, there is a familiar environment; it just feels better with them.

If you support different teams, there is a chance that you will be ridiculing each other throughout the game, which makes the experience even more fun. While watching sports, you get to share a drink or two with friends, making the event even more memorable.

I

t was a game that epitomized March Madness. The 1992 East Regional Final of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament between Duke and Kentucky was as thrilling a game as one can imagine. Basketball pundits and fans everywhere witnessed a game for the ages. It was an instant classic packed with as much drama as a play on broadway in New York City.

Actually, it was played in Philadelphia, PA at The Spectrum and featured the east region’s top two seeds. On Saturday March 28, 1992, the Blue Devils and the Wildcats battled in a game that is remembered as a theatrical masterpiece. Veteran broadcasters Verne Lundquist and Len Elmore called the game for CBS Sports and did a masterful job. With a trip to The Final Four on the line, the two nationally ranked powers went back-and-forth much of the game leading up to a frantic, thrilling, and dramatic finish.

Having just fallen behind by one point on a Kentucky basket after which they used their final timeout with 2.1 seconds left in overtime, Duke inbounded the ball under the Wildcats’ basket. Sophomore forward Grant Hill prepared to make the long inbounds pass which was nearly the full length of the court. The call by Lundquist sounded like this:

“There’s the pass to Laettner…puts it up…(Buzzer sounds) Yessssssssssss!

Hill’s long inbounds pass was caught by 6-11 senior forward/center Christian Laettner just outside the top of the foul line where he made a turnaround jumper as time expired. Echoes of Lundquist’s call have lingered on for decades since this fabled play.

Ecstasy resulted for the Blue Devils while Kentucky was left in anguish. Laettner’s basket, a swish, lifted Duke to an improbable 104-103 win and sent the Blue Devils to The Final Four for the fifth straight year. Wildcat senior forwards John Pelphrey and Deron Feldhaus, each standing 6-7, defended Laettner on the final play. Pelphrey made a reach for the ball before backing off to avoid fouling for Kentucky. Feldhaus was closer and raised both arms up on Laettner as he took the epic shot.

It probably comes as no surprise that the 4^th of July has seen a few more “special” sports moments than most other days on the calendar. As a national holiday occurring during the height of the season for baseball, there have been a significant number of special baseball moments on this date.

Even though July 4^th is a day that our friends in England are maybe not as enthusiastic in celebrating, July 4^th does have quite a history in that country as many Wimbledon titles have been claimed on that special date.

Over the years the date has also seen special moments in boxing history and women’s golf.

Below is a chronological look at a few of those special July 4^th sports moments:

1910 – In what was dubbed the “Fight of the Century”, World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Jack Johnson retains his title with a 15^th round TKO against James J. Jeffries.

1911 – Ty Cobb’s pursuit of Willie Keeler’s record hitting streak of 45 consecutive games ends at 40 games when Cobb is held hitless in four attempts by Ed Walsh of the Chicago White Sox. Cobb’s streak remains the sixth longest streak in MLB history.

1914 – Dorothea Chambers claims her seventh, and final, Wimbledon Women’s Singles title, beating Ethel Larcombe 7-5, 6-4.

The Masters holds a special place in the heart of many golf fans. As far as the four major championships go, the Augusta showpiece is the one with the most history, tradition, and memories, making it an event to look forward to for all sport enthusiasts each year.

This year, the Masters will look somewhat different, due to the fact that the tournament is being held in the autumn for the first time. This is because the coronavirus pandemic meant the original spring dates for the Augusta major could not be fulfilled. It will be an interesting spectacle, and already golf fans are eagerly examining the US Masters golf odds to try and pick their winners.

To celebrate the return of the Masters after such a long wait, we’ve compiled a few of the competition’s most magical memories from the last ten years.

2010: Phil Mickelson’s third title

Phil Mickelson, even now at the age of 50, is one of the biggest names in golf, and his rivalry with Tiger Woods over the years kept millions of sports fans on the edge of their seats. In 2010, Mickelson made it a hat-trick of Masters titles, by holding off the challenges of Lee Westwood and Anthony Kim to shoot a bogey-free final round and secure a memorable third win at Augusta.

2013: Adam Scott becomes Australia’s first champion

Three years later, there were celebrations Down Under as Adam Scott became the first Australian to win the Masters. He had to do it the hard way, winning a nail-biting play-off against Argentina’s Ángel Cabrera after both men finished nine-under par. But it was Scott who held his nerve in the end, birdieing the second play-off hole to claim an emotional victory.

With March Madness cancelled, the entire sports world on pause and many public gatherings and places across the country and globe closed due to the COVID-19 virus, there are only so many shows on Hulu, Netflix, Disney+ and other streaming channels that we can watch before sports withdrawals are surely to kick in.

Fortunately, YouTube is home to a plethora of vintage sporting events that can help pass the time before live sports return.

In part 1 of a multi-part series, Sports Then and Now has selected 10 vintage conference tournament games that include some of the all-time moments and players in college basketball history. For each one we have included the records, rankings, coaches and notable players at the time of the game, but are not spoiling the game with a summary in case you don’t remember the outcome and want to enjoy the moment without spoilers.

The fun part about watching vintage games is that it includes the original announcers, as well as showcasing some players who went on to greatness often before they had become household names, or as they were building their reputation. Players like Patrick Ewing, Ray Allen, Allen Iverson, Ralph Sampson, Tim Duncan, Jerry Stackhouse and many more are included in our selections.

There are certainly other great games to watch on YouTube, but we have chosen these partly because the entire game is available and the game epitomized the excitement of March Madness.

Enjoy!

1983 ACC Tournament Championship Game – Virginia vs. North Carolina State

Records Entering Game: Virginia 27-3; North Carolina State: 19-10

National Ranking: Virginia #2; North Carolina State unranked

Coaches: UVA: Terry Holland; North Carolina State: Jim Valvano

Notable Players: UVA – Ralph Sampson, Othell Wilson, Ricky Stokes, Rick Carlisle; NC State – Thurl Bailey, Sidney Lowe, Lorenzo Charles, Dereck Whittenburg, Terry Gannon