This Day in Sports History: December 14
Sports in December include the NBA and NHL seasons, NFL teams competing for the playoffs, the end of the college football season, Grand Prix races, UFC Fight Nights, and college…
Sports in December include the NBA and NHL seasons, NFL teams competing for the playoffs, the end of the college football season, Grand Prix races, UFC Fight Nights, and college basketball tournaments. Over the years, Dec. 14 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. 14 included:
- 1920: Jack Dempsey knocked out Bill Brennan in 12 rounds and won the heavyweight boxing title.
- 1930: The New York Giants beat Notre Dame 22-0 in a charity game.
- 1947: The Cleveland Browns beat the New York Yankees, 14-3, in the All-America Football Conference championship game.
- 1947: NASCAR was founded.
- 1950: Los Angeles Rams' wide receiver Tom Fears set an NFL record of 18 catches in a game.
- 1953: The Brooklyn Dodgers signed pitcher Sandy Koufax.
- 1958: Pat Summerall kicked a game-winning, 49-yard field goal for the New York Giants, as they beat the Cleveland Browns.
- 1962: Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor both scored over 50 points in the same game.
- 1968: Bobby Orr scored his first career hat trick.
- 1975: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar grabbed an NBA record 29 defensive rebounds in a game against the Detroit Pistons.
- 1980: The Minnesota Vikings' Tommy Kramer passed for a total of 456 yards against the Cleveland Browns. The Vikings won the game with a score of 28-23.
- 1980: The New Orleans Saints ended their 14-game losing streak, as they beat the New York Jets 21-10.
- 1982: The Los Angeles Kings' Marcel Dionne became the ninth NHL player to score 500 goals.
- 1988: The Miami Heat won their first game ever, as they beat the Los Angeles Clippers 89-88.
- 1991: Michigan wide receiver Desmond Howard won the 57th Heisman Trophy.
- 1992: Lennox Lewis was given the WBC title because Riddick Bowe refused to fight him.
- 1996: Florida quarterback Danny Wuerffel won the 62nd Heisman Trophy.
- 1997: Phoenix Coyote winger Mike Gartner became the fifth NHL player to score 700 goals.
- 1998: Texas running back Ricky Williams won the 64th Heisman Trophy.
- 2019: Louisiana State University quarterback Joe Burrow won the 85th Heisman Trophy after receiving over 90% of the first-place votes. This was the highest percentage ever achieved.
- 2020: Kim A-lim won the US Open for women's golf. It was her first major title.
- 2021: Steph Curry made career three-pointer number 2,974, passing Ray Allen for most three-pointers made in a career.
Three athletes who stood out on Dec. 14 were Tom Fears, Lennox Lewis, and Steph Curry.
Fears was a renowned American football player, coach, and pioneer in the sport. He was also the first Mexican-born player inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Lewis is known as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. He was a three-time world champion and the last heavyweight to hold the undisputed title. Curry is famous for revolutionizing the game of basketball through his exceptional three-point shooting, which led the Golden State Warriors to four titles and earned him two MVP awards.
