This Day in Sports History: December 2
Sports in December include the NBA and NHL seasons, NFL teams pushing for the playoffs, the end of the college football season, F1 races, UFC Fight Nights, and college basketball…
Sports in December include the NBA and NHL seasons, NFL teams pushing for the playoffs, the end of the college football season, F1 races, UFC Fight Nights, and college basketball tournaments. Over the years, Dec. 2 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. 2 included:
- 1907: Canadian world heavyweight boxing champion Tommy Burns knocked out Gunner Moir in the 10th round to retain his title.
- 1922: Queen's University beat the Edmonton Elks 13-1 in the first of three straight titles.
- 1928: Cardinals' first baseman Jim Bottomley won the National League's Most Valuable Player award.
- 1944: Ohio State quarterback Les Horvath won the Heisman Trophy.
- 1948: The Cardinals' Stan Musial won the National League MVP award in one of the best seasons in baseball history.
- 1951: The Green Bay Packers retired the No. 14 jersey of future Hall of Fame wide receiver Don Hutson.
- 1954: Milwaukee Hawks' guard Frank Selvey set an NBA record of 24 of 26 free throws.
- 1961: The Winnipeg Blue Bombers beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 21-14 to win their sixth CFL Grey Cup title.
- 1973: Australia defeated the U.S. 5-0 to win the Davis Cup for men's tennis.
- 1981: Pitcher Fernando Valenzuela became the third straight Los Angeles Dodgers player to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award.
- 1984: Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino broke the NFL single-season touchdown pass record when he threw his 37th touchdown pass in a 45-34 loss to the Raiders.
- 1985: The Chicago Bears lost to the Miami Dolphins 38-24, their only defeat of the season.
- 1993: The Houston Rockets beat the New York Knicks 94-85 for their 15th straight win to start the season.
- 2000: Top-ranked Oklahoma beat eighth-placed Kansas State 27-24 in the fifth Big 12 Championship game.
- 2001: France beat Australia 3-2 to win the Davis Cup.
- 2008: Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo won his first Ballon d'Or as the best football player in the world.
- 2016: For the sixth time in seven years, the Reds' first baseman, Joey Votto, won the Tip O'Neill Award as the best Canadian MLB player.
- 2019: Barcelona's Lionel Messi won his record sixth Ballon d'Or.
Three athletes who stood out on Dec. 2 were Stan Musial, Mike Ditka, and Lionel Messi.
Musial was an American baseball player, nicknamed "Stan the Man," who many considered to be one of the greatest hitters in baseball history. Ditka won fame for revolutionizing the tight end position as a player, his intense coaching style, and his Super Bowl 20 victory with the Chicago Bears, while Messi's exceptional dribbling, goal-scoring, and playmaking abilities led to numerous team trophies with Barcelona and the Argentina national team.
