69 Fun Facts About 80s Sports

The 'Miracle on Ice' saw the US beat which country in ice hockey at the 1980 Winter Olympics?

The Americans still had to beat Finland two days later to clinch the gold; coach Herb Brooks sprinted to the locker room and cried after the upset.

Which broadcaster asked 'Do you believe in miracles?' as the 1980 US hockey upset ended?

Michaels was calling the game for ABC; the final score was 4-3 after the Soviets had led 3-2 through two periods.

Which American speed skater won all five speed skating events at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics?

Eric Heiden swept the men's speed skating golds at Lake Placid in 1980, winning every event from the 500 to the 10,000 metres with an Olympic record in each; he later became an orthopedic surgeon.

Why did the United States boycott the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics?

The US led a boycott in protest at the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in December 1979; President Carter even sent Muhammad Ali on a diplomatic tour of Africa to rally support.

Which British runner beat Sebastian Coe to win the 800 metres at the 1980 Moscow Olympics?

Steve Ovett, the favourite for the 1,500 m, instead beat Sebastian Coe over 800 m in Moscow; days later Coe turned the tables and won the 1,500 m.

Rosie Ruiz was stripped of her 1980 Boston Marathon win eight days later for what reason?

Investigators concluded she had not run the entire course, having jumped in near the finish; New York officials then found she had also cheated in the 1979 NYC Marathon that qualified her for Boston.

Which rookie replaced the injured Kareem at center and scored 42 to clinch the 1980 NBA Finals?

Rookie Magic Johnson, aged 20, started at center for the injured Abdul-Jabbar in Game 6 in Philadelphia, scored 42 points and was named Finals MVP.

What was the score of the fourth-set tiebreak in the 1980 Borg–McEnroe Wimbledon final?

McEnroe saved match point after match point to take the fourth-set tiebreak 18-16, but Borg won the fifth set for his fifth straight Wimbledon title; McEnroe beat him in the 1981 final.

Which Dodgers rookie pitcher won both the Cy Young and Rookie of the Year in 1981?

Fernando Valenzuela's screwball and eight shutouts in 1981 set off 'Fernandomania' at Dodger Stadium; he became the first player to win the Cy Young and Rookie of the Year in one season.

Who caught 'The Catch', Joe Montana's winning pass in the January 1982 NFC Championship?

Dwight Clark leapt to pull in Montana's pass at the back of the end zone with 51 seconds left; the 49ers beat Dallas 28-27 and won their first Super Bowl two weeks later.

How many bases did Rickey Henderson steal in 1982 to set the single-season record?

Henderson stole 130 bases for Oakland in 1982, breaking Lou Brock's 1974 mark of 118; he also stole 100 in 1980 and 108 in 1983.

Which country won the 1982 FIFA World Cup, beating West Germany 3-1 in Madrid?

It was Italy's first title since 1938; Paolo Rossi's goals carried them after a slow start.

Which Georgia running back won the 1982 Heisman Trophy before jumping to the USFL's New Jersey Generals?

Herschel Walker won the 1982 Heisman at Georgia and signed with the USFL's New Jersey Generals in 1983; his 1989 trade from Dallas to Minnesota is credited with building the Cowboys' 1990s dynasty.

Which team's 1983 NCAA title ended with Lorenzo Charles's buzzer-beating dunk and Jim Valvano running around the court?

NC State's Wolfpack beat Houston's 'Phi Slama Jama' 54-52 when Lorenzo Charles dunked Dereck Whittenburg's 30-foot airball at the buzzer.

Australia II ended the New York Yacht Club's 132-year hold on which trophy in 1983?

Australia II won the America's Cup 4-3 off Newport, Rhode Island, with skipper John Bertrand rallying from 3-1 down against Dennis Conner's Liberty.

Where were the 1984 Winter Olympics held?

Sarajevo, then in Yugoslavia, hosted the 1984 Winter Games; many of its venues were wrecked in the Bosnian War that began in 1992.

Which ice dancers earned perfect 6.0 artistic scores from every judge at the 1984 Winter Olympics?

Torvill and Dean's free dance to Ravel's Boléro at the 1984 Games drew 6.0 for artistic impression from all nine judges, the only such sweep before the 6.0 system was retired in 2004.

Carl Lewis won four gold medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, matching whose 1936 feat?

Lewis won the 100 m, 200 m, long jump and 4x100 m relay, the same four events Jesse Owens won in Berlin in 1936; he was even drafted that year by the Chicago Bulls and the Dallas Cowboys.

Who became the first American woman to win the Olympic gymnastics all-around title in 1984?

Mary Lou Retton, 16, had arthroscopic knee surgery weeks before the Games and edged Romania's Ecaterina Szabo by 0.05 points to win the all-around in Los Angeles.

Which event made its Olympic debut in 1984 and was won by Joan Benoit?

The women's marathon was run for the first time at Los Angeles in 1984, and Joan Benoit won it in 2:24:52, more than a minute ahead of Grete Waitz.

Which Warsaw Pact country defied the Eastern Bloc boycott and competed at Los Angeles in 1984?

Romania was the only Warsaw Pact member to send a team to Los Angeles in 1984; its athletes got a standing ovation at the opening ceremony and finished second in the gold-medal table.

Who was taken first overall in the 1984 NBA draft, two picks ahead of Michael Jordan?

Houston took Hakeem Olajuwon first, Portland took Sam Bowie second and Chicago got Michael Jordan third; Charles Barkley went fifth and John Stockton 16th.

Which team beat the Redskins 38-9 in Super Bowl XVIII in January 1984?

The Los Angeles Raiders routed Washington 38-9 in Tampa; Marcus Allen ran for 191 yards and was MVP, and Apple aired its famous '1984' Macintosh commercial during the broadcast.

Doug Flutie's 'Hail Mary' pass in November 1984 beat which team?

Gerard Phelan caught Flutie's 48-yard heave as time expired to beat Miami 47-45 in the Orange Bowl, stunning Bernie Kosar's defending champion Hurricanes.

Which eighth-seeded team upset Georgetown 66-64 in the 1985 NCAA final?

Villanova, coached by Rollie Massimino, shot 22 of 28 from the field to beat Patrick Ewing's Georgetown 66-64 in Lexington; no lower seed had ever won the title.

How long did the 1985 Hagler–Hearns middleweight fight, known as 'The War', last?

The Ring called it 'the most electrifying eight minutes ever' and named it fight of the year.

Who became the youngest ever men's Wimbledon singles champion in 1985 at age 17?

Boris Becker, an unseeded 17-year-old from Leimen, beat Kevin Curren in the 1985 final and went on to win Wimbledon again in 1986 and 1989.

Pete Rose broke whose all-time hits record in September 1985?

Hit number 4,192, a single off San Diego's Eric Show at Riverfront Stadium, passed Ty Cobb's 4,191; four years later Rose was banned for gambling.

Team Europe won the Ryder Cup for the first time in 1985 at which English course?

Tony Jacklin's Europe beat the US 16½–11½ at The Belfry in Warwickshire in 1985, Europe's first win; two years later at Muirfield Village they became the first visiting side to win on American soil.

Which umpire made the blown first-base call in Game 6 of the 1985 World Series?

Don Denkinger called Jorge Orta safe at first in the ninth inning of Game 6; St. Louis lost that game and then Game 7 11-0, and the call became Cardinals lore.

Which team recorded 'The Super Bowl Shuffle' before crushing the Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX?

The 1985 Chicago Bears filmed 'The Super Bowl Shuffle' video the day after their only loss of the season, a Monday night defeat in December, then won Super Bowl XX 46-10 in New Orleans.

What was Bo Jackson's college, where he won the 1985 Heisman Trophy?

Bo Jackson ran for 1,786 yards for Auburn in 1985 to win the Heisman over Iowa's Chuck Long; he went on to star in both MLB and the NFL.

At what age did Jack Nicklaus win the 1986 Masters, his 18th and last major?

Jack Nicklaus was 46 when he shot a final-round 65, with 30 on the back nine, to win the 1986 Masters, the last of his 18 professional majors.

Which Red Sox first baseman let Mookie Wilson's grounder through his legs in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series?

Bill Buckner let Wilson's slow roller through his legs at first base to score Ray Knight with the winning run; the Mets then won Game 7 two nights later.

Diego Maradona scored the 'Hand of God' goal against which team at the 1986 World Cup?

Maradona punched the ball past England keeper Peter Shilton in the 51st minute of the quarter-final; four minutes later he dribbled through half the England team for the 'Goal of the Century'.

Who became the first American to win the Tour de France in 1986?

Greg LeMond beat La Vie Claire teammate Bernard Hinault to win the 1986 Tour; shot in a hunting accident in 1987, he came back to win again in 1989 and 1990.

Roger Clemens set a record in April 1986 by striking out how many batters in a nine-inning game?

He did it at Fenway against Seattle; he matched it exactly ten years later in Detroit.

Whom did Mike Tyson stop to win his first heavyweight title in November 1986?

Mike Tyson stopped Trevor Berbick in the second round in Las Vegas on November 22, 1986, to take the WBC belt and become the youngest heavyweight champion in history.

Who beat Marvin Hagler by a controversial split decision in April 1987's 'Super Fight'?

Sugar Ray Leonard came out of a three-year retirement to outpoint Hagler on a split decision at Caesars Palace; it turned out to be Hagler's last fight.

Doug Williams threw a record 340 yards as Washington beat which team 42-10 in Super Bowl XXII?

Williams threw four touchdown passes in the second quarter alone as Washington routed the Denver Broncos 42-10 in San Diego; he was named MVP after starting the season as Jay Schroeder's backup.

Which team traded Wayne Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings on August 9, 1988?

The deal brought Edmonton $15 million in cash plus players and picks, and is credited with popularizing hockey in California.

Which stadium hosted its first night game in 1988, the last in the majors to install lights?

Wrigley Field's first night game, on August 8, 1988, was rained out after three and a half innings; the Cubs had played only daytime home games since the park opened in 1914.

Kirk Gibson's famous 1988 World Series walk-off home run came off which Athletics closer?

Gibson, hobbled by injuries to both legs, limped out to pinch-hit and hit a 3-2 backdoor slider from Dennis Eckersley for a two-run homer; it was his only plate appearance of the Series.

How many consecutive scoreless innings did Orel Hershiser pitch to set the record in 1988?

Hershiser's 59 straight scoreless innings, run up at the end of the 1988 season, broke Don Drysdale's 58 from 1968; he added the Cy Young, a Gold Glove and the World Series MVP.

Which sprinter was stripped of his 1988 Olympic 100 m gold after testing positive for stanozolol?

Ben Johnson's 9.79-second run in Seoul was erased three days later when his sample showed stanozolol; Carl Lewis was upgraded to gold.

Which tennis player won the 'Golden Slam' in 1988: all four majors plus Olympic gold?

Steffi Graf won all four majors in 1988 and then beat Gabriela Sabatini for Olympic gold in Seoul, a 'Golden Slam' no other singles player had achieved.

What was Florence Griffith Joyner's 200 m world-record time at the 1988 Seoul Olympics?

Griffith Joyner ran 21.34 seconds in the Seoul 200 m final, lowering the 21.56 she had set in the semi-final; she also won the 100 m and 4x100 m relay golds.

Which diver won both 1988 golds after hitting his head on the springboard in prelims?

Greg Louganis hit his head on the springboard in the preliminaries, took stitches and came back to win both the 3 m springboard and 10 m platform, repeating his 1984 double.

Which British ski jumper became a folk hero by finishing last in both events at Calgary 1988?

Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards, Britain's first Olympic ski jumper, finished last on both the 70 m and 90 m hills at Calgary; the Jamaican bobsled team debuted at the same Games and both stories became films.

Which figure skater defended her Olympic title at Calgary in 1988?

Katarina Witt became the first woman since Sonja Henie to retain the Olympic title; both she and Debi Thomas skated to Carmen, so the final was billed the 'Battle of the Carmens'.

Ayrton Senna won his first Formula One title in 1988 driving for which team?

Senna's McLaren-Honda MP4/4 dominated 1988: he and teammate Alain Prost won 15 of the 16 races, and Senna took the title on wins despite Prost scoring more gross points.

Kansas's 'Danny and the Miracles' won the 1988 NCAA title over which Big Eight rival?

Larry Brown's Jayhawks, led by Danny Manning's 31 points, beat Billy Tubbs's Oklahoma Sooners 83-79 at Kemper Arena.

Which team swept the Lakers in the 1989 NBA Finals for its first championship?

The Detroit Pistons' 'Bad Boys', led by Isiah Thomas and Finals MVP Joe Dumars, swept the Lakers for the franchise's first championship, then repeated in 1990.

By what margin did the American winner beat Laurent Fignon in the 1989 Tour de France, the closest ever?

LeMond overturned a 50-second deficit in the final-day time trial into Paris to win by eight seconds, the narrowest margin the Tour had ever seen.

Michael Chang became the youngest man to win a singles major at which 1989 tournament?

Chang won the 1989 French Open at 17 years and 109 days, beating Stefan Edberg in the final; in the fourth round he had served underarm while cramping against Ivan Lendl.

The 1989 World Series between the Athletics and Giants was interrupted by what?

The Loma Prieta quake struck before Game 3; Oakland completed a sweep when play resumed ten days later.

Nolan Ryan became the first pitcher to reach how many career strikeouts in August 1989?

Ryan's 5,000th strikeout came on August 22, 1989, when the 42-year-old Rangers right-hander fanned Oakland's Rickey Henderson with a fastball.

Joe Montana's 92-yard drive in the final minutes of Super Bowl XXIII beat which team?

John Taylor caught the winning touchdown with 34 seconds left to beat the Cincinnati Bengals 20-16 at Joe Robbie Stadium for San Francisco's third title.

Anthony Nesty won which country's first Olympic medal by beating Matt Biondi by 0.01 seconds in 1988?

Anthony Nesty's 100 m butterfly gold was Suriname's first Olympic medal; the 0.01-second upset ended Biondi's bid to match Mark Spitz's seven golds from 1972.

How many NBA championships did the Showtime Lakers win during the 1980s?

The Lakers won five titles in the decade, in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988; Pat Riley's promotion to head coach in 1981 and the drafting of James Worthy in 1982 built the dynasty around Magic and Kareem.

Martina Navratilova won a record how many consecutive singles majors across 1983 and 1984?

Navratilova won six majors in a row, from Wimbledon 1983 through the 1984 US Open; she went 86-1 in 1983 and ran up a 74-match winning streak in 1984.

Which NHL team won four straight Stanley Cups from 1980 to 1983?

The New York Islanders won the Cup in 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983 under Al Arbour and reached the final again in 1984, a run of 19 consecutive playoff-series wins.

How many goals did Wayne Gretzky score in 1981-82 to set the NHL single-season record?

Gretzky scored 92 goals in 80 games in 1981-82, reaching 50 in just 39 games, and added 120 assists for 212 points, the first 200-point season in NHL history.

With what record did the 1984 Detroit Tigers open the season, an unprecedented start?

Detroit started 35-5, an unprecedented 40-game start, led the AL East wire-to-wire under Sparky Anderson and beat San Diego in the World Series.

During the 1987 NFL strike, how were weeks four to six of the season staged?

Only week three was cancelled, cutting the schedule to 15 games; it remains the last NFL season disrupted by a labour dispute.

Which barefoot runner collided with Mary Decker in the 3,000 m final at the 1984 Olympics?

Decker fell to the curb with a hip injury and did not finish; Romania's Maricica Puică won and Budd faded to seventh.

Dennis Conner won back the America's Cup in 1987 off which Australian port?

Stars & Stripes 87 swept Kookaburra III 4-0 on Gage Roads off Fremantle, Western Australia, four years after Australia II had taken the trophy from the New York Yacht Club.

Which team did the Philadelphia Phillies beat in 1980 to win their first World Series?

Philadelphia beat the Kansas City Royals, clinching at Veterans Stadium on October 21, 1980, in the first World Series played entirely on artificial turf.

How much was the USFL awarded after winning its 1986 antitrust suit against the NFL?

The jury agreed the NFL had violated antitrust law but the nominal damages doomed the spring league's planned move to a fall schedule.