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 Soviet Union had won the last four Olympic golds and had routed the same US team 10-3 in an exhibition days earlier; the Americans still had to beat Finland two days later to clinch the gold.

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

Al Michaels got the assignment because he was the only ABC announcer who had ever called a hockey game, and only one: at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo.

Which American speed skater won five individual gold medals 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.

Why was Rosie Ruiz stripped of her 1980 Boston Marathon win eight days later?

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?

Magic Johnson, a 20-year-old point guard, started at center in Game 6 in Philadelphia and played every position, finishing with 42 points, 15 rebounds and 7 assists to be named Finals MVP.

Who won the 1980 Wimbledon final in five sets after losing an 18-16 fourth-set tiebreak to John McEnroe?

Björn Borg let five match points slip in that 34-point tiebreak, then won the fifth set 8-6 for his fifth straight Wimbledon title; McEnroe beat him in the final a year later.

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.

Which Oakland outfielder stole a modern-record 130 bases in 1982, breaking Lou Brock's single-season mark?

Rickey Henderson passed Lou Brock's 118 from 1974, but the running had a cost: he was also caught stealing 42 times that year, a single-season record of its own.

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

Italy drew all three first-round games; then Paolo Rossi, just back from a two-year ban over a betting scandal, scored six goals in the last three matches to win the title.

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 had been an insurance clerk and a policeman in Nottingham until city grants let them skate full-time; their Boléro drew 6.0 for artistic impression from all nine judges.

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

Jesse Owens won the same four events in Berlin: the 100 m, 200 m, long jump and 4x100 m relay. Lewis was also drafted in 1984 by the Chicago Bulls and the Dallas Cowboys, though he played neither sport in college.

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

Mary Lou Retton, 16, needed a perfect 10 on her final vault to overtake Ecaterina Szabo, got it, and won the all-around by 0.05 points in Los Angeles.

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

The women's marathon was new to the Games in 1984; Joan Benoit pulled away at the three-mile mark, nobody followed, and she won by more than a minute, months after knee surgery.

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?

Hakeem Olajuwon went to Houston, which won a coin flip for the top pick; Portland, which already had guard Clyde Drexler, took center Sam Bowie second and left Michael Jordan for Chicago.

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.

Which challenger did Marvin Hagler knock out in the third round of 'The War', their 1985 middleweight title fight?

Thomas Hearns broke his right hand in a furious first round and was stopped in the third; 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 was ranked 20th when Wimbledon seeded only 16 players, so his win over Kevin Curren made him the first unseeded men's champion, and the first German one.

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.

Which golfer won the 1986 Masters at age 46, the last of his major titles?

Jack Nicklaus fell three shots behind with six holes to play, then finished a back nine of 30 to win by one stroke; it was his 18th major, and he became the oldest Masters champion.

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.

Which Red Sox pitcher struck out a record 20 batters in a nine-inning game against Seattle in April 1986?

Roger Clemens faced a Mariners team that had already struck out 166 times in 19 games; ten years later he matched his own record in the win that tied Cy Young's 192 for the Red Sox.

Who knocked out Trevor Berbick in 1986 to become, at 20, the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history?

Mike Tyson needed two rounds to stop Trevor Berbick, the last man to fight Muhammad Ali, and take the WBC title; within nine months he held all three major heavyweight belts.

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 for 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 NHL team traded 'The Great One' to the Los Angeles Kings on August 9, 1988?

The Edmonton Oilers received $15 million in cash plus players and draft picks; the trade 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, so the first official one came a night later; the Cubs had played only day games there since moving in for 1916.

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.

Which Dodgers ace broke Don Drysdale's record by pitching 59 straight scoreless innings in late 1988?

Orel Hershiser asked to come out of his last start rather than pass a fellow Dodger's record, was talked into staying and threw ten scoreless innings; he added the Cy Young and 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 within days 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 could complete it only because tennis had just returned to the Olympics after 64 years away; at 19 she beat Gabriela Sabatini in both the US Open final and the Olympic final.

Which American sprinter won three golds at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and set a 200 m world record of 21.34 seconds?

Florence Griffith Joyner, 'Flo-Jo', had drifted into semi-retirement after a 1984 silver; in Seoul she broke the 200 m world record in the semi-final and again in the final.

Which diver won both men's Olympic golds in 1988 after hitting his head on the springboard in the preliminaries?

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.

Britain's Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards became a folk hero at Calgary 1988 by finishing last in which sport?

Ski jumping had no other British entrant, so Edwards, a plasterer whose thick glasses misted up in mid-air, got in unopposed; he finished last on both hills and the entry rules were tightened afterwards.

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 and McLaren teammate Alain Prost won 15 of the 16 races between them; the one that got away was the Italian Grand Prix, which Ferrari won four weeks after its founder Enzo Ferrari died.

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

Oklahoma was a top seed and Kansas a sixth seed that had lost at home to the Sooners that season; Danny Manning's 31 points and 18 rebounds won the final 83-79 in Kansas City.

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

The Detroit Pistons, the 'Bad Boys', had lost the 1988 Finals to the Lakers in seven games; a year later they swept the rematch, with Joe Dumars the Finals MVP, and they repeated in 1990.

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

Eight seconds was all that separated them after the American made up a 50-second deficit in the final-day time trial into Paris, using aerodynamic handlebars borrowed from triathlon.

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

Chang won the 1989 French Open at 17, beating Stefan Edberg in the final; in the fourth round, hobbled by cramps, he had thrown world No. 1 Ivan Lendl off with an underarm serve.

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

An earthquake, the Loma Prieta quake, struck just before Game 3 at Candlestick Park; with the game about to start, rush-hour traffic was far lighter than usual, which almost certainly saved lives. Play resumed ten days later.

Which pitcher became the first to record 5,000 career strikeouts in August 1989, at age 42?

Nolan Ryan was 42 and still led the league that year with 301 strikeouts; he pitched four more seasons and retired with 5,714.

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

To calm his huddle before the drive, Montana pointed into the crowd and asked, 'Isn't that John Candy?'; John Taylor's touchdown catch with 34 seconds left then beat the Cincinnati Bengals 20-16.

Which American swimmer lost the 1988 Olympic 100 m butterfly by 0.01 seconds to Suriname's Anthony Nesty?

Matt Biondi was caught between strokes and chose to glide to the wall, and Nesty touched first for Suriname's first Olympic medal; Biondi still left Seoul with five golds.

Which coach led the Showtime Lakers to four NBA titles between 1982 and 1988?

Pat Riley had been a Lakers broadcaster before joining the bench in 1979; he took over when Paul Westhead was fired early in the 1981-82 season and won the title that spring.

Which player won six straight singles majors across 1983 and 1984 and went 86-1 in 1983?

Martina Navratilova was two wins from sweeping all four majors of 1984 when Helena Suková beat her in the Australian Open semi-finals, which also ended a 74-match winning streak.

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

The New York Islanders won 19 straight playoff series; the run ended in the 1984 final, against the same young opponents they had swept for the Cup a year earlier.

Which NHL star scored a record 92 goals in 1981-82, reaching 50 in only 39 games?

Wayne Gretzky got his 50th by scoring five times against Philadelphia, the last into an empty net with three seconds left; he finished with 212 points, the first 200-point season.

Which baseball team started 1984 with a 35-5 record, never left first place and won the World Series?

The Detroit Tigers won their first nine games, Jack Morris threw a no-hitter in April, and they led the AL East from start to finish before beating San Diego in five games.

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?

Zola Budd, a South African running for Britain, led for a while after the collision but faded to seventh; Decker fell to the curb with a hip injury and did not finish, and Maricica Puică won.

Dennis Conner won yachting's top trophy back for the United States in 1987 off which Australian port?

Stars & Stripes 87 swept Kookaburra III 4-0 on Gage Roads off Fremantle, a port of fewer than 24,000 people that was rebuilt for the event and gentrified quickly afterwards.

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

The Kansas City Royals went down when Tug McGraw struck out Willie Wilson for the final out, with police dogs and mounted officers ringing the field; it was the Phillies' first title in 97 years.

How much did the USFL receive in damages after winning its 1986 antitrust suit against the NFL?

$3 was the whole award: the jury agreed the NFL was an illegal monopoly but set damages at $1, tripled under antitrust law. The USFL had sought $1.7 billion and never played another game.