This Day in Sports History: November 23
Sports in November include the NBA and NHL seasons, the end of the college football season, the NASCAR Cup Series Championship, the ATP World Tour Finals, UFC Fight Nights, and…
Sports in November include the NBA and NHL seasons, the end of the college football season, the NASCAR Cup Series Championship, the ATP World Tour Finals, UFC Fight Nights, and the start of the college basketball season. Over the years, Nov. 23 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 Nov. 23 included:
- 1895: Auburn beat Alabama 48-0 in the fourth Iron Bowl.
- 1904: The Olympic Games, which were the first held in the U.S., closed at Francis Field on Washington University's campus in St. Louis.
- 1947: Washington Redskins' quarterback Sammy Baugh passed for six touchdowns in a 45-21 win over the Chicago Cardinals.
- 1960: Los Angeles Dodgers' outfielder Frank Howard won the National League Rookie of the Year award.
- 1962: Los Angeles Dodgers' shortstop Maury Wills won the National League Most Valuable Player award.
- 1965: Mike Garrett won the Heisman Trophy Award.
- 1966: Chicago White Sox outfielder Tommie Agee won the American League Rookie of the Year award.
- 1974: Alexis Argüello knocked out defending champion Rubén Olivares in the 13th round to claim the WBA world featherweight boxing title.
- 1980: The Edmonton Eskimos beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 48-10 to win their third straight CFL Grey Cup.
- 1984: Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie passed for 472 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown pass at the end of the game, in a 47-45 victory over Miami.
- 1986: Martina Navratilova won her fifth consecutive WTA Tour Championship, making it her eighth title overall.
- 1987: Steffi Graf claimed her first WTA Tour Championship title.
- 1988: Wayne Gretzky scored his 600th NHL goal.
- 1989: The Eagles beat the Cowboys 27-0 in the "Bounty Bowl," amid allegations by the Cowboys that the opposition had placed bounties on players.
- 1991: Evander Holyfield defeated Bert Cooper in seven rounds by way of a technical knockout to win the heavyweight boxing title.
- 1997: Jana Novotná won the WTA Tour Championship.
- 2001: Jeff Gordon won the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
- 2008: The Stampeders beat the Montreal Alouettes 22-14 to win the CFL Grey Cup. The game attracted the second-highest attendance in the competition's history.
- 2013: Manny Pacquiao defeated Brandon Rios by a unanimous decision to win the WBO welterweight title.
- 2015: Lydia Ko won the women's LPGA Player of the Year title.
- 2018: Phil Mickelson won $9 million dollars in a winner-takes-all golf duel with Tiger Woods.
Three athletes who stood out on Nov. 23 were Doug Flutie, Martina Navratilova, and Manny Pacquiao.
Flutie gained fame for his 21-season professional football career that included becoming one of the CFL's greatest players before a successful NFL comeback with the Buffalo Bills. Navratilova won 59 Grand Slam titles and a record nine Wimbledon singles championships. Pacquiao was one of the greatest boxers of all time, renowned for being the only eight-division world champion in history.
