This Day in Sports History: December 30
Around this time of the year, sports normally include the NBA and NHL seasons, NFL games, the end of the college football season, Grand Prix races, UFC Fight Nights, and…
Around this time of the year, sports normally include the NBA and NHL seasons, NFL games, the end of the college football season, Grand Prix races, UFC Fight Nights, and some college basketball tournaments. Dec. 30 has witnessed many notable moments and stories involving sporting legends. Keep reading to learn about some of them.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
There have been many great moments in sports history from Dec. 30, including:
- 1896: During the first Stanley Cup challenge game that was played outside of Montreal, Ernie McLea of the Montreal Victorias achieved a hat trick, beating the Winnipeg Victorias 6-5.
- 1934: The Boston Bruins began a 37-game overtime undefeated streak, which is the longest in NHL history.
- 1943: The Phillies traded Babe Dahlgren to Pittsburgh for Babe Phelps and some money.
- 1956: The New York Giants beat the Chicago Bears, 47-7, and won their fourth NFL title.
- 1973: The Miami Dolphins beat the Oakland Raiders 27-10 in the AFC Championship.
- 1975: Soccer player Oleg Blokhin won his first Ballon d'Or award.
- 1977: Evonne Goolagong Cawley won her sixth career Grand Slam title.
- 1980: Soccer player Karl-Heinz Rummenigge received his first Ballon d'Or award.
- 1981: Wayne Gretzky scored his 50th goal in just 39 games.
- 1986: Soccer player Igor Belanov won the Ballon d'Or award.
- 1990: Orlando's Scott Skiles had 30 assists during a win over Denver.
- 1992: Washington defenseman Al Iafrate became the first player in NHL history to have a shot go over 100 miles per hour.
- 2000: Nebraska beat Northwestern, 66-17, and set an Alamo Bowl record for points.
- 2008: NFL head coach Mike Shanahan was fired by the Denver Broncos.
- 2013: The Washington Redskins fired NFL head coach Mike Shanahan.
- 2016: In the 83rd Orange Bowl, No. 10 Florida State beat No. 6 Michigan, 33-32.
- 2017: In the 84th Orange Bowl, No. 6 Wisconsin defeated No. 11 Miami, 34-24.
- 2018: The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Oakland Raiders, 35-3, during which the quarterback Patrick Mahomes became the second quarterback in NFL history to throw for 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns.
- 2019: In the 86th Orange Bowl, No. 6 Florida defeated No. 24 Virginia 36-28.
- 2020: San Antonio assistant Becky Hammon became the first female to coach an NBA team after the Spurs' head coach, Gregg Popovich, was ejected during a 121-107 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
- 2022: Cristiano Ronaldo joined Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr and received the largest salary in football history.
Dec. 30 has hosted some talented athletes, such as Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Mike Shanahan, and Becky Hammon. Cawley is celebrated for pioneering success for Indigenous athletes and continuing work in sports development, which has inspired generations. Shanahan is a legendary NFL coach who led the Denver Broncos to back-to-back Super Bowl wins (XXXII and XXXIII) in 1998 and 1999, utilizing innovative offensive schemes. Hammon is a renowned basketball pioneer, recognized for her legendary WNBA playing career, which included six All-Star appearances with the New York Liberty and San Antonio Stars.
