Monday Milestone: Quarter Mile
The Monday Milestone is on holidays until December 10. As a result, below is a list of 25 historically significant sporting events occurring in the interim forming the first ever “Quarter Mile”.
25. Cleveland Cavaliers win their first game – 12 November 1970
The Cavs have always done it tough. Despite several divisional titles, and one conference title they are still yet to win a championship. Yet it’s worth remembering the first match they ever won, defeating Portland 105-103.
24. Abel Tasman discovers Van Diemen’s Land- 24 November 1642
Without Tasman’s discovery there would be no Boonie, no Max Walker, no Making the Nut favourite Stu Warren. Is this a stretch? Perhaps. But imagining a world with no James Boag’s highlights the significance.
23. Green Bay Packers go airborne – 17 November 1940
Green Bay become the first NFL team to travel by plane. When the amount of travel required by professional sporting teams is considered, this was a remarkable milestone.
22. Bloody Sunday – 21 November 1920
After assassination attempts by the IRA, the Royal Irish Constabulary opens fire on the crowd watching Tipperary and Dublin in Gaelic Football at Croke Park, killing 31 people.
21. Melbourne Olympics close – 8 December 1956
Thanks to the idea from young Melbournian John Ian Wing, at the closing ceremony of the Melbourne Olympics, all 67 nations flooded onto the MCG together in harmony. A tradition that lives on today.
21. Tiger gets caught out – 25 November 2009
Tiger Woods was in Australia when the stories of his repeated infidelity broke as a huge worldwide scandal. That isn’t much of the Milestone’s business. The fact he hasn’t won a major since, is.
20. Boxing death – 13 November 1982
South Korean boxer Duk Koo Kim is defeated by American Ray Mancini by TKO in the 14thround. Minutes after the fight concludes, Kim collapses into a coma and dies four days later. This led to some significant rule changes in the sport of boxing.
19. The Little Master passes – 24 November 1959
A rugby league era passed when the death of Dally Messenger aged 76 was announced. Messenger was such a pivotal influence in pioneering rugby league in Australia, his death was felt by the entire community.
18. Harmy’s wide – 23 November 2006
It was the first ball of the Ashes series at the Gabba, with Australia desperate to regain the urn. With all the hype built, England bowler Steve Harmison sent the first delivery so wide it finished in the surprised hands of second slip Andrew Flintoff. England lost the Ashes 5-0 quickly afterwards.
17. Aloisi’s goal – 16 November, 2005.
John Aloisi converts the penalty goal against Uruguay at Stadium Australia giving the Socceroos their first berth in the World Cup in 32 years. They would go on to reach the quarter finals.
16. Thanksgiving football begins – 25 November 1920
The American tradition of playing football on Thanksgiving begins when the Decatur Staleys and the Chicago Tigers play off for the Illinois territory. The Staleys would win 6-0.
15. Lowest NBA score ever – 22 November, 1950.
The lowest ever score in an NBA match is played out when the Fort Wayne (now Detroit) Pistons defeat the Minneapolis (now Los Angeles) Lakers 19-18.
14. The beginning of the Don – 30 November 1928
Sir Donald Bradman makes his Test debut against England at the Brisbane Exhibition Ground against England. He would make 18 and 1, and be dropped for the second Test.
13. The Master Blaster debuts – 22 November 1974
Sir Vivian Richards makes his Test debut with an inauspicious start of just 4 and 3 against India in Bangalore. He would however go on to score 8,540 Test runs at 50.23 as one of the all-time great West Indian cricketers.
12. Wilt the Stilt– 24 November 1960
Wilt Chamberlain pulls down 55 rebounds for the Philadelphia (now Golden State) Warriors against the Celtics. It remains a record today, and the Warriors didn’t even win that day.
11. Cover-up– 8 December 1998
When “John the bookmaker” gave money to Mark Waugh and Shane Warne in exchange for pitch information, it revealed the ugliest side of cricket – especially when the Australian Cricket Board tried to cover it up, unsuccessfully leaking to the media.
10. Centurion– 15 November, 1947
Outside the English county cricket season when enormous numbers of matches are played, Sir Donald Bradman became the sole player to score 100 first class centuries having never playing county cricket. He is still the only Australian ever to achieve this feat.
9. Wilt the Stilt– 24 November 1960
Wilt Chamberlain pulls down 55 rebounds for the Philadelphia (now Golden State) Warriors against the Celtics. It remains a record today, and the Warriors didn’t even win that day.
8. Blood in the Water – 6 December 1956
The political undertones spilled over into the Olympic pool when the Russians and Hungarians clashed during the Melbourne Olympics, weeks after an uprising in Budapest had been crushed by the communists.
7. Kim Hughes steps aside – 26 November 1984
Few cricket tragics could forget the tears from Kim Hughes as he relinquished the Australian Test captaincy to Allan Border after a series of defeats from the West Indies. He was dropped altogether soon after.
6. Youngest heavyweight champion of the world – 22 November 1986
Say what you like about Mike Tyson, at the age of just 20 years, and 4 months he defeated Trevor Berbick by TKO in the second round to become the youngest heavyweight champion ever.
5. Day-night cricket begins – 27 November 1979
After Kerry Packer‘s World Series Cricket, the one day international was taken a step further when the first day-night match was played between Australia and the West Indies at the SCG.
4. Creation of the National Hockey League –
The Montreal Canadiens, the Montreal Wanderers, the Ottawa Senators, the Quebec Bulldogs and the Toronto Arenas form the first NHL which would go on to become a powerhouse sport in North America.
3. Invention of basketball – 1 December 1891
The date that has been formally noted as when Dr James Naismith created a game to throw a ball into a basket to appease a bored class with an indoor game during a harsh New England winter.
2. Birth of international football – 30 November 1872
The round ball game begins its rise to becoming the World Game with the first ever international played between Scotland and England in Glasgow. The final result was 0-0.
1 . Melbourne Olympics ignite – 22 November 1956
The Olympic movement comes to the southern hemisphere for the first time when Australian Ron Clarke lights the torch opening the Melbourne Olympics. Enduring images which became among the most famous in Australian sport during the twentieth century.
What has been missed?
The Milestone will open the floor….
