This Day in Sports History: December 5
December sports include the NBA and NHL seasons, NFL teams pushing for the playoffs, the end of the college football season, Grand Prix races, UFC Fight Nights, and some college…
December sports include the NBA and NHL seasons, NFL teams pushing for the playoffs, the end of the college football season, Grand Prix races, UFC Fight Nights, and some college basketball tournaments. Over the years, Dec. 5 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 Dec. 5 included:
- 1914: The Toronto Argonauts beat the University of Toronto Varsity Blues, 14-2, winning their first CFL Grey Cup title.
- 1925: The Ottawa Senators beat the Winnipeg Tammany Tigers, 24-1, for their first CFL Grey Cup title.
- 1936: The Sarnia Imperials beat the Ottawa Rough Riders, 26-20, and won their second CFL Grey Cup title.
- 1947: Joe Louis beat Jersey Joe Walcott in 15 rounds to retain the heavyweight boxing title.
- 1948: New York Giant Charley Conerly set an NFL record with 36 pass completions.
- 1950: Ezzard Charles knocked out Nick Barone in 11 rounds and won the heavyweight boxing title.
- 1956: Soviet artistic gymnast Larisa Latynina won the women's vault and tied for Gold in the floor exercise section at the Melbourne Olympics.
- 1968: Future Hockey Hall of Fame center Phil Esposito of the Boston Bruins scored two goals against his brother Tony, who was making his debut for the Montreal Canadiens.
- 1971: Los Angeles Rams running back Willie Ellison set an NFL record of 247 rushing yards.
- 1972: Nebraska flanker Johnny Rodgers won the Heisman Trophy Award.
- 1978: The New York Islanders took 28 shots in the first period against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
- 1982: Mel Gray's NFL streak of 121 consecutive game receptions came to an end.
- 1982: Don January won the Senior PGA Championship — this was his only Champions Tour major title.
- 1988: Boris Becker beat the defending champion Ivan Lendl in the ATP Masters Grand Prix for the first of his three tennis titles.
- 1992: In the first SEC Championship game, No. 2 Alabama beat No. 12 Florida, 28-21.
- 1993: Germany became Davis Cup champions with a 4-1 win over Australia.
- 1996: At the age of 18, Portland's Jermaine O'Neal became the youngest NBA player of his time.
- 1998: In the third Big-12 Championship game, No. 10 Texas A&M beat No. 2 Kansas State 36-33 in double overtime.
- 1999: Australia beat France, 3-2, and became Davis Cup winners.
- 2004: Spain beat the United States 3-2 in Seville to win the Davis Cup.
- 2009: In the 18th SEC Championship game, No. 2 Alabama beat No. 1 Florida, 32-13.
Dec. 5 highlights three notable athletes: Phil Esposito, Willie Ellison, and Jermaine O'Neal.
Esposito, a legendary NHL player, is known for his scoring dominance, two Stanley Cup wins with the Boston Bruins, and his leadership in the 1972 Summit Series. In college, Ellison had a 1,000-yard rushing season at TSU and held the school's all-time single-game rushing record when he graduated. O'Neal is famous for his long NBA career, including six All-Star selections and being named the NBA's Most Improved Player in 2002.
