In this edition of the Sports Break, we cover the top events in sports history along with the players and athletes that were a part of them on December 31. As a bonus, we also place the jersey number worn at the time with the athlete.
31 December in Sports History
Article: Sports History » Sports Jersey Memories » December » 31
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Daily Digits December 31
Sports history is made every day of the year. We will preserve at least a small sampling from some great athletes every day based on the uniform number they wore.
16 - 14 - 5 - 10 - 66 - 39 - 13
December 31, 1967 - AFL Championship, Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland: Oakland Raiders beat Houston Oilers 40-7. Number 16, George Blanda booted 4 field goals for the Raiders in club's 1st AFL Championship
December 31, 1973 - Number 14, Johan Cruyff was chosen European Football Player of the Year
December 31, 1974 - Ballon d'Or: Ajax forward Number 14, Johan Cruyff wins back-to-back awards, and his 3rd overall, for best European football player ahead of Bayern Munich defender Number 5, Franz Beckenbauer and Legia Warsaw midfielder Number 10, Kazimierz Deyna
December 31, 1988 - Pittsburgh NHL center Number 66, Mario Lemieux accounted for all of his team's goals in Penguins 8-6 win over the NJ Devils; famously scores 5 goals, each in a different way: even strength, power play, shorthanded, penalty shot and empty net; also 3 assists
December 31, 1997 - Buffalo's Czech NHL goalie Number 39, Dominik Hasek stopped 36 shots for his 27th career shutout in Sabres' 3-0 win over Ottawa Senators; his 6th shutout in month of December; first since George Hainsworth in 1928-29 to achieve the feat
December 31, 2018 - Houston Rockets guard Number 13, James Harden scored 43 points in Rockets' 113-101 win over Memphis Grizzlies; 4th straight NBA game with 40+ points and 8th straight with 35+; joined Number 14, Oscar Robertson as only player with at least 35 points & 5 assists in 8 straight games
Credits
A Very Special thanks to information obtained from the following brilliant internet sites: On This Day Sports, the Sports Reference's family of website databases & Stathead.com.
Banner photo is courtesy of Wikimedia Commons of 1956 Topps George Blanda trading card.
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Hut! Hut! Hike! Book
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