As we roll out the last couple days of February we can see that the star competitors really shined on February 27 in sports history. 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.
33 - 14 - 7 - 44
February 27, 1874 - The game of baseball made its way across the pond and was played for the first time in Great Britain a the Lord's Cricket Ground.
February 27, 1959 - Ollie Matson, Number 33, a star running back in the NFL was part of the largest trades in League history when the Ls Angeles Rams sent the Chicago Cardinals 9 players for his services. There is more on this tracde on our Pigskin Dispatch February 27 Football History Headlines with a report from Chicago Cardinals historian Joe Ziemba.
February 27, 1959 - Boston Celtics great Number 14, Bob Cousy, set an NBA record when he recorded 28 assists as he and his Celtics teammates scored 173 points against Minneapolis Lakers
February 27, 1960 - The "First Miracle on Ice" occurred. The United States Olympic hockey team knocked off the USSR squad 3-2 in a historic run to win the gold medal in Squaw Valley. This was the fisrt men's Olympic Gold that USA Hockey ever won. Canada took silver while the Soviet's won the bronze medal. Bill Cleary, Number 7 for the US scored 7 goals and added 7 assists in the 7 games the Americans played in. Cleary brothers Win Gold in 1960
February 27, 1963 - The New York Yankees and their star slugger Mickey Mantle, Number 7 agreed to a contract that the baseball super star signed worth $100,000. Pretty big cash at that time for a sports star.
February 27, 1966 - Richard Petty, Number 43 races back from 2 laps down to win the Daytona 500 as rain shortened the event to 198 laps.
February 27, 1982 - Denver Nuggets star player Dan Issel, number 44 connects on an amazing 63rd consecutive free throw in a streak of games in the NBA.
