THE TOP 19 '96 MOMENTS : 96 MAJOR SPORTS STORIES OF '96 CHAMPIONSHIPS.Byline: Kevin Modesti This sports calendar is all used up. Pull it down from the wall. Tear it apart page by page. Take the individual leaves, 366 of them, and wad them up. Toss them in the fireplace one by one. Don't be surprised if some refuse to burn. If they just lie there on the coals, impervious to the flame, glowing but not disintegrating. If they cast familiar, colorful shadows on the hearth. These are the shadows of the most memorable sports images of 1996. Of the sports moments - increasingly rare - that were real, unhyped, unrehearsed un·re·hearsed adj. Not rehearsed. See Synonyms at extemporaneous. Adj. 1. unrehearsed - with little or no preparation or forethought; "his ad-lib comments showed poor judgment"; "an extemporaneous piano recital"; "an . Of emotions so true they needed no backlighting, no slow motion, no tape delay. Of days so glorious, or notorious, they will not fade away. I wish there were 96 of them. We were lucky to have 19: Feb. 8, the Browns move to Baltimore: For Cleveland, the emotion is as raw as the deal. Sentiment still exists in sports, but not in the owner's box. March 14, Princeton upsets UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX : Jim Harrick doesn't know it at the time, but Pete Carril isn't the only one coaching his final game. April 6, 70,000 watch the Galaxy: Soccer has its audience. That's hard to deny after a turn-away crowd, twice the team's most optimistic estimate, squeezes into the Rose Bowl for the debut of the Los Angeles franchise in Major League Soccer. April 14, Greg Norman blows the Masters: If you don't believe in chokes, how do you explain this? May 26, score it Indy 500, U.S. 0: Tradition wins out over the upstart U.S. 500 and its high-octane lineup. Buddy Lazier takes a courageous, 0.695-second victory at the Brickyard. The veterans make a mess of the start in Michigan and Jimmy Vasser wins a forgettable for·get·ta·ble adj. Fit or apt to be forgotten: a movie with very forgettable characters. Adj. 1. forgettable - easily forgotten unforgettable - impossible to forget race. June 8, a spring classic: A home run struck with an aluminum bat will always have a funny ring to it, but Warren Morris' College World Series-winning drive for Louisiana State also has an air of purity. Maybe it's his post-game quote: ``I didn't think I could hit it that far!'' June 16, the Bulls win again: They're not getting older, they're getting their fourth NBA NBA abbr. 1. National Basketball Association 2. National Boxing Association NBA (US) n abbr (= National Basketball Association) → Basketball-Dachverband (= title in six years, and Michael Jordan is becoming the first player to be named MVP (Multimedia Video Processor) A high-speed DSP chip from Texas Instruments, introduced in 1994. Officially introduced as the TMS320C80, it combines RISC technology with the functionality of four DSPs on one chip. of the regular season, All-Star Game and playoffs in the same season. July 18, Shaq signs with the Lakers: One-hundred twenty-one million dollars, and we're still waiting for the first championship. July 19 to Aug. 4, the Olympics: Muhammad Ali, Michael Johnson, Kerri Strug, Amy Van Dyken Amy Van Dyken (born February 15, 1973 in Englewood, Colorado) is an American swimmer who has six career Olympic gold medals. Four of these gold medals came in the 1996 Summer Olympics, making her the first American woman to accomplish such a feat. , Carl Lewis and a cast of thousands make it two weeks of happy surprises, over the best efforts of NBC NBC in full National Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. commercial broadcasting company. It was formed in 1926 by RCA Corp., General Electric Co. (GE), and Westinghouse and was the first U.S. company to operate a broadcast network. and the still-unknown bomber. Aug. 10, Cigar loses at Del Mar: I watch from the rail, not the press box, because I want to hear the crowd when Cigar walks into the winner's circle for the 17th straight race. Instead, Dare and Go runs the race of his life, and all I hear is silence. Aug. 25 to Oct. 20, it's Tiger's world: Within two months after winning his third straight U.S. Amateur, Tiger Woods wins twice on the PGA Tour, instantly becoming the commanding figure in a sport that needs one. Sept. 6, Butler's comeback: It looks like a grounder to second on the score sheet, but to his teammates and fans, that's a line drive Brett Butler produces with his first swing after cancer surgery. He could milk the applause. He doesn't. He just steps up and hacks at the first pitch. Sept. 8, Sampras at the Open: You can't keep a good man, or his lunch, down. Pete Sampras overcomes illness to win a dramatic semifinal over Alex Corretja, and then beats Michael Chang for his fourth - and most heroic - U.S. Open title. Sept. 17, Nomo's no-hitter: In a classic '90s moment, much of the nation gets to watch the final out on ESPN ESPN Entertainment and Sports Programming Network , which picks up the broadcast from Channel 5, which is tapping into the Japanese play-by-play. Sept. 21, Nebraska is upset: And the nation finds out about Jake Plummer and Arizona State. Oct. 27, the Yankees are back: Twelve-year-old Jeffrey Maier, in the front row, and Frank Torre, in pre-op, are the stars of the Yankees' improbable run to their first World Series title since 1978. Nov. 6, Harrick is fired: After failing to emulate John Wooden, and losing his job, Jim Harrick departs with all the grace of Bob Dornan. Nov. 9, Holyfield beats Tyson: Sometimes, the good guy wins, even in the ring. Nov. 30, USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. beats Notre Dame: The ultimate victory for John Robinson is merely the final bitter loss for Lou Holtz. Old soldiers fade away, but not old coaches, not this year. NFL NFL abbr. National Football League NFL (US) n abbr (= National Football League) → Fußball-Nationalliga : Dallas Cowboys NBA: Chicago Bulls NHL NHL Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, see there : Colorado Avalanche Baseball: New York Yankees  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. Major League Soccer: D.C. United College football: Nebraska College basketball: Kentucky Masters: Nick Faldo U.S. Open golf: Steve Jones, Annika Sorenstam Wimbledon: Richard Krajicek, Steffi Graf U.S. Open tennis: Pete Sampras, Steffi Graf Daytona 500: Dale Jarrett Indianapolis 500: Buddy Lazier Kentucky Derby: Grindstone grindstone or grind common metaphor for industriousness. [Pop. Culture: Misc.] See : Industriousness Breeders' Cup Classic The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade 1 Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3 years old and older run at a distance of 1¼ miles (2012 m) on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup. : Alphabet Soup Boston Marathon: Moses Tanui, Uta Pippig Tour de France Tour de France World's most prestigious and difficult bicycle race. Staged for three weeks each July—usually in some 20 daylong stages—the Tour typically comprises 20 professional teams of nine riders each and covers some 3,600 km (2,235 miles) of flat and : Bjarne Riis RECORDS AND MILESTONES John Stockton sets NBA mark for steals with his 2,311th, in February Hakeem Olajuwon sets NBA mark for shot blocks with his 3,190th, in April Robert Parish's 1,561st NBA game breaks Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record First Kobe Bryant, 18, then Jermaine O'Neal, 18, becomes youngest NBA player Chicago Bulls win 72 regular-season games Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. win 62 regular-season games Hideo Nomo, Dwight Gooden and Al Leiter pitch no-hitters Eddie Murray hits his 500th homer Paul Molitor gets his 3,000th hit Todd Hollandsworth is Dodgers' fifth straight Rookie of the Year Rookie of the Year may refer to:
Major-leaguers hit home runs in record numbers Padres and Mets go to Mexico for the first Major League Baseball "MLB" and "Major Leagues" redirect here. For other uses, see MLB (disambiguation) and Major Leagues (disambiguation). Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. game played outside the United States and Canada Carl Lewis' ninth Olympic gold medal equals Mark Spitz's U.S. mark Michael Johnson (400, 200 meters) Jack Nicklaus wins his 100th pro tournament Tiger Woods wins an unprecedented third straight U.S. Amateur Karrie Webb is first woman golfer to earn $1 million in a season Cigar matches Citation's 16 straight wins U.S. wins its first team gold medal in women's gymnastics Evander Holyfield is second man to hold heavyweight boxing title three times RULINGS Baseball owners approve interleague play and revenue sharing in a five-year contract with the players NCAA NCAA abbr. National Collegiate Athletic Association adopts overtime for football NBA voids Miami's signing of Juwan Howard on a salary-cap technicality SIGNINGS Ken Griffey (four years, $34 million with Seattle) beomes baseball's highest paid player, Jan. 31 Albert Belle (five years, $55 million with the White Sox) becomes baseball's highest paid player, Nov. 19 Roger Clemens (three years, $24.75 million to leave Boston for Toronto) Shaquille O'Neal (seven years, $121 million with the Lakers) Emmitt Smith (eight years, $48 million, including a $15 million signing bonus, with the Cowboys) Alan Shearer (sold by Blackburn to Newcastle of the English Football Association for a soccer-record $23.25 million) ODDITIES Rain makes the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am the first PGA (1) (Professional Graphics Adapter) An early IBM PC display standard for 3D processing with 640x480x256 resolution. It was not widely used. (2) (Programmable Gate Array) See gate array and FPGA. event since 1949 to be canceled Chris Osgood becomes third NHL goalie to score a goal While their park undergoes renovations, Oakland A's open with six games in Las Vegas Pittsburgh beats Washington 3-2 in four overtimes, the longest NHL game in 60 years A three-way dead heat at Yakima (Wash.) Meadows is only the 20th in thoroughbred racing history Riddick Bowe beats Andrew Golota by DQ - twice SCANDALS Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf refuses to stand for the Star Spangled span·gle n. 1. A small, often circular piece of sparkling metal or plastic sewn especially on garments for decoration. 2. A small sparkling object, drop, or spot: spangles of sunlight. Banner, is suspended by the NBA Dennis Rodman, Nick Van Exel Nickey (Nick) Maxwell Van Exel (born November 27 1971 in Kenosha, Wisconsin) is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA. Van Exel, a 6'1" left-handed point guard, was most well known for his flashy style of play and his ability to hit critical shots during , Magic Johnson of the NBA, Roberto Alomar and Julian Tavarez of Major League Baseball, and boxer Vinny Pazienza Mare hit with suspensions and fines after assaulting game officials Michael Irvin, indicted INDICTED, practice. When a man is accused by a bill of indictment preferred by a grand jury, he is said to be indicted. on drug-possession charges, plea bargains for four years' probation and a $10,000 fine Boston College suspends 13 football players for gambling DEBUTS Women's pro basketball Major League Soccer Indy Racing League The Indy Racing League, better known as IRL, is the sanctioning body of a predominantly American based open-wheel racing series. The League consists of two series, the premiere IndyCar Series Bill Russell, Dodgers manager Alex Rodriguez, Seattle shortstop Tiger Woods, touring pro DEATHS Mel Allen, broadcaster Brook Berringer, quarterback Ewell Blackwell, pitcher Scott Brayton, race driver Rodney Culver, running back Dan Duva, boxing promoter Charlie Finley, baseball owner Chet Forte, broadcaster Tim Gullickson, tennis coach Robert Kerlan, surgeon Jimmy Kilroe, horse-racing executive Jeff Krosnoff, race driver Allan Malamud, sportswriter John McSherry, umpire Tom Mees, sportscaster Charlie Neal, Dodger Rodney Rash, thoroughbred trainer Pete Rozelle, NFL commissioner Dave Schultz, wrestler Mike Sharperson, Dodger Derek Smith, Clipper Jimmy ``The Greek'' Snyder, oddsmaker odds·mak·er n. One who calculates and sets betting odds based on the prediction of the result of a contest such as a horserace or an election. Rudolf Wanderone (Minnesota Fats), pool player Kevin Williams, USC receiver GOODBYES Cleveland Browns (skipped town) Jim Harrick (fired) Larry Holmes (retired) Lou Holtz (left Notre Dame) Magic Johnson (returned, then retired) Montreal Forum (vacated) Tom Lasorda (retired) Kirby Puckett (retired) Marge Schott (gave up daily control of Reds) Don Shula (retired) CAPTION(S): 8 Photos, Box Photo: (1--color) Just before the Olympics started, Shaquille O'Neal struck gold, thanks to Jerry West. (2,3,4,5) Tiger Woods, far left, won a third straight U.S. Amateur title and then two PGA tournaments - in just seven tries - to become the hottest topic in sportsM the latter part of the year and be christened the next Jack Nicklaus. The U.S. women's gymnastics team, top left, and especially Kerri Strug won the gold in dramatic fashion, one of many wonderful moments that overshadowed the Olympic Park bombing. Pete Sampras, right, deserved to celebrate after winning his fourth U.S. Open title. Dodgers pitcher Hideo Nomo, bottom, did the impossible with a no-hitter at Coors Field. (6,7,8) Clockwise from top: Dare and Go (No. 2) had the gall to silence the racing world with his streak-stopping victory over Cigar (No. 4) in August at Del Mar; Dodgers center fielder Brett Butler beat cancer to return to the lineup on Sept. 6; Princeton's Mitch Henderson leaps for joy, while Toby Bailey isn't the only one stunned by the Tigers' victory over UCLA in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Daily News File Photos Box: 96 MAJOR SPORTS STORIES OF '96 (see text) |
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