Events in Sport
- Jan 1 85th Rose Bowl: #9 Wisconsin beats #6 UCLA, 38-31
- Jan 1 65th Sugar Bowl: #3 Ohio State beats #8 Texas A&M, 24-14
- Jan 2 65th Orange Bowl: #7 Florida beats #18 Syracuse, 31-10
- Jan 4 College Football, 1st BCS National Championship, Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, AZ: #1 Tennessee beats #2 Florida State, 23-16, at 28th Fiesta Bowl
- Jan 6 An agreement is reached by the NBA and the players union to end a 204-day lockout which shortened the season by 50 games
- Jan 7 NBA Board of Governors unanimously ratifies a new 6-year collective bargaining agreement between the league and the National Basketball Players Association
- Jan 9 Hopman Cup Tennis, Perth: Mark Philippoussis clinches Australia's unassailable 2-0 lead, (ends 2-1), with a 6-3, 7-6 win over Sweden's Jonas Björkman; Australia's first title
Event of Interest
Jan 11 Marty Schottenheimer resigns as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs
Marty Schottenheimer
Event of Interest
Jan 13 Basketball superstar Michael Jordan announces his second retirement just prior to start of lockout-shortened 1998-99 NBA season; returns in 2001 with Washington
Michael Jordan
AFC Championship
Jan 17 AFC Championship, Mile High Stadium, Denver: Denver Broncos beat New York Jets, 23-10; features infamous "The Miss", Vikings' PK Gary Anderson misses field goal late 4th quarter
John Elway
NHL All-Star Game
Jan 24 49th NHL All-Star Game, Ice Palace, Tampa, FL: North America beats World, 8-6; MVP: Wayne Gretzky, NY Rangers, C
Wayne Gretzky
- Jan 25 After an inquiry into a corruption scandal, 6 International Olympic Committee members are expelled
Australian Open Women's Tennis
Jan 30 Australian Open Women's Tennis: Martina Hingis of Switzerland wins her 3rd consecutive Australian title; beats unseeded Amélie Mauresmo 6-2, 6-3
Martina Hingis
- Jan 31 Super Bowl XXXIII, Pro Player Stadium, Miami, FL: Denver Broncos beat Atlanta Falcons, 34-19; MVP: John Elway, Denver, QB
- Jan 31 Australian Open Men's Tennis: Yevgeny Kafelnikov becomes first Russian, male or female, to win an Australian title; beats Thomas Enqvist of Sweden 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 7-6
- Feb 7 NFL Pro Bowl, Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI: AFC beats NFC, 23-10; Keyshawn Johnson, NY Jets, QB; Ty Law, New England Patriots, CB
- Feb 14 41st Daytona 500: Jeff Gordon wins; first Daytona 500 pole sitter to win the race since Bill Elliott in 1987
- Feb 15 Wayne Gretzky records 5 assists in NY Rangers' 7-4 win over the Predators; takes a 1,000 point lead over Gordie Howe in all time NHL scoring lead; Gretzky's only appearance in Nashville
Sports Awards
Feb 15 7th ESPY Awards: Mark McGwire, Chamique Holdsclaw win
Mark McGwire
Event of Interest
Feb 16 O.J. Simpson's 1968 Heisman Trophy is sold for $230,000 to help settle a $33.5 million civil judgement against Simpson for the deaths of his ex-wife and her friend
O.J. Simpson
- Feb 20 Toronto Maple Leafs play their first NHL home game at Air Canada Centre; Steve Thomas scores overtime winner in a 3-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens
- Feb 27 Aston Villa are the last Premier League team to play a match with an all-English starting XI in a 4-1 defeat by Coventry
- Mar 1 Daryll Cullinan scores South African cricket record 275no in the drawn 1st Test against New Zealand at Eden Park, Auckland; Gary Kirsten 128
- Mar 6 20th Big East Men's Basketball Tournament: Connecticut beats St. John's, 82-63
- Mar 7 46th ACC Men's Basketball Tournament: #1 Duke beats #15 North Carolina, 96-73
- Mar 7 40th SEC Men's Basketball Tournament: Kentucky beats Arkansas, 76-63
- Mar 28 18th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Purdue beats Duke, 62-45; Boilermakers' Ukari Figgs is named Most Outstanding Player
- Mar 28 PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: David Duval wins by 2 strokes from Scott Gump; Duval's father Bob wins Senior Tour's Emerald Coast Classic on the same day
Golf Major
Mar 28 Nabisco Championship Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: 1992 champion Dottie Pepper wins the last of her 2 major titles, 6 strokes ahead of runner-up Meg Mallon
Meg Mallon
- Mar 29 61st NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Connecticut beats Duke, 77-74; Huskies' first title in first title game
- Apr 1 Detroit Pistons guard Joe Dumars becomes 10th player in NBA history to play 1,000 games with the same team and one of 8 to play 1,000 games with his only team; scores 18 points in 107-75 rout of Chicago Bulls
- Apr 1 Philadelphia 76ers head coach Larry Brown wins his 900th pro game with an 88-84 win over Miami Heat; Brown record: 671-547 NBA, 229-107 ABA, combined 900-654
Event of Interest
Apr 4 The Tradition Senior Men's Golf, GC at Desert Mountain: Graham Marsh of Australia wins his second Champions Tour major by 3 strokes from Larry Nelson
Larry Nelson
- Apr 10 152nd Grand National: Irish 10/1 shot Bobbyjo, ridden by jockey Paul Carberry wins by 10 lengths from Blue Charm
US Masters Golf
Apr 11 63rd US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: José María Olazábal of Spain wins his second Masters title, 2 strokes ahead of Davis Love III and 3 from of Greg Norman
Greg Norman
- Apr 11 Neil Jenkins converts a Scott Gibbs try to give Wales a famous, 32-31 win over England at Wembley Stadium; allows Scotland to win final Five Nations Rugby Championship; reverts to 6 teams in 2000
- Apr 17 NFL Draft: University of Kentucky quarterback Tim Couch first pick by Cleveland Browns
- Apr 18 Wayne Gretzky plays his last game in the NHL, as his New York Rangers lose 2-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins
- Apr 18 PGA Seniors' Championship Men’s Golf, PGA National GC: Allen Doyle wins first of 4 Senior PGA major titles with a 2 stroke margin over runner-up Vicente Fernández of Argentina
- Apr 19 103rd Boston Marathon: Joseph Chebet of Kenya takes men's title in 2:09:52; 3-peat for Fatuma Roba of Ethiopia in women's race in 2:23:25
- May 1 125th Kentucky Derby: Chris Antley wins aboard Charismatic for his second Derby victory (1991 on Strike The Gold)
- May 2 John Elway announces his retirement from the NFL
- May 3 Stephen Hendry defeats Mark Williams 18-11 to win the World Snooker Championship for a record seventh time.
- May 15 124th Preakness: Chris Antley wins aboard Charismatic for the second leg of an unsuccessful Triple Crown campaign
- May 19 Lazio of Italy win 39th European Cup Winner's Cup against Mallorca of Spain 2-1 in Birmingham
- May 26 7th UEFA Champions League Final: Manchester United beats Bayern Munich 2-1 at Barcelona
- May 30 Indianapolis 500: Kenny Bräck wins in 3:15:51.182 (246.513 km/h)
- May 30 Super Rugby Final, Carisbrook, Dunedin: Canterbury Crusaders retain title with a 24-19 win over Otago Highlanders; flyhalf Andrew Mehrtens kicks 3 penalties, a conversion & dropped goal for the winners
- May 31 NHL Eastern Conference Final: Buffalo Sabres beat Toronto Maple Leafs, 4 games to 1
- Jun 4 NHL Western Conference Final: Dallas Stars beat Colorado Avalanche, 4 games to 3
- Jun 5 131st Belmont: Jose Santos aboard Lemon Drop Kid wins in 2:27.88
French Open Women's Tennis
Jun 5 French Open Women's Tennis: Steffi Graf of Germany wins her 22nd and final Grand Slam title; beats Martina Hingis 4-6, 7-5, 6-2; Graf's 6th French singles crown
Steffi Graf
Martina Hingis
US Women's Golf Open
Jun 6 US Open Women's Golf, Old Waverly GC: Juli Inkster breaks under-par scoring record with a 272 (−16) to win by 5 strokes ahead of runner-up Sherri Turner
Sherri Turner
French Open Men's Tennis
Jun 6 French Open Men's Tennis: Andre Agassi wins his 1st and only French title; beats Andrei Medvedev of the Ukraine 1-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4
Andre Agassi
Event of Interest
Jun 19 Stanley Cup, Marine Midland Arena, Buffalo, NY: Dallas Stars edge Buffalo Sabres, 2-1 in triple overtime for 4-2 series win; Brett Hull clinches series with infamous "No Goal" ruling
Brett Hull
US Golf Open
Jun 20 US Open Men's Golf, Pinehurst CC: Payne Stewart wins his 2nd Open title by 1 stroke from Phil Mickelson
Payne Stewart
Phil Mickelson
- Jun 20 Cricket World Cup, Lord's, London: Shane Warne takes 4/33 as Australia beats Pakistan by 8 wickets; Lance Klusener (RSA), Player of Series
- Jun 25 53rd NBA Championship: San Antonio Spurs beat New York Knicks, 4 games to 1
- Jun 26 NHL Draft: Long Beach Ice Dogs (IHL) center Patrik Stefan first pick by Atlanta Thrashers
- Jun 27 LPGA Championship Women's Golf, DuPont CC: Juli Inkster shoots final round 65 to win by 4 strokes ahead of runner-up Liselotte Neumann; completes career grand slam
- Jun 27 Senior Players Championship Men's Golf, TPC of Michigan: Hale Irwin wins his 5th of 7 Champions Tour major titles by 7 strokes from Australian Graham Marsh
- Jun 30 NBA Draft: Duke power forward Elton Brand first pick by Chicago Bulls
- Jul 3 Wimbledon Women's Tennis: Lindsay Davenport beats Steffi Graf 6-4, 7-5 for her only Wimbledon singles title
Wimbledon Men's Tennis
Jul 4 Wimbledon Men's Tennis: In an all-American final, Pete Sampras beats Andre Agassi 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 for his third straight Wimbledon title
Pete Sampras
Andre Agassi
- Jul 10 FIFA Women's World Cup Final, Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA: US beats China, 5-4 on penalties; 0-0 a.e.t; US second World Cup
- Jul 11 US Senior Open Men's Golf, Des Moines G & CC: Dave Eichelberger wins by 3 strokes ahead of Ed Dougherty for his lone major title
- Jul 13 70th All Star Baseball Game: AL wins 4-1 at Fenway Park, Boston
- Jul 15 The inaugural game at the Seattle Mariners' Safeco Field held in Seattle, Washington
- Jul 18 British Open Men's Golf, Carnoustie: Scotsman Paul Lawrie wins his only major title by 3 strokes in 4-hole aggregate playoff with Jean van de Velde & Justin Leonard; recovers from 10 shots behind after 3rd round for biggest comeback in major championship history; van de Velde famously triple-bogies last hole
- Jul 18 New York Yankees' David Cone becomes 15th pitcher to throw a perfect game (6-0 vs Montreal)
Event of Interest
Jul 25 86th Tour de France: Lance Armstrong wins 1st of 7 consecutive Tour de France titles but is later disqualified for drug cheating
Lance Armstrong
- Jul 25 British Senior Open Men's Golf, Royal Portrush GC: Irishman Christy O'Connor Jr wins by 3 strokes from John Bland of South Africa
Golf Major
Aug 1 Canadian Open Women's Golf (du Maurier Classic), Priddis Greens GC: Australian Karrie Webb wins by 2 from Laura Davies of England
Laura Davies
- Aug 3 Arsenal FC completes a huge signing coup snapping up ace French striker Thierry Henry for a bargain £10 million from Italian club Juventus.
- Aug 5 St. Louis slugger Mark McGwire becomes only the 16th MLB player to reach the 500 home run milestone as the Cardinals lose 10-2 v San Diego at Busch Stadium
- Aug 6 Tony Gwynn goes 4 for 5 and collects his 3,000th MLB hit as San Diego beats Expos, 12-10 at Montreal Olympic Stadium
- Aug 7 Tampa Bay 3rd baseman Wade Boggs becomes the first MLB player to hit a home run for his 3,000th hit in Devil Rays' 15-10 loss v Cleveland
- Aug 14 New Zealand win their 3rd Tri Nations Rugby Series as South Africa edges Australia, 10-9 in Cape Town; All Blacks' only defeat comes in final round dead rubber, 28-7 against Wallabies in Sydney
PGA Championship
Aug 15 PGA Championship Men's Golf, Medinah CC: Tiger Woods wins his 2nd major by 1 stroke from Spaniard Sergio Garcia
Tiger Woods
- Aug 20 7th Athletics World Championships open at Seville, Spain
Event of Interest
Aug 31 Dino Ciccarelli retires from the NHL
Dino Ciccarelli
Event of Interest
Sep 1 Ex-Pittsburgh Penguins star Mario Lemieux is approved as new owner of the struggling franchise; Penguins become first club in pro sports history to be owned by a former member of the team
Mario Lemieux
- Sep 3 Mario Lemieux's ownership group officially takes over the NHL Pittsburgh Penguins; Lemieux is first player in the modern era of sports to buy the team he once played for
- Sep 4 MLB's Cincinnati Reds set a National League record with 9 home runs as they rout the Philadelphia Phillies, 22-3
US Open Women's Tennis
Sep 11 US Open Women's Tennis: Serena Williams wins her first Grand Slam title; beats World #1 Martina Hingis 6-3, 7-6
Serena Williams
Martina Hingis
- Sep 12 US Open Men's Tennis: Andre Agassi wins 2nd and final US title; beats fellow American Todd Martin 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 6-3, 6-2
- Sep 13 John Elway's #7 jersey is retired by the Denver Broncos
- Sep 19 Federation Cup Women's Tennis, Stanford, California: Lindsay Davenport beats Elena Likhovtseva of Russia 6-4, 6-4 to give US an unassailable 3-0 lead (ends, 4-1) and their record extending 16th title
- Sep 26 Ryder Cup Golf, The Country Club, Brookline: US wins 14½-13½ after trailing 10-6 going into the singles; win first 6 matches to set up victory; poor American crowd & team behaviour heavily criticised
- Oct 1 In a blockbuster NBA trade, the Houston Rockets move All Star forward Scotty Pippen to Portland Trail Blazers for Kelvin Cato, Stacey Augmon, Walt Williams, Carlos Rogers, Ed Gray and Brian Shaw
- Oct 1 Sourav Ganguly smashes 11 fours and 5 sixes for a blistering 139 as India (277/6) dominates Zimbabwe (170) in the 6th cricket LG Cup ODI in Nairobi
- Oct 1 Edmonton Oilers retire Wayne Gretzky's #99 in a pre-game ceremony before a 1-1 tie v NY Rangers, the last team for which 'The Great One' suited up in an NHL game
NHL Record
Oct 2 Boston's Ray Bourque becomes highest goal-scoring defenseman in NHL history; 386th career goal in Bruins' 3-1 win v Carolina Hurricanes moves him 1 ahead of Paul Coffey
Ray Bourque
Paul Coffey
- Oct 2 #21 University of Alabama football team beats #3 Florida, 40-39 in overtime to snap the Gators' 30-game home win streak; future Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander crosses for 4 touchdowns for the Crimson Tide
- Oct 2 Atlanta Thrashers play first regular-season game in franchise history, a 4-1 loss to the visiting NJ Devils, before a crowd of 18,545 at Philips Arena; Kelly Buchberger scores first goal in Thrashers history
- Oct 3 St Louis 1st baseman Mark McGwire hits his 65th homer of the season in a rain shortened 9-5 win over Cubs at Busch Stadium; wins 2nd straight HR title over Sammy Sosa, who hits his 63rd HR in same game
Birthdays in Sport
Weddings in Sport
Wedding of Interest
May 21 NFL legend Deion Sanders (31) weds model Pilar Biggers in Paradise Island, Bahamas
Deion Sanders
Wedding of Interest
Jul 4 Los Angeles Galaxy soccer star player David Beckham (24) weds Spice Girls singer Victoria Beckham (25) at the 560-acre Luttrellstown Castle outside Dublin, Ireland
Victoria Beckham
Wedding of Interest
Jul 17 Cricketer Glenn McGrath (29) weds flight attendant Jane Louise Steele
Glenn McGrath
Wedding of Interest
Jul 18 Miami Dolphins coach Jimmy Johnson (56) weds longtime girlfriend Rhonda Rookmaaker (45) in the Florida Keys
Jimmy Johnson
Wedding of Interest
Jul 31 NHL player Phil Esposito (57) weds Bridget Leigh
Phil Esposito
- Sep 26 Actress-singer and former beauty queen Vanessa L Williams (36) weds Los Angeles Lakers' basketball player Rick Fox (30) at Church of the Holy Trinity in New York
Deaths in Sport
- Jan 3 Jerry Quarry, American boxer (famous bouts v world champions Floyd Patterson, Jimmy Ellis, Joe Frazier, Muhammad Ali, Ken Norton), dies of chronic traumatic encephalopathy at 53
- Jan 12 Doug Wickenheiser, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1961)
- Jan 19 Ivan Francescato, Italian rugby union footballer (b. 1967)
- Jan 31 Norm Zauchin, American baseball player (b. 1929)
- Feb 21 Wilmer David Mizell, baseball player (b. 1930)
- Feb 22 Menno Oosting, Dutch tennis player (b. 1964)
- Feb 28 William Talbert, American tennis doubles champ (US 1942, 45, 46, 48), dies at 80
- Mar 6 Dennis Viollet, English former soccer player (Manchester United), dies at 65
Joe DiMaggio
Mar 8 Joe DiMaggio, American Baseball Hall of Fame center fielder (MLB record 56-game hitting streak), dies of lung cancer at 84
Joe DiMaggio
- Mar 24 Birdie Tebbetts, American baseball player and manager (b. 1912)
- Mar 25 Cal Ripken Sr, American MLB manager (Baltimore Orioles), dies of lung cancer at 63
- Apr 1 Red Flaherty, American baseball umpire (World Series 1955, 58, 65, 70; MLB All Star games 1956, 61, 69), dies from stroke-related complications at 81
- Apr 4 Early Wynn, Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher (9-time All Star), dies of a stroke at 79
- Apr 6 Gene Benson, American baseball outfielder (Negro League All-Star 1940, 45-46), dies at 85
- Apr 13 Ortvin Sarapu, New Zealand chess player, dies at 74
- Apr 23 Tullio Pandolfini, Italian water polo (Olympic gold 1948), dies at 84
- Apr 25 Lord Killanin, Irish 6th International Olympic Committee President (1972-80), dies at 84
- Apr 27 Cyril Washbrook, English cricketer (stalwart Lancs & England opener), dies at 84
- Apr 28 Alf Ramsey, English football manager, dies at 79
- May 3 Joe Adcock, American baseball utility, manager (Milwaukee Braves; 2-time MLB All Star), dies of Alzheimer's disease at 71
- May 3 Steve Chiasson, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1967)
- May 13 Gene Sarazen, American golfer (7 major titles including major slam), dies of pneumonia at 97
- May 18 Betty Robinson, American runner, dies at 87
- May 28 Henry Carlsson, Swedish soccer (Olympic gold 1948), dies at 81
- Jun 6 Eddie Stanky, American baseball second baseman, manager (MLB All Star 1947, 48, 50), dies of a heart attack at 83
- Jun 14 Bernie Faloney, professional football player (b. 1932)
- Jun 26 Angelo Bertelli, American College Football Hall of Fame quarterback (Heisman Trophy 1943, National C'ship 1943, Notre Dame), dies of brain cancer at 78
- Jun 27 Marion Motley, American NFL fullback (all-time leading AAFC rusher), dies at 79
- Jul 1 Jack Moroney, Australian cricketer, dies at 81
- Aug 4 Liselott Linsenhoff, German equestrian rider (Olympic gold 1968, 72), dies at 71
- Aug 14 Pee Wee [Harold] Reese, American baseball player (Dodgers), dies at 81
- Aug 14 Pat Mullin, American baseball outfielder (MLB All Star 1947-48; Detroit Tigers), dies at 81
- Aug 29 Jaime Fields, American NFL and WLAF linebacker (KC Chiefs, Scotland Claymores), dies in a hit-and-run automobile accident at 29
- Sep 6 René Lecavalier, French Canadian sportscaster (b. 1918)
- Sep 9 Jim "Catfish" Hunter, American Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher (MLB All-Star 1966, 67, 70, 72–1976; World Series 1972–74, 77, 78; AL Cy Young Award 1974; Oakland A's, NY Yankees), dies from Lou Gehrig's disease at 53
- Sep 11 Gonzalo Rodriguez, Uruguayan auto racing driver (b. 1972)
- Sep 12 Bill Quackenbush, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame defenceman (8 x NHL All-Star; Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings) and coach (Princeton), dies from Alzheimer's disease at 77
- Sep 20 Robert Lebel, French Canadian ice hockey executive, dies at 93
- Oct 8 John McLendon, American basketball coach (b. 1915)
Wilt Chamberlain
Oct 12 Wilt Chamberlain, American College & Basketball Hall of Fame center (13-time All Star), dies of congestive heart failure at 63
Wilt Chamberlain
Payne Stewart
Oct 25 Payne Stewart, American golfer (US Open 1991, 99; PGA 1989), dies in a plane crash at 42
Payne Stewart
- Oct 31 Greg Moore, Canadian race car driver (b. 1975)
Walter Payton
Nov 1 Walter Payton, American Pro Football Hall of Fame running back (9-time Pro Bowl; Chicago Bears), dies of Cholangiocarcinoma at 45
Walter Payton
- Nov 4 Malcolm Marshall, West Indian cricketer (WI quickie 1978-91, WI top wicket-taker), dies at 41
- Nov 8 Leon Štukelj, Slovenian gymnast (b. 1898)
- Nov 12 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Jr., English thoroughbred horse owner (Bed O' Roses, Native Dancer), dies at 87
- Nov 13 Jaswick Taylor, West Indian cricket fast bowler (3 Tests; 5/109 in Test debut 1958), dies at 67
- Nov 27 Yasuhiro Kojima, wrestler (b. 1937)
- Dec 1 Gene Baker, American baseball infielder (MLB All-Star 1955; World Series 1960; Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates), dies at 74
- Dec 1 William "Pop" Gates, American Basketball Hall of Fame guard and coach (Harlem Globetrotters "Legends" Ring 1995), dies at 82
- Dec 3 Horst Mahseli, Polish soccer striker (9 caps; Legia Warsaw), dies at 65
- Dec 4 Sylvester Clarke, West Indian cricket fast bowler (11 Tests, 42 wickets), dies from a heart attack at 44
- Dec 12 Joe Benner, American pistol shooter and coach (Olympic gold 1952; World C'ship gold 1949, 52, 54), dies at 82
- Dec 19 Hemchandra Tukaram "Bal" Dani, Indian cricketer (Test Ind v Pak, 1-19, ct 1, DNB), dies at 66