Events in Sport
Event of Interest
Jan 4 A day after accepting the head coaching position at the New York Jets, Bill Belichick resigns and moves to the New England Patriots
Bill Belichick
- Jan 4 College Football, 2nd BCS National Championship, Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans: #1 Florida State beats #2 Virginia Tech, 46-29, at 66th Sugar Bowl
- Jan 4 American businessman and investor Mark Cuban purchases a majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks NBA franchise for $285m from H. Ross Perot, Jr.
- Jan 8 "Music City Miracle", in AFC Wild Card Playoff, Tennessee Titans defeat Buffalo Bills 22-16 in last 16 seconds with Kevin Dyson, running length of the field for a game-winning touchdown
- Jan 8 Hopman Cup Tennis, Perth: Amanda Coetzer & Wayne Ferreira wrap up South Africa's first title (3-0) with an abbreviated 8-1 mixed doubles win over Tamarine Tanasugarn & Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand
Event of Interest
Jan 9 Dan Marino wins his last career NFL game (20-17 vs Seattle)
Dan Marino
- Jan 15 Utah's Jerry Sloan becomes 12th coach in NBA history to reach the 700-victory plateau when the Jazz defeat the LA Clippers, 112-75 at the Delta Center, Salt Lake City
Event of Interest
Jan 19 Michael Jordan, who led the Chicago Bulls to 6 NBA championships as a player, returns to the NBA, joining the Washington Wizards as part owner and President of Basketball Operations
Michael Jordan
- Jan 23 AFC Championship, Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville: Tennessee Titans beat Jacksonville Jaguars, 33-14
- Jan 23 NFC Championship, Trans World Dome, St. Louis: St. Louis Rams beat Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 11-6
- Jan 23 Dallas' Don Nelson becomes the 6th coach in NBA history to win 900 career games when the Mavericks defeat the Detroit Pistons, 99-91 at The Palace of Auburn Hills
Australian Open Women's Tennis
Jan 29 Australian Open Women's Tennis: American Lindsay Davenport claims her 3rd and final career Grand Slam title; beats Martina Hingis 6-1, 7-5
Martina Hingis
Event of Interest
Jan 29 Karl Malone of the Utah Jazz becomes the 3rd player in NBA history to score 30,000 career points; finishes with 35 in a 96-94 loss to Minnesota; behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387) and Wilt Chamberlain (31,419)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- Jan 30 Super Bowl XXXIV, Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA: St. Louis Rams beat Tennessee Titans, 23-16; MVP: Kurt Warner, St. Louis, QB
Australian Men's Tennis Open
Jan 30 Australian Open Men's Tennis: Andre Agassi beats defending champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4; Agassi makes 4 consecutive Grand Slam finals, 1st since Rod Laver (1969)
Andre Agassi
- Feb 6 NFL Pro Bowl, Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI: NFC beats AFC, 51-31; MVP: Randy Moss, Minnesota Vikings, WR, HI
NHL All-Star Game
Feb 6 50th NHL All-Star Game, Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON: World beats North America, 9-4; MVP: Pavel Bure, Florida Panthers, RW
Pavel Bure
NBA All-Star Game
Feb 13 49th NBA All-Star Game, Oakland Arena, Oakland, CA: West beats East, 137-127; MVPs: Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs, F; Shaquille O'Neal, LA Lakers, C
Tim Duncan
Shaquille O'Neal
Sports Awards
Feb 14 8th ESPY Awards: Tiger Woods, Mia Hamm win
Tiger Woods
Event of Interest
Feb 15 Martin Brodeur becomes first goaltender in NHL history to get credit for a "game winning" goal as New Jersey wins, 4-2 over the visiting Philadelphia Flyers
Martin Brodeur
- Feb 20 42nd Daytona 500: Polesitter Dale Jarrett wins his 3rd Great American Race ahead of Jeff Gordon and Bill Elliott
- Mar 2 America's Cup, Auckland: Team New Zealand beats Italian yacht Prada Challenge by 0.48s for a 5-0 series sweep; NZ only the 2nd country in 150 years to successfully defend the Cup
- Mar 2 St. Louis Blues become just the 2nd team in NHL history to win 10 straight games on the road, with a 5-2 victory in Atlanta; tie mark set by Buffalo 1983-84
Event of Interest
Mar 6 Long-time Boston Bruin defenseman Ray Bourque is traded to the Colorado Avalanche
Ray Bourque
- Mar 11 21st Big East Men's Basketball Tournament: St. John's beats Connecticut, 80-70
- Mar 12 47th ACC Men's Basketball Tournament: #3 Duke beats #20 Maryland, 81-68
- Mar 12 41st SEC Men's Basketball Tournament: Arkansas beats Auburn, 75-67
- Mar 18 England clinch inaugural Six Nations Rugby Championship with 59-12 thrashing of Italy at Stadio Flaminio, Rome; England flyhalf Jonny Wilkinson kicks 7 goals and winger Austin Healey scores 3 tries
- Mar 26 Nabisco Championship Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Karrie Webb of Australia wins the first of her 2 titles in this event, 10 strokes ahead of defending champion Dottie Pepper
- Mar 27 PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: 1983 champion Hal Sutton leads wire-to-wire to win by a stroke ahead of runner-up Tiger Woods
- Apr 1 American boxer Chris Byrd wins WBO Heavyweight title when Ukrainian champion Vitali Klitschko retires with a shoulder injury at the end of the 9th round in Berlin, Germany
- Apr 1 Michelle Kwan pushes through all 7 triple jumps at the Palais des Exposition in Nice, France to become the first American since Peggy Flemming to win 3 world figure skating titles
- Apr 2 19th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Connecticut beats Tennessee, 71-52; Huskies' point guard Shea Ralph is named the Most Outstanding Player
Event of Interest
Apr 2 The Tradition Senior Men's Golf, GC at Desert Mountain: Tom Kite wins his lone Champions Tour major with birdie on 6th playoff hole with Tom Watson & Larry Nelson
Tom Watson
Larry Nelson
- Apr 2 Atlanta center Ray Ferraro scores a goal and added 2 assists as the Thrashers end an NHL record 17-game home winless streak (0-15-2) with a 5-4 win against the visiting New York Islanders
- Apr 2 Adam Gilchrist takes his 10th catch in the 3rd cricket Test against New Zealand in Hamilton to create an Australian record for dismissals by a wicketkeeper; Australia wins by 6 wickets for 3-0 series sweep
- Apr 3 62nd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Michigan State beats Florida, 89-76; Spartans only top-4 seed to advance to the Final Four
- Apr 7 South African cricket captain Hansie Cronje is charged by Delhi police with fixing One Day International matches against India
- Apr 8 153rd Grand National: Irish 10/1 shot Papillon, ridden by jockey Ruby Walsh and trained by his father Ted Walsh wins by 1¼ lengths from Mely Moss
- Apr 9 64th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Fijian Vijay Singh wins by 3 strokes from Ernie Els of South Africa
- Apr 11 South African cricket captain Hansie Cronje is sacked after admitting dishonesty following match-fixing allegations in India
- Apr 15 NFL Draft: Penn State defensive end Courtney Brown first pick by Cleveland Browns
Event of Interest
Apr 16 PGA Seniors' Championship Men’s Golf, PGA National GC: Doug Tewell wins first of 2 Champions Tour major titles with a convincing 7 stroke margin from the foursome of Hale Irwin, Tom Kite, Larry Nelson and Dana Quigley
Larry Nelson
- Apr 17 104th Boston Marathon: Kenyan double; Elijah Lagat wins men's race in 2:09:47; Catherine Ndereba takes women's title in 2:26:11
Baseball Record
May 1 Barry Bonds is first MLB player to hit a homer into San Francisco Bay as Giants beat Mets, 10-3; hits 35 there during his SF career
Barry Bonds
- May 3 The sport of geocaching begins, with the first cache placed and the coordinates from a GPS posted on Usenet.
- May 6 126th Kentucky Derby: Kent Desormeaux aboard Fusaichi Pegasus wins in 2:01.12
- May 20 125th Preakness: Jerry Bailey aboard Red Bullet wins in 1:56.00
- May 20 English FA Cup Final, Wembley Stadium, London (78,217): Chelsea beats Aston Villa, 1-0; Roberto Di Matteo scores 73' winner
- May 24 8th UEFA Champions League Final: Real Madrid beats Valencia 3-0 at Saint-Denis
Event of Interest
May 25 Laureus World Sports Awards, Monte-Carlo Sporting, Monaco: Sportsman: Tiger Woods; Sportswoman: Marion Jones (rescinded); Team: Manchester United FC
Marion Jones
Tiger Woods
- May 26 NHL Eastern Conference Final: New Jersey Devils beat Philadelphia Flyers, 4 games to 3
- May 27 NHL Western Conference Final: Dallas Stars beat Colorado Avalanche, 4 games to 3
- May 27 Super Rugby Final, Canberra: Crusaders claim their 3rd consecutive title with a 20-19 win over the ACT Brumbies; flyhalf Andrew Mehrtens kicks 5 penalties for the winners
- May 28 Indianapolis 500: Juan Pablo Montoya wins in 2:58:59.431 (269.737 km/h)
- Jun 10 132nd Belmont: Pat Day aboard Commendable wins in 2:31.20
- Jun 10 Stanley Cup Final, Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX: New Jersey Devils defeat Dallas Stars, 2-1 in double OT for a 4-2 series victory
French Open Women's Tennis
Jun 10 French Open Women's Tennis: France's Mary Pierce beats Conchita Martinez of Spain 6-2, 7-5 for her 2nd and last career Grand Slam singles title and her 1st singles title at Roland Garros
Mary Pierce
- Jun 11 French Open Men's Tennis: Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil wins his second French title; beats Sweden's Magnus Norman 6-2, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6
Event of Interest
Jun 14 Greg Maddux makes his 387th putout, breaking Jack Morris' career record
Greg Maddux
- Jun 18 100th US Open Men's Golf, Pebble Beach GL: Tiger Woods wins his first US Open by a major championship record-setting 15 strokes over Ernie Els and Miguel Ángel Jiménez
Event of Interest
Jun 19 54th NBA Championship: Los Angeles Lakers beat Indiana Pacers, 4 games to 2, Shaquille O'Neal MVP
Shaquille O'Neal
- Jun 25 LPGA Championship Women's Golf, DuPont CC: Juli Inkster goes back-to-back; beats Stefania Croce of Italy on second hole of a sudden-death playoff
- Jun 28 NBA Draft: Cincinnati power forward Kenyon Martin first pick by New Jersey Nets
- Jul 2 UEFA European Championship Final, Feijenoord Stadion, Rotterdam, Netherlands: David Trezeguet scores in extra time to give France a 2-1 win over Italy
- Jul 2 US Senior Open Men's Golf, Saucon Valley CC: Hale Irwin wins by 3 strokes ahead of Bruce Fleischer for his second US Senior title
- Jul 4 Canadian jockey Russell Baze scores his 7,000th career victory aboard This Is the Moment at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton, California
- Jul 6 West Ham United FC pays a record £1.8 million for the late Bobby Moore's collection of memorabilia; 79 items including his 1966 World Cup winner's medal
- Jul 6 Real estate developer Stan Kroenke announces the acquisition of the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche and the Pepsi Centre for $450m from the Ascent Entertainment Group
Wimbledon Women's Tennis
Jul 8 Wimbledon Women's Tennis: Venus Williams wins her first career Grand Slam singles title; beats fellow American Lindsay Davenport 6-3, 7-6
Venus Williams
Wimbledon Men's Tennis
Jul 9 Wimbledon Men's Tennis: American Pete Sampras wins 4th straight Wimbledon singles title; beats Patrick Rafter of Australia 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 6-2 for his 13th Grand Slams title
Pete Sampras
- Jul 9 Police fired tear gas at fans during a World Cup qualifying soccer game between Zimbabwe and South Africa, setting off a stampede that killed twelve people in Harare, Zimbabwe
- Jul 11 71st All Star Baseball Game: AL wins 6-3 at Turner Field, Atlanta
- Jul 15 World record Rugby attendance of 108,874 see New Zealand beat Australia, 39-35 in Tri Nations match at Stadium Australia, Sydney; 5 tries each with Andrew Mehrtens' goal kicking (6) the difference
Event of Interest
Jul 16 Senior Players Championship Men's Golf, TPC of Michigan: Raymond Floyd wins his 4th and final Champions Tour major by 1 stroke from Larry Nelson and Dana Quigley
Ray Floyd
Larry Nelson
- Jul 20 The leaders of Salt Lake City's bid to win the 2002 Winter Olympics are indicted by a federal grand jury for bribery, fraud, and racketeering
- Jul 23 British Open Men's Golf, Royal Lytham & St. Annes: Tiger Woods beats Thomas Bjørn and Ernie Els by 8 shots to win his first Open title; becomes youngest player at 24 to win all 4 major titles
US Women's Golf Open
Jul 23 US Open Women's Golf, Merit Club: Australian Karrie Webb wins by 5 strokes ahead of runners-up Cristie Kerr and Meg Mallon; third of Webb's 7 major titles
Meg Mallon
Event of Interest
Jul 23 87th Tour de France: no winner (Lance Armstrong disqualified)
Lance Armstrong
- Aug 3 England cricket wicket-keeper Alec Stewart becomes only the 4th batsman to score a century (105) in his 100th Test, during the 3rd Test against the West Indies at Old Trafford
- Aug 5 Moni Maker wins the $500,00 Nat Ray at the Meadowlands in world record 1:52.1 to become harness racing's first $5m stakes earner
Event of Interest
Aug 7 Los Angeles Lakers announce retirement of former star player and Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Jerry West; name Mitch Kupchak to succeed him
Jerry West
- Aug 13 Canadian Open Women's Golf (du Maurier Classic), Royal Ottawa GC: Meg Mallon wins by 1 from Rosie Jones
- Aug 20 PGA Championship Men's Golf, Valhalla GC: Tiger Woods becomes first since Ben Hogan (1953) to win 3 majors in a calendar year; wins back-to-back PGA titles in 3-hole playoff with Bob May
- Aug 26 Australia clinches first Tri Nations Rugby Series with a 19-18 win over South Africa in Durban; Wallabies centre Stirling Mortlock lands 4 penalties and a conversion
- Sep 4 England claim first series (3-1) over West Indies since 1969; win 5th Test by 158 runs at The Oval, London; Windies captain Courtney Walsh's 132nd and final Test
- Sep 9 US Open Women's Tennis: Venus Williams wins her first US title; beats fellow American Lindsay Davenport 6-4, 7-5
- Sep 10 US Open Men's Tennis: Marat Safin of Russia wins his first Grand Slam title; beats home favourite Pete Sampras 6-4, 6-3, 6-3
- Sep 15 27th Olympic Games opens at Sydney, Australia
Baseball Record
Sep 16 Sammy Sosa becomes the second player to hit 50 or more home runs in three consecutive years, joining Mark McGwire
Sammy Sosa
Mark McGwire
- Sep 17 Dan Marino's #13 jersey is retired by the Miami Dolphins
- Sep 19 Ken Griffey, Jr. pinch-hits his 400th home run. The first major leaguer to reach the mark as a pinch-hitter
- Sep 25 American basketball player Vince Carter jumps over 7 foot 2 Frédéric Weis in 2000 Summer Olympics, known in France as "le dunk de la mort" (the dunk of death)
- Oct 1 Juan Antonio Samaranch, the chairman of the IOC declares the XXVII Olympics in Sydney the "best Olympic Games ever" at the closing ceremony
Birthdays in Sport
- Feb 20 Kristóf Milák, Hungarian swimmer (200m butterfly WR 1:50.73), born in Budapest, Hungary
- Jun 9 Laurie Hernandez, American gymnast (Olympic team gold, individual silver 2016), born in Old Bridge Township, New Jersey
- Jun 16 Bianca Andreescu, Canadian tennis player (US Open 2019), born in Mississauga, Ontario
- Jul 6 Zion Williamson, American basketball power forward (2019 NBA Draft: #1 pick New Orleans Pelicans), born in Salisbury, North Carolina
Weddings in Sport
- Jan 1 Dominican-American baseball player Albert Pujols (19) weds Deidre "Dee Dee" Corona (22)
Wedding of Interest
Apr 22 NFL football player Emmitt Smith (31) weds Miss Virginia USA beauty queen Patricia Southall (29)
Emmitt Smith
Wedding of Interest
May 10 World champion professional boxer Manny Pacquiao (21) weds Jinkee Pacquiao
Manny Pacquiao
- Jul 8 Olympic figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi (28) weds Carolina Hurricanes ice hockey player Bret Hedican (29) at the Mauna Lani Resort in Kona, Hawaii
Wedding of Interest
Sep 30 Tennis star player Pete Sampras (29) weds actress and former Miss Teen USA Bridgette Wilson (27) in Los Angeles, California
Pete Sampras
Wedding of Interest
Dec 16 Tennis player Todd Martin (30) weds Amy Martin in New Jersey
Todd Martin
Deaths in Sport
- Jan 4 Tom Fears, American College and Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end and coach (NFL champion 1951; First-team All-Pro, NFL receiving yards leader 1950; LA Rams), dies at 77
- Jan 8 Fritz Thiedemann, German equestrianist (b. 1918)
- Jan 11 Betty Archdale OBE, Anglo-Australian educationalist and English cricket batsman and captain (5 Tests), dies at 92
- Jan 11 Robert Granville "Bob" Lemon, American baseball player (Cleveland Indians), dies at 79
- Jan 11 Phil Carrick, English cricketer (Yorkshire County Cricket Club), dies at 47
- Jan 12 Bobby Phills, American basketball player (b. 1969)
- Jan 26 Don Budge, American tennis player (6 Grand Slam singles titles, Grand Slam 1938), dies of cardiac arrest at 84
- Jan 27 Mae Faggs Starr, American athlete, 4x100m runner (Olympic gold 1952), dies at 67
- Feb 1 Dick Rathmann, American auto racer (first Indy pole-sitter to complete no laps), dies at 74
- Feb 8 Sid Abel, Canadian ice hockey player (Detroit Red Wings), dies at 81
- Feb 8 Derrick Thomas, American Pro and College Football Hall of Fame linebacker / end (Pro Bowl 1989–97; First-team All-Pro 1990–92; KC Chiefs), dies of a pulmonary embolism at 33
- Feb 9 Beau Jack, American boxer (NYSAC world lightweight champion 1942-44), dies of complications from Parkinson's disease at 78
Tom Landry
Feb 12 Tom Landry, American football coach (Dallas Cowboys), dies at 75
Tom Landry
- Feb 21 Antonio Díaz-Miguel, Spanish basketball coach (b. 1933)
- Feb 23 Stanley Matthews CBE, English soccer forward (54 caps; Stoke City, Blackpool; 1st British player to be knighted), dies at 85
- Mar 2 Sandra Schmirler, Canadian curler (Olympic gold 1998), dies at 36
- Mar 6 Chris Balderstone, English cricket batsman (England, belated faced WI in 1976), dies at 59
- Mar 12 Mack Robinson, American 200m dash (Olympic silver 1932), dies at 85
- Apr 5 Lee Petty, American race car driver (b. 1914)
- Apr 13 Frenchy Bordagaray, American baseball utility (World Series 1941; Brooklyn Dodgers), dies at 90
- Apr 14 Wilf Mannion, English footballer (b. 1918)
- Apr 24 John Beck, New Zealand cricketer (lefty bat in 8 Tests for NZ 1953-56), dies at 65
- May 5 Gino Bartali, Italian cyclist (Tour de France 1938, 48; Giro d'Italia 1936-7, 46), dies of a heart attack at 85
- May 12 Adam Petty, American race car driver (b. 1980)
Maurice Richard
May 27 Maurice "Rocket" Richard, Canadian NHL star (Montreal Canadiens, MVP-1947), dies of abdominal cancer and Parkinson's disease at 78
Maurice Richard
- Jun 5 Don Liddle, American baseball player, dies at 75
- Jun 10 Brian Statham, English cricketer (masterful England quick for two decades), dies at 69
- Jun 10 William McMillan, American sports shooter (Olympic gold 25m rapid fire pistol 1960; World C'ship gold 1952), dies at 71
- Jun 20 Jim De Courcy, Australian cricketer (Australian batsman 1953), dies at 73
- Jun 27 Larry Kelley, American college football end (Heisman Trophy 1936; unanimous All-American 1936; Yale), commits suicide at 85
- Jul 2 Joey Dunlop, Irish motorcycle racer (b. 1952)
- Jul 7 Kenny Irwin, Jr., American auto racer (USAC National Midget Champion 1996; NASCAR 87 starts), dies in a crash during practice at 30
- Jul 10 Justin Pierce, English-American actor and skateboarder (b. 1975)
- Jul 24 Anatoli Firsov, Russian ice hockey left wing (Olympic gold 1964, 68, 72; 8 x World C'ship gold), dies at 59
- Aug 10 Gilbert Parkhouse, Welsh cricketer (England batsman in 7 Tests 1950-59), dies at 74
- Aug 14 Cuan McCarthy, South African cricketer (b. 1929)
- Aug 20 Henry Austin, British tennis player (3-time Grand Slam runner-up), dies of complications from a fall at 94
- Aug 29 Willie Maddren, English footballer (b. 1951)
- Sep 17 Nicole Reinhart, American cyclist (b. 1976)
- Sep 23 Aurelio Rodríguez, Mexican Major League Baseball player (b. 1947)
- Oct 5 Cătălin Hîldan, Romanian footballer (b. 1976)
- Oct 17 Leo Nomellini, wrestler (b. 1924)
- Oct 22 Hank Wyse, American baseball pitcher (MLB All Star 1945; Chicago Cubs), dies of broken hip complications at 82
- Oct 28 Andujar Cedeno, Dominican baseball player for the Houston Astros (b. 1969)
- Oct 28 Andújar Cedeño, Dominican infielder (Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers), dies in a car accident at 31
- Nov 1 George Armstrong, English soccer winger and manager (Arsenal 500 games; Kuwait 1988-89), dies of a brain haemorrhage at 56
- Nov 22 Emil Zátopek, Czech distance runner (4 x Olympic gold 1948, 52), dies of a stroke at 78
- Nov 25 Hugh Alexander, American baseball player, dies at 83
- Nov 27 Len Shackleton, English former footballer, dies at 78
- Dec 2 Chris Antley, American Racing Hall of Fame jockey (Kentucky Derby 1991, 1999; Preakness 1999), dies of drug overdose at 34
- Dec 4 Colin Cowdrey CBE, England cricket batsman (114 Tests, 7,624 runs @ 44.06), dies of a heart attack at 67
- Dec 14 George Sholty, American harness driver (2,934 career wins; $20 million+ purse money), dies at 68
- Dec 18 Stan Fox, American race car driver (b. 1952)
- Dec 25 Neil Hawke, Australian cricketer (Aust pace bowler & late-order bat in 60s), dies at 61
- Dec 30 Lionel Hebert, American golfer (PGA Championship 1957), dies at 72