| December 11 |
 |
| 1951 |
|
Joe DiMaggio announced his baseball
retirement. |
| 1966 |
Al Nelson set NFL record returning
missed field goal 100 yds. |
| 1968 |
US Soccer Football Association
refused to let NASL disband. |
| 1972 |
New York Jets' Don Maynard became
all time pro reception leader with 632. |
| 1983 |
Jan Stephenson &
Fred Couples won the LPGA JCPenney Classic at Bardmoor
Country Club in Largo, FL. |
| 1994 |
Kelly Robbins & Tammie
Green won the LPGA Diner’s Club Matches at
PGA West Jack Nicklaus Resort Course in La Quinta,
CA. |
| 1995 |
NFL's Miami Dolphins
played in Joe Robbie Stadium for the last time,
beating the Kansas City Chiefs 13-6. |
| |
| December
12 |
| 1899 |
|
Boston dentist George
F. Grant, first black graduate of Harvard College,
patented the wooden golf tee. |
| 1920 |
APFA's Decatur Staleys
played in Staley Field for the last time, ending
in a 0-0 tie with the Akron Pros. |
| 1930 |
Baseball Rules Committee
greatly revised the rule book; when a ball bounces
into stands now a double, not a home run. |
| 1965 |
AFL's Oakland Raiders
played in Frank Youell Field for the last time,
beating the New York Jets 24-14. |
| 1965 |
Chicago Bears' Gale Sayers
tied NFL record 6 TDs against the San Francisco
49ers. (4 rushing, 1 pass receptions, 1 punt return). |
| 1981 |
Wayne Gretzky scored
quickest 50th goal (game 39). |
| 1982 |
JoAnne Carner & John
Mahaffey won the LPGA JC Penney Classic at Bardmoor
Country Club in Largo, FL. |
| 1987 |
Mookie Blaylock set NBA
record of 13 steals in a game. |
| 1991 |
New Jersey Nets set NBA
record of 22 blocks beating the Denver Nuggets 121-81. |
| 1999 |
Juli Inkster & Dottie
Pepper won the LPGA Diners Club Matches at Pelican
Hill in Newport Coast, CA. |
| 1999 |
Michael Klim of Australia
set 100m butterfly swimming record in Canberra,
Australia (0:51.81). |
| 1999 |
NFL's Cincinnati Bengals
played in Cinergy Field for the last time, beating
the Cleveland Browns 44-28. |
| |
| December 13 |
| 1922 |
|
Charles Ebbets proposed
putting numbers on baseball players' sleeves or
caps. |
| 1964 |
Shirley Englehorn &
Sam Snead won the LPGA Haig & Haig Scotch Mixed
Foursome Invitational at Pinecrest Lakes Club in
Avon Park, FL. |
| 1967 |
United Soccer Association
& National Pro Soccer League merged into NASL. |
| 1970 |
NFL's Boston Patroits
played in Harvard Stadium for the last time, losing
to the Minnesota Vikings 35-14. |
| 1970 |
NFL's Chicago Bears played
in Wrigley Field for the last time, beating the
Green Bay Packers 35-17. |
| 1981 |
NFL's New England Patroits
played in Shaefer Stadium for the last time, losing
to the Buffalo Bills 19-10. |
| 1981 |
NFL's Oakland Raiders
played in Oakland Coliseum for the last time, losing
to the Chicago Bears 23-6. |
| 1983 |
Detroit Pistons nipped
the Denver Nuggets in the highest-scoring NBA game:
186-184 (3 OT). |
| 1987 |
NFL's St. Louis Cardinals
played in Busch Stadium for the last time, beating
the New York Giants 27-24. |
| 1992 |
Dawn Coe-Jones won the
Pizza-La LPGA Match Play Championship at Waikoloa
Beach Golf Course in Waikoloa, HI. |
| |
| December
14 |
| 1901 |
|
First table tennis tournament
was held at the London Royal Aquarium. |
| 1938 |
Baseball Major Leagues
agreed on standard ball but disagreed on increasing
rosters from 23 to 25. |
| 1957 |
NFL's Philadelphia Eagles
played in Shibe Park for the last time, losing to
the St. Louis Cardinals 31-27. |
| 1963 |
AFL's New York Jets played
in Polo Grounds V for the last time, losing to the
Buffalo Bills 19-10. |
| 1969 |
NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers
played in Pitt Stadium for the last time, losing
to the New York Giants 21-17. |
| 1975 |
Jane Blalock won the
LPGA Colgate Triple Crown at Mission Hills Country
Club in Palm Springs, CA. |
| 1975 |
NFL's New York Giants
played in Shea Stadium for the last time, beating
the New Orleans Saints 28-14. |
| 1980 |
Nancy Lopez & Curtis
Strange won the LPGA JC Penney Classic at Bardmoor
Country Club in Largo, FL. |
| 1982 |
Los Angeles Kings' Marcel
Dionne became the 9th NHL player to score 500 goals. |
| 1984 |
Howard Cosell retired
from Monday Night Football. |
| 1997 |
Juli Inkster & Dottie
Pepper won the LPGA Diners Club Matches at PGA West
Jack Nicklaus Provate Course in La Quinta, CA. |
| 1997 |
NFL's Baltimore Ravens
played in Memorial Stadium for the last time, beating
the Tennessee Oilers 21-19. |
| 1997 |
NFL's Buffalo Bills played
in Rich Stadium for the last time, losing to the
Jacksonville Jaguars 20-14. |
| 1997 |
Phoenix Coyotes' Mike
Gartner became the 5th NHL player to score 700 goals. |
| |
| December 15 |
| 1925 |
|
NHL's New York Americans
played in Madison Square Garden III for the first
time, losing to the Montreal Canadiens 3-1. |
| 1935 |
Max Euwe became world
champion chess beating Alexander Aljechin. |
| 1973 |
Sandy Hawley became first
jockey to win 500 races in 1 year. |
| 1974 |
NHL's Washington Capitals
played in Capital Centre for the first time, ending
in a 1-1 tie with the Los Angeles Kings. |
| 1991 |
Deb Richard won the JBP
Cup LPGA Match Play Championship at Princeville
Makai Golf Club in Princeville, Kauai, HI. |
| 1991 |
NFL's Atlanta Falcons
played in Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium for the
last time, beating the Seattle Seahawks 26-13. |
| 1996 |
Dottie Pepper & Juli
Inkster won the LPGA Diners Club Matches at PGA
West Jack Nicklaus Resort Course in La Quinta, CA. |
| 2001 |
Martin Brodeur got his
300th NHL win. |
| |
| December 16 |
| 1929 |
|
NHL's Chicago Blackhawks
played in Chicago Stadium for the first time beating
the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-1. |
| 1945 |
NFL's Cleveland Rams
played in Cleveland Stadium for the last time, beating
the Washington Redskins 15-14. |
| 1962 |
AFL's Dallas Texans played
in the Cotton Bowl for the last time, beating the
San Diego Chargers 26-17. |
| 1962 |
New York Giants' Y. A.
Tittle set NFL season touchdown pass record at 33
with 6 touchdowns vs Dallas (41-31). |
| 1967 |
AFL's Houston Oilers
played in Rice Stadium for the last time, beating
the San Diego Chargers 24-17. |
| 1972 |
Miami Dolphins became
the first undefeated NFL team (14-0-0). |
| 1973 |
O. J. Simpson became
first NFL player to rush 2,000 yards in a season. |
| 1979 |
NFL's Los Angeles Rams
played in LA Coliseum for the last time, losing
to the New Orleans Saints 29-14. |
| 2000 |
NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers
played in Three Rivers Stadium for the last time,
beating the Washington Redskins 24-3. |
| 2001 |
The LPGA Tour (Dottie
Pepper, Annika Sorenstam, Karrie Webb) won the LPGA
Wendy’s Three-Tour Challenge. |
| |
| December 17 |
| 1920 |
|
American League voted
to allow pitchers who used the spitball in 1920
to continue using it as long as they are in the
league (The National League will do the same - 17
holdover spitballers in all). |
| 1933 |
The first NFL Championship
Game was played, the Chicago Bears defeated the
New York Giants, 23-21. |
| 1960 |
AFL's Oakland Raiders
played in Kezar Stadium for the last time, beating
the Denver Broncos 48-10. |
| 1961 |
AFL's Oakland Raiders
played in Candlestick Park for the last time, losing
to the Houston Oilers 47-16. |
| 1988 |
Washington Capitals'
Bryan Murray became the 17th NHL coach to win 300
games. |
| 1988 |
Washington Redskins'
Jamie Morris set NFL record 45 rushing attempts
against the Cincinnati Bengals. |
| 1989 |
Patti Rizzo & Mike
Hill won the LPGA Mazda Champions at Hyatt Dorado
Beach in Dorado, Puerto Rico. |
| 1991 |
Cleveland Cavaliers beat
Miami Heat in NBA's most lopsided game 148-80. |
| 1994 |
NFL's San Francisco 49ers
played in Candlestick Park for the last time, beating
the Denver Broncos 42-19. |
| 1995 |
NFL's Carolina Panthers
played in Memorial Stadium for the last time, beating
the Atlanta Falcons 21-17. |
| 1995 |
NFL's Cleveland Browns
played in Cleveland Stadium for the last time, beating
the Cincinnati Bengals 26-10. |
