The 1960s in Sports: A Decade of Change
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This book includes the most significant sporting events of the 1960s, covering all the moments that generated tremendous growth in professional and college sports in America during this decade. It features stories such as Roger Maris breaking Babe Ruth’s home run record, Wilt Chamberlain scoring 100 points, and Muhammad Ali beating Sonny Liston.
Sports became a national obsession in the 1960s as people tuned in on their new televisions to watch the exploits of some of the most legendary athletes and teams in history. It was the decade of Mickey Mantle, Jim Brown, Bill Russell, Bobby Hull, and Arnold Palmer, the decade when the Celtics dominated basketball, Joe Namath delivered on his Super Bowl guarantee, and the Miracle Mets won the World Series.
In The 1960s in Sports: A Decade of Change, Miles Coverdale looks back at what was arguably the greatest decade in sports history, when the sports world of today began to take shape during a very tumultuous period of American history. At the start of the decade, thirteen years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball, major league rosters were still populated mostly by white Americans. The NFL and NBA were struggling financially and were much less popular than college football and basketball. The Olympics were still open only to amateur athletes. But the sports landscape changed dramatically in the 1960s. Coverdale traces this development by covering the significant events and iconic players of the decade, including stars such as Sandy Koufax, Johnny Unitas, Bobby Orr, and Jack Nicklaus. There were great teams and incredible rivalries, and professional and college sports alike expanded and thrived.
Featuring over 70 photos of legendary athletes and memorable moments, The 1960s in Sports transports the reader back to a golden age in sports. With additional coverage of important historical events such as the Cold War, Vietnam, and the Civil Rights Movement, this book also reveals how social and political events impacted the sports world, making it an invaluable resource for anyone interested in this significant decade.
Introduction
1960
Sit-ins, the Cold War and the Election of President John F. Kennedy
The Original “Miracle on Ice”
Wilt Takes NBA by Storm but Celtics Prevail
Montreal Canadiens Win Fifth Straight Stanley Cup
Palmer Charges from Behind to Win Historic U.S. Open Duel
Seeds of Change in Rome
Ted Williams Bids Adieu with Dramatic Home Run in Final At-Bat
Pirates Steal World Series from Yankees
Eagles Beat Packers for NFL Title; AFL Is Born
1961
The Bay of Pigs Fiasco, the Freedom Riders and the Berlin Wall
Robertson and West Join NBA; Celtics Win Third Straight Title
Geoffrion Ties the Rocket; Black Hawks End Montreal Reign
Maris (61* Home Runs) Breaks Ruth’s Record as Yanks Dominate
Crimson Tide Rolls; Ernie Davis Wins Heisman Trophy
1962
The Cuban Missile Crisis Brings the World to the Brink of Nuclear War
Ohio State Dominates but Cincinnati Wins Back-to-Back Titles
Wilt Has a Season for the Ages; Celtics Win Best Playoffs Ever
Hull Scores 50 but Maple Leafs Dethrone Black Hawks
Nicklaus Beats Palmer in U.S. Open Playoff
Redemption for Ralph Terry
Packers Leave Giants in the Cold; Dallas Wins AFL Title in OT
1963
A “Dream” in Washington, Tragedy in Birmingham and the Assassination of JFK
Loyola Ends Cincinnati Streak in Overtime
Cousy Goes out on Top as Celtics Win Fifth Straight Title
Nicklaus Wins Masters and PGA
Koufax Leads Dodgers to World Series Sweep of Yankees
Staubach Wins Heisman Trophy but Texas Beats Navy
Brown and Tittle Set Records but Bears Win Championship
1964
Murder in Mississippi, the Escalation of the Vietnam War and the Election of LBJ
Clay Floats Like a Butterfly and Stings Liston to Take Title
Howe Passes Richard; Bathgate Helps Maple Leafs Win Cup
Venturi Wins Dramatic U.S. Open
Yanks Trumped by Cards as Dynasty Ends
Billy Mills Shocks the World and Bob Hayes Flies
Texas Holds Off Namath and Alabama in Orange Bowl Thriller
Brown Leads Cleveland to NFL Title; Buffalo Wins AFL Title
1965
The Selma Civil Rights Marches and the Watts Riots
Bill Bradley Excels; UCLA Wins Second Straight Title
Havlicek Steals Ball vs. Philly; Celtics Beat Lakers for Seventh Straight Title
Nicklaus Dominant at Masters; Player Wins U.S. Open
Ali Kayoes Liston with Phantom Punch and Then Decks Patterson
Koufax Carries Dodgers Again
Sayers and Brown Excel but Packers Win Title; Bills Repeat
1966
Violence Escalates at Home and in Vietnam
Texas Western Gives Kentucky a Wake-up Call
Hull Breaks Rocket’s Record but Canadiens Win Another Cup
Nicklaus Wins Masters; Palmers Lets U.S. Open Slip Away
Jim Ryun Smashes World Mile Record
Robinson’s Triple Crown Leads Orioles to Title
Notre Dame and Michigan State Play Famous 10-10 Tie
Packers Overwhelm Kansas City Chiefs in First Super Bowl
1967
Israel Wins Six-Day War and Race Riots Plague United States
Alcindor Leads UCLA to Undefeated Season
Wilt Wins First Title as Philadelphia Crushes All Comers
Bobby Orr Era Begins but Maple Leafs Win Another Cup
Ali Beats Terrell and Folley but Loses to Uncle Sam
Nicklaus Outduels Palmer in U.S. Open at Baltusrol
The Impossible Dream
Green Bay Beats Dallas in Ice Bowl and Oakland in Super Bowl II
1968
The Tet Offensive, the King and Kennedy Assassinations and Nixon’s Election
Houston Wins “Game of Century” but UCLA Wins Title
NHL Expansion Era Begins; Canadiens Regain Cup
The Year of the Pitcher
Beamon Soars and Black Sprinters Protest
O.J. Simpson Runs Wild but Ohio State Beats USC
Namath Delivers on Guarantee as Jets Upset Colts in Super Bowl III
1969
Student Riots and Nixon’s Silent Majority; Man Walks on the Moon
Alcindor and Pistol Pete Dominate College Basketball
Russell Exits on Top as Celtics Hold off Knicks & Lakers
Esposito and Hull Set Records but Habs Win Fifth Cup of Decade
The Miracle Mets
Texas Beats Arkansas in Annual “Game of the Century”
Reed Leads Knicks to First Championship, 1969-70
Bibliography
Index
About the Author
In this oversized volume that verges on the border between coffee-table volume and reference work, sports historian Coverdale provides a comprehensive bird's-eye view of the "American sports" domain during the tumultuous decade of the 1960s. The book comprises an introduction followed by ten substantive chapters, one chapter devoted to each year of the sixties. Each chapter commences with an overview of the larger social and political context for the relevant years before moving on to detailed coverage of the sports highlights of that period. Coverdale strikes a balance between basic data (e.g., scores, traditional statistics) and human-interest stories, including narratives about particular seasons and key events. Chapters are crisply written and provide reasonably comprehensive coverage while also preserving a sense of authorial discretion. Thus not every sport is highlighted to the same extent in each chapter. . . Although the book will see most frequent use as a reference source, the various chapters warrant reading on their own merits. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers.
Product Details
- Title : The 1960s in Sports: A Decade of Change
- Author: Coverdale Jr. , Miles,
- Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
- Publication Date: 2020
- ISBN: 9781538135655