The Current | Vol. 31 Issue 14

November 10, 2020 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 8 Sports THIS WEEK SPORTS IN HISTORY November 12: Richard Petty wins NASCAR Sprint Cup In 1972, according to Athlon Sports, NASCAR driver Richard Petty won his 22nd NASCAR Sprint Cup. Simultaneously, on this day in 1975, he won his 25th NASCAR Sprint Cup. On The Bench : What happened to sportsmanship? Professional sports are a very influential part of society, bringing people together, giving kids people to look up to when they don’t have a positive influence at home and setting an example for what to do when things don’t go your way, such as losing a game. The NBA Finals just wrapped up and the Los Angeles Lakers earned champion status, an achievement they had not had since 2010. This year, things were different. First was the passing of Laker legend Kobe Bryant. His passing made the championship that much sweeter since the Lakers dedicated their season to Bryant. Shortly after Bryant’s passing, the pandemic shifted the world. Life changed and suddenly all sports were gone.There were no teams to cheer on and bring joy into our lives. The National Basketball Association (NBA) worked diligently with all the teams and the Walt Disney World Company to create an environment where the season could continue with no fans or danger for the teams of contracting COVID-19. Months of games were played with great, competitive battles. The Finals consisted of the favorite, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the team no one expected, the Miami Heat. The Lakers came into the Finals as the first seed for the Western Conference while the Heat came in as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. The Lakers won the first two games of the series in what seemed to be a potential sweep of the Heat. Then, Game 3 happened. The Heat played in a way that showed why they belonged in the NBA Finals and won the game with a final score of 115-104. The self-proclaimed “King of the NBA”, LeBron James, was not happy with this result and showed the attitude of a toddler throwing a temper tantrum. James did not even bother to stay on the court for the remainder of the game. James stormed off into the locker room, not caring about his teammates or what the Heat had accomplished. When James was asked at a post game interview if he walked off the court because he thought the game was over or because of frustration, he replied, “Both,” with a smirk on his face. This issue is front and center because it came from LeBron James, the most well known basketball player in the world at the moment. He is an example, a hero and someone who some kids look up to. What does his action show? Give up when things don’t go your way? Forget your teammates? Throw a hissy fit? It’s alright to be a sore loser? Those questions raise my main point, what happens to sportsmanship when the main ambassador of basketball does not show it? Maybe, it’s time to get back to basics and remember what good sportsmanship looks like. Congratulate the winner, be there for your teammates when things are not going your way and be a proper mentor to the generations that will be following in your footsteps. November 11: Knicks play Madison Square Garden In 1946, according to the NBA Encyclopedia, the New York Knickerbockers -- now the New York Knicks -- played their first game at Madison Square Garden. November 13: The National Bowling Association organized in NYC In 1875, according to the United States Bowling congress, the National Bowling Association was founded by 27 local clubs in New York City to standardize rules for 10-pin bowling, setting the ball size and the distance between the foul line and the pins, but failing to agree on other rules; it was superseded in 1895 by the American Bowling Congress. November 14: Don Shula becomes coach with most wins in NFL history In 1993, according to USA Today, Don Shula, best known for his time being the longtime head coach of the Miami Dolphins, won his 325th game against the Philadelphia Eagles,surpassing George Halas of the Chicago Bears as the coach with the most wins November 15: Roger Clemens wins sixth Cy Young Award In 2001, according to The New York Times, Roger Clemens of the New York Yankees won a record sixth Cy Young Award, becoming the first pitcher to win the award with three teams. He was named the Cy Young winner while with the Boston Red Sox in 1986, 1987 and 1991, and with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1997 and 1998. November 10: Dan Marino becomes the first to pass 50,000 yards In 1996, according to the Orlando Sentinel, the Miami Dolphins’ Dan Marino became the first quarterback in football history to reach 50,000 passing yards when he completed a 36-yard pass to wide receiver O.J. McDuffie. During the second quarter, the Dolphins had a 37-13 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. By: Alejandro Sanchez Contributing Writer November 16: New York Rangers defeat Montreal Maroons 1-0 in their first game In 1926, according to the Bleacher Report, the New York Rangers played their first game on Nov. 16, 1926 in Madison Square Garden against the Montreal Maroons. The Rangers would go on to defeat the Maroons 1-0.