March is a busy month for sports. Over the years, March 4 has seen memorable moments and achievements in basketball, hockey, baseball, and boxing.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
March 4 has witnessed some upsets and records in college basketball tournaments and the NBA Goat:
- 1961: In the eighth Atlantic Coast Conference Men's basketball tournament, Wake Forest beat Duke 96-81.
- 1970: The Jacksonville Dolphins became the first college basketball team to average over 100 points per game for an entire season.
- 1993: At the first Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards, Michael Jordan won awards for Best Male Athlete and Best NBA Player.
Hockey Statistics & Remarkable Records
Some great hockey triumphs and notable moments on the ice have taken place on March 4:
- 1941: Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Sam LoPresti set an NHL record when he faced 83 shots in a 3-2 loss to the Boston Bruins.
- 1970: The New York Rangers set an NHL record of 126 games without being shut out.
- 1980: Mike Bossy achieved the 40th hat trick in New York Islanders franchise history.
Baseball Seeing Green and the Hall of Fame
Remarkable moments in baseball that occurred on March 4 include:
- 1976: Bob Lurie and Bud Herseth bought the MLB's San Francisco Giants for $8 million.
- 1984: Pee Wee Reese and Rick Ferrell were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Boxing Title Fights
Some of the biggest names in boxing faced off on March 4:
- 1968: Joe Frazier took his record to 20-0 and captured the vacant New York State Athletic Commission heavyweight title. He beat Buster Mathis in an 11th-round knockout at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
- 1968: Italian boxer Nino Benvenuti knocked out American Emile Griffith and regained the world middleweight title with a 15-round decision at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It was the last fight of the trilogy between the two boxers.
- 1995: George Foreman lost his World Boxing Association title because he refused to fight Tony Tucker.
Looking back at these statistics from March 4 over the years, the theme is undoubtedly long streaks. The Jacksonville Dolphins' average of 100 points per game in a college basketball season is unheard of today, with the best teams typically scoring averages in the 80s. In hockey, LoPresti's 83 shots faced in a single game remains an NHL record. As for baseball, salaries have skyrocketed compared to the other major North American sports. The highest MLB contract of all time belongs to Juan Soto, who signed a 15-year, $765 million deal.
