February is an exciting month for sports fans, featuring the NBA and NHL seasons, the Super Bowl, the NBA All-Star Game, college basketball tournaments, MLB spring training, NASCAR’s Daytona 500, Formula E, PGA Tour events, and the Winter Olympics. February 20 has seen many memorable moments in sports history. Here are some highlights:
– 1923: Christy Mathewson, a future Hall of Fame pitcher, became the President and owner of the Boston Braves.
– 1926: The Montreal Maroons and Ottawa Senators played to a rare 0-0 tie in NHL history, thanks to goalies Clint Benedict and Alex Connell.
– 1952: Jeannette Altwegg won the Olympic gold medal in women’s figure skating at the Oslo Winter Games.
– 1958: Jockey Eddie Arcaro rode his 4,000th winner on Riding Ban.
– 1963: Willie Mays became the highest-paid MLB player with a $100,000 contract from the San Francisco Giants.
– 1971: Gordie Howe reached 1,800 career NHL points.
– 1972: A.J. Foyt won the Daytona 500.
– 1982: The New York Islanders set an NHL record with their 15th straight win, beating the Colorado Rockies 3-2.
– 2005: The East won the 54th NBA All-Star Game, 125-115, with Allen Iverson named MVP.
– 2022: Team LeBron defeated Team Durant 163-160 in the 71st NBA All-Star Game, with Steph Curry scoring a record 50 points and 16 three-pointers.
Three standout athletes on February 20 are Eddie Arcaro, Kobe Bryant, and Naomi Osaka. Arcaro, known as “The Master,” is the only rider to win the U.S. Triple Crown twice.
