TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1891 James Naismith, of Almonte, Ont., invents the game of basketball. 1909 Thomas J. Lynch becomes president of baseball’s National League. 1925 First hockey game at Madison Square Garden: Montreal Canadiens 3, New York Americans 1. 1933 Baseball owners agree to ban Sunday doubleheaders until after June 15. 1935 The Detroit Lions win the NFL championship. 1946 The Chicago Bears beat the New York Giants, 24-14, in the NFL championship game. 1946 New York Giants’ Frank Filchock and Merle Hapes are suspended by the NFL because they didn’t report a bribe attempt. 1950 Ezzard Charles knocks out Nick Barone to retain the heavyweight boxing title. 1954 Fordham University scraps its football team for financial reasons. 1965 William Eckert replaces Ford Frick as the fourth commissioner of baseball. 1966 John W. Mecom Jr. becomes the first owner of the New Orleans Saints. 1973 Sandy Hawley becomes the first jockey to win 500 races in one year. 1974 Oakland Athletics’ Catfish Hunter is ruled a free agent (later signs with the New York Yankees). 1980 New York Yankees’ Dave Winfield becomes the highest-paid player, signing for 10 years and $15 million. 1982 Bill Parcells becomes the 12th head coach of the New York Giants. 1992 Arthur Ashe is named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of Year. 1995 The European Court of Justice rules that all EU football players have the right to a free transfer between European Union member states at the end of their contracts. 1997 The San Francisco 49ers retire quarterback Joe Montana’s No. 16.

Oshawa’s Sandy Hawley, a two-time winner of the Lou Marsh Award as Canada’a top athlete and member of the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, became the first jockey to ever win 500 races in one year, 44 years ago...