Posted: 03/07/07

The week in sports history
Ali vs. Frazier and Tarzan swims again

David Walsh | contributing columnist
dwalsh2@smcvt.edu

March is a special month in the world of sports. During this time of year, the athletic world is buzzing with excitement as baseball enters spring training and the always-captivating National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) March Madness tournament begins. It is during this month that legends are born and ironically, upsets are expected. This week’s sports history is full of these same elements as Major League Baseball (MLB) modernizes, two heavyweights duke it out, and an American legend passes away.

March 5, 1966 — MLB players take charge of their employment, as the Players’ Association was created, causing a metamorphosis in the relationship between players and the owners. After Marvin Miller, the first Players’ Association executive director, is elected, the format of the league changes. The Players’ Association handles matters such as player pensions, negotiations with teams on suitable minimum salaries, and other rules and regulations. Some of the major tests of the Players’ Association’s capabilities have been the 1994 MLB strike and the BALCO scandal. In 1994 players refused to play because team owners wanted to introduce a salary cap. The Players’ Association acted as the representative on behalf of all the players in Major League Baseball in the negotiations. More recently the Players’ Association has been in collaboration with the league in order to handle the BALCO and steroids scandals that have been dominating the sports world.

March 6, 1923 — The world of swimming was rocked yet again by Johnny “Tarzan” Weissmuller. Weissmuller became the first swimmer to ever break the five-minute mark in the 440-yard race. Weissmuller officially clocked in at 4:57, 11 seconds better than his previous personal best and world record of 5:08. The sub five-minute 440 adds to Weissmuller’s legacy, as it was the 47th record he captured.

March 8, 1971 — There was a clash of the titans at Madison Square Garden as heavyweight champion Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali squared off for the heavyweight title. The fight was advertised as “The Fight of the Century” and was a hot bed of celebrities and political figures. The fight brought in enough revenue in order for both fighters to receive purses of $2.5 million. It was 45 minutes of pure mayhem and brutality. Frazier closed the deal in the 15th round with multiple sweeping hooks. The judges awarded Frazier the win by unanimous decision.

March 9, 1974 — The genesis of the season’s March Madness began as the ACC closed out its conference tournament. The final game was between the top ranked North Carolina State Wolfpack and the Maryland Terrapins. The conference championship was a coveted position because only one team from each conference was granted a bid to the NCAA tournament. The Wolfpack overcame a 13-point first half deficit to win 103-100 in overtime. After this game, North Carolina State never looked back as they steam rolled through the NCAA tournament, dethroning perennial powerhouse UCLA in the semifinals in a double-overtime thriller and then defeating Marquette in the finals to become the 1974 NCAA men's basketball national champions.

March 10, 1988 — One of the greatest American runners, Glenn Cunningham, passed away. Cunningham was an inspirational story to many as he learned to run competitively after doctors told him that he would never walk again. Cunningham had received severe burns on his legs after a stove he was near exploded. During his years of competition, Cunningham specialized in middle distance races such as the mile and 1500 meter. He was voted the amateur athlete of the year in 1933 and went on to set a mile record of 4:06.7 in 1934. He died on his farm in Menifee, Alaska at the age of 78.

March 11, 1901 — It was reported by a Cincinnati newspaper that the manager of the Baltimore Orioles, John McGraw, was considering playing an Indian named Chief Tokohama. However, the Indian was actually a Negro league player named Charlie Grant disguised as an Indian. Chicago White Sox owner Charles Comiskey discovered this fact and provided several racist comments to accompany his discovery. Negro players wouldn't be allowed to play along side white baseball players until Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers.