Dec. 23
1933 — Montreal’s Howie Morenz scores his 251st goal to become the NHL’s career goal-scoring leader. Morenz’s goal caps the Canadiens’ 3-0 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.
1951 — Norm Van Brocklin’s 73-yard touchdown pass to Tom Fears in the fourth quarter gives the Los Angeles Rams a 24-17 victory over the Cleveland Browns for the NFL title.
1962 — Tommy Brooker kicks a 25-yard field goal 17:54 into overtime, giving the Dallas Texans a 20-17 victory over Houston for the AFL title.
1972 — The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Oakland Raiders 13-7 on Franco Harris’ “Immaculate Reception,” in an AFC Divisional playoff game. On 4th-and-10 on their own 40-yard line with 22 seconds remaining and no time outs. Terry Bradshaw, under pressure, throws a pass over the middle to Oakland’s 35-yard line which is deflected by Oakland’s Jack Tatum. Running back Franco Harris catches the deflection at the Raiders’ 43-yard line and runs down the left sideline for a touchdown.
1978 — Bryan Trottier has five goals and three assists to lead the New York Islanders to a 9-4 victory over the Rangers. Trottier sets an NHL record with three goals and three assists in the second period.
1982 — Chaminade, an NAIA school, beats top-ranked Virginia and 7-foot-4 center Ralph Sampson, 77-72, for one of the biggest upsets in college basketball history. The game is played at Honolulu’s International Center in front of 3,383 fans.
1996 — Barry Sanders of the Detroit Lions rushes for 175 yards in a 24-14 loss to San Francisco to finish with 1,553 yards for the season. It’s Sanders’ third straight season with at least 1,500 yards rushing, a first in the NFL.
2007 — The New England Patriots set an NFL record with their 15th win, the best start in league history, with a 28-7 victory over the Miami Dolphins 28-7.
2007 — Chris Johnson sets an NCAA bowl record with 408 all-purpose yards, and Ben Hartman kicks a 34-yard field goal as time expires to give East Carolina a 41-38 victory over No. 24 Boise State in the Hawaii Bowl.
2008 — The Boston Celtics set a franchise record with their 19th consecutive victory, beating the Philadelphia 76ers 110-91. The Celtics improve to 27-2 — the best start for a two-loss team in NBA history. The 19-game winning streak breaks the Celtics record set in 1981-82.
2012 — New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees passes for 446 yards and three touchdowns in the Saints’ 34-31 overtime win at Dallas. Brees, with 4,781 passing yards, becomes the first player in NFL history to record at least 4,500 yards in three consecutive seasons.
2013 — Andrew Luck throws for 205 yards to break a single-season rookie record, and his touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne late in the fourth quarter puts Indianapolis in the playoffs with a 20-13 win over Kansas City. Luck, with 4,183 yards, surpasses Cam Newton’s year-old record of 4,051 yards passing by a rookie in the second quarter.
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