Super Bowls past...
While they're gearing up for Super Bowl XL this week in Detroit, let's look back at the 3 Super Bowl games that were played on this date in 1988, 1993 and 1999. In those games we witnessed the successful debut of the first black quarterback, saw the beginning of the Dallas Cowboys dynasty and watched the oldest player ever to be named Super Bowl MVP lead his team to victory...
The last day of January 1988 saw Doug Williams, the first black quarterback in Super Bowl history, lead the Washington Redskins to a 42-10 rout of the Denver Broncos in SB XXII. All Williams did in that game was throw for 4 of his teams 5 touchdowns in the second quarter as Washington exploded for 35 points and never looked back...
On January 31, 1993 the Dallas Cowboys would win the first of 3 titles in the 90s by crushing the Buffalo Bills 52-17 in Super Bowl XXVII. The Cowboys featured a potent attack led by the passing of Troy Aikman, the running of Emmitt Smith and the defense of Charles Haley and Ken Norton Jr...
Super Bowl XXXIII was a repeat performance for the Denver Broncos who won their second consecutive Super Bowl with a convincing 34-19 win over the Atlanta Falcons on January 31, 1999. At 38, John Elway became the oldest player ever to be named Super Bowl MVP. Elway would retire following the game...
More January 31 Memories...
1865) Slavery is abolished with the ratification of the 13th Ammendment...
1936) "The Green Hornet" debuts on radio...
1949) The 1st daytime soap, "These Are My Children" airs on the NBC-TV affiliate in Chicago (the 15-minute show runs on weekdays at 5PM in January and February)...
1958) The U.S. enters the Space Age with its 1st successful launch of a satellite into orbit, Explorer I...
1961) The TV special "Bobby Darin and Friends" airs on NBC-TV...
1963) The Beach Boys record "Surfin' U.S.A." and "Shutdown"...
1965) The Righteous Brothers are #1 with "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'"...
1970) LSU's Pistol Pete Maravich breaks Oscar Robertson's collegiate scoring record with a career total of 2,974 points by scoring 53 in a game against Mississippi...
1971) Astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., Edgar D. Mitchell and Stuart A. Roosa blast off aboard Apollo 14 on a mission to the moon...
1974) "The Way We Were" is #1 for Barbra Streisand...
1974) McDonald's founder Ray Kroc buys the San Diego Padres...
1976) The Ohio Players top the charts with "Love Rollercoaster"...
1979) The Clash begin their 1st U.S. tour with Bo Diddley as their opening act...
1981) Blondie is #1 with "The Tide Is High"...
1984) Culture Club have their only U.S. #1 hit with "Karma Chameleon" (their biggest hit in the UK)...
1984) Edwin Newman retires from NBC News after 35 years with the network...
1986) "Down and Out in Beverly Hills" premieres (Little Richard appears in the movie)...
1990) Mickey Dee's becomes Mickey Deeshky as McDonald's opens its 1st restaurant in Moscow (you don't sell enough Big Mac's it's off to Siberia for you)...
2000) Atlanta Braves problem child pitcher John Rocker is suspended by baseball commisioner Bud Selig for what you say, some disparaging remarks about those who travel on the #7 train and most of the human population in general (he spouts off to Sports Illustrated and pays for it)...
To ensure accuracy, multiple reference sources were used in the timeline...
Happy Birthday To...
1921) Carol Channing...
1923) Author Norman Mailer...
1937) Suzanne Pleshette...
1947) Nolan Ryan...
1951) Harry (KC) Casey...
1956) Johnny Rotten...
1973) Portia de Rossi...
1981) Justin Timberlake...
Today is the 31st day of 2006 with 334 days remaining in the year, 48 days until Spring but only 16 days remaining until pitchers and catchers...
