Thrilling Thanksgiving: A Look Back at History-Making Sports Moments

Ever wonder what makes sports so exciting? Let's dive into some incredible moments that happened on this very day in history. In 1980, the Chicago Bears pulled off a jaw-dropping victory against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day. Dave Williams returned Eddie Murray's opening kickoff 95 yards in overtime, securing a 23-17 win. Talk about a holiday surprise! Going back a bit further, in 1913, Notre Dame faced off against Texas in a Thanksgiving showdown. Both teams were undefeated, with Notre Dame not losing a game in three years and Texas on a 12-game winning streak. The Fighting Irish took the win, 30-7, starting their season with a perfect 7-0 record under rookie coach Jesse Harper. Fast forward to 1947, Howie Dallmar of the Philadelphia Warriors set an NBA record by attempting the most field goals without making any. That's right, 15 attempts and zero points in a game against the New York Knicks. Ouch! In 1949, Steve Van Buren of the Philadelphia Eagles became the second NFL player to rush over 200 yards in a single game. He ran for an impressive 205 yards in a 34-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Denver Broncos had a remarkable comeback in 1960. Trailing 38-7 against the Buffalo Bills, they scored 31 points to tie the game, 38-38. Talk about a thrilling finish! Gordie Howe made sports history multiple times. In 1960, he scored his 1, 000th point with an assist, and in 1961, he became the first player to play 1, 000 NHL games. In 1965, he became the first NHL player to score 600 goals. The Washington Redskins set an NFL record in 1966 with a whopping 72-41 victory over the New York Giants. That's a lot of points! Joe Montana of the Kansas City Chiefs reached a major milestone in 1994, surpassing 40, 000 passing yards in a game against Seattle. Ricky Williams of Texas broke a long-standing record in 1998, becoming the leading rusher in Division I-A history. In 2009, the Las Vegas Locomotives won the inaugural UFL championship game with a 20-17 overtime victory over the Florida Tuskers. The Connecticut women's basketball team set an NCAA record in 2011 with their 89th straight home win, beating Dayton 78-38. Justin Tucker had an amazing game in 2016, making all four of his field goal attempts, including impressive 52, 54, and 57-yard kicks, in Baltimore's 19-14 victory over Cincinnati.