The 1960s in Sports

This book includes the most significant sporting events of the 1960s, covering all the moments that generated tremendous growth in professional and college sports in America during this decade. It features stories such as Roger Maris breaking Babe Ruth's home run record, Wilt Chamberlain scoring 100 points, and Muhammad Ali beating Sonny Liston.
Sports became a national obsession in the 1960s as people tuned in on their new televisions to watch the exploits of some of the most legendary athletes and teams in history. It was the decade of Mickey Mantle, Jim Brown, Bill Russell, Bobby Hull, and Arnold Palmer, the decade when the Celtics dominated basketball, Joe Namath delivered on his Super Bowl guarantee, and the Miracle Mets won the World Series.
In The 1960s in Sports: A Decade of Change, Miles Coverdale looks back at what was arguably the greatest decade in sports history, when the sports world of today began to take shape during a very tumultuous period of American history. At the start of the decade, thirteen years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball, major league rosters were still populated mostly by white Americans. The NFL and NBA were struggling financially and were much less popular than college football and basketball. The Olympics were still open only to amateur athletes. But the sports landscape changed dramatically in the 1960s. Coverdale traces this development by covering the significant events and iconic players of the decade, including stars such as Sandy Koufax, Johnny Unitas, Bobby Orr, and Jack Nicklaus. There were great teams and incredible rivalries, and professional and college sports alike expanded and thrived.
Featuring over 70 photos of legendary athletes and memorable moments, The 1960s in Sports transports the reader back to a golden age in sports. With additional coverage of important historical events such as the Cold War, Vietnam, and the Civil Rights Movement, this book also reveals how social and political events impacted the sports world, making it an invaluable resource for anyone interested in this significant decade.

Miles Coverdale Jr. is a sports historian and the author of Whitey Ford: A Biography (2006). A former CFO and marathoner, Coverdale and his wife live in Spring Hill, Florida.

Introduction 1960 Sit-ins, the Cold War and the Election of President John F. Kennedy The Original "Miracle on Ice" Wilt Takes NBA by Storm but Celtics Prevail Montreal Canadiens Win Fifth Straight Stanley Cup Palmer Charges from Behind to Win Historic U.S. Open Duel Seeds of Change in Rome Ted Williams Bids Adieu with Dramatic Home Run in Final At-Bat Pirates Steal World Series from Yankees Eagles Beat Packers for NFL Title; AFL Is Born 1961 The Bay of Pigs Fiasco, the Freedom Riders and the Berlin Wall Robertson and West Join NBA; Celtics Win Third Straight Title Geoffrion Ties the Rocket; Black Hawks End Montreal Reign Maris (61* Home Runs) Breaks Ruth's Record as Yanks Dominate Crimson Tide Rolls; Ernie Davis Wins Heisman Trophy 1962 The Cuban Missile Crisis Brings the World to the Brink of Nuclear War Ohio State Dominates but Cincinnati Wins Back-to-Back Titles Wilt Has a Season for the Ages; Celtics Win Best Playoffs Ever Hull Scores 50 but Maple Leafs Dethrone Black Hawks Nicklaus Beats Palmer in U.S. Open Playoff Redemption for Ralph Terry Packers Leave Giants in the Cold; Dallas Wins AFL Title in OT 1963 A "Dream" in Washington, Tragedy in Birmingham and the Assassination of JFK Loyola Ends Cincinnati Streak in Overtime Cousy Goes out on Top as Celtics Win Fifth Straight Title Nicklaus Wins Masters and PGA Koufax Leads Dodgers to World Series Sweep of Yankees Staubach Wins Heisman Trophy but Texas Beats Navy Brown and Tittle Set Records but Bears Win Championship 1964 Murder in Mississippi, the Escalation of the Vietnam War and the Election of LBJ Clay Floats Like a Butterfly and Stings Liston to Take Title Howe Passes Richard; Bathgate Helps Maple Leafs Win Cup Venturi Wins Dramatic U.S. Open Yanks Trumped by Cards as Dynasty Ends Billy Mills Shocks the World and Bob Hayes Flies Texas Holds Off Namath and Alabama in Orange Bowl Thriller Brown Leads Cleveland to NFL Title; Buffalo Wins AFL Title 1965 The Selma Civil Rights Marches and the Watts Riots Bill Bradley Excels; UCLA Wins Second Straight Title Havlicek Steals Ball vs. Philly; Celtics Beat Lakers for Seventh Straight Title Nicklaus Dominant at Masters; Player Wins U.S. Open Ali Kayoes Liston with Phantom Punch and Then Decks Patterson Koufax Carries Dodgers Again Sayers and Brown Excel but Packers Win Title; Bills Repeat 1966 Violence Escalates at Home and in Vietnam Texas Western Gives Kentucky a Wake-up Call Hull Breaks Rocket's Record but Canadiens Win Another Cup Nicklaus Wins Masters; Palmers Lets U.S. Open Slip Away Jim Ryun Smashes World Mile Record Robinson's Triple Crown Leads Orioles to Title Notre Dame and Michigan State Play Famous 10-10 Tie Packers Overwhelm Kansas City Chiefs in First Super Bowl 1967 Israel Wins Six-Day War and Race Riots Plague United States Alcindor Leads UCLA to Undefeated Season Wilt Wins First Title as Philadelphia Crushes All Comers Bobby Orr Era Begins but Maple Leafs Win Another Cup Ali Beats Terrell and Folley but Loses to Uncle Sam Nicklaus Outduels Palmer in U.S. Open at Baltusrol The Impossible Dream Green Bay Beats Dallas in Ice Bowl and Oakland in Super Bowl II 1968 The Tet Offensive, the King and Kennedy Assassinations and Nixon's Election Houston Wins "Game of Century" but UCLA Wins Title NHL Expansion Era Begins; Canadiens Regain Cup The Year of the Pitcher Beamon Soars and Black Sprinters Protest O.J. Simpson Runs Wild but Ohio State Beats USC Namath Delivers on Guarantee as Jets Upset Colts in Super Bowl III 1969 Student Riots and Nixon's Silent Majority; Man Walks on the Moon Alcindor and Pistol Pete Dominate College Basketball Russell Exits on Top as Celtics Hold off Knicks & Lakers Esposito and Hull Set Records but Habs Win Fifth Cup of Decade The Miracle Mets Texas Beats Arkansas in Annual "Game of the Century" Reed Leads Knicks to First Championship, 1969-70 Bibliography Index About the Author