Williams Sets An NFL Record

On Nov. 27, 1980 Dave Williams of the Chicago Bears becomes the first player in NFL history to return a kickoff for a touchdown in overtime.

Since Williams’ feat in 1980 only seven other over time games have ended with a kick return touchdown.

DiMaggio Wins MVP

On Nov. 27, 1941, Martinez Native Joe DiMaggio beats Ted Williams to win the American League MVP.

Though the numbers would suggest Wiilliams might have had a superior season hitting than DiMaggio, as Williams hit for a .406 batting average, while clubbing 37 home runs and bringing in 120 RBI’s. However it was DiMaggio who had done something no man had ever done before, and has equaled to this date. While hitting for a very respectable .357 batting average with 30 home runs and bringing in 125 RBI’s, DiMaggio hit safely in 56-consecutive games.

DiMaggio would be the first and only hitter to hit safely in over 50 games, breaking the pervious record which is still held in the National League by Willie Keeler who played for the Baltimore Orioles.

Since DiMaggio hit safely in 56-consecutive games only four players have come within 20-games, and only a single player has come within 15.

In 1945 Tommy Holmes of the Boston Braves, was the first player who had a sizeable shot at catching DiMaggio’s record, as he hit in 37-consecutive games.

Over the 2005 and 2006 seasons a Bay Area native in Alameda’s Jimmy Rollins hit safely in 38-consecutive games.

In 1987 Paul Molitor of the Milwaukee Brewers hit safely in 39-consecutive games.

But no player since DiMaggio has hit in over 40-consecutive games besides Pete Rose, who hit safely in 44-consecutive games during his 1978 season with the Cincinnati Reds.

To me I think DiMaggio’s consecutive game hit-streak is one of the last of the untouchable records in baseball, with the others being Barry Bonds’ home run record for a single season and a career, along with Rickey Henderson’s stolen base record.

Woolfolk Sets NFL Record

On Nov. 20, 1983, Butch Woolfolk sets an NFL record.

No one remembers the name Butch Woolfolk in NFL lore. 

His one-hit wonder in the NFL was setting the record for most rushing attempts in a single game Nov. 20, 1983.

The New York Giants shutout the Philadelphia Eagles 23-0 on two touchdowns and four field goals. Woolfolk ran 43 times for 159 yards and a touchdown. His per-carry average in that game was a cool 3.7 yards.

The record stood on its own for a year until James Wilder of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers tied it Sept. 30, 1984. Jamie Morris of the Washington Redskins had 45 rushing attempts against the Cincinnati Bengals Dec. 17, 1988.

Payton Sets NFL Record

On Nov. 20, 1977, Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton set the NFL record for most rushing yards in a single game with 275 Nov. 20, 1977. Payton scored the lone touchdown for the Chicago Bears en route to a 10-7 victory over their division rival the Minnesota Vikings.

ESPN reports his record is now fifth all-time as his record stood for 23 years.

The Vikings went on to lose in the NFC Championship game. Payton ran for his record while he was sick and battled the flu. Payton broke O.J. Simpson's record by two yards.

The current mark is 296 yards in one game set by Adrian Peterson playing for the Vikings Nov. 4, 2007.

Peterson’s record breaking 296-yards in a single game were only one-yard more than the record Jamal Lewis set rushing for the Baltimore Ravens against the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 14, 2003.

Since Peterson broke the single game rushing record, several backs have eclipsed the 200-yard rushing mark for a single game, and have come close to breaking Peterson’s record but none have done it.

Here are the list of backs in chronological order to get close to breaking the single-game rushing record:

Jerome Harrison at 26-years old ran for 286-yards for the Cleveland Browns vs. Kansas City Chiefs, on Dec. 20 2009. Harrison’s effort was good for third all-time.

Jamaal Charles at 23-years old ran for 259-yards for the  Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos, on  Jan. 3, 2010. Charles’ effort was good for eighth all-time.

DeMarco Murray at 23-years old ran for 253-yards for the  Dallas Cowboys vs. St. Louis Rams, on Oct. 23, 2011 . Murray’s effort was good for ninth all-time.

Last year the “Muscle Hamster” Doug Martin at 23-years old ran for 251-yards for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Oakland Raiders, on Nov. 4, 2012. Martin’s effort against the Raiders put him in the top 10 all-time tied with Mike Anderson’s 251-yard rushing game with the Denver Broncos vs. New Orleans Saints on Dec. 3, 2000.

The "Heidi" Game

On Nov. 17, 1968, one of the worst moments in sports broadcasting took place. 

The New York Jets were facing the Oakland Raiders in an AFL battle. The Jets held a 42-29 lead against the Raiders and seemed to be in good shape.

However, NBC made the controversial decision to switch off the game in the final minutes and start showing "Heidi" instead.

What fans on the east coast missed was an exciting comeback by the Raiders. They scored two touchdowns in the last minute to win the game 43-42.

This game would lead to new measures to make sure nothing like this would happen again.

In the late 1960s, few professional football games took longer than two and a half hours to play, and the Jets–Raiders three-hour time slot was thought to be adequate. A high-scoring contest, together with a number of injuries and penalties for the two bitter American Football League rivals, caused the game to run long. NBC executives had ordered that Heidi must begin on time, but given the exciting game, they decided to postpone the start of the film and continue football coverage. As 7 p.m. approached, many members of the public called NBC to inquire about the schedule, to complain or opine, jamming NBC's switchboards.

As NBC executives were trying to call the same switchboards to implement their decision, the change could not be communicated, and Heidi began as scheduled. The movie preempted the final moments of the game in the eastern half of the country, to the outrage of viewers who missed two Oakland touchdowns that turned the game around.

The Heidi Game led to a change in the way professional football is shown on network television; games are shown to their conclusion before evening programming begins. To ensure that network personnel could communicate under similar circumstances, special telephones (dubbed "Heidi phones") were installed, with a connection to a different telephone exchange from other network phones. In 1997, the Heidi Game was voted the most memorable regular season game in pro football history.

Breedlove Sets A New Land Speed Record

On Nov. 15, 1965, Craig Breedlove established a new land speed record of 600.601 miles per hour. Breedlove accomplished his feat in a unique car with the power of a jet. His top speed actually peaked at more than 608 miles per hour.

However, the record was taken as a combined average of two runs.

Breedlove was also the first man to go faster than 400 miles per hour and 500 miles per hour.

Before Breedlove would set the high-speed record of over 600 MPH in 1965, he began trying to beat the then land speed record of 350 MPH in 1962.

In 1962, he made his first attempt, in a freewheeling tricycle (ignoring FIA rules requiring four wheels, at least two driven; in the event, FIM happily accepted it) powered by a General Electric J47 engine.

On Aug. 5, 1963, this first Spirit made her first record attempt, using just 90% of available thrust to reach 388.47 mph (625.18 km/h) over the measured mile. The return pass, on 95% power, turned up a two-way average of 407.45 mph (655.73 km/h).  Spirit of America was so light on the ground; she did not even need to change tires afterward.

For 1964, Breedlove faced competition from Walt Arfons' Wingfoot Express (piloted by Tom Green), as well as from brother Art Arfons in his four-wheel FIA-legal Green Monster.

With more engine power, Breedlove upped the record to 468.72 mph (754.33 km/h) "With almost insolent ease,” said Breedlove. Then to 526.28 mph (846.97 km/h), making him the first man to exceed 500 mph (800 km/h).

 

This pass was not without incident, however, for one of his drogue parachute's shroud lines parted, and Spirit of America ran on for 5 mi (8.0 km) before near-missing a telegraph pole and coming to rest in a lake.

This record stood all of twelve days before Green Monster broke it, recording a two-run average of 536.71 mph (863.75 km/h).

In response, Breedlove built a FIA-legal four-wheeler, Sonic 1, powered by a 15,000 lbf (67 kN) J79.

On Nov. 2, 1965, Breedlove entered the FIA record book with a two-run average of 555.483 mph (893.963 km/h). This lasted even less time than before, for Green Monster came back five days later at 576.553 mph (927.872 km/h).

Then on Nov. 15, 1965, Breedlove responded with a 600.601 mph (966.574 km/h) record (after turning in an amazing 608.201 mph (978.805 km/h) return pass), which held until 1970. (It would be broken by Gary Gabelich's Blue Flame, which reached 630.388 mph (1,014.511 km/h).)

To take the record back, Breedlove planned a supersonic rocket car, complete with ejector seat. (After winding up in a lake, this is understandable.)

Also in 1965, Breedlove's wife, Lee, took the seat in Sonic 1, making four passes and achieving 308.506 mph (496.492 km/h),  making her the fastest woman alive, and making them the fastest couple, which they remain.

Dorrington Makes History

On Nov. 15, 1950, Arthur Dorrington made history as the first black player to sign a hockey contract. Dorrington's deal was signed with a minor league team affiliated with the New York Rangers. Unlike most sports, there is still not a big presence of black players in professional hockey. However, he did pave the way for some great players.

Dorrington served with the U.S. Army and after service, signed with one of the New York Rangers farm clubs in 1950.

 He chose instead to play for the Atlantic City Seagulls of the Eastern League, leading them to a league championship in 1951.

After a career-ending injury, he built a second profession as an officer in the Atlantic County Sheriff's Department.

Since Dorrington, several black players have signed with professional hockey teams including two Stanley Cup Winner Pokey Reddick, and Grant Fuhr. Fuhr would be the first black player inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and the first black player to win the Stanley Cup.

Dirk Graham was the NHL’s first black captain, and first black head coach. He played for the Minnesota Northstars and the Chicago Blackhawks, and coached the Blackhawks in the 1998-1999 season.

Tony McKegney was the first black player to participate in a full season. He played with the Buffalo Sabres, Quebec Nordiques, Minnesota Northstars, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks.

Willie O’Ree was the first black player to be signed by an NHL team, in 1958 he signed with the Boston Bruins.

Alton White, was the first black player to score a major league hat trick, he played for the New York Raiders, Los Angeles Sharks, Michigan Stags and the Baltimore Blades.

Currently 28 black players play in the NHL including two goalies Chris Beckford-Tseu, and Ray Emery. Of the current 28 black players in the NHL, only one, Dustin Byfuglien has won a Stanley Cup, in 2010 with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Hernandez And Stargell Named Co-MVP's

On Nov. 13, 1979, St. Louis Cardinal Keith Hernandez and Pittsburgh Pirate Willie Stargell were both named MVP of the National League.

This marked the first time that the award was shared by two players. This was the only MVP award for both players. For Stargell, his career was winding down. On the other hand, Hernandez was just starting to hit his prime.

Stargell was coming to an end of a great career, which saw him hit 475 home runs, a .282 average and 1,540 RBI’s over a 20-year span. Some of the honors Stargell would receive over the years were being named an All-Star seven times, including three consecutive times twice, from 1964-1966, and 1971-1973. He would be a two-time World Series Champion in 1971 and 1979 with the Pirates.

In 1979 he would also win the NLCS MVP Award, World Series MVP, and the Babe Ruth Award, which is given to the player with the most home runs during the regular season.

Stargell would be inducted in Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988 with 82.4 percent of the vote on his first ballot he appeared. The Pirates would also retire his no. 8 jersey that year.

Hernandez would end up having a fabulous career following his MVP season, by earning four more Al-Star appearances; his first of five was in 1979. He would win eight-more consecutive Gold Gloves. He won two Silver Slugger Awards in 1980 and 1984, and was a two-time World Champion in 1982 and 1986 with the New York Mets.

Hernandez was inducted into the Mets’ Hall of Fame in 1997, but has never been inducted into Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame, as he never received much help from the baseball writers of America. After nine years on the ballot, in 2004 Hernandez only received six percent of the vote, and would be taken off of future ballots.

Currently Hernandez broadcasts Mets’ games for SportsNet New York and WPIX since 2006. Hernandez won two 2010 New York Emmys. He won an individual award for Sports Analyst and as part of the SNY Mets broadcast team which won the "Live Sports Event: Series 2009 Mets: The Inaugural Year of Citi Field" award.

Petit Scores 20,000

On Nov. 13, 1964, two-time NBA MVP Bob Pettit became the first player in NBA history to score 20,000 points in his career. Pettit spent his entire career with the St. Louis Hawks franchise. The 1964-65 season was the final one of his career. He would wind up scoring 20,880 points when all was said and done. He had a career average of 26.4 points per game.

In 1954, the Milwaukee Hawks selected Pettit in the first round of the NBA Draft. Many were skeptical about Pettit making the transition from college to the rough-and-tumble NBA. Rookies often struggle adjusting to the pro game, but not Pettit — in 1955 he won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award after averaging 20.4 points and 13.8 rebounds per game.

After the 1954-1955 season, the Hawks moved to St. Louis.

Pettit was moved to forward as a pro. "In college I played the standing pivot," he said in an April 1957 issue of SPORT magazine interview. "My back was to the basket. In the pros, I'm always outside. Everything I do is facing the basket now. That was my chief difficulty in adjusting, the fact that I had never played forward before."

In his second season, Pettit won his first scoring title with a 25.7 average, and led the league in rebounding (1164 for a 16.2 average). He was also named MVP of the 1956 NBA All-Star Game after scoring 20 points with 24 rebounds; he would win subsequent MVP All-Star Game honors in 1958, 1959, and 1962. He also won his first of two NBA regular season MVP awards (the other was in 1959).

In 1958, Pettit, Ed Macauley and Cliff Hagan led the Hawks to an NBA Championship, defeating the Bill Russell-led Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals (the Hawks had acquired Macauley and Hagan from Boston for the draft rights to Russell). Pettit put an exclamation point on the Hawks' 110-109 game 6 victory by scoring a then-playoff record of 50 points. Both teams would also meet in the 1957, 1960 and 1961 Finals, with Boston winning each time.

Pettit's league leading scoring average of 29.2 points per game in the 1958-59 season was an NBA record at the time, and he was named the Sporting News NBA MVP. In the 1960-61 season, Pettit pulled down 20.3 rebounds per game, making him one of only five players to ever break the 20 rebounds per game barrier. In the following season, he scored a career best 31.1 points per game.

His 12,849 rebounds were second most in league history at the time he retired, and his 16.2 rebounds per game career average remains third only to Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell.

Pettit was an NBA All-Star in each of his 11 seasons, was named to the All-NBA First Team ten times, and was name to the All-NBA Second Team once. Pettit still holds the top two NBA All-Star Game rebounding performances with 26 in 1958 and 27 in 1962, and has the second highest All-Star Game points per game average with 20.4 (behind only Oscar Robertson).

Pettit averaged at least 20 points per game and at least 12 rebounds per game in each of his 11 NBA seasons. No other retired player in NBA history other than Pettit and Alex Groza (who played only two seasons) has averaged more than 20 points per game in every season they've played (note: Michael Jordan averaged exactly 20 points per game in his final season).

In 1970, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Atlanta Hawks retired his no. 9 jersey.

The Knicks Open Up The Garden

On Nov. 11, 1946, the New York Knicks play their first game at Madison Square Garden.

Although the Knicks have played at Madison Square Garden since 1946, the location of the Garden has changed, twice before the Knicks began playing basketball in 1879, and 1890 before its location change in 1925 where the 1946 Knicks played.

The 1925 Garden was located on Eighth Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets in Manhattan on the site of the city's trolley car barns. It was the first Garden that was not located near Madison Square. 

The Knicks would call this location their arena for home games, although if there was an important college game, they played in the 69th Regiment Armory.

Then in February 1968 the Garden moved to its current location, where it has been renovated three times in 1991, 2011, and 2012. 

The Garden is now the oldest active major sporting facility in the New York metropolitan area and is the oldest arena in the National Hockey League and the second-oldest arena in the National Basketball Association (after the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California). 

 The current configuration at the Garden has been host to several Knicks NBA Finals games including in 1970: when the Knicks won the NBA championship at Madison Square Garden.

The Garden was also host for the Knicks in the NBA finals in 1972, 1973, 1994 and1999: when the San Antonio Spurs won their championship at Madison Square Garden.

Howe Sets NHL Mark

On Nov. 10, 1963, Gordie Howe set the career NHL goal scoring mark.

ESPN reported Howe was battling injuries when he scored career goal 545, breaking a tie with legendary player Maurice Richard.   

 The Detroit Red Wings hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs on Howe's home ice. 

The fans gave their hero an 20-minute standing ovation.

Howe's mark would last until Wayne Gretzky broke it March 23, 1989, when Gretzky scored career goal 802.

Howe made his NHL debut in 1946 at the age of 18, playing right wing for the Detroit Red Wings, for which he wore no. 17 as a rookie. 

When Roy Conacher moved on to the Chicago Blackhawks after the 1946–47 season, however, Howe was offered Conacher's no. 9, which he would wear for the rest of his career (although he had not requested the change. 

Howe accepted it when he was informed that "9" would entitle him to a lower Pullman berth on road trips).

He quickly established himself as a great goal scorer and a gifted playmaker with a willingness to fight. 

In fact, Howe fought so often in his rookie season that coach Jack Adams told him, "I know you can fight. Now can you show me you can play hockey?"  

The term Gordie Howe hat trick (consisting of a goal, an assist, and a fight) was coined in reference to his penchant for fighting. 

It should be noted, however, that Howe himself only recorded two Gordie Howe hat tricks in his career, on Oct. 10, 1953 and March 21, 1954.

Using his great physical strength, he was able to dominate the opposition in a career that spanned five decades. 

In a feat unsurpassed by any hockey player, he finished in the top five in scoring for twenty straight seasons. 

Howe also scored 20 or more goals in 22 consecutive seasons between 1949 and 1971, an NHL record.

Howe is most famous for his scoring prowess, physical strength, and career longevity. He is the only player to have competed in the NHL in five (1940s through 1980s) different decades.

 A four-time Stanley Cup champion with the Red Wings, he won six Hart Trophies as the league's most valuable player and six Art Ross Trophies as the leading scorer.

In 1998, The Hockey News released their List of Top 100 NHL Players of All Time and listed Howe third overall, ahead of Mario Lemieux, but behind Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr. 

Of the list, Orr was quoted as regarding Howe as the greatest player.

On April 10, 2007, Howe was honoured with the unveiling of a new bronze statue in Joe Louis Arena. The statue is 12 feet tall and weighs about 4,500 pounds. 

The man who was commissioned to create the art was Omri Amrany. The statue contains all of Howe's stats and history. Another statue of Howe was erected in downtown Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on the corner of 20th Street and 1st Ave. 

He is depicted wearing a Detroit Red Wings sweater. 

The statue has since been relocated to the Credit Union Centre.

He was the inaugural recipient of the NHL Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.

In February 2011, various groups have proposed naming the Detroit River International Crossing bridge, a proposed bridge that will connect Detroit and Windsor by linking Highway 401 in Ontario with Interstate 75 and Interstate 94 in Michigan, in honor of Gordie Howe.  

Gordie Howe is a prime choice, because he is a native Canadian and his long affiliation with Detroit. This name is backed by Canadian politicians and Michigan governor Rick Snyder.

Dempsey Sets NFL Field Goal Record

On Nov. 8, 1970, Tom Dempsey of the New Orleans Saints set a new NFL mark by kicking a 63-yard field goal. 

To make the kick even more exciting, Dempsey hit it in the fourth quarter to give the Saints a 19-17 win over the Detroit Lions. Dempsey also had no ties on his right foot.

A strange fact about Dempsey was that he had a deformed kicking foot, it was shaped like a club and he would kick the ball straight on. 

Compared to now, as kickers do more of a soccer style kick, with the inside of their foot.

  

Since Dempsey’s record setting kick, Jason Elam of the Denver Broncos tied it in 1998 in the snow in Denver against the Jacksonville Jaguars; Sebastian Janikowski of the Oakland Raiders did it in 2011 against the Broncos in Denver; and David Akers of the San Francisco 49ers did it last year against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau field, as the ball bounced off the cross bar and thru the uprights.

The only lefty to have reached the record is Janikowski, who also kicked a 61-yard field goal in 2009 against the Browns, and is the only person to have two or more field goals of 60 plus yards in his career.

Berra Wins MVP

On Nov. 8, 1951, Yogi Berra of the New York Yankees picked up his first MVP award. 

Berra hit .294 that season and hit 27 home runs. Berra was an All-Star catcher 18 times, every year from 1948 through 1962. 

There were two All-Star games in 1959, 1960, and 1961, in which Berra was a selected to be a part of both.

He would also in the MVP award in 1954 and 1955.

His three MVP awards are tied second All-Time with Philadelphia Athletics great Jimmie Foxx, St. Louis Cardinals great Stan Musial, former New York Yankee teammate and Martinez native Joe DiMaggio, another former teammate and Yankee great Mickey Mantle, Brooklyn Dodgers catcher great Roy Campanella, former Philadelphia Phillies great Mike Schmidt, former St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols and current New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez. 

The three MVP awards won by Berra are only behind Barry Bonds, who has seven, and won four straight from 2001 to 2004.

Berra was part of the Yankees from 1946 to 1963 as a player; in 1963 he was a player and coach for the Bronx Bombers. In 1964 he served his first term as manager for the team. 

After managing the team for one year he would jump back into coaching from 1976 to 1983. He would take his second stint as manager in 1984 through 1985. 

During his time with the Yankees, Berra helped the elder New York franchise to 13 World Championships as a player, manager and coach in 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1977 and 1978.

Berra would also play, coach and manager for the other New York team, the Mets. He would help the New York “Miracle” Mets to a World Series title in 1969.

Berra would have his no. 8 jersey retired by the Yankees on July 22, 1972 and would be inducted into Cooperstown Baseballs Hall of Fame in 1972, with 85.61 percent of the vote. It was the first time he was on the ballot.

Since his time from baseball, Berra has written several books including:

Yogi: It Ain't Over (1989). The Yogi Book: 'I Really Didn't Say Everything I Said' (1998). When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It! Inspiration and Wisdom from One of Baseball's Greatest Heroes (2001). What Time Is It? You Mean Now?: Advice for Life from the Zennest Master of Them All (2002). Ten Rings: My Championship Seasons (2003). Let's Go, Yankees! (2006). You Can Observe a Lot by Watching (2011).

Browns Move To Baltimore

On Nov. 6, 1995, Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell officially announced that the Cleveland Browns would be moving to Baltimore after the season. 

The lame duck Browns struggled the rest of that season. Eventually a deal was reached in which the name, logos, and history of the franchise would remain in Cleveland. A new version of the Browns returned to the field in 1999.

Modell's Baltimore franchise became known as the Baltimore Ravens and was essentially an expansion team.

Despite the Browns being a losing franchise, the Ravens didn’t take much time to become an elite franchise. The Ravens would visit the playoffs for the first time in 2000. 

That year would be a magical year for the Ravens as they traveled all the way to the Super Bowl and eventually beat the New York Giants 34-7 in Super Bowl XXXV (35).

The Ravens would continue to excel in the AFC North and would make the playoffs in 2001, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013.

The Ravens would again win the Super Bowl XLVII (47) in 2013 against the San Francisco 49ers as head coaches Jim and Job Harbaugh faced off in the first Super Bowl to be coached by brothers.

First Collegiate Football Game

On Nov. 6, 1869, the first intercollegiate football game in history took place. 

The game was played between Rutgers and Princeton, with Rutgers winning the game 6-4. The game at the time resembled rugby more than it did modern football. 

The game is immortalized with a statue honoring it on the Rutgers campus.

Since the first college football game was played football has become a regular part of the collegiate landscape at most big colleges.

Over the past decade or two, college football has reached new highs with television networks wanting to air games. 

The NCAA and colleges across the nation are signed up for ‘Bowl Games’ left and right if a team even reaches .500 on the season.

The game has come along way from the 6-4 win as Rutgers beat Princeton in 1869, games are now usually in the mid 20’s and resemble pro football more so than rugby.

NBA Expands

On Nov. 3, in 1989 and 1995 new teams joined the NBA and played their first game.

In 1989 the Minnesota Timberwolves played their first ever NBA game. The Wolves opened up their first season on the road and lost to the Seattle SuperSonics 106-94. They finished the season with a record of 22-60. Minnesota did not reach the playoffs until their eighth season in the league.

Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor. The Timberwolves played their home games in the Metrodome during its inaugural season, before moving to Target Center in 1990.

Like most expansion teams, the Timberwolves struggled in their early years; but after the acquisition of Kevin Garnett in the 1995 NBA Draft, the team made the playoffs eight consecutive times from 1997 to 2004. Despite losing in the first round in their first seven attempts, the Timberwolves won their first division title in 2004 and advanced to the Western Conference Finals. Garnett was also named the NBA Most Valuable Player Award for that season.

The team has been in rebuilding mode since missing the playoffs in 2005, and trading Garnett to the Boston Celtics in 2007.

The T-Wolves biggest notable story in the last five years was the 31 points and 31 rebounds in one game that Kevin Love put together on Nov. 12, 2010 against the New York Knicks. It was the first 30-30-game the NBA had seen in 28 years.

In 1995 the Toronto Raptors played their first NBA game. The Raptors hosted the New Jersey Nets and managed to win the game 94-79. However, the Raptors lost their next seven games and finished their first season with a 21-61 record.

The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's expansion into Canada. When the Grizzlies relocated to Memphis, Tennessee, to become the Memphis Grizzlies in 2001, the Raptors became the only Canadian team in the NBA. They originally played their home games at the SkyDome, before moving to the Air Canada Centre in 1999.

The Raptors struggled in their early years, but after the acquisition of Vince Carter through a draft day trade in 1998, the team set league attendance records and made the NBA Playoffs in 2000, 2001, and 2002.

Carter was instrumental in leading the team to a franchise high 47 wins and their first playoff series win in 2001, where they advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. During the 2002–03 and 2003–04 seasons, they failed to make significant progress and he was traded in 2004 to the New Jersey Nets.

After Carter left, Chris Bosh emerged as the team leader, but they continued to struggle. However, with the appointment of Bryan Colangelo as Raptors President and General Manager, the first overall NBA draft selection of Andrea Bargnani, and a revamp of the roster for the 2006–07 season, they qualified for their first playoff berth in five years and captured the Atlantic Division title with 47 wins. In the 2007–08 season, they advanced to the playoffs again but failed to make the playoffs in the following season. In a bid to persuade Bosh to stay beyond the final year of his contract, Colangelo overhauled the team roster for the 2009–10 season.

However, Toronto's descent down the standings, coinciding with Bosh's injuries after the All-Star break, meant a second consecutive season of failing to make the playoffs. Bosh signed with the Miami Heat in July 2010, ushering in a new era for the Raptors with Bargnani becoming the new face of the franchise.