Best Sports Moments of 1992

Most Memorable Sports Moments of 1992

The nineties were a great time to be a sports fan. In ’92, especially. 1992 was the last year where the Winter and Summer Olympic games were held in the same calendar year, which gives us a lot of material to cover. So, without further ado, I present to you the best sports moments of 1992.

 

  1. The American “Dream Team” dominates the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona

For every Olympic tournament, USA tries to get the most talented NBA players together. The more talent in the NBA, the better the pool the national team gets to pull from. There was never a better pool than in 1992. The Dream Team was so much better than just a dream. They were more like, the “better-than-your-dreams team.” Michael Jordon, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Charles Barkley, Larry Byrd, Karl Malone, Scottie Pippen, Clyde Drexler, David Robinson, John Stockton, Patrick Ewing, Chris Mullen, and Christian Laettner obliterated their competition and brought home the gold for USA. They redeemed the American basketball program, after the 1988 team became the first basketball team not to win gold for the US.

  1. Kristi Yamaguchi wins the gold at the 1992 Winter Olympic Games in Albertville

Kristi Yamaguchi won a medal for figure skating in the ladies’ singles category at the 1992 Winter Olympics. She was one of the five women who won America their only gold medals of the games. Her beautiful performance made her a phenomenon and, in 2005, she was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.

  1. The Toronto Blue Jays become first Canadian team to win a World Series title

In 1992, the Blue Jays faced the Atlanta Braves in the World Series, which they won in six games. The final game was played in Atlanta on October 24th, lasted over four hours, and ended 4 – 3 in extra innings.

  1. Carl Lewis wins seventh and eight Olympic gold medals of his career in the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona

Carl Lewis is a track and field legend, who has won nine Olympic gold medals, and ten world championship medals. In 1992, he won medals in the long jump competition and the 400-meter relay. He ran anchor in the relay, and the team set a world record. Sports Illustrated named Lewis the “Olympian of the Century.”

  1. The Pittsburgh Penguins win the Stanley Cup for the second year in a row

The Pittsburgh Penguins faced the Chicago Blackhawks in the 1992 Stanley Cup. Anxious to keep the cup they fought hard for the year before, the Penguins wanted the win. And the win they got. After the Blackhawks pulled away with an early lead, the Penguins came back from being down 4-1 to not only win the game, but sweep the series in just four games. Mario Lemieux captained this winning team.

  1. The Washington Redskins become the fourth team to win three Super Bowls, and the Buffalo Bills become the third team to lose in back-to-back Super Bowls

The Super Bowl played on January 24, 1992 to decide the champions of the 1991 season, included the Washington Redskins and the Buffalo Bills. Bills’ running back, Thurman Thomas and quarterback, Jim Kelley were coming off the best season of their careers and wanted to close it with a Super Bowl ring. Their desires were deepened by the lost they had faced in the previous year’s Super Bowl. The Washington Redskins offensive weapons included the first Canadian-born quarterback to start in the NFL, Mark Rypien, and running back Earnest Byner, who was ranked fifth in the league. Ultimately, the Redskins defeated the Bills 37 – 24.

  1. Fred Couples wins his only major golf championship in the 1992 Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia

The competition at this Master tournament was especially tough. The 36th hole cut-off of 145 eliminated just twenty players, and sixty-three made it through to the weekend. Despite the stiff competition, Couples was able to win the tournament. He beat runner-up Raymond Floyd by just two strokes.

  1. Andre Agrassi wins Men’s Singles Championship at Wimbeldon

Andre Agrassi defeated Goran Ivanišević in the finals, after besting fellow American and three-time champion in the semi-finals. This was Agrassi’s first, of many, Grand Slam tournament titles. He is generally considered to be one of the best tennis players of all time.

  1. Davey Allison wins the Daytona 500, becomes part of the second father-son duo to win the race

On February 19th, 1992, forty-two drivers set out to win the Daytona 500. Many tried, but only one could succeed. Davey Allison won the race, making he and his father part of a legacy. Bobby and Davey Allison joined Lee and Richard Petty as the only father-son duos to win the Daytona 500. Allison made his mark in racing with this win, before dying in a tragic helicopter crash the next year.

  1. Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls win the 1992 NBA Finals

Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls took on Clyde Drexler and the Portland Trailblazers at the end of the ’91 – ’92 NBA season to determine the league champions. The media tried to recreate a Johnson/Byrd rivalry between Jordan and Drexler, but the fans weren’t biting. Probably with good reason. Jordan and the Bulls defeated the Trailblazers in six games, winning the title. Michael Jordan was named the Finals Most Valuable Player, for the second year in a row.

 

Remembering sports in the nineties can leave you longing for the day before Frisbee golf and women’s soccer were all the rage. Thinking of the Dream Team may leave you disappointed with the next basketball game you go to watch. This article may have even rekindled your love for Kristi Yamaguchi. But one thing is for sure, we have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that the nineties rule.