THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY: 12/29

1933 – New York Yankees refuses to release Babe Ruth to manage the Cincinnati Reds.

1934 – 1st collegiate basketball doubleheader at Madison Square Garden.

1940 – 3rd NFL All Star Game: Chicago Bears beats NFL All-Stars, 28-14.

1945 – Maurice Richard scores twice in Canadiens’ 5-4 loss to Chicago Black Hawks to record his 100th NHL career goal; reaches mark in just 145 games, then fastest in history; since broken by Mike Bossy, 100 goals in 129 games.

1955 – NHL officials wear new vertically striped black-and-white sweaters for the first time.

1963 – National Football League Championship, Wrigley Field, Chicago: Chicago Bears beat New York Giants, 14-10; Giants 3rd consecutive championship defeat; played in temperatures under 10 °F (−12 °C).

1965 – CBS purchases NFL TV rights for 1966-68 at $18.8 million per year.

1968 – AFL Championship, Shea Stadium, NYC: New York Jets beat Oakland Raiders 27-23; Joe Namath 3 TD passes sparks Jets to win.

1979 – Red Army beats NY Islanders 3-2 at Nassau Coliseum.

1983 – 2nd College Football Holy War: Notre Dame beats Boston College 19-18 in Memphis.

1984 – Wayne Gretzky scores his NHL career 32nd hat trick & adds 3 assists in Edmonton’s 6-3 win over Detroit Red Wings for his 100th point in just 35 games; 2nd fastest in history – recorded 100 points in 34 games in 1983.

1989 – Wayne Gretzky and Martina Navratilova, named athletes of decade by the Associated Press.

2007 – Tom Brady sets a then-NFL record, throwing his 50th TD pass, and the New England Patriots become the first team in NFL history to finish the regular season 16-0.