Olympics

(About the Series: Based upon my Conversation with guest Derek Meinecke, I’m going back in time to be in the stands at 10 sporting events. This week, it’s #3. You’re able to find links to the previous installments below.)

Dan Gable Trading Card — **^{Seeing Dan Gable’s run during the 1972 Munich Games would be outstanding.}**

As I did in Number 9, I’m feeling compelled to get in the wayback machine and head to an Olympics. In this case, it’s the 1972 Munich Summer Games.

The reasons, to me at least, are self-evident.

First, it’s the historical significance of what transpired midway through these Games. Never before had something such as this occurred during the Olympics.

Late in the evening of September 5, the Black September terrorist organization broke into the Olympic Village and took 11 Israeli athletes, coaches, and staff hostage. Two of the hostages who initially resisted were killed immediately and, ultimately, the remaining nine were kiilled during a botched ambush at military airfield. The event became know as the Munich Massacre.

My 5-year-old self has hazy memories of being aware of this, likely because my parents were discussing it, but it was not until I was older and able to see ABC Sports host Jim McKay‘s emotional statements that the magnitude of the moment was fully realized. (Check out an interview several decades later with McKay at the end of this post.)

The next moment that’s only grown in lore over time was the Men’s Basketball Gold Medal Game between the United States and the Soviet Union. This side of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Cold War was about as hot as it ever was during the early 1970s and this game didn’t help cool it off.

The U.S. entered the game undefeated in Olympics history (63-0) but knew it would be challenged by the USSR squad that had been playing together for the better part of seven years.

The U.S. took a 50-49 lead on a pair of late free throws by Doug Collins when a series of events broke out that are really better viewed than read. Check them out in this video.

^{The final moments of the 1972 Men’s Basketball Gold Medal Game.}

Ultimately, after the third time proved the charm for the USSR, Team USA skipped the medal ceremony and – to this day – continues to refuse its Silver Medal.

1972 Basketball Medal Ceremony — **^{The Silver Medal podium was vacant during the men’s basketball medal ceremony in 1972.}**

A third moment that is worth revisiting is the performance of American swimmer, Mark Spitz.

Spitz was Michael Phelps before Phelps. During the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Spitz won two Gold Medals, one Silver, and one Bronze, the California native had a Games’ for the ages in Munich when he won seven Golds (four individuals) each in World Record times.

As swimming is a first week competition, Spitz was finished competing by the time of the Munich Massacre referenced above. Spitz, who is Jewish, left the Games once the hostage sitution became known and was – reportedly – escorted out of the city by U.S. Marines and taken to London for his safety.

**^{Mark Spitz and his seven Olympic Gold Medals in the poster that made him a favorite on bedroom walls worldwide.}**

Finally, part of the impetus for me going back to these Games is to see then-17-year-old USSR gymnast, Olga Korbut. Much like Spitz, Korbut was a dominant force during these games. She won two individual Gold Medals (the Beam and the Floor Exercise), an individual Silver (the Uneven Bars), and the Team Gold.

Beyond highlight reels and seeing an injured Korbut during the 1976 Montreal Games, I have no recollection of her performances. To see her live would be tremendous.

Like I copped to during my previous trip to a German Olympic Games in Number 9, I realize this is not a singular event but my project, my rules, right? These two weeks in Munich would be fascinating from both an historical and competitive point of view. Throw in watching Dan Gable‘s undefeated and unscored upon run to a the Freestyle Wrestling Gold Medal and visiting these Games would be most memorable.

Previous Installments

Number 10 – 1972 NLCS Game 5
Number 9 – 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics
Number 8 – 2007 One Hall of a Trip
Number 7 – 1973 Secretariat’s Triple Crown Run
Number 6 – 1980 Wimbledon Final Borg-McEnroe
Number 5 – 1986 Jack Nicklaus’ Final Masters’ Win
Number 4 – 1974 Hank Aaron’ 715th HR

I attended a book talk by author and longtime friend, John U. Bacon, last week in Ann Arbor. John was discussing his 12th book, The Greatest Comeback: How Team Canada Fought Back, Took The Summit Series, and Reinvented Hockey, and during his comments, he cited a quote he included in the book’s Introduction from longtime Sports Illustrated writer and 2-time managing editor, Mark Mulvoy, who covered the Summit Series, about what September 1972 was like for the world of sport.

“You consider all of that, and September 1972 has to be one of the greatest months in the history of sport.”
Mark Mulvoy, journalist

That was enough to send me down the rabbit hole. Of course, it’s not possible to go through every month in the history of sport but, I figured, the least I could do was recap what exactly happened during the month in question. What follows are the highlights of my discoveries (there are, of course, more). I’d welcome any thoughts you might have on the topic and am happy to dive into another rabbit hole if presented with a compelling reason to do so.

1972 World Chess Championship, Reykjavik, Iceland: The Championships actually began on July 11, 1972, but this was a 21-game affair. The 21st game began August 31st, was adjourned overnight, and Spassky resigned on September 1 before any moves occurred. Fischer won the championship, 12.5-8.5. Here is a 60 Minutes segment on Fischer in the spring of 1972.
The 1972 Summer Olympics, Munich, Germany: The Games of the 20th Olympiad began August 26 and continued through September 11.
- The Tragedy: Remembered for many competitive achievements, these Games are likely most remembered for the events of September 5 when the Palestinian Black September militant group broke into the Olympic Village and took 11 Israeli athletes, coaches, and officials hostage. Ultimately, all 11 hostages were killed during a botched rescue effort after an 18-hour standoff. This report from ABC-TV’s studio host Jim McKay became one of the most watched moments from these Olympics.
- Mark Spitz (USA), Swimming: Spitz won a record seven gold medals during these games – all by virtue of a world-record performance, bringing his total to nine (he had two previously from 1968 in Mexico City). It took 36 years for Spitz’s single-games’ record of seven golds to fall when American Michael Phelps won eight in 2008. See highlights of Spitz’s performance here.
- Olga Korbut (USSR), Gymnastics: Just 17 at the time, Korbut became a sensation leading the Soviet team to the Team Gold Medal. She was the favorite to win the All-Around, but she missed her mount on bars multiple times and it cost her. She did win individual gold on the Balance Beam and Floor Exercise and a silver on bars. See highlights of Korbut’s performance here.
- Men’s Basketball Gold Medal Game (USSR vs. USA): Perhaps the most controversial ending to an Olympic team competition in the history of the Games, the Soviets won the game, 51-50, after the game ended on two occasions with the United States winning 50-49 before a third conclusion saw the Soviets hit the winning shot. Entering the game, the U.S. men were 63-0 in Olympic competition. There’s really no way to describe what transpired, it must be seen to be believed. Please find the waning minutes of the game here. To this date, the members of Team USA have refused to accept their silver medals.
- Dan Gable (USA), Wrestling: En route to winning his only Olympic Gold Medal, the Iowa State University product did not allow a point during his six matches, winning three by falls and the other three by scores of 20-0, 6-0, and 3-0. Here is some grainy black and white footage of Gable’s third-round fall over Greece’s Stefanos Ioannidis.
- Lasse Viren (Finland), Track: The Finn claimed gold medals in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, becoming just the fourth athlete at the time to accomplish the feat. He, himself, repeated the double in the 1976 Montreal Games. Here is footage of the latter part of his 5,000 meter victory.
NCAA Football Opening Weekend: The first weekend of the season (September 9) provided enough fireworks to cement it as one of the most noteworthy of the era. Two-time defending national champion Nebraska rode a 23-game unbeaten streak into its season-opening game at the Los Angeles Coliseum against unranked UCLA. Nebraska featured that year’s eventual Heisman Trophy winner, Johnny Rodgers, but UCLA kicker Efren Herrera‘s 30-yard field goal with 22 seconds left sent the Bruins to a 20-17 upset victory (highlights seen here). Earlier in the day, No. 8 USC traveled to Fayetteville, AR, for a 30-10 rout of fourth-ranked Arkansas. The Trojans ran the table during the regular season and then waxed Ohio State, 42-17, in the Rose Bowl to claim the National Championship.
NFL’s Opening Month: No one knew it at the time, but the Miami Dolphins were beginning one of the best – if not the best – seasons in the history of the league in September 1972. On opening week (September 17), Miami went on the road and dispatched the Kansas City Chiefs, 20-10, and one week later blasted the Houston Oilers, 34-13. The Dolphins finished the season 17-0 and champions of Super Bowl VII; the last undefeated team to run the table in a NFL season. Enjoy the season highlights with John Facenda narrating, here.
U.S. Open Tennis: If it’s September it must mean there’s a Grand Slam tennis championship in Flushing, NY. The U.S. Open did, in fact, occur, and crowned a repeat winner on the ladies side: American Billie Jean King, who won her third straight Slam title that year (she also won the French Open and Wimbledon) . On the men’s side, Ille Nastase defeated American Arthur Ashe in a five-set thriller for his only U.S. Open title.
Hank Aaron Breaks Stan Musial‘s Career Total Bases Record: During the Atlanta Braves’ 8-0 loss to Steve Carlton and the Philadelphia Phillies on September 3, Aaron singled twice in three at bats to eclipes Musial’s career record for total bases with 6,135. Aaron, who played four more seasons, finished his career with 6,856 total bases which remains the career mark by more than 600 total bases over second-place’s Albert Pujols.
Roberto Clemente Records his Hit 3,000: No one realized it at the time, but when Clemente doubled off of New York Mets’ pitcher Jon Matlack during the Pirates’ 5-0 win on September 30 for his 3,000th career hit, it would be his final regular-season hit as Clemente tragically died that New Year’s Eve in plane crash. Here’s the video of the hit.
Summit Series (Canada vs. USSR): Borne of the Cold War, a series that was supposed to reclaim Canada’s place atop the hockey game by including many of their best NHL players in an 8-game exhibition series against the Soviet Union, turned into a battle for survival for the Canadians. The first four games were played in Canada (Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, and Vancouver) and the final four in the USSR (Moscow). The games were played between September 2-28 in the two nations with a 2-week break in between for travel (and Canadian exhibitions in Sweden). The Soviets won Games 1, 4, and 5, the teams tied Game 3, and Canada won Game 2 and the final three games in Moscow to claim the series, 4-3-1. The series-clinching goal by Paul Henderson with just over 30 seconds left is seen here. A full documentary on the serie is found here.