A lot happened in the year 1989, including the debut of a TV sitcom in which nothing happened. That show, of course, was Seinfeld, and we’ll be doing a deep dive into this iconic comedy over the coming weeks.
But first, to get a sense of the times and trends that helped shape this series, here’s a quick look at the notable sporting events that occurred in 1989.
November 4-5, 1988 The NBA welcomes two new expansion teams for the 1988–89 season: the Charlotte Hornets and the Miami Heat.
January 11 The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) adopts Proposition 42, which withdraws athletic scholarships from athletes who fail to meet minimal academic standards.
March 22 Pete Rozelle, National Football League (NFL) commissioner since 1960, announces he will step down when a replacement is found.
March 22 Clint Malarchuk of the National Hockey League’s Buffalo Sabres suffers an almost fatal injury when another player accidentally slits his throat with a skate blade.
April 1 Bill White becomes president of the National League of Major League Baseball (MLB), becoming the first African American to head a major sports league.
April 3 The Michigan Wolverines men’s basketball team defeats the Seton Hall Pirates to win the 1989 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament.
April 3 Future Hall-of-Fame outfielder Ken Griffey Jr makes his major league baseball debut.
April 8 Baseball pitcher Jim Abbott, who was born without a right hand, joins the starting rotation of the California Angels as a rookie, without playing a single minor league game.
April 15 In one of the biggest tragedies in European Football (soccer), 97 supporters of Liverpool FC are killed as a result of a fatal human crush, in addition to 766 non-fatal injuries.
April 23-24 UCLA quarterback Troy Aikman is chosen as the NFL’s number one draft pick by the Dallas Cowboys. Oklahoma State running back Barry Sanders is selected with the number three pick by the Detroit Lions. Deion Sanders is picked at number five by the Atlanta Falcons.
May 7 Basketball legend Michael Jordan makes “The Shot” during Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference First Round playoffs, winning the game and series for the Chicago Bulls over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
May 25 The Calgary Flames defeat the Montreal Canadiens four games to two to win the franchise’s first Stanley Cup in the National Hockey League.
June 13 The Detroit Pistons beat the Los Angeles Lakers to win the 1989 NBA Finals.
August 22 Nolan Ryan of the Texas Rangers becomes the first (and so far, only) pitcher in Major League Baseball history to record 5,000 career strikeouts.
August 24 Record-setting baseball player Pete Rose agrees to a lifetime ban from the sport following allegations of illegal gambling, thereby preventing his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
September 1 Commissioner of Baseball A. Bartlett Giamatti dies of a heart attack.
September 13 MLB club owners elect Fay Vincent as the eighth commissioner of Major League Baseball.
October 3 Former NFLHall-of-Fame player Art Shell becomes the first black NFL head coach in the modern era.
October 12 The Dallas Cowboys and the Minnesota Vikings complete the Herschel Walker trade, which helps the Cowboys win three NFL Super Bowl championships, thanks to the draft picks that they receive in return.
October 15 Los Angeles Kings star Wayne Gretzky becomes the leading scorer in the history of the National Hockey League with 1,851 career points, passing Gordie Howe.
October 17 At approximately 5:04 pm, prior to the start of Game 3 of the MLB World Series, the Loma Prieta earthquake strikes California, causing severe damage to both Oakland and San Francisco, including Candlestick Park.
October 26 NFL owners elect Paul Tagliabue as NFL commissioner, succeeding Pete Rozelle.
October 28 The Oakland Athletics beat the San Francisco Giants to win the 1989 World Series of Major League Baseball.
November 19 The United States national soccer team qualifies to play in the 1990 FIFA World Cup after 40 years of absences.
January 1, 1990 The 1989 Miami Hurricanes football team defeats Alabama in the Sugar Bowl to win the NCAA championship.
January 28, 1990 The San Francisco 49ers defeat the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXIV, concluding for the 1989-90 NFL season.
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