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1960s Sports

Associated Press Athlete of 1968: Denny McLain, Major League Baseball. Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year: Peggy Fleming, Figure skating

Professional Sports 1968

Baseball

Baseball's Opening Day was postponed because of the Martin Luther King assassination

World Series: Detroit Tigers vs.St. Louis Cardinals Series: 4-3. MVP was Mickey Lolich, Detroit.

The National League expands:

The San Diego Padres

The Montreal Expos

The American League expands:

The Kansas City Royals

Mickey Mantle hits final career homer # 536

Football

AFL Championship: New York Jets 27-23 Oakland Raiders in the 1968 AFL championship game.

NFL Championship: Baltimore Colts 34-0 Cleveland Browns in 1968 NFL championship game.

Super Bowl III

This, the third AFL-NFL Championship Game was the first to be called The Superbowl.

"We're (Jets) gonna win the game. I guarantee it."

Three days before the game Jets' Quarterback "Broadway" Joe Namath said to the unrelenting predictions the Jets would lose to the Baltimore colts by 18 points. The Jets won 16 to 7, giving the AFL much needed gravitas.

Basketball

NBA: Boston Celtics vs. LA Lakers Series: 4-2

NBA announces two expansion teams:

The Milwaukee Bucks

The Phoenix Suns

Wilt Chamberlain becomes 1st NBA player to score 25,000 points.

Boxing

With Mohammad Ali stripped of his title and suspended boxing really doesn't mean much though Joe Frazier TKOs Buster Mathis in 11 for heavyweight boxing title and

Jimmy Ellis beats Floyd Patterson in 15 for heavyweight boxing title. That right there means something is amiss.

NHL - Hockey

Stanley Cup: Montreal Canadiens vs.St. Louis Blues Series: 4-0

Minnesota North Star s' center Bill Masterton dies from a fall on the ice against the Oakland Seals.

Games of the XIX Olympiad

Mexico City

Ten days before the games were to begin, Mexican Police and Army killed 300 students in the Plaza de las Tres Culturas. Called the Tlatelolco Massacre, the International Olympic Committee held an urgent meeting to consider canceling the games which they did not do.

United States sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos (gold and bronze medallists in the men's 200-meter race) stood barefooted on the podium wearing civil rights buttons, lowered heads and each defiantly with a black-gloved fist in the air during the Star Spangled Banner. The U.S. Olympic Committee suspends both athletes.

Winter Games of the XIX Olympiad

Grenoble, France

10th Winter Olympic games opens in Grenoble, France
Peggy Fleming wins Olympic figure skating gold medal

Professional Sports 1968

Golf

The Masters - Bob Goalby

US Open - Lee Trevino
British Open - Gary Player
PGA Championship - Julius Boros
PGA tour's leading money winner for the year: Billy Casper - $205,169

US Women's Open - Susie Berning
LPGA Championship - Sandra Post
Leading money winner on the LPGA tour: Kathy Whitworth, earning $48,379

Horse Racing

Kentucky Derby - Forward Pass
Preakness Stakes - Forward Pass
Belmont Stakes - Stage Door

Tennis

Arthur Ashe becomes 1st black to win U.S. singles championship

College Sports 1968

Heisman Trophy: O.J. Simpson, USC, HB points: 2,853

Football

NCAA Football: Ohio State Buckeyes

ORANGE BOWL: #3 Penn State Nittany Lions 15 #6 Kansas Jayhawks 14

COTTON BOWL: #5 Texas Longhorns 36 #8 Tennessee Volunteers 13

ROSE BOWL: #1 Ohio State Buckeyes 27 #2 USC Trojans 16

SUGAR BOWL: #9 Arkansas Razorbacks 16 #4 Georgia Bulldogs 2

Basketball

NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA wins 78-55 over North Carolina