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Athletic Poetics honors athletes and athletics by bringing to life sports quotes and celebrating the greatest moments in sports history.

May

21

May 21, 1966 - Muhammad Ali TKOs Henry Cooper in 6 for heavyweight title

Henry Cooper twice fought Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay), firstly in a non-title fight in 1963 at Wembley Stadium. Clay was knocked down by Cooper, later saying on British television that Cooper “had hit him so hard that his ancestors in Africa felt it”. The fight was stopped due to deep cuts in Cooper’s eyes in the fifth round.

Cooper fought Ali, now world heavyweight champion, for a second time at Highbury. However Ali was now alert to the danger posed by Cooper’s left and more cautious than he had been in the previous contest; he held Cooper in a vice-like grip during clinches, and when told to break leapt backward several feet. Accumulated scar tissue around Cooper’s eyes made him more vulnerable than in the previous meeting and a serious cut was opened by Ali, which led to the fight being stopped, Cooper again suffering a technical knockout when he was ahead on the scorecards.

Video of Ali vs Cooper II

May 20, 1991 - Michael Jordan is named NBA’s most valuable player

In the 1990–91 season, Michael Jordan won his second MVP award (Jordan also won the award in 1988) after averaging 31.5 ppg on 53.9% shooting, 6.0 rpg, and 5.5 apg for the regular season. The Chicago Bulls finished in first place in their division for the first time in 16 years and set a franchise record with 61 wins in the regular season.

May 19, 1984 - The Edmonton Oilers won their first Stanley Cup, defeating the Islanders in 5 games

During the 1983-84 season the Edmonton Oilers finished first overall in the NHL, winning a franchise record fifty-seven games and earning 119 points (fifteen points ahead of the second place New York Islanders). They were the first team to feature three players with fifty goals (Gretzky, Kurri and Anderson). Wayne Gretzky started off strong by scoring at least a point in the first fifty-one games of the season. Paul Coffey became the second defenceman ever to score forty goals in a season (with forty exactly). The Oilers scored a grand total of 446 goals as a team, an NHL record. The Oilers were so determined to win the Stanley Cup that they hired Roger Neilson as a video analyst. They started the playoffs strongly by sweeping the Winnipeg Jets in the Smythe Division semifinals. They faced a tougher test in the Calgary Flames, but they defeated them in seven games in the division finals. They then swept the Minnesota North Stars in the conference finals to earn a rematch with the Islanders in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Oilers split the first two games in Long Island, but then won three in a row in Edmonton to become the first former WHA team to win the Stanley Cup. After the series, Mark Messier was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

“Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” - Vince Lombardi

May 18, 1956 - Mickey Mantle hits a HR from both sides of plate for record third time

“It’s unbelievable how much you don’t know about the game (specifically about his switch-hit home run record) you’ve been playing all your life.” - Hall of Fame Outfielder Mickey Mantle (Ten Time “Member” of the Home Run From Both Sides of the Plate in a Game “Club”)

Mickey Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974 and was elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999.

May

17

“It’s what you get from games you lose that is extremely important.” - Pat Riley

“If they cut my bald head open, they will find one big boxing glove. That’s all I am. I live it.” - Marvelous Marvin Hagler

May 16, 1985 - Bulls’ Michael Jordan was named the NBA Rookie of the Year

Michael Jordan averaged 28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds. 5.9 assists, 2.4 steals.

During his first season in the NBA, Jordan averaged 28.2 ppg on 51.5% shooting. He quickly became a fan favorite even in opposing arenas, and appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated with the heading “A Star is Born” just over a month into his professional career. Jordan was also voted in as an All-Star starter by the fans in his rookie season. Controversy arose before the All-Star game when word surfaced that several veteran players, led by Isiah Thomas, were upset by the amount of attention Jordan was receiving. This led to a so-called “freeze-out” on Jordan, where players refused to pass him the ball throughout the game. The controversy left Jordan relatively unaffected when he returned to regular season play, and he would go on to be voted Rookie of the Year. The Bulls finished the season 38–44, and lost in the first round of the playoffs in four games to the Milwaukee Bucks.

May

15

“I didn’t like the ’50s, you know. I appreciate Elvis, but I’m not a big fan. I’m not a rockabilly fan. And the ’60s and early ’70s were, to me, the greatest times to live.” - Brett Hull

May 15, 1941 - Joe DiMaggio began his MLB hitting streak of 56 games

Joe DiMaggio holds the MLB record with a streak of 56 consecutive games in 1941 which began on May 15 and ended July 17. DiMaggio hit .408 during his streak (91 for 223), with 15 home runs and 55 RBIs.

May

14

“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” - Muhammad Ali

May

13

“There’s always somebody saying you can’t do it, and those people have to be ignored.” - Bill Cartwright

May 13, 1983 - Reggie Jackson became the first MLB player to strikeout 2,000 times

Reggie Jackson played 21 seasons and reached the post-season in 11 of them, winning six pennants and five World Series. His accomplishments include winning both the regular-season and World Series MVP awards in 1973, hitting 563 career home runs (sixth all-time at the time of his retirement), maintaining a .490 career slugging percentage, being named to 14 All-Star teams, and the dubious distinction of being the all-time leader in strikeouts with 2,597 (he finished with 13 more career strikeouts than hits). Jackson was the first major leaguer to hit one hundred home runs for three different clubs, having hit over 100 for the Athletics, Yankees, and Angels.

“A team will always appreciate a great individual if he’s willing to sacrifice for the group.” - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

May 11, 1988 - Mario Andretti records fastest Indianapolis 500 lap, 221.565 mph

Mario Andretti was the fastest driver (Indianapolis 500) in practice all week, leading the charts at 221.565 mph. On pole day morning, Mario drove a lap of 220.372 mph. On his qualifying attempt, though, he could only get to 214.692 mph. No one knew what happened to the car and why it went so slow. On race day, he had just as bad of luck. After several long pit stops to repair gearbox problems, an oil leak, and electrical gremlins, Andretti finally called it quits. With the leaders at lap 170, Mario was about 50 laps down with a dead engine. Mario was credited with 118 laps in 20th place.