1972: Terrorism at Munich
The Summer Olympics at Munich 1972 were the first Olympic games to be held in Munich ever since Berlin 1936, in the height of Hitler’s regime. On August 26th, international athletes and spectators celebrated the opening of the”Cheerful Games”. However, no one was to imagine what would happen next. During almost a week, the Games unfolded without incident. On September 5th, a group of Palestinian terrorists affilliated to the Black September organization seized the Olympic Village and shot an Israeli wrestling organizator and coach as they accessed Apartment 1. Over the course of an hour, they took Israeli athletes and coaches hostage. They bound them, blindfolded them, took them hostage, and later murdered them through smoke inhalation and firegun.
The Munich Massacre was one of the worst terrorist incidents and one of the worst results of the Israeli-Palestinian rivalries at the time. However, it was effective in producing conscience in the minds of people. West Germany created a successful counterterrorism unit with nationwide jurisdiction. Regardless of this, the Munich Massacre remains one of the most tragic demonstrations of terrorism and one of the worst tragedies in sports history.
1970s: Champions Come and Go
In 1973, Muhammad Ali, who had held the heavyweight championship for a lot of years, finally was defeated by Joe Frazier. Frazier then lost the title to George Foreman. Frazier and Ali, who were considered the best of the best in the ring, were both finally bested. Foreman was quick to defend his title and he defeated Joe King Roman in Tokyo. One year later, in 1974, Ali beat Frazier in January, and then KO’d Foreman in Africa, regaining tbe heavyweight champion title. This became Foreman’s first professional loss.
The fight between Ali and Foreman became known as ”Rumble in the Jungle”, and is widely regarded as the most important sporting event in the 20th century. Its television broadcast became the most watched televised event in history, and the match helped to solidify both Ali and Foreman as true boxing legends.
1970s: Champion Players and Teams,Football in the 70´s.
The football star during the 70s was O.J. Simpson. In 1973, he broke through the single-season yard-rushing record. In the final game of the season, he made 61 in the first half, 200 in the end of the match, and 2,003 by the end of the season. Three teams posted outstanding years: Minnesota, Los Angeles, and Miami. All three teams ended the season with 12-2 records. In the playoffs, the Miami Dolphins claimed the AFC title by defeating first the Cincinnati Bengals, then the Pittsburgh Steelers, and last came the Oakland Raiders. The Minnesota Vikings earned the NFC title by beating the Washington Redskins then the Dallas Cowboys. During the Super Bowl, the victory went to the Dolphins 24-7 against the Cowboys.
American football produced some great legends and teams during the 1970s. Simpson had proven to be one of the most excellent players in the NFL and every team wanted him as part of their lineup. Although Simpson’s reputation later got ruined, he’s still remembered as a legend of sport.
1970s: Aaron and Robinson, Legends of the Bat
Baseball also made history in several ways during the 1970s, with two key figures. One of them was Hank Aaron, who tied Babe Ruth’s home run record (714). At the start of the season, Aaron started with 713 home runs, just one lucky ball away from the most celebrated figure in the sport. In front of a televised audience of 35 million, he tied the record by producing another home, tying with Ruth’s 714. Another star during this period was Frank Robinson, who in 1974, became the first African-American manager for the Great Leagues. 28 years before, another Robinson had broken the color barrier as he became MLB’s first colored player.
Aaron became the only professional baseball player who was able to equal Ruth on the field, 26 years after the latter’s death. At the same time, Robinson broke the color barrier and demonstrated that there are no limits when it comes to playing.