The year 1972 consisted of Sports Championship winners Boston Bruins (NHL), Dallas Cowboys (NFL), Los Angeles Lakers (NBA), Oakland Athletics (MLB)
HIGHLIGHTS
The
1972 NHL Stanley Cup championship series between the
Boston Bruins and the
New York Rangers was a hard-fought series that went the full seven games. The Bruins, led by Phil Esposito and Bobby Orr, were the defending Stanley Cup champions and the Rangers were looking to win their first Cup since
1940. The series was close throughout and the Bruins took a 3-2 series lead after five games. The Rangers forced a Game 7 with a 3-2 victory in Game 6, but the Bruins prevailed in the deciding game, winning 3-0 to win the Cup. Esposito was the leading scorer in the series with seven points and Orr was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the most valuable player of the playoffs.
The
1972 NFL Super Bowl game between the
Dallas Cowboys and
Miami Dolphins was a classic showdown of two of the top teams in the league. The Cowboys had a star-studded lineup featuring quarterback Roger Staubach, running back Calvin Hill, and wide receiver Bob Hayes. The Dolphins were led by quarterback Bob Griese, running back Larry Csonka, and wide receiver Paul Warfield. The game was a defensive battle with both teams playing tough defense. The Cowboys were able to come out on top, winning 24-3. This was the first of five Super Bowl victories for the Cowboys, and the first of two consecutive Super Bowl victories for the Dolphins. The
1972 Super Bowl was a classic game between two of the
NFL's best teams, and it was a great way to kick off the Super Bowl era.
The
1972 NBA championship final series was a thrilling seven-game series between the
Los Angeles Lakers and the
New York Knicks. The Lakers, led by Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, and Gail Goodrich, were the heavy favorites, having won 33 of their last 36 games. The Knicks, however, were no pushover, led by Walt Frazier, Dave DeBusschere, and Bill Bradley. The series went back and forth, with the Lakers eventually winning in game seven by a score of 112-108. Chamberlain was the star of the series, averaging 24.7 points and 20.6 rebounds per game. The Lakers' victory marked the first time in
NBA history that a team had won the championship after being down three games to one in the series.
The
1972 World Series between the
Oakland Athletics and the
Cincinnati Reds was a classic. The A's, led by manager Dick Williams, had won the American League West Division title, while the Reds, managed by Sparky Anderson, had won the National League West Division. The A's swept the series in four games, winning the first two in
Oakland and the last two in
Cincinnati. The A's pitching staff was dominant, allowing only three runs in the entire series, and the offense was led by Reggie Jackson, who hit two home runs in Game 6 to help the A's clinch the championship. The Reds, meanwhile, were led by Pete Rose, who led the team in batting average, and Joe Morgan, who led the team in RBIs. The
1972 World Series was a showcase of the great talent on both sides, and the A's were able to come out on top in the end.