This Day in Sports History: March 26

In March, the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Men's Basketball Teams compete in "March Madness," National Basketball Association and National Hockey League teams make their final pushes to clinch playoff spots, and Major League Baseball teams participate in spring training. Over the years, March 26 has been a day of memorable sports achievements in horse racing, hockey, rugby, basketball, boxing, and golf. Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records Notable sports games and records associated with March 26 include: 1915: In the 77th Grand National, legendary jockey Jack Anthony won his second of three Grand National titles aboard racehorse Ally Sloper with a 100/8 starting price. 1917: The Seattle Metropolitans beat the Montreal Canadiens 9-1 for a 3-1 series victory. The Metropolitans were the first U.S. team to win the Stanley Cup. 1937: Baseball player Joe DiMaggio took Ty Cobb's advice and replaced his 40-ounce bat with a 36-ounce one. 1966: Wales beat France 9-8 and clinched their 15th Five Nations Championship title. 1972: The Los Angeles Lakers won a record-setting 69 of 82 games. 1974: George Foreman knocked out Ken Norton in the second round and won the World Boxing Association, World Boxing Council, and "The Ring" undisputed heavyweight champion titles. College Basketball Championships March 26 has witnessed several "March Madness" upsets: 1949: In the 11th NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game, Kentucky beat Oklahoma State 46-36. The Kentucky Wildcats received their second national title in a row. 1952: Kansas beat St. Johns 80-63 in the 14th NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game. This was the first tournament with a proper "Final Four" format. 1973: In the 35th NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game, the University of California, Los Angeles, beat Memphis 87-76. It was the UCLA Bruins' seventh straight title, and center Bill Walton won the tournament's Most Outstanding Player for the second consecutive year. 1979: Michigan State beat Indiana State 75-64 in the 41st NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game. This game was the first played between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, who would become rivals in the 1980s. It was also the highest Nielsen-rated game in the history of American basketball. Golf Majors Some of the biggest names in golf hit the links on March 26, including: 1995: Lee Janzen won the Players Championship by finishing one stroke ahead of runner-up Bernhard Langer of Germany. 2000: Karrie Webb of Australia won the first of her two Nabisco Championship titles by finishing ten strokes ahead of defending champion Dottie Pepper. 2001: Tiger Woods won the first of his two Players Championship titles. He finished one stroke ahead of runner-up Vijay Singh of Fiji. The theme of March 26 in sports has undoubtedly been the impressive records set by Los Angeles men's basketball teams. The 1971-1972 Los Angeles Lakers team went on to win an NBA title, with their 69-win season ranking fourth all-time. The 2015-2016 Golden State Warriors hold the record for the most regular season wins with 73. The UCLA Bruins' streak of seven consecutive NCAA Division I men's basketball championship wins will likely never be broken. Only eight other programs have won back-to-back titles.