Economic Impact of Super Bowl LI & the Houston Astros Post Season Run
By David Theis
With the recent Astros World Series victory in October combined with Houston hosting the 2017 Super Bowl, the city had a whirlwind sports year bookended by two indelible events. These achievements in athletic excellence are two of the most recent for Houstonians, but many notable sports moments dot the historic record in the Bayou City. Here are some of the standout events that have shaped Houston sports.
1973 The “Game of the Century” between the UCLA Bruins and UH Cougars at the Astrodome. In the college basketball game that would put the sport on the map and provide the roadmap for marketing it to a mass audience, the Cougars knocked off the Bruins in thrilling fashion by two points, ending the vaunted UCLA program’s 47-game winning streak. Over 50,000 fans packed the 8th Wonder of the World to watch Lew Alcindor clash against Elvin Hayes. Both players went on to become NBA legends.
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The “Battle of the Sexes” Tennis Match. The Astrodome was back in the national spotlight in 1973 when it played host to a tennis exhibition between 55-year-old Bobby Riggs and 29-year-old Billie Jean King. Viewed by an estimated 90 million globally, the match has become one of the most talked about sporting events in history and was recently adapted into a Hollywood movie and a local stage production.
The Heyday of the “Luv Ya Blue” Oilers. At the end of the 1970s, the Houston Oilers had one of their best seasons in team history. Earl Campbell won NFL MVP honors, rushing for 1,697 yards and 19 touchdowns. The team advanced to the AFC Championship game, where it fell one game short of the Super Bowl in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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