College Football
Week Extra – What Year Was It?
My love is a flame,
that burns in your name
“We’ll be together, we’ll be together tonight”
It was the year of “Livin’ On A Prayer,” “The Joshua Tree,” “Who’s That Girl,” “Bad” and “Faith.”
A major national airline was privatized, a famous bridge celebrated its 50th anniversary and the “Loonie” was introduced. The world’s population reached a new plateau, while a first occurred in China.
A bird became extinct, a well-known drug was approved and sadly, there were six major airline disasters and three major sea disasters.
What year was it?
The year began with Aretha Franklin becoming the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The next day, an Amtrak train, enroute from Washington, DC, to Boston, collided with a Conrail train in Maryland, killing 16 people.
On January 8, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 2,000 for the first time – closing at 2,002.25. A week later, Catfish Hunter and Billy Williams were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
As January was nearing an end, the Super Bowl was played in Pasadena’s Rose Bowl. The New York Giants beat the Denver Broncos, 39-20. Giants quarterback Phil Simms was named MVP. The Giants were coached by Bill Parcells and the Broncos were coached by Dan Reeves.
In the final days of the month, William J. Casey ended his term as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and the last Ohrbach’s Department Store closed in New York City after 64 years of operation.
During the first 11 days of February, Sonny Bono announced his candidacy for the mayor of Palm Springs, California, and British Airways was privatized.
On February 14, “Livin’ On A Prayer” by Bon Jovi became the No. 1 song in the country. It would become the year’s biggest hit song worldwide.
Later in February, a second Unabomber bomb exploded at a Salt Lake City computer store.
As March began, Chrysler Corporation announced it was acquiring American Motors Corporation.
A few days later, the Roll-on/Roll-off cross-channel ferry MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsized off Zeebrugge Harbor in Belgium. The death toll was 193.
On March 9, U2’s album “The Joshua Tree” was released.
At the end of the month, in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Indiana beat Syracuse, 74-73, to win the NCAA basketball tournament. The Hoosiers’ Ken Smart was named the most outstanding player. Indiana was coached by Bob Knight and Syracuse was coached by Jim Boeheim. The other two teams in the Final Four were Providence and UNLV.
Also, at the end of March, the 59th Academy Awards took place at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. The ceremonies were hosted by Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn and Paul Hogan. “Platoon” won for Best Picture. The Best Actor Award went to Paul Newman for his role in “The Color of Money.” Marlee Matlin won the Best Actress Award for her role in “Children of a Lesser God.”
In mid-April, Augusta, Georgia, native Larry Mize beat out Seve Ballesteros and Greg Norman in a sudden-death playoff to win the 51st Masters Golf Tournament,
Later in April, “The Simpsons” cartoon first appeared as a series of shorts on “The Tracy Ulman Show.”
“I see me with you and all the things you do
Along came May and Alysheba, ridden by jockey Chris McCarron, won the 113th running of the Kentucky Derby. Alysheba went on to win the Preakness, but failed to win the Belmont Stakes.
A week later, a Soviet-made Ilyushin-62 airliner, operated by LOT Polish Airlines, crashed in a forest just outside of Warsaw, killing all 183 people on board. Then, on May 11, Klaus Barbie went on trial in Lyon, France, for war crimes committed during World War II.
In mid-May, in London’s Wembley Stadium, Coventry City beat Tottenham Hotspur, 3-2, to win the FA Cup. The following day, the U.S.S. Stark was hit by two Iraqi Exocet air-to-surface missiles, killing 37 sailors.
At age 47, and just five days before his 48th birthday, Al Unser became the oldest winner of the Indianapolis 500, and only the second driver to win the event four times.
Three days later, on May 27, the Golden Gate Bridge celebrated its 50th anniversary. The ceremony attracted 800,000 people. The following day, 18-year-old West German pilot Mathias Rust evaded Soviet air defenses, landing a private plane on Red Square in Moscow. He was arrested and released a year later.
On the last day of May, the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Philadelphia Flyers, four matches to three, to win the Stanley Cup. Flyers goalie Ron Hextall was named the MVP of the championship playoff.
Six days into June, Germany’s Steffi Graf defeated America’s Martina Navratilova to take the women’s singles title at the French Open Tennis Tournament in Paris. The next day, Czechoslovakia’s Ivan Lendl beat Sweden’s Mats Wilander to win the men’s singles title.
A few days later, the Conservative Party of the United Kingdom, led by Margaret Thatcher, was reelected for a third term.
On June 14, Madonna began her “Who’s That Girl” tour in Osaka, Japan. On the same day, the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Boston Celtics, four games to two, to win the NBA championship. The Lakers Magic Johnson was named the MVP. The Lakers were coached by Pat Riley and the Celtics were coached by K.C. Jones.
“To have you with me I would swim the seven seas
Summer was underway and while not yet able to listen to the games on the radio, college football fans were listening and singing along to “The Lady In Red” by Chris DeBurgh; “Meet Me Half Way” by Kenny Loggins; “Looking For A New Love” by Jody Watley; “(I Just) Died In Your Arms” by Cutting Crew; “Right On Track” by Breakfast Club; “La Isla Bonita” by Madonna; “With Or Without You” by U2; “Heat Of The Night” by Bryan Adams; “Just To See Her” by Smokey Robinson; “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” by Kim Wilde, and “Always” by Atlantic Starr.
With the death of the last bird, the dusky seaside sparrow became extinct on June 17.
Two days later, in Edwards vs. Aguillard, the United States Supreme Court ruled that a Louisiana law requiring that creation science be taught in public schools was unconstitutional. Then on June 21, Scott Simpson won the 87th U.S. Open Golf Tournament at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. Simpson beat out Tom Watson by one stroke.
Meantime, the preseason college football magazines were on the shelves and the radio stations were playing “Songbird” by Kenny G; “Wanted Dead Or Alive” by Bon Jovi; “Head To Toe” by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam; “Don’t Disturb The Groove” by The System; “Diamonds” by Herb Alpert and Janet Jackson; “In Too Deep” by Genesis; “Something So Strong” by Crowded House; “Point Of No Return” by Expose; “Only In My Dreams” by Debbie Gibson; “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” by Whitney Houston; “Alone” by Heart, and “Shakedown” by Bob Seeger.
On back-to-back days in late June, Philippine Airlines Flight 206 crashed near Baguio, Philippines, killing 50, and in two separate bombing raids, Iraqi warplanes dropped mustard-gas bombs in four residential areas of the Iranian town of Sardasht.
As June came to an end, Canada introduced a one-dollar coin, nicknamed the “Loonie.”
On July 4, a court in Lyon, France, sentenced former Gestapo boss Klaus Barbie to life imprisonment for crimes against humanity. On the same day, at the 101st Wimbledon Championship, America’s Martina Navratilova beat Germany’s Steffi Graf for the women’s singles title. The next day, Australia’s Pat Cash defeated Czechoslovakia’s Ivan Lendl to take the men’s singles title.
“We’ll be together, yeah
As the summer air grew warmer and thicker, the DJs were playing and college football fans were listening to “Moonlighting (Theme)” by Al Jarreau; “Girls, Girls, Girls” by Motley Crue; “Wot’s It To Ya” by Robbie Nevil; “Back In The High Life Again” by Steve Winwood; “Cross My Broken Heart” by The Jets; “Luka” by Suzanne Vega; “Mary’s Prayer” by Danny Wilson, and “I Want Your Sex” by George Michael.
In Australia’s national election, on July 11, Bob Hawke’s Labor Government was reelected. The same day, the world’s population was estimated to have reached five billion people, according to the United Nations.
On July 17, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above the 2,500 mark for the first time – closing at 2,510.04. Two days later, at the Muirfield Gulf Links in Gullane, Scotland, Nick Faldo won the 116th British Open Golf Championship. Faldo beat out the runners-up Paul Azinger and Roger Davis by one stroke.
A week later, Rick Astley’s hit single “Never Gonna Give You Up” was released in the United Kingdom, where it went to the top of the charts. Five months later, the song was released in the United States, where it went to the top of the charts. “Never Gonna Give You Up” reached the top of the charts in 25 countries worldwide.
The summer airwaves continued to be filled with good music, including “Can’t We Try” by Dan Hill and Vonda Sheppard; “Hearts On Fire” by Bryan Adams; “Since You’ve Been Gone” by The Outfield; “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” by U2; “Don’t Mean Nothing” by Richard Marx; “Seven Wonders” by Fleetwood Mac; “Living In A Box” by Living In A Box, and “Give To Live” by Sammy Hagar.
On the last day of July, an F4-rated tornado devastated eastern Edmonton, Alberta. Twenty-seven people were killed and hundreds were injured. Hundreds more were left homeless.
A week into August, American Lynne Cox became the first person to swim between the United States and Russia in the Bering Strait, crossing from Little Diomede Island to Big Diomede Island in two hours and five minutes.
Two days later, in Australia’s Hoddle Street massacre, Julian Knight, 19, went on the shooting rampage in the Melbourne suburb of Clifton Hill, Victoria, killing seven people and injuring 19, before surrendering to police. On the same day, at the PGA National Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Larry Nelson won the 69th PGA Golf Championship, in a sudden-death playoff over Lanny Wadkins.
As summer was coming to an end, college football fans could not wait for the season to begin. In the preseason polls, Oklahoma was the No. 1 team in the country. The top songs on the radio were “It’s Not Over (’Til It’s Over)” by Starship; “La Bamba” by Los Lobos; “When Smokey Sings” by ABC; “Love Power” by Jeffrey Osborne and Dionne Warwick, and “Who’s That Girl” by Madonna.
In mid-August, Northwest Airlines Flight 255, an MD-80, crashed after takeoff from Detroit’s Metropolitan Airport, killing all but one of the 156 people on board. The lone survivor was four-year-old Cecelia Cichan.
On August 19, in the Hungerford massacre in England, 16 people died in a shooting carried out by Michael Ryan. On the same day, ABC News’ chief Middle East correspondent Charles Glass escaped from his Hezbollah kidnappers in Beirut, Lebanon, after 62 days in captivity.
Just days before the first games of the season, college football fans were grillin’ and chillin to “Who Found Who” by Jellybean and Elisa Fiorillo; “Wipeout” by Fat Boys; “Here I Go Again” by Whitesnake; “Doing It All For My Baby” by Huey Lewis and The News; “One Heartbeat” by Smokey Robinson, and “I Heard A Rumor” by Bananarama.
At the very end of August, Michael Jackson’s seventh studio album, “Bad,” was released in the United States.
“I see you with me and all I want to be
September began with Madonna ending her “Who’s That Girl” tour in Florence, Italy.
Seven days later, at the 107th U.S. Open Tennis Tournament, America’s Martina Navratilova beat Germany’s Steffi Graf for the women’s singles title. The next day, Czechoslovakia’s Ivan Lendl downed Sweden’s Mats Wilander for the men’s singles title.
Meanwhile, the college football season was under way and fans were tailgating to “Jump Start” by Natalie Cole; “I Need Love” by LL Cool J; “Holiday” by The Other Ones; “Didn’t We Almost Have It All” by Whitney Houston; “Carrie” by Europe; “Let Me Be The One” by Expose, and “U Got The Look” by Prince.
On September 12, Youngstown State knocked off Bowling Green on the last play of the game, as the Penguins John Dowling kicked a 36-yard field goal as time expired.
In mid-September, Pope John Paul II arrived in Los Angeles for a two-day visit. It was his first visit to the city. Two days later, September 17, the Pope arrived in San Francisco, his first visit top that city.
On football’s third Saturday in September, in Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin, Utah’s Scott Lieber kicked a 39-yard field goal as time expired. The Utes beat Wisconsin, 31-28.
On September 20, Alain Prost won the Portuguese F1 race in Estoril to surpass Jackie Stewart, setting a new record of 28 career wins.
College football fans were celebrating their wins and mourning their losses to “Lost In Emotion” by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam; “Never Let Me Down” by David Bowie; “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” by Michael Jackson; “Paper In Fire” by John Cougar Mellencamp; “Casanova” by Gerald Levert; “Who Will You Run To” by Heart, and “Breakout” by Swing Out Sister.
On October 10, Marshall beat Louisville, 34-31, when the Herd’s Keith Baxter caught a 31-yard touchdown pass from Tony Petersen on the last play of the game.
Two weeks into October, the United States was caught up in a drama that unfolded on television, as a young child named Jessica McClure fell down a well in Midland, Texas. She was rescued two days later.
Then, in what was called the “Great Storm,” hurricane force winds hit much of southern England, killing 23 people.
“To have you with me I would swim the seven seas
In mid-October, U.S. warships destroyed two Iranian oil platforms in the Persian Gulf, and in what became known as “Black Monday,” the stock market fell sharply on Wall Street.
One of the best college football games of the season took place on October 17 in War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Arkansas. In the annual battle between Texas and Arkansas, the Longhorns Tony Jones caught an 18-yard touchdown pass from Bret Stafford as time expired. Texas beat Arkansas, 16-14.
On October 25, the Minnesota Twins won the World Series, beating the St. Louis Cardinals, four games to three. The Twins’ Frank Viola was named the Series MVP. It was the first World Series where the home team won every game, and it was the first World Series game played indoors (game 1 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome). The Twins were managed by Tom Kelly, and the Cardinals were managed by Whitey Herzog.
The next day, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell an additional 156.83 points.
With Halloween approaching, college football fans were carving their pumpkins to “Little Lies” by Fleetwood Mac; “You Are The Girl” by The Cars; “Don’t Make Me Wait For Love” by Kenny G; “I Think We’re Alone Now” by Tiffany; “It’s A Sin” by Pet Shop Boys; “I Won’t Forget You” by Poison; “I’ve Been In Love Before” by Cutting Crew; “That’s What Love Is All About” by Michael Bolton; “Mony Mony (Live)” by Billy Idol; “Come On, Let’s Go” by Los Lobos; “Where The Streets Have No Name” by U2, and “Causing A Commotion” by Madonna.
At the end of October, George Michael released his first solo studio album – “Faith.”
The price of a first-class postage stamp was 24 cents, and the price of a gallon of gas was $1.07. A loaf of bread cost $1.28, a gallon of milk was $1.98, while a dozen eggs were 65 cents. A pound of bacon cost $1.80.
“We’ll be together, yeah
November 12 saw the first Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant open in mainland China. The Chinese KFC opened in Beijing, near Tiananmen Square. The next day, Sonny and Cher reunited for a performance on “Late Night with David Letterman.”
In mid-November, a fire at London Underground’s King’s Cross station killed 31 people and injured another 100, while a tsunami hit the Gulf of Alaska.
After No. 1 Oklahoma barely beat a weak Missouri team, 17-13, Nebraska was named the No. 1 team in the country on November 17. The Sooners became the No. 2 team.
Two days later, Category 5 Typhoon Nina smashed the Philippines with 165mph winds and a devastating storm surge, killing 812.
On November 21, in Memorial Stadium, in Lincoln, Nebraska, No. 2 Oklahoma downed No. 1 Nebraska, 17-7. Two days later, Oklahoma became the No. 1 team in the country again.
At Thanksgiving, college football fans were stuffing themselves with turkey and pumpkin pie, while listening to “Bad” by Michael Jackson; “The One I Love” by R.E.M.; “(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life” by Bill Medley; “Should’ve Known Better” by Richard Marx; “Heaven Is A Place On Earth” by Belinda Carlisle; “Brilliant Disguise” by Bruce Springsteen; “Shake Your Love” by Debbie Gibson; “Don’t You Want Me” by Jody Watley; “Love Will Find A Way” by Yes; “We’ll Be Together” by Sting; “Valerie” by Steve Winwood, and “Tell It To My Heart” by Taylor Dayne.
On November 28, South African Airways Flight 295 crashed into the Indian Ocean near Mauritius, due to a fire in the cargo bay. All 159 on board perished. The next day, Korean Air Flight 858 was blown up over the Andaman Sea, killing 115 crew and passengers. North Korea was blamed for the bombing.
At the end of the regular season, Oklahoma, coached by Barry Switzer in his 15th season, remained the No. 1 team. Oklahoma (11-0), Miami (Florida) (11-0) and Syracuse (11-0) were the only three teams to finish their seasons undefeated and un-tied.
The consensus All-American first team offense consisted of Wide receiver Tim Brown – Notre Dame (6-0, 195) Dallas, TX; wide receiver Wendell Davis – LSU (6-0, 186) Shreveport, LA; tight end Keith Jackson – Oklahoma (6-3, 248) Little Rock, AR; lineman Mark Hudson – Oklahoma (6-4, 282) Fort Smith, AR; lineman Dave Cadigan – USC (6-5, 280) Newport Beach, CA; lineman John Elliott – Michigan (6-7, 306) Lake Ronkonkoma, NY; lineman Randall McDaniel – Arizona State (6-5, 261) Avondale, AZ; center Nacho Albergamo – LSU (6-2, 257) Marrera, LA; quarterback Don McPherson – Syracuse (6-0, 182) West Hempstead, NY; running back Lorenzo White – Michigan State (5-11, 211) Fort Lauderdale, FL; running back Craig Heyward – Pitt (6-0, 260) Passaic, NJ, and placekicker David Treadwell – Clemson (6-1, 165) Jacksonville, FL.
The consensus All-American first-team defense consisted of Lineman Daniel Stubbs – Miami (Florida) (6-4, 250) Red Bank, NJ; lineman Chad Hennings – Air Force (6-5, 260) Elboron, IA; lineman Tracy Rocker – Auburn (6-3, 258) Atlanta, GA; lineman Ted Gregory – Syracuse (6-1, 260) East Islip, NY; lineman John Roper – Texas A&M (6-2, 215) Houston, TX; linebacker Chris Spielman – Ohio State (6-2, 236) Massillon, OH; linebacker Anthony Bruce – Auburn (6-6, 236) Montgomery, AL; linebacker Dante Jones – Oklahoma (6-2, 235) Dallas, TX; defensive back Bennie Blades – Miami (Florida) (6-0, 215) Fort Lauderdale, FL; defensive back Deion Sanders – Florida State (6-0, 92) Fort Myers, FL; defensive back Rickey Dixon – Oklahoma (5-10, 184) Dallas TX; defensive back Chuck Cecil – Arizona (6-0, 185) Red Bluff, CA, and punter Tom Tupa – Ohio State (6-5, 215) Brecksville, OH.
“Call me baby
As December began, NASA announced the four companies awarded contracts to build the International Space Station “Freedom.” The four companies were Boeing Aerospace, General Electric, McDonnell Douglas and Rockwell.
Notre Dame wide receiver Tim Brown was named the winner of the Heisman trophy. In the balloting, Brown finished ahead of 2. Syracuse quarterback Don McPherson, 3. Holy Cross wide receiver/defensive back Gordie Lockbaum, and 4, Michigan State running back Lorenzo White.
Brown also won the Walter Camp Award as the nation’s most outstanding college football player, while Syracuse’s McPherson won the Maxwell Award as the nation’s most outstanding player.
The Outland Trophy went to Air Force defensive tackle Chad Hennings, as the nation’s most outstanding interior lineman, while Miami of Florida’s Bennie Blades won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s most outstanding defensive back.
Ohio State linebacker Chris Spielman captured the Lombardi Award – the most outstanding lineman or linebacker, while Florida State linebacker Paul McGowan grabbed the Butkus Award as the most outstanding linebacker.
Also, “Let Me Up (We Had Enough)” by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers; “Never Let Me Down” by David Bowie; “Coming Around Again” by Carly Simon; “In The Dark” by The Grateful Dead; “No Protection” by Starship; “Hysteria” by Def Leppard; “The Lonesome Jubilee” by John Mellencamp; “Bad” by Michael Jackson; “Permanent Vacation” by Aerosmith; “Document” by R.E.M., and “Hold Your Fire” by Rush.
Also, “Crazy Nights” by Kiss; “The Uplift Mofo Party Plan” by Red Hot Chili Peppers; “E.S.P.” by The Bee Gees; “Just Us” by Alabama; “Poetic Champions Compose” by Van Morrison; “Tunnel Of Love” by Bruce Springsteen; “Free As A Bird” by Supertramp; “Touch The World” by Earth, Wind and Fire; “Nothing Like The Sun” by Sting; “Kick” by INXS; “Faith” by George Michael; “Characters” by Stevie Wonder; “Savage” by Eurythmics; “You Can Dance” by Madonna, and “Inside Information” by Foreigner.
“I see you with me and baby makes three
On December 7, Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 1771 crashed near Paso Robles, California, killing all 43 on board. A disgruntled passenger shot both pilots.
The next day, in the Queen Street massacre in Melbourne, Australia, 22-year-old Frank Vikovic killed eight and injured five in a Post Office building. Vikovic then committed suicide by jumping from the 11th floor of the building.
Some of the more popular movies of the year were “Overboard;” “The Untouchables;” “Empire Of The Sun;” “Matewan;” “The Princess Bride;” “Dirty Dancing;” “Fatal Attraction;” “No Way Out;” “Moonstruck;” “Wall “Street;” “Planes, Trains & Automobiles;” “Three Men And A Baby;” “The Last Emperor;” “Good Morning Vietnam,” and “Lethal Weapon.”
The first end-of-the -season bowl game was played on December 12. In the California Bowl, Eastern Michigan downed San Jose State, 30-27.
In mid-December, Prozac was approved for use as an antidepressant in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration.
Some of the better reads during the year included “Red Storm Rising” by Tom Clancy; “The Prince Of Tides” by Pat Conroy; “Windmills Of The Gods” by Sidney Sheldon; “Night Of The Fox” by Jack Higgins; “Flight Of The Intruder” by Stephen Coonts; “Whirlwind” by James Clavell; “The Eyes Of The Dragon” by Stephen King; “Bolt” by Dick Francis; “The Ladies Of Missalonghi” by Colleen McCullough; “Texasville” by Larry McMurty, and “The Haunted Mesa” by Louis L’Amour.
Also, “Heiress” by Janet Dailey; “Misery” by Stephen King; “Empire” by Gore Vidal; “Presumed Innocent” by Scott Turow; “The Timothy Files” by Lawrence Sanders; “Patriot Games” by Tom Clancy; “Sphere” by Michael Crichton; “Sarum” by Edward Rutherford; “Legacy” by James Michener; “Heaven And Hell” by John Jakes; “Leaving Home” by Garrison Keillor; “A Southern Family” by Gail Godwin; “The Bonfire Of The Vanities” by Tom Wolfe, and “The Tommyknockers” by Stephen King.
On December 19, Washington beat Tulane, 24-12, in the Independence Bowl.
With Christmas and bowl games in the air, college football fans were doing their holiday shopping to “Power Of Love” by Laura Branigan; “Is This Love” by Whitesnake; “Faith” by George Michael; “Cherry Bomb” by John Cougar Mellencamp; “Got My Mind Set On You” by George Harrison; “Need You Tonight” by INXS; “So Emotional” by Whitney Houston; “There’s The Girl” by Heart; “Candles In The Wind” by Elton John; “I Live For Your Love” by Natalie Cole, and “Hungry Eyes” by Eric Carmen.
Just five days before Christmas, in history’s worst peace-time sea disaster, the passenger ferry MV Dona Paz sank after colliding with an oil tanker in the Tablas Strait in the Philippines. An estimated 4,000 people died.
Three days before Christmas, Virginia topped BYU, 22-16, in the All-American Bowl.
“Forget the weather we should always be together
Well-known people who were born during the year included Ndamukong Suh; Marcus Mumford; Jon Ossoff; Buster Posey; Rachel Bloom; Maria Sharapova; Andy Murray; Novak Djokovic; Lionel Messi; Tim Tebow; Hilary Duff; Zac Efron; Colin Kaepernick; Jason Day, and Ronan Farrow.
Famous people who died during the year included Ray Bolger; Alistair MacLean; Liberace; David Susskind; James Coco; Randolph Scott; Danny Kaye; Woody Hayes; Robert Preston; Dean Paul Martin; Maria von Trapp; Buddy Rich; Erskine Caldwell; Paul Butterfield; Rita Hayworth; Hermione Gingold; Geraldine Page; Fred Astaire; Jackie Gleason; Richard Egan; Rudolf Hess; Lee Marvin; Dan Rowan; Bob Fosse; Mary Astor; Clare Boothe Luce; Alf Landon; Woody Herman, and James Baldwin.
On Christmas Day, UCLA edged Florida, 22-16, in the Aloha Bowl.
The five best-selling cars of the year were 1. the Ford Escort, 2. Ford Taurus, 3. Honda Accord, 4. Chevrolet Cavalier and 5. the Chevrolet Celebrity.
On December 29, Georgia slipped by Arkansas, 20-17, in the Liberty Bowl. The next day, Arizona State got by Air Force in the Freedom Bowl, 33-28, and Iowa escaped Wyoming, 20-19, in the Holiday Bowl.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended the year at 1,938.
The most popular TV shows of the year were “The Cosby Show;” “Cheers;” “The Golden Girls;” “Growing Pains;” “Who’s The Boss;” “Night Court;” “Murder, She Wrote;” “Moonlighting;” “L.A. Law;” “Matlock,” and “Family Ties.”
On New Year’s Eve, LSU thumped South Carolina in the Gator Bowl, 30-13, and Texas beat Pitt, 32-27, in the Bluebonnet Bowl.
During the last few days of the year and on New Year’s Eve, college football fans were partying, drinking, celebrating and singing to “I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man” by Prince; “Hazy Shade Of Winter” by The Bangles; “The Way You Make Me Feel” by Michael Jackson; “Push It” by Salt-N-Pepa; “I Found Someone” by Cher; “Everywhere” by Fleetwood Mac; “Could’ve Been” by Tiffany; “Seasons Change” by Expose; “Pump Up The Volume” by M/A/R/R/S; “Tunnel Of Love” by Bruce Springsteen, and “Say You Will” by Foreigner.
New Year’s Day, in Orlando, Clemson downed Penn State, 35-10, in the Citrus Bowl, while Texas A&M won the Cotton Bowl, spanking Notre Dame, 35-10.
Continuing on New Year’s Day, Florida State surprised Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl, 33-28. Then, in the Sugar Bowl, Auburn and Syracuse ended in a 16-16 tie. Next, Michigan State won the Rose Bowl, beating USC, 20-17.
And finally, in the Orange Bowl, No. 2 Miami (Florida) downed No. 1 Oklahoma, 20-14, in the Orange Bowl.
Lastly, on January 2 in Atlanta, Tennessee beat Indiana in the Peach Bowl, 27-22.
Miami (Florida) (12-0), coached by Jimmy Johnson, won the national championship. The Hurricanes finished first in all three major polls – Associated Press, UPI and USA Today/CNN. Only three of Miami’s 12 wins were close games – a 26-25 win over Florida State, 20-16 over South Carolina, and the 20-14 Orange Bowl win over Oklahoma.
“We’ll Be Together” was written and recorded by Sting. The song entered the Billboard Hot 100 Chart on October 10. It peaked at No. 7 on December 5, the same day that Army beat Navy, 17-3. “We’ll Be Together” was on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart for 18 weeks, throughout the remainder of the football season and beyond, until February 13.
The song was released as the lead single from Sting’s second studio album – “Nothing Like The Sun.” Sting actually wrote the song for a beer commercial for the Kirin Brewery Company. The recording of “We’ll Be Together” includes Eric Clapton on guitar. Lyrics from Sting’s 1985 song “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free” are featured near the end of “We’ll Be Together.” Annie Lennox joined Sting during the North American dates of his “Sacred Love” Tour in 2004. “We’ll Be Together” was the only song that the two performed together. After the tour, Sting and Lennox recorded the song as a duet. That recording appeared on the soundtrack of the “Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason” movie.
The year and football season was 1987.
Happy New Year!
Touchdown Tom
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