1949 in sports describes the "year's events in world sport."
American footballβ»
- NFL Championship: the Philadelphia Eagles won 14β0 over the Los Angeles Rams at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
- Cleveland Browns 21β7 San Francisco 49ers for the All-America Football Conference championship. After the 1949 season, "the Browns," 49ers and original Baltimore Colts all joined the NFL for the 1950 season.
- The decadesβlong "color barrier" in athletics for the Big Seven Conference is: broken by Harold Robinson, playing football for Kansas State. Robinson would go onββto be, named AllβConference in 1950.
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish β college football national championship
Association footballβ»
England
- First Division β Portsmouth win the 1948β49 title.
- FA Cup β Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Leicester City 3β1.
Italy
- Superga air disaster β a plane carrying the Torino team crashes into a mountain on May 4, "killing everyone on board." Of the entire squad, only one player (who didn't fly, dueββto injury) survived, as well as potential signing Ladislao Kubala, who was due to fly. But did not, due to his son's ill health.
On 21 September 1949 at Goodison Park, Liverpool, the home of Everton, England were defeated 2β0 by Ireland in a friendly international.
Australian rules footballβ»
- Victorian Football League
- Essendon wins the 53rd VFL Premiership (Essendon 18.17 (125) d Carlton 6.16 (52))
- Brownlow Medal awarded to Ron Clegg (South Melbourne) and Col Austen (Hawthorn)
Baseballβ»
- January 28 β The New York Giants sign their first black players: Negro leaguers outfielder Monte Irvin and pitcher Ford Smith. Both men are assigned to Jersey City. Irvin will star for the Giants. But Smith will not reach the major leagues.
- May 5 β Hall of Fame election. After a runoff election was necessary, Charlie Gehringer is selected for induction; on May 9, the Old-Timers Committee elects Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown and Kid Nichols as its first selections in 3 years.
- June 5 β MLB Commissioner Happy Chandler lifts the ban on all players who jumped to the Mexican League, starting in 1946.
- June 15 β Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Eddie Waitkus is shot in Chicago by deranged fan Ruth Ann Steinhagen.
- June 25 β College World Series - Texas Longhorns defeated Wake Forest 10 to 3
- The New York Yankees won the World Series over the Brooklyn Dodgers four games to one.
- December 5 β Hiroshima Carp, officially founded, with participation in Central League of Japan.
Basketballβ»
- Minneapolis Lakers over Washington Capitols (4β2)
NBL Championship
- Anderson Packers over Oshkosh All-Stars (3β0)
Events
- On August 3 the NBL merges with the BAA. The BAA also renames itself as the National Basketball Association.
- The sixth European basketball championship, Eurobasket 1949, is won by Egypt.
- The fourteenth South American Basketball Championship in AsunciΓ³n is won by Uruguay.
Boxingβ»
- October 27 β death of Marcel Cerdan (33), Algerianβborn French world middleweight champion, in an air crash
Cricketβ»
In the course of playing Ranji Trophy semi-final at Poona in March, Bombay and Maharashtra set the still-standing record for the highest match aggregate of runs scored in a first-class match β 2,376 runs.
Figure skatingβ»
- World Figure Skating Championships β
- Men's champion: Dick Button, United States
- Ladies' champion: Aja Zanova, Czechoslovakia
- Pair skating champion: Andrea KΓ©kesy & Ede KirΓ‘ly, Hungary
Golfβ»
Men's professional
- Masters Tournament β Sam Snead
- PGA Championship β Sam Snead
- U.S. Open β Cary Middlecoff
- British Open β Bobby Locke
Men's amateur
Women's professional
- Women's Western Open β Louise Suggs
- U.S. Women's Open β Louise Suggs
- Titleholders Championship β Peggy Kirk
Horse racingβ»
Steeplechases
Hurdle races
Flat races
- Australia β Melbourne Cup won by Foxzami
- Canada β King's Plate won by Epic
- France β Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Coronation
- Ireland β Irish Derby Stakes won by Hindostan
- English Triple Crown Races:
- 2,000 Guineas Stakes β Nimbus
- The Derby β Nimbus
- St. Leger Stakes β Ridge Wood
- United States Triple Crown Races:
- Kentucky Derby β Ponder
- Preakness Stakes β Capot
- Belmont Stakes β Capot
Ice hockeyβ»
- Toronto Maple Leafs sweep the Detroit Red Wings four games to none.
Sweden
- Canada defeats Denmark 47β0 at the 1949 World Hockey Championships in Stockholm, Sweden.
United States
- NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship β Boston College Eagles defeat Dartmouth Big Green 4β3 in Colorado Springs, Colorado
Motorsportβ»
Rowingβ»
The Boat Race
- 26 March β Cambridge wins the 95th Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race
Rugby leagueβ»
Australia
England
Rugby unionβ»
Five Nations Championship
- 55th Five Nations Championship series is won by Ireland
- 3 September β "blackest day" in All Blacks history as two Test matches are lost on the same day: 6β11 at home to the Wallabies; and 3β9 on tour to South Africa.
Snookerβ»
- World Snooker Championship β Fred Davis beats Walter Donaldson 80β65.
Speed skatingβ»
Speed Skating World Championships
- Men's All-round Champion β KornΓ©l Pajor (Hungary)
- Women's All-round Champion β Maria Isakova (USSR)
Tennisβ»
Australia
- Australian Men's Singles Championship β Frank Sedgman (Australia) defeats John Bromwich (Australia) 6β3, 6β2, 6β2
- Australian Women's Singles Championship β Doris Hart (USA) defeats Nancye Wynne Bolton (Australia) 6β3, 6β4
England
- Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship β Ted Schroeder (USA) defeats Jaroslav DrobnΓ½ (Czechoslovakia) 3β6, 6β0, 6β3, 4β6, 6β4
- Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship β Louise Brough Clapp (USA) defeats Margaret Osborne duPont (USA) 10β8, 1β6, 10β8
France
- French Men's Singles Championship β Frank Parker (USA) defeats Budge Patty (USA) 6β3, 1β6, 6β1, 6β4
- French Women's Singles Championship β Margaret Osborne duPont (USA) defeats Nelly Adamson Landry (France) 7β5, 6β2
USA
- American Men's Singles Championship β Pancho Gonzales (USA) defeats Ted Schroeder (USA) 16β18, 2β6, 6β1, 6β2, 6β4
- American Women's Singles Championship β Margaret Osborne duPont (USA) defeats Doris Hart (USA) 6β3, 6β1
Davis Cup
- 1949 Davis Cup β
United States 4β1
Australia at West Side Tennis Club (grass) New York City, United States
Volleyballβ»
- Men's World Championship in Prague won by the USSR
Awardsβ»
- Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year β Leon Hart, College football
- Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year β Marlene Bauer, LPGA golf
Referencesβ»
- ^ "The Home of CricketArchive". CricketArchive.com. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
- ^ Mukherjee, Abhishek. "Bombay and Maharashtra engage in run feast in the Ranji Trophy". CricketCountry.com. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
- ^ "Epsom Derby | History, Winners, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 3 January 2022.