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THIS WEEK

FOOTBALL September 27, 2010  George Blanda, NFL placekicker and quarterback, dies at the age of 83. Spending 26 seasons with the AFL & NFL organizations, Blanda was the longest-playing pro in football history and the oldest when he retired in 1976 at age 48. Putting tenures with the Chicago Bears, Houston Oilers, and Oakland Raiders, the Pennsylvania-born Blanda played under renowned head coaches Bear Bryant, George Halas, and John Madden.

TENNIS September 30, 2000  Tennis star Pete Sampras marries former Miss Teen USA, Bridget Wilson. The serve-and-volley master and his actress-model wife would have 2 children and reside in southern California. One of the all-time greatest tennis players, Sampras turned pro in 1988 and succeeded in accumulating 14 grand slams by the time he retired following a memorable US Open final victory in 2002 against long-time rival, Andre Agassi.

BASEBALL September 22, 1990  Andre Dawson steals his 300th base and is the only player other than Willie Mays to achieve 300 home runs, 2,000 hits, and 300 steals. An 8x All-Star and NL Rookie of the Year (1977), Dawson spent most of his 21 years in MLB with the Montreal Expos and Boston Red Sox. He set multiple franchise records with the Expos and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010. Dawson retired with a .279 batting average and 438 home runs.

BOXING September 27, 1980  Marvin Hagler defeats Alan Minter at London’s Wembley Arena to claim the WBA, WBC, and ‘The Ring’ middleweight titles. The badly cut Minter was forced to concede in the 3rd round, setting off a brawl among spectators and compelling Hagler and his trainer to be escorted back to their locker room by a heavy police presence. The bout was Hagler’s first world champion title, which he would defend 12 times over the course of his career.