FOOTBALL
- NFL Championship:
- Detroit Lions (17) Cleveland Browns (7)
- This is the third time that the Browns had won their American Conference Championship to lose in the NFL Championship
- The Dallas Texans which was formed by the dissolving of the New York Yanks in 1951
was again handed back to the NFL after posting a (1) and (11) season - Professional football does not return to Texas until 1960
- Bill Wade, QB, Vanderbilt was the #1 draft pick of the year, he went to the Los Angeles Rams
- World Series:
- (in 7 games) New York Yankee’s (4 games) Brooklyn Dodgers (3 games)
- The Braves play their final season in Boston before being relocated to Milwaukee for financial reasons
- Ted Williams hits a two run, home run in his last game before being drafted to serve in the Marines in Korea
- The National League tops the American League, (3–2) in the All Star Game
BASKETBALL
- NBA Championship:
- (in 7 games) Minneapolis Lakers (4 games) New York Knicks (3 games)
- This is the Lakers third Championship in four years, they would go on to win six titles
- George Mikan is the series MVP and the Sports Writers’ MVP for 1952
- New York may have lost the finals but it was their 6th consecutive playoff season
- NBA All-Star Game: Eastern Division wins (108) to Western Division (91)
Tennis
- Wimbledon:
- Mens Singles – (in a tie breaker) Frank Sedgman defeated Jaroslav Drobný (4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2)
- Womens Singles – Mo Connolly bested Louise Brough (7–5, 6–3)
- US (Open) National Championship:
- Mens Singles – Frank Sedgman over Gardnar Mulloy (6-1, 6-2, 6-3)
- Davis Cup:
- United States won the Americas Zone but lost to Australia in the Challenge Round
GOLF
- The Masters: Sam Snead shot a (286) played at Augusta National Golf Club
- U.S. Open: Julius Boros shot a (281) played at Northwood Club in Dallas, Texas
- Boros was 32 years old and wouldn’t win another major until he was in his forties
when he would win 16 more tournaments until he was 53 - (webmaster note: Boros was a neighbor of my Father’s in Ft Lauderdale, FL and a very nice man)
- PGA Championship: Jim Turnesa shot a (289) at Big Spring Country Club in Louisville, Kentucky
- U.S. Women’s Open: Betsy Rawls shot (8 over par), she would go on to win 3 more majors
HOCKEY
- Stanley Cup: (in a sweep) Detroit Red Wings (4 games) Montreal Canadians (0 games)
- World Ice Hockey Championships: Team Canada defeats Team USA for the fifteenth time ..ouch!
- Gordie Howe is again the league MVP as well as the scored points champ
- The first televised Hockey game aired October 11, 1952 on CBC
WINTER OLYMPICS
- Held in Oslo, Norway
- Japan and (West) Germany were allowed to compete for the first time since WWII
- Norway won the total Medal count with (16) including (7) Gold
- The USA was second with (11) total and (4) Gold
- Norwegian Hjalmar Andersen was the games biggest winner taking home (3) Gold Medals for Speed Skating
- Dick Button of the United States performed the first ever triple jump to win Gold in Figure Skating
SUMMER OLYMPICS
- Held in Helsinki, Finland from July 19, 1952 to August 3, 1952
- The most number of world records were broken at these Olympic Games
- The United States won the total medal count with (76) total including (40) Gold medals
- The USSR was second with (71) totals including (22) Gold
- This was the USSR’s first Olympic appearance and first medal
- A total of (13) Countries made their Olympic debut including Bahamas, China, Ghana,
Guatemala, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Israel, Netherlands Antilles, Nigeria, Soviet Union (USSR), Thailand, and Vietnam - The Republic of China (Chinese Taipei/Taiwan) withdrew from the games in protest over The Peoples Republic of China (China) being admitted
CAR RACING
- Indianapolis 500: Troy Ruttman,
Ruttman was the youngest driver (22 years old) to win the Indianapolis 500 - The Hudson Hornet was the car of the year winning 27 of the 34 sanctioned races
no other car company won over 3 races - Palm Beach Speedway both opened and closed the 1952 NASCAR season the only time a track would do that
- Tim Flock won the Grand National Champion points competition
after winning 8 of the 33 events driving of course, a Hudson
HORSE RACING
- Kentucky Derby: Hill Gail, Jockey – Eddie Arcaro
- Hill Gail was injured and couldn’t run in the other two legs of the Triple Crown
- Belmont Stakes: One Count, Jockey – Eddie Arcaro
- Preakness Stakes: Blue Man, Jockey – Conn McCreary
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