Sports in 1965 Quiz | USA by Year

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. UCLA, led by Gail Goodrich's 42 points, won its second consecutive NCAA basketball championship in 1965 by defeating Michigan in the final. It was a member of the team that finished in third place, however, who was named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. Who was he?

Answer: Bill Bradley

Bill Bradley of Princeton totalled 87 points in a semi-final loss to Michigan and a third-place win over Wichita State (third-place games were played until 1980). Cazzie Russell was the star of the Michigan team that fell to UCLA. Rick Barry of Miami (Fla.) and Billy Cunningham of North Carolina were senior All-Americans that year.

2. In the 1965 NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, four games to one, to win their seventh straight championship. More competitive was the semi-final playoff between the Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers, who, in the waning moments of the seventh game, were inbounding the ball in position to win. Who was the Celtic who stole the ball to save the series?

Answer: John Havlicek

"Havlicek stole the ball!" is probably Celtic sportscaster Johnny Most's most memorable call. Bob Cousy retired from the Celtics after 1963, while Jo Jo White and Dave Cowens did not join the Celts until 1969 and 1970, respectively.

3. In 1965 the first Conn Smythe Trophy, given to the most valuable player in the Stanley Cup playoffs, was awarded to whom?

Answer: Jean Beliveau

Jean Beliveau spurred the Montreal Canadiens to a four games to three victory in the finals over the Chicago Blackhawks, who were led by Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull. Norm Ullman of the Detroit Red Wings led the NHL in goals that season.

4. Who won the 1965 Masters Tournament with a record-breaking score of 17-under par?

Answer: Jack Nicklaus

Jack Nicklaus' score was not eclipsed until 1997, when Tiger Woods shot 270 for 18-under par.

5. On May 25, 1965, Cassius Clay, later known as Muhammad Ali, met Sonny Liston in a rematch for the world heavyweight championship. Ali kocked out Liston in the first round with the "phantom punch" that no one saw. In what unlikely venue did this bout take place?

Answer: Lewiston, Maine

The fight was originally supposed to take place in Boston in November 1964, but Ali suffered a hernia and when the bout was rescheduled, Lewiston was the only available venue. Havana was the site of Jack Johnson's loss of his title to Jess Willard in 1915. Willard consequently lost his title to Jack Dempsey in Toledo in 1919. An outdoor arena in Long Island City, Queens, was the site of several heavyweight title fights in the 1930s.

6. The 1965 Indianapolis 500 was won by a driver more familiarly known from the Formula One circuit. Who was this victorious outsider?

Answer: Jim Clark

All of these drivers made their names in Formula One. Scotsman Jim Clark won in a Lotus-Ford, the first rear-engine car to get a checkered flag. Fellow countryman Jackie Stewart was the top rookie the following year, when Englishman Graham Hill was the winner. Aussie Jack Brabham introduced the rear-engine to Indy in 1961.

7. On August 25, 1965, in one of baseball's nastier incidents, pitcher Juan Marichal of the San Francisco Giants clubbed a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers with a bat. Who was that unfortunate player?

Answer: John Roseboro

Juan Marichal, at bat, thought that catcher John Roseboro's return throw to pitcher Sandy Koufax was too close to his head and turned around and attacked the catcher. Roseboro was badly bloodied, but got away with a concussion. Marichal's unseemly act damaged his reputation for years and slowed his eventual election to the Hall of Fame. Koufax pitched a perfect game later that season and then led the Dodgers to a World Series victory. Tommy Davis was out of the lineup most of the season with a broken ankle, while Frank Howard (Marichal would have thought twice in such case) had been traded away to the Washington Senators the previous year.

8. Willie Mays had one of his best seasons in 1965, hitting .317 with 52 home runs and 112 RBI, and he was duly voted the National League MVP. The American League MVP was more improbable: a shortstop who hit .273 with 19 home runs and 77 RBI. Who was he?

Answer: Zoilo Versalles

This is a classic example of the perennial debate about the MVP. Does it go to the best player, or to the one most valuable to his team? Willie Mays was an example of the first case, while Zoilo Versalles, who helped lead the Minnesota Twins to the pennant, was an example of the latter. Luis Aparicio, Jim Fregosi, and Rico Petrocelli played shortstop in 1965 for the Baltimore Orioles, California Angels, and Boston Red Sox, respectively.

9. In the 1965 NFL season, what rookie had an unprecedented impact, scoring 22 touchdowns?

Answer: Gale Sayers

No running back, before or since, has had as glorious a rookie season as Gale Sayers had with the Chicago Bears in 1965. His career shortened by injury, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame at the tender age of 34. Johnny Roland, with the St. Louis Cardinals, and Mel Farr, with the Detroit Lions, were rookies-of-the-year in 1966 and 1967. O. J. Simpson broke in with the Buffalo Bills in 1976, but did not achieve stardom until a few years had elapsed.

10. Michigan State, Arkansas, and Nebraska, having finished the 1965 college football season undefeated, all lost their bowl games (on January 1, 1966). What other team ended up No. 1 in the final AP Poll?

Answer: Alabama

Alabama moved up after beating Nebraska in the Orange Bowl, while Michigan State was upset by UCLA in the Rose Bowl and Arkansas was upended by LSU in the Cotton Bowl.

Source: Author cobb367

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Nightmare before going online.
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Sports in 1965 Trivia Quiz

See what you remember about the American sports scene in 1965.

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