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USA by Year 1980s Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
USA by Year 1980s Quizzes, Trivia

USA by Year: 1980s Sports Trivia

USA by Year: 1980s Sports Trivia Quizzes

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Fun Trivia
6 quizzes and 60 trivia questions.
1.
  1980s All-American Sports   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This is the third in a series of quizzes on the people and events in the sports world in the 20th century.
Average, 10 Qns, brewster76, Nov 28 08
Average
brewster76
1196 plays
2.
  The 1980s: Sports in America   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A look back at the 1980s in American sports in all multiple choice. One question for each year. I hope you have fun with it. :)
Average, 10 Qns, Nightmare, May 24 11
Average
Nightmare gold member
489 plays
3.
  Test yourself! 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team Quiz    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This tests your knowledge of one of the most memorable sporting events in United States history.
Average, 10 Qns, paulb, Aug 12 09
Average
paulb
695 plays
4.
  Sports in the1980s    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz deals with events in sports during the decade of the 1980s.
Tough, 10 Qns, sportcon, Jun 18 01
Tough
sportcon
877 plays
5.
  1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team Quiz for Experts    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Quiz on the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, Good luck.
Very Difficult, 10 Qns, skitzroth, Nov 27 10
Very Difficult
skitzroth
193 plays
6.
  Sports in the Eighties    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz deals with sports in the 1980s. Can you remember that far back?
Difficult, 10 Qns, scottm, Dec 13 06
Difficult
scottm
650 plays
trivia question Quick Question
What National Basketball Association team won 5 titles in the decade?

From Quiz "Sports in the1980s"




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USA by Year: 1980s Sports Trivia Questions
1. America lost one of its first icons and former Olympic champion in 1980. Who was this sprinter that won four gold medals in the 1936 Berlin Games?

From Quiz The 1980s: Sports in America

Answer: Jesse Owens

Born in Alabama in 1913, Jesse was number seven of 11 children in his family. As a student of East Technical High School in Cleveland, Jesse tied the world record in the 100-yard dash, raising the eyebrows of the sports world. At the 1936 Games, Owens won gold in the 100 meters, 200 meters, the long jump, and as a member of the 4x100 meter relay team. In 1976, President Ford awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He died on March 31, 1980 of lung cancer. The year also saw golfing great Jack Nicklaus win another PGA Championship. Dale Earnhardt also won his first of seven Winston Cup championships in Nascar. Also in 1980, Larry Holmes defeated Muhammad Ali in Ali's last world title bout. Boxing fans also saw Roberto Duran in his 'No Mas Fight' with Sugar Ray Leonard.

2. Who was the youngest player on the US team?

From Quiz 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team

Answer: Mike Ramsey

Mike Ramsey was the youngest, at the age of 19.

3. In 1985 the Chicago Bears drafted Clemson University defensive lineman William Perry, who was better known in the NFL by what nickname?

From Quiz 1980s All-American Sports

Answer: Refrigerator

Perry stood 6'2" and weighed in at well over 300 pounds. In addition to his lineman duties, Perry also served as an offensive blocker for star running back Walter Payton. It's said his size 25 Super Bowl ring is the largest ever made.

4. In the ill fated NBA draft class of 1986, who was the first pick overall?

From Quiz Sports in the Eighties

Answer: Brad Daugherty

Bias was the 2nd pick that year.

5. In 1980 the United States and 63 other nations withdrew from the Summer Olympics in Moscow. What were these countries protesting?

From Quiz Sports in the1980s

Answer: Soviet invasion of Afghanistan

6. Horse racing in 1981 almost gave the fans something to cheer about, when this horse won the Kentucky Derby, The Preakness, but lost the Belmont Stakes to squelch any chance of winning the Triple Crown. Which horse was this?

From Quiz The 1980s: Sports in America

Answer: Pleasant Colony

Summings, ridden by G. Martens put the hooves to Pleasant Colony at Belmont. Highland Blade finished second, and Pleasant Colony came in third. He could have been the first Triple Crown winner since Secretariat in 1973, but it wasn't to be. In the same year, baseball fans witnessed the emergence of 'Fernando Mania', when Los Angeles Dodger rookie Fernando Valenzuela won the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Award, and helped the Dodgers to a World Series win over the Yankees.

7. How many players were from the University of Minnesota?

From Quiz 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team

Answer: 9

Mike Ramsey, Bill Baker, Phil Verchota, Neal Broten, Buzz Schneider, Eric Strobel, Steve Christoff, Rob McClanahan, Steve Janaszak, all went to Minnesota University.

8. What are the names of the American twins who made Olympic history by finishing 1-2 in the Slalom event at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo?

From Quiz 1980s All-American Sports

Answer: Phil and Steve Mahre

Phil Mahre was chosen for his first US Ski Team at the age of 15 in 1973. Steve Mahre was actually in the lead in the Slalom at the '84 Games going into the final run but a few mistakes gave his fraternal twin the gold. At the '84 Olympics the US won 5 medals in skiing, all of them by skiiers from the Pacific Northwest: the two by the Mahres (Yakima, WA), Debbie Armstrong (Seattle, WA) and Christin Cooper (Sun Valley, ID) went 1-2 in the women's grand slalom and Bill Johnson (Portland, OR) won the downhill event.

9. Who was the only member of the team who did not play in any game at the 1980 Olympics?

From Quiz 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team

Answer: Steve Janaszak

Janaszak was the backup goaltender.

10. What was the only MLB team to win two World Series in the 1980s?

From Quiz Sports in the Eighties

Answer: Dodgers

They did it in 1981 and 1988.

11. In what year was the 3 point field goal inaugurated in college basketball?

From Quiz Sports in the1980s

Answer: 1986

12. Boxing fans mourned the loss of Duk Koo Kim in 1982, who died just five days after a WBA title match with which boxing champion?

From Quiz The 1980s: Sports in America

Answer: Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini

Mancini had won the WBA Lightweight Championship in March by defeating Arturo Frias. In Ray's first title defense, he met Duk Koo Kim in November at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Kim died just five days after the 14-round fight. Mancini went into depression after attending the funeral in South Korea, but not as much as Kim's mother who committed suicide four months later. Richard Green, who refereed the bout, also committed suicide the following July. The fight was later called, "Tragedy In The Ring". Sports fans also saw Scott Hamilton win the 1982 World Figure Skating Championships. Fans also witnessed Gato Del Sol win the Kentucky Derby, and Gordon Johncock win the Indianapolis 500.

13. Who was the only team player that attended North Dakota University?

From Quiz 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team

Answer: Dave Christian

Mark Wells and Ken Morrow went to Bowling Green, Mark Pavelich attended Minnesota-Duluth.

14. In 1989 pitcher Jim Abbott garnered headlines when he made his major league debut as a California Angel without having ever played in the minors. What physical feature also made Abbott notable?

From Quiz 1980s All-American Sports

Answer: He had only one hand

Abbott was born without a right hand. A desiginated hitter was used when he was at bat although he did get two hits when he later played for the Milwaukee Brewers.

15. Who scored the game winning goal in the game against the USSR?

From Quiz 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team

Answer: Mike Eruzione

Eruzione was the team captain.

16. How many Stanley Cups did Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers win in the decade?

From Quiz Sports in the Eighties

Answer: 4

The Oilers won the fifth one without Gretzky. It also occurrd in 1990.

17. The year of 1983 saw the longest-running unbeaten streak in all of sports come to an end. In the America Cup of yacht racing, Liberty of New York was heavily-favored to win the cup, but was upset by which Australian yacht?

From Quiz The 1980s: Sports in America

Answer: Australia II

The New York Yacht Club had a 132-year winning streak through 25 Cup challenges. The unbeaten streak came to an end when Australia II of the Royal Perth Yacht Club took the Cup. In the world of tennis in 1983, the Australian Open was won by Mats Wilander, the French Open by Yannick Noah, Wimbledon by John McEnroe, and the US Open by Jimmy Connors. The boxing world also felt the loss of the great Jack Dempsey, who died on May 31.

18. Who did the U.S. defeat in the final game that clinched the gold medal?

From Quiz 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team

Answer: Finland

The USA won by a final score of 4-2.

19. How many rushing yards did the New England Patriots gain in Super Bowl XX?

From Quiz Sports in the Eighties

Answer: 7

On eleven attempts.

20. What year did the Baltimore Colts sneak out of town in the dark of night for Indianapolis?

From Quiz Sports in the1980s

Answer: 1984

21. On July 4, 1984, auto racing fans saw which legend win his 200th and final Nascar race of his great career?

From Quiz The 1980s: Sports in America

Answer: Richard Petty

'King Richard' as he was known, won seven Nascar championships behind the wheel of the famous STP number 43. His son Kyle went on to carry the Petty name in auto racing, while Kyle's son Adam was killed in a race car. The year also saw Swale win the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, two of the three Triple Crown legs of horse racing. The 1984 Summer Olympic Games found the United States win the most medals with 174, and the most gold medals with 83. In the 1984 Winter Olympics at Sarajevo, the USSR took home the most medals with 25.

22. Which goalie from those Olympics went on to play for the Flyers?

From Quiz 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team

Answer: Pellie Lindbergh

Jim Craig played for Atlanta, Boston and Minnesota is his career. Tretiak never played in the NHL, and Janaszak played for Colorado and Minnesota.

23. Which tennis player (born in Hoboken, New Jersey) became the youngest male winner of a Grand Slam event when he won the 1989 French Open at the age of 17?

From Quiz 1980s All-American Sports

Answer: Michael Chang

Agassi won his first Grand Slam tournament (Wimbledon) in 1992 at the age of 22. Courier was a few months shy of 21 when he won the French Open in 1991. Becker was born in Germany. Chang, Courier, Agassi and Pete Sampras formed the core of a new generation of American players to dominate men's professional tennis in the 90s.

24. What player is remembered for skating around with an American flag draped around him asking "Where's my father"?

From Quiz 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team

Answer: Jim Craig

Craig was the goaltender for the U.S. team.

25. Who did George Brett beat for the batting title in 1976?

From Quiz Sports in the Eighties

Answer: Hal McRae

Brett's final hit of the year drew great controversy since the outfielder let the ball drop in front of him, thus keeping McRae, a DH, from taking the title.

26. Members of what Super Bowl team cut sport's first music video, entitled 'The Super Bowl Shuffle'?

From Quiz Sports in the1980s

Answer: Chicago Bears

27. In the 1985 World Snooker Championship, who beat the legendary Steve Davis in the closest final match in snooker history?

From Quiz The 1980s: Sports in America

Answer: Dennis Taylor

Dennis Taylor beat Steve Davis 18-17 on the final ball of the final frame of the match. Davis won at the Crucible six times in the 1980s, only to be surpassed by Stephen Hendry who won seven in the 1990s. Also in 1985, the San Francisco 49ers won their second Super Bowl over the Dolphins in January. The Chicago Bears, under the helm of head coach Mike Ditka and the arm of quarterback Jim McMahon, went 15-1 in the season and would win the following Super Bowl. The LPGA golf championship also went to Nancy Lopez in the year.

28. Who was the oldest player on the team?

From Quiz 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team

Answer: Buzz Schneider

Schneider was older than Eruzione by a little over a month, both being 25 during the Games.

29. Which member of the team went to the NHL and played in the 1980 Stanley Cup winning team?

From Quiz 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team

Answer: Ken Morrow

Morrow was a defenseman who went to play for the New York Islanders.

30. What country featured track legends such as Sebastien Coe and Steve Cram who frequently set world records in the mile and other middle distance events?

From Quiz Sports in the Eighties

Answer: Great Britain

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