The Year in Sports: 1891 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Dumbarton and Rangers

While all eight teams played during the 1890-91 season, Dumbarton and Rangers (Glasgow) shared the title with identical records of 13 wins, 2 draws, and 3 losses. Dumbarton scored 61 goals for and 21 goals against while Rangers scored 58 goals for and 25 goals against.

The league also included 3rd LRV (Glasgow), Cowlairs, and Heart of Midlothian (Edinburgh). Renton was expelled from the league mid-season. Cowlairs was removed from the league after the conclusion of the season.

Answer: Springfield, MA

James Naismith (1861-1939) was working at the YTMCA training school in Springfield, MA, when he invented the game. At the time he was looking for an activity that would keep athletes active and out of mischief during the winter months. The first game was played in 1891 with nine players on the court for each team.

The game got its name from the peach baskets that were used as the first goals. Within a few years, teams and games began appearing at many college campuses, including the University of Kansas, where Naismith was the men's basketball coach from 1898-1907.

Answer: Welterweight

Bob Fitzsimmons won the Middleweight Title on January 14, 1891, in New Orleans, LA, against "Nonpareil" Jack Dempsey. During his career, Fitzsimmons held the Middleweight (1891-1894), Light Heavyweight (1903-1905), and Heavyweight (1896, 1897-1899) titles. Known for his extremely hard punches, Fitzsimmons was once tried for manslaughter after one of his blows knocked a sparring partner unconscious. (The sparring partner later died.).

His recorded 80 professional matches include 61 wins.

Answer: He was not French

H. Briggs (the only name by which he is known) was a British national who was living in Paris, France, at the time of the Tournament. A member of Club Stade Francais (a French tennis club), he was eligible to participate. Until 1925, only members of French tennis clubs were eligible to participate.

He won consecutive sets 6-3, 6-2, over P. Baigneres (a French national). The Tournament took place at Cercle des Sport de l'Ile Puteaux on a clay/sand surface.

Answer: University of Kansas

The football teams from the two schools met 120 times between 1891 and 2012, aided by the two schools being in the same conference from 1907 to 2012. The series is nearly evenly matched with Missouri leading 57-54-9. It is thought by some that the term Border War refers to the tension over slavery that existed between Missouri and Kansas in the 1850s.

The 1891 game occured on Halloween with Kansas winning 22-10. As occurred in 19 of the first 20 games in the series, the game was played at the relatively neutral site of Kansas City.

Answer: Barbados

Host Barbados won the first tournament which took place September 01-10, 1891. The Inter-Colonial Tournament represented the main first-class cricket competition in the West Indies before World War Two. The 1891 is not always counted in the list of Inter-Colonial Tournaments since it was originally planned as a stand-alone event.

After this first competition, the decision was made to make the tournament a regular event. Jamaica never participated in any of the tournaments, which were last played in 1939.

Answer: Malvolio

The Melbourne Cup is a 3.2 kilometer race that was first run in 1861. The jockey was G. Redfern. The trainer and owner was J. Redfearn. The winning time was 3 minutes, 29.25 seconds. There was a field of 34 horses that year. The Melbourne Cup is traditionally held on the first Tuesday in November. The three other horses were Melbourne Cup winners from the early 21st century.

Answer: Boston, MA

The National League Champion was the Boston Beaneaters (today's Atlanta Braves) and the American Association Champion was the Boston Reds. The Reds had actually begun in 1890 in the Player's League before joining the American Association the following year.

They played both of their seasons in Congress Street Grounds. The Boston Beaneaters played at South End Grounds. The Beaneaters refused to play against the Reds in an interleague series at the conclusion of the season. The American Association folded after the 1891 season.

Answer: Montreal Hockey Club

Montreal won all eight games in which it participated during the season (January to March). Montreal was a dominant power in Canadian hockey in the late 1800s--winning seven consecutive championship (1888-1894). There was no Toronto Hockey Club in the AHAC.

The other three teams that were part of the league in 1891 were all also from Montreal--Shamrocks, Victorias, and Crescents. The Montreal Hockey Club scored 28 goals during its eight games versus only seven by its opponents. Montreal would later be the first team to win the Stanley Cup.

Answer: Scotland

Hugh Kirkaldy (1868-1897) was from St. Andrew's, Scotland. His brothers (Andrew and Jack) were also professional golfers. While his 1891 victory represents his only championship win, he competed several other times in the 1880s and 1890s, tying for second place in the 1892 Open.

He won the 1891 Open by two strokes, with Willie Fernie and Andrew Kirkaldy (his brother) tying for second place. The 1891 Open took place on October 06-07, 1891, and involved 36 holes on each of the two days.