If a Nevada Parole Board releases O.J. Simpson from prison on Oct. 3, 2017, which reportedly is still on the table, it would be 22 years to the day that Judge Lance Ito read the verdict that Simpson was acquitted of the double murder of his estranged wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman.
Should Simpson be freed instead on Oct. 1, which reportedly is the earliest date possible, the amazing irony disappears, but from a sports stand point, well, take a look at this list of events that took place on a date steeped in sports history unlike many others.
Roger Maris hits No. 61 (Oct. 1, 1961)
The major league home run record went from one New York Yankee to another as Roger Maris broke Babe Ruth's single-season mark, which had been standing for 34 years. As with anything related to Ruth, Maris' record was controversial at the time as it was accomplished during a longer season. In Ruth's era, teams only played 154 games instead of the 162 that is now standard. Either way, Maris' mark stood for 37 years until both Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa broke it in 1998.
Ichiro makes history (Oct. 1, 2004)
One of the most prolific hitters in baseball history set one of his many records on this day in 2004, as Ichiro Suzuki broke the mark for most hits in a season. The previous record (257) had stood for the better part of a century before the Japanese star rewrote history 13 years ago. Ichiro would add four more hits to his tally, ending the season with 262.
Babe Ruth calls his shot (Oct. 1, 1932)
Everyone knows the story.
Babe Ruth, dealing with some hecklers while at the plate during a World Series game in Chicago, points to a spot in the Wrigley Field outfield and promptly hits a home run almost exactly where he pointed.
It's a tale so rooted in baseball lore that its validity doesn't even matter. Grainy film footage of the event doesn't confirm the story, but it doesn't provide concrete evidence that the infamous Ruth "point" didn't happen.
Regardless, it remains one of the most famous stories in sporting history, and adds to the legend that was George Herman Ruth, Jr.
USA men's basketball wins Gold at Sydney Olympics (Oct. 1, 2000)
The men's basketball tournament at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney was pretty straightforward in terms of expectations — The USA won gold to no one's surprise, and a Steve Nash-led Canada had a strong run in the preliminary round only to be ousted by eventual silver medal-winning France at the first knockout hurdle.
But if there was one moment that stood out from that tournament, it wasn't the gold medal game. Vince Carter, the first superstar in Toronto Raptors history, anounced himself as a star earlier in 2000 by winning the NBA Slam Dunk competition, but he took Vinsanity to a global scale during the USA's run to gold when he dunked over 7-foot-2 French centre Frederic Weiss in the preliminary round.
Carter and the USA would again meet Weiss and France in the Olympic final, on Oct. 1, with the United States winning, 85-75.
The Thrilla in Manila (Oct. 1, 1975)
Back in the day when big boxing events actually would take place outside of Las Vegas, perhaps the biggest of them all took place in 1975.
The third of three bouts between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, this one went a gruelling 14 rounds before Frazier's corner threw in the towel, against their boxer's wishes.
Ali won by TKO, and won the series between the two fighters 2-1. He would later say that the savage fight had also taken him to his ultimate limit. "Frazier quit just before I did,' Ali told biographer Thomas Hauser in 1990. "I didn't think I could fight any more."
First World Series (Oct. 1, 1903)
In the Wild West world of professional baseball prior to MLB, the first World Series of the modern era was an informal series between the AL and NL leaders of that year — The Boston Americans (later, Red Sox) and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Pittsburgh, which was spelled without the 'h' at the time, was favoured to claim the series and started off well. The Pirates won three of the first four games before allowing Boston to win four straight and clinch the series, 5-3.
Pele Retires (Oct. 1, 1977)
The man many still consider to be the best soccer player to ever play hung up his cleats three weeks shy of his 37th birthday.
Edson Arantes do Nascimento only played for two clubs — Santos and the New York Cosmos — but his impact on the professional game can still be felt in North America today. The Cosmos were well ahead of their time in terms of the attention they could draw on this continent, with much of that attention coming thanks to the affable Brazilian. Their single-season attendance record of 47,856 still stands as the highest average attendance for a club in the U.S. and Canada (although MLS expansion Atlanta United is on pace to break it later this year).
NHL Lockout Begins (Oct. 1, 1994)
The first of multiple lockouts over the course of the next two decades, this was the first work stoppage under then-new NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.
Shortening the 1994-95 season to 48 games, the lockout centred around salary cap issues that ultimately never got resolved. It would be the first of three work stoppages under Bettman, including the 2004-05 lockout that caused the cancellation of the entire season.
Lennox Lewis defeats Frank Bruno (Oct. 1, 1993)
The British-born, Kitchener, Ont.-raised, heavyweight is still a polarizing figure among Canadian boxing fans, given his controversial decision to represent his birth nation as a professional after winning Olympic and Commonwealth gold under the Maple Leaf.
Regardless, Lewis was a force upon turning pro, and he quickly rose up the ranks to claim the WBC heavyweight title. During his first reign as WBC champion, Lewis successfully defended the title three times, including a knockout victory over Frank Bruno that was notable for being the first heavyweight title bout between two British fighters.