1977 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1977 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1976–77 season, and the culmination of the 1977 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested between the Boston Bruins and the defending champion Montreal Canadiens. The Bruins were making their first appearance in the final series since their loss in the 1974 Final. The Canadiens would win the best-of-seven series four games to none, to win their second straight Stanley Cup championship, and 20th overall.


1977 Stanley Cup Finals, Paths to the Finals
Montreal defeated the St. Louis Blues 4–0 and the New York Islanders 4–2 to advance to the final.


1977 Stanley Cup Finals, Paths to the Finals
Boston defeated the Los Angeles Kings 4–2 and the Philadelphia Flyers 4–0 to make it to the final.


1977 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries
Jacques Lemaire scored three game-winning goals, including the Cup-winner in overtime. Guy Lafleur won the Conn Smythe Trophy for scoring nine goals and 17 assists during the playoffs.


1977 Stanley Cup Finals, Stanley Cup engraving
The 1977 Stanley Cup was presented to Canadiens captain Yvan Cournoyer by NHL President Clarence Campbell following the Canadiens 2–1 overtime win over the Bruins in game four.


1977 Stanley Cup Finals, Stanley Cup engraving
The following Canadiens players and staff had their names engraved on the Stanley Cup


1977 Star World Championships
The 1977 Star World Championships were held in Kiel, Germany in 1977.


1977 Star World Championships, Results
Legend: DNF – Did not finish; DNS – Did not start; DSQ – Disqualified; WDR – Withdrew;


1977 Stockholm Open
The 1977 Stockholm Open was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts and part of the 1977 Colgate-Palmolive Grand Prix and took place at the Kungliga tennishallen in Stockholm, Sweden. It was the ninth edition of the tournament and was held from 6 November through 12 November 1977. Sandy Mayer won the singles title.


1977 Stockholm Open, Finals, Doubles
Wojciech Fibak /  Tom Okker defeated  Brian Gottfried /  Raúl Ramírez, 6–3, 6–3


1977 Stockholm Open – Doubles
Bob Hewitt and Frew McMillan were the defending champions, but lost in the quarterfinals this year.


1977 Stockholm Open – Doubles
Wojtek Fibak and Tom Okker won the title, defeating Brian Gottfried and Raúl Ramírez 6–3, 6–3 in the final.


1977 Stockholm Open – Singles
Mark Cox was the defending champion, but lost in the second round this year.


1977 Stockholm Open – Singles
Sandy Mayer won the title, defeating Raymond Moore 6–2, 6–4 in the final.


1977 Strabane District Council election
Elections to Strabane District Council were held on 18 May 1977 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used three district electoral areas to elect a total of 15 councillors.


1977 Strabane District Council election, Districts results, Area A
1973: 3 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Independent Nationalist1977: 2 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Independent Nationalist1973-1977 Change: DUP gain from UUP


1977 Strabane District Council election, Districts results, Area B
1973: 2 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x United Loyalist Coalition1977: 2 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Independent Nationalist1973-1977 Change: Independent Nationalist gain from Alliance, United Loyalist Coalition joins DUP


1977 Strabane District Council election, Districts results, Area C
1973: 2 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent Nationalist1977: 3 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Independent Nationalist1973-1977 Change: SDLP gain from Alliance


1977 Sudan Juba coup d'état attempt
The 1977 Sudanese Juba coup d'état attempt was an unsuccessful coup, led by 12 Air Force members who had previously been members of Anyanya. The exact specifications of the coup attempt vary, although tend to focus on a failed attempt by the group to take the Juba airport.


1977 Sudan Juba coup d'état attempt
The coup's political leadership, consisting of High Executive Council members Joseph Oduho, Benjamin Akok, and Malath Joseph, had been previously arrested, and some sources suggest the group attempted to storm Juba prison, to release the group's arrested leadership.


1977 Sudan Juba coup d'état attempt
Harold Bowman, a 30 year old pilot with Africa Inland Mission was killed while driving passengers to the Juba airport during the shooting.


1977 Sudanese presidential election
Presidential elections were held in Sudan between 10 and 20 April 1977. Jaafar Nimeiry was the only candidate, and received 99.1% of the vote, with a 98.3% turnout.


1977 Sugar Bowl
The 1977 Sugar Bowl was the 43rd edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Saturday, January 1. Part of the 1976–77 bowl game season, it matched the top-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers and the #5 Georgia Bulldogs, champions of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Independent Pittsburgh won 27–3, and were consensus national champions.


1977 Sugar Bowl
After four editions on New Year's Eve, the Sugar Bowl returned to New Year's Day this year.


1977 Sugar Bowl, Teams, Pittsburgh
After an 8–4 season in 1975, Pittsburgh was ranked ninth in the preseason AP Poll in 1976, with their opener at #11 Notre Dame; they won 31–10, and the Panthers rose to third in the next poll. When Michigan lost to Purdue on November 6, the Panthers climbed to first. Pittsburgh beat West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl and Penn State at Three Rivers Stadium to finish the regular season undefeated, and were invited to the Sugar Bowl for the chance to win the national championship. This was the first time the Panthers had made bowl appearances in consecutive seasons since 1955–1956 (last playing in the Sugar Bowl in January 1956).


1977 Sugar Bowl, Teams, Pittsburgh
Senior halfback Tony Dorsett rushed for 1,948 yards in the regular season, and became the first Panther to win the Heisman Trophy.


1977 Sugar Bowl, Teams, Georgia
Georgia had started 4–0, including a 21–0 shutout of Alabama, but a four-point loss at Ole Miss dropped them from #4 to #11. But the Bulldogs finished the season with six straight victories to get back to #4 along with being champion of the Southeastern Conference, their first SEC title since 1968. This was Georgia's fourth straight bowl appearance and first Sugar Bowl since January 1969. The Bulldogs had played just one game on artificial turf in the regular season, a loss at Ole Miss. This was the first year in which the SEC was the official conference tie-in to the Sugar Bowl.


1977 Sugar Bowl, Game summary
The game kicked off shortly before 12 noon CST, more than an hour ahead of the Cotton Bowl.


1977 Sugar Bowl, Game summary
Pittsburgh took control early, driving 80 yards in 12 plays that culminated with a touchdown run by quarterback Matt Cavanaugh. Seven minutes into the second quarter, he completed a pass to Gordon Jones for 59 yards for a touchdown to make it 14–0. Near the end of the quarter, Tony Dorsett scored from eleven yards out and it was 21–0 at halftime. Georgia's a 6–2 defense had focused on Dorsett exclusively, which opened up the Panthers' passing game, as the receivers were being given one-on-one coverage. Pittsburgh took advantage, passing for 185 yards in the first half while Dorsett was held to 65 yards; he rushed for 137 yards in the second half.


1977 Sugar Bowl, Game summary
A Pittsburgh fumble on the first drive of the second half gave the ball to Georgia at the Panther 26, but the Bulldogs could only forward it to the seven; Allan Leavitt kicked a 25-yard field goal for Georgia's only points of the game. Panther kicker Carson Long countered with a 42-yarder to make it 24–3 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter, he kicked another from 31 yards to make the final score 27–3. Dorsett rushed for 202 yards on 32 carries (6.3 avg. ), scoring one touchdown.


1977 Sugar Bowl, Game summary
Running back (and future Georgia head coach) Ray Goff rushed for 76 yards on 17 carries. Cavanaugh was 10-of-18 for 192 yards for one touchdown and was named game MVP. Georgia's option  quarterback Ray Goff was replaced by Matt Robinson, who completed just two of fifteen attempts for 33 yards with three interceptions.


1977 Sugar Bowl, Game summary
With the win, Pittsburgh was declared national champions by both major polls, their first since 1937.


1977 Sugar Bowl, Aftermath
Announced weeks earlier, Majors left Pittsburgh for his alma mater Tennessee after the game, and this remains Pittsburgh's most recent national championship. The Panthers returned once to the Sugar Bowl, while Georgia has returned six times; the two teams met in the Sugar Bowl five years later in January 1982.


1977 Sugar Bowl, Aftermath
During the 1970s, the top-ranked team won its bowl game only three times: Pittsburgh joined Nebraska (1971) and USC (1972).


1977 Sumba earthquake
The 1977 Sumba earthquake (also called the Sumbawa earthquake) occurred approximately 290 kilometres (180 mi) south of Bima, Sumbawa, and beneath the Indian Ocean, at 14:08 local time on 19 August. With a moment magnitude of 8.3, the earthquake is notable for having an unusually great magnitude for a shock with a normal faulting focal mechanism. The shock occurred near the southern section of the Sunda Trench where several other tsunami-generating earthquakes have occurred. The earthquake was at the time the largest outer-rise earthquake ever recorded in Indonesia, and aftershocks along the trench extended about 130 kilometres (81 mi) eastward and 110 kilometres (68 mi) westward from the epicenter.


1977 Sumba earthquake
Although damage from the earthquake was limited to Indonesia, ground movement was reportedly felt as far afield as Albany in Australia, and the power supply was briefly cut in Port Hedland. A tsunami was generated with observed run-up heights of up to 5.8 meters (19 ft) and inundation distances of up to 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) at several locations on Sumba and Sumbawa. The combined number of victims from both the earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia was at least 107 confirmed dead and several dozen others missing, presumed dead; several sources combine the two for a total casualty figure of approximately 180 deaths and 1,100 injuries.


1977 Summer Deaflympics
The 1977 Summer Deaflympics (Romanian: Al 1977 diapimpic de vară), officially known as the 13th Summer Deaflympics (Romanian: Al 13-lea diapimpic de vară), is an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from July 17 to July 27, 1977 in Bucharest, Romania.


1977 Summer Deaflympics, Notable achievements
Jeff Float won 10 gold medals for swimming in this competition, a record in the Deaflympics.


1977 Summer Universiade
The 1977 Summer Universiade, also known as the IX Summer Universiade, took place in Sofia, Bulgaria.


1977 Sun Belt Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
The 1977 Sun Belt Conference Men's Basketball Tournament was held February 27–March 11 at a combination of on-campus gymnasiums and the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. This was the first edition of the tournament.


1977 Sun Belt Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
UNC Charlotte defeated New Orleans in the championship game, 71–70, to win their first Sun Belt men's basketball tournament.


1977 Sun Belt Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
The 49ers, in turn, received an automatic bid to the 1977 NCAA Tournament, where they defeated Central Michigan, Syracuse, and Michigan on their way to the Final Four before falling to eventual-champions Marquette.


1977 Sun Belt Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, Format
All six of the conference's members participated in the tournament field. They were seeded based on regular season conference records with the top two teams earning byes to the semifinal round. Quarter-Final games were played at the campus gym of the higher-seeded team. The Semi-Finals and Championship game, meanwhile, were played at the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina.


1977 Sun Bowl (December)
The 1977 Sun Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game, part of the bowl schedule of the 1977 NCAA Division I football season. Played on Saturday, December 31,  it matched the LSU Tigers of the Southeastern Conference and the Stanford Cardinals of the Pacific-8 Conference at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas. It was the 44th edition of the Sun Bowl (43rd playing between collegiate teams).


1977 Sun Bowl (December)
LSU running back Charles Alexander ran for 197 yards and a first half touchdown, but Stanford's defense held the Tigers scoreless in the second half, and quarterback Guy Benjamin threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns on the day to lead the Cardinals to a 24–14 upset.


1977 Sun Bowl (December), Teams, Stanford Cardinals
Stanford finished the regular season tied for second place in the Pac-8 conference under first-year head coach Bill Walsh, and was making its first ever non-Rose Bowl postseason appearance. (The Pac-8 had not allowed multiple bowl teams until the 1975 season.) The Cardinals were noted for their pass-heavy offense, led by Sammy Baugh Trophy-award winning quarterback Guy Benjamin, wide receiver James Lofton, and freshman running back Darrin Nelson.


1977 Sun Bowl (December), Teams, LSU Tigers
LSU finished third in the SEC behind long-time coach Charles McClendon. The Tigers were led by running back Charles Alexander, the number two rusher in college football behind Heisman Trophy winner Earl Campbell.


1977 Sun Bowl (December), Game summary
After holding Stanford on its first possession, LSU marched 80 yards in nine plays and scored on a short pass play. Stanford answered on a long pass from Benjamin to Lofton to tie the score and added a Ken Naber field goal to move ahead, 10–7. Just before halftime, LSU running back Alexander scored on a seven-yard run to retake the lead, giving him 123 yards for the half. He would end with 197 yards on the day, establishing a new Sun Bowl rushing record, surpassing Tony Dorsett's 142 yards. He was named the game's offensive most valuable player.


1977 Sun Bowl (December), Game summary
The second half was all Stanford. Benjamin threw two more touchdown passes, a short 2-yarder to Lofton and a 20-yard pass to Nelson. Benjamin ended the day 23 for 36 passing for 269 yards and three touchdowns, a Sun Bowl record. Lofton had 4 receptions for 79 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, Stanford held LSU scoreless in the second half, and intercepted three passes. Linebacker Gordy Ceresino recorded 22 tackles to lead the Cardinals, and was named the game's defensive MVP.


1977 Sun Bowl (December), Aftermath
Walsh led Stanford to another bowl win the next season in the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl, and then was hired as head coach of the NFL's San Francisco 49ers, eventually leading them to three Super Bowl titles in ten seasons. Stanford's football program slid after Walsh's departure, and they did not return to a bowl for eight years, at the 1986 Gator Bowl. Three years after retiring from the 49ers, Walsh returned to Stanford in 1992 and coached the Cardinal for three seasons and one bowl victory. Receiver Lofton played fifteen years in the NFL (mostly with the Green Bay Packers) and, like Walsh, is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.


1977 Sun Bowl (December), Aftermath
McClendon coached two more seasons for LSU, leading them to postseason appearances in the 1978 Liberty Bowl and 1979 Tangerine Bowl, and then retired from coaching. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1986. Alexander played for the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XVI against Walsh's 49ers and is best known for being stopped inches short of the goal by San Francisco linebacker Dan Bunz on a third down pass in the third quarter with the 49ers leading, 20-7. The Bengals were held scoreless on that drive when Pete Johnson was stuffed on fourth down, helping the 49ers go on to a 26-21 victory.


1977 Sun Bowl (January)
The 1977 Sun Bowl was a college football postseason bowl game that featured the Texas A&M Aggies and the Florida Gators.


1977 Sun Bowl (January), Background
The Aggies finished third in the Southwest Conference due to losses to the eventual co-champions of the conference, Texas Tech and Houston, though they were invited to their first ever Sun Bowl. The Gators finished tied for third the Southeastern Conference with Kentucky and Mississippi State in their fourth straight bowl season.


1977 Sun Bowl (January), Game summary
The Aggies scored first on a Tony Franklin field goal from 39 yards out after a drive of nearly 4 minutes to give them the lead midway through the first quarter. The Gators had a miserable first half, with two first downs and no completed passes in total. Walker scored on a touchdown plunge to make it 10-0 in the 2nd quarter after a Florida fumble gave the ball to the Aggies at the 14. After a Florida punt, the Aggies were given the ball back at the 50.


1977 Sun Bowl (January), Game summary
After gaining only 5 yards, the Aggies elected to let Franklin attempt a 62 yard field goal, which went through the uprights. His kick set a post season record and gave them a 13-0 lead. After both teams punted, the Aggies drove from their 33 to the Gator 16 and Franklin made a 33 yard field goal to make it 16-0 with 1:26 left in the second half. George Woodward scored on a touchdown plunge with 10:50 left in the 3rd on a short 45 yard drive.


1977 Sun Bowl (January), Game summary
A successful 2-pt conversion made it 24-0 A&M. Wes Chandler rushed for a 29 yard touchdown to narrow the lead to 24-7. However, a Florida interception gave the ball back to the Aggies later in the quarter and George Woodward scored on a 3 yard touchdown plunge to make it 31-7. The Gators scored one last time in the 4th on a Terry LeCount touchdown plunge to make it 31-14. Woodard scored on a touchdown pass from Walker with 3:08 left to make it 37-14, and the Aggies won soon after. Franklin kicked three field goals and kicked two extra point attempts in an MVP effort. He was later named to the 75th Anniversary All-Sun Bowl Team. George Woodward rushed for 125 yards on 25 attempts with 3 touchdowns.


1977 Sun Bowl (January), Aftermath
After the 1977 football season, A&M played in the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl in December. Florida did not return to a bowl game until the 1980 Tangerine Bowl. A&M next played in the Sun Bowl in 1989, when it was known as the John Hancock Bowl. Through the 2019 football season, the January 1977 edition has been Florida's only Sun Bowl appearance, and has also been the most recent Sun Bowl not played in December.


1977 Surinamese general election
General elections were held in Suriname on 31 October 1977, the first after independence. The result was a victory for the National Party Combination (an alliance of the National Party of Suriname, the Renewed Progressive Party, the Party for National Unity and Solidarity and the Suriname Progressive People's Party), which won 22 of the 39 seats. Voter turnout was 77.8%.


1977 Surinamese general election, Results
1 The United Democratic Party was an alliance of the Progressive Reform Party, the United People's Party, the NPD, the Socialist Party of Suriname and Pendawa Lima.


1977 Surinamese general election, Results
2 The Democratic People's Front was an alliance of the Democratic People's Front, the United Indian Party, the Progressive Farm Labourer's Party, the Bush Negro Unity Party and the Progressive Bush Negro Party.


1977 Surrey County Council election
Elections to Surrey County Council were held on Thursday, 5 May 1977. The whole council of 73 members was up for election and the result was that the Conservatives comfortably retained their control, winning 68 seats, gaining ten from Labour, nine from the Liberals (who lost all their seats), and two from Independents. Labour ended with only two county councillors and the Independents with three, including one who stood as a "Resident" and another who stood as a "Ratepayer".


1977 Swedish Grand Prix
The 1977 Swedish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Scandinavian Raceway on 19 June 1977. It was the eighth race of the 1977 World Championship of F1 Drivers and the 1977 International Cup for F1 Constructors.


1977 Swedish Grand Prix
The 72-lap race was won by Frenchman Jacques Laffite, driving a Ligier-Matra. This was the first Formula One victory for a French team and a French engine, as well as the first all-French victory in the Formula One World Championship.


1977 Swedish Grand Prix
German driver Jochen Mass finished second in a McLaren-Ford, with Argentinian Carlos Reutemann third in a Ferrari.


1977 Swedish Grand Prix, Report
The Swedish race was full of anticipation after Gunnar Nilsson's win last time out, but once again in qualifying, it was his teammate Mario Andretti leading the way from John Watson, with James Hunt heading the second row. At the start, again it was Watson who led into the first corner followed by Jody Scheckter, but soon Andretti passed both of them and opened up a lead. Watson and Scheckter battled for second until they collided, with Scheckter having to retire and Watson pitting for repairs.


1977 Swedish Grand Prix, Report
Hunt took second but he began to drop back and was passed by a charging Jacques Laffite, and then by his teammate Jochen Mass. Andretti however, was dominant until he had to pit due to a fuel metering problem with two laps left, handing the lead to Laffite who went on to take his first ever win ahead of Mass and Reutemann.


1977 Swedish Grand Prix, Report
Laffite's victory in his Gitanes-sponsored Ligier-Matra marked the first all-French victory in World Championship history.


1977 Swedish Open
The 1977 Swedish Open was a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts held in Båstad, Sweden. It was a Two Star category tournament and part of the Grand Prix circuit. It was the 30th edition of the tournament and was held from 3 July through 10 July 1977. Second-seeded Corrado Barazzutti won the singles title.


1977 Swedish Open, Finals, Doubles
Mark Edmondson /  John Marks defeated  Jean-Louis Haillet /  François Jauffret 6–4, 6–0


1977 Swedish motorcycle Grand Prix
The 1977 Swedish motorcycle Grand Prix was the tenth round of the 1977 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on 23–24 July 1977 at the Scandinavian Raceway.


1977 Swiss Indoors
The 1977 Swiss Indoors was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts at the St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland that was part of the 1977 Colgate-Palmolive Grand Prix. It was the ninth edition of the tournament and was held from 25 October through 30 October 1977. First-seeded Björn Borg won the singles title.


1977 Swiss Indoors, Finals, Doubles
Mark Cox /  Buster Mottram defeated  John Feaver /  John James 7–5, 6–4, 6–3


1977 Swiss referendums
Fourteen referendums were held in Switzerland in 1977. The first three were held on 13 March on popular initiatives on foreign infiltration, limiting naturalisation and changing the rules on referendums on treaties (which also had a counter-proposal). All three were rejected, whilst the counter-proposal was approved. The next two were held on 12 June on changes to sales tax and direct federal taxation (rejected) and on tax harmonisation (approved).


1977 Swiss referendums
The next set of referendums was held on 25 September on popular initiatives on protecting tenants (rejected, with a counter-proposal also rejected), air pollution caused by motor vehicles (rejected), and a law allowing abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy (rejected), as well as on two government proposals to raise the number of signatures required for optional referendums (approved) and popular initiatives (approved).


1977 Swiss referendums
The final four referendums were held on 4 December on a popular initiative on a wealth tax (rejected) and three federal law on political rights (approved), creating a civilian alternative to military service (rejected) and on balancing the federal budget (approved).


1977 Syracuse Orangemen football team
The 1977 Syracuse Orangemen football team represented Syracuse University during the 1977 NCAA Division I football season. The team was led by fourth-year head coach Frank Maloney and played their home games at Archbold Stadium in Syracuse, New York. The team finished 6–5 and was not invited to a bowl game.


1977 Syrian parliamentary election
Parliamentary elections were held in Syria on 1 and 2 August 1977. The result was a victory for the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party, which won 125 of the 195 seats.


1977 São Paulo FC season
The 1977 football season was São Paulo's 48th season since club's existence.


1977 TAA Formula Ford Driver to Europe Series
The 1977 TAA Formula Ford Driver to Europe Series was an Australian motor racing competition open to Formula Ford racing cars. The series, which was the eighth national series for Formula Fords to be held in Australia, was won by John Smith driving a Bowin P4a.


1977 TANFL season
The 1977 Tasmanian Australian National Football League (TANFL) premiership season was an Australian rules football competition staged in Hobart, Tasmania over fifteen (15) roster rounds and four (4) finals series matches between 16 April and 10 September 1977.


1977 TANFL season, 1977 TANFL Ladder, Grand Final
Source: All scores and statistics courtesy of the Hobart Mercury and Saturday Evening Mercury (SEM) publications.


1977 TCU Horned Frogs football team
The 1977 TCU Horned Frogs football team represented Texas Christian University (TCU) in the 1977 NCAA Division I football season. The Horned Frogs finished the season 2–9 overall and 1–7 in the Southwest Conference. The team was coached by F. A. Dry, in his first year as head coach. The Frogs played their home games in Amon G. Carter Stadium, which is located on campus in Fort Worth, Texas.


1977 Taipei Summit Open
The 1977 Taipei Summit Open was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts in Taipei, Taiwanthat was part of the 1977 Colgate-Palmolive Grand Prix. It was the inaugural edition of the tournament and was held from 21 November through 26 November 1977. First-seeded Tim Gullikson won the singles title.


1977 Taipei Summit Open, Finals, Singles
Tim Gullikson defeated  Ismail El Shafei 6–7, 7–5, 7–6, 6–4


1977 Taipei Summit Open, Finals, Doubles
Chris Delaney /  Pat DuPré defeated  Steve Docherty /  Tom Gorman 7–6, 7–6


1977 Talladega 500
The 1977 Talladega 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race that took place on August 7, 1977, at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama.


1977 Talladega 500, Background
Talladega Superspeedway, originally known as Alabama International Motor Superspeedway (AIMS), is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base in the small city of Lincoln. The track is a Tri-oval and was constructed by International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France Family, in the 1960s. Talladega is most known for its steep banking and the unique location of the start/finish line - located just past the exit to pit road. The track currently hosts the NASCAR series such as the Sprint Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and the Camping World Truck Series. Talladega Superspeedway is the longest NASCAR oval with a length of 2.66 miles (4.28 km), and the track at its peak had a seating capacity of 175,000 spectators.


1977 Talladega 500, Race report
Roger Penske withdrew his entry following fines to DiGard Racing, Bud Moore Engineering, the Junior Johnson team, the M.C. Anderson team, and Hoss Ellington's team; the fines came when NASCAR chief Bill Gazaway announced that an unnamed team was caught with an illegal fuel cell and an official watched members of the above-mentioned teams at garage pay phones calling for legal fuel cells. Hank Williams, Jr. served as the honorary starter of this race; joining a list of celebrities that came before and after him like Bart Starr and Will Ferrell.


1977 Talladega 500, Race report
Notable crew chiefs for this race included Tex Powell, Buddy Parrott, Jake Elder, Joey Arrington, Kirk Shelmerdine, Dale Inman, Harry Hyde, and Tim Brewer.


1977 Talladega 500, Race report
The race covered 188 laps on the paved oval spanning 2.66 miles (4.28 km) on an atrociously hot weekend, and it was completed in three hours and four minutes with the lead changing hands 49 times among ten drivers. Donnie Allison (who would lead 92 laps overall) needed relief help after drinking a soda during a pitstop and falling ill soon after. Darrell Waltrip relieved Allison and defeated Cale Yarborough by less than a lap under the caution flag; Yarborough had only the high gear remaining his vehicle in addition to not having an attractive-looking ride. Cale Yarborough would re-take the points lead after this race while a NASCAR acolyte named Steve Moore would make his defining moment of his entire career by finishing in 19th place after qualifying in 40th place.


1977 Talladega 500, Race report
Speeds were: 162.524 miles per hour (261.557 km/h) for the winner's speed and 192.684 miles per hour (310.095 km/h) for the pole position speed. Sixty-five thousand people would attended. The race ended under a yellow flag.


1977 Talladega 500, Race report
Benny Parsons and Donnie Allison battled for the lead early; it changed twenty times. David Sisco allowed Bruce Hill to take over his car when he learned that his mother had been struck by a camper in the infield. The race continued under mainly green flag conditions, with engine failures taking out most of the competition.


1977 Talladega 500, Race report
Skip Manning would lead the only 13 laps in his Winston Cup Series career at this race. This was the only Talladega race without Dave Marcis entering until his retirement in 2002.


1977 Talladega 500, Race report
Most of the entries were Chevrolets. There were 39 males and one female participant (Ms. Janet Guthrie). Ms. Guthrie suffered an engine problem on lap 61 and did not finish the race. Country music star Marty Robbins did not qualify in his own vehicle; Freddy Fryar did that for him.


1977 Talladega 500, Finishing order
* Driver failed to finish race † signifies that the driver is known to be deceased


1977 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election
The sixth legislative assembly election of Tamil Nadu was held on 10 June 1977. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) won the election defeating its rival Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). M. G. Ramachandran (simply known as M.G.R in the state), the AIADMK founder and a leading Tamil film actor, was sworn in as Chief Minister for the first time. The election was a four-cornered contest between the AIADMK, DMK, the Indian National Congress (INC) and the Janata Party.


1977 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election
Earlier in 1972, M.G.R had founded the AIADMK following his expulsion from the DMK after differences arose between him and DMK leader M. Karunanidhi. On 31 January 1976, Karunanidhi's government was dismissed by the central government of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi citing non-co-operation for MISA and President's rule was imposed on the state. Karunanidhi had been at odds with Indira Gandhi over his opposition to Emergency and allied with Janata Party founded by Jayaprakash Narayan. Meanwhile, M.G.R had developed a close relationship with Indira Gandhi and supported the Emergency.


1977 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election
M.G.R remained as Chief Minister until he died in 1987, winning the next two elections held in 1980 and 1984. This election gave concrete proof that Tamil people idolized M.G.R, as he won the State elections in alliance with Indira's Congress, despite the people hating Indira for implementing Emergency. Due to this feat, M.G.R inadvertently became an example for entry of famous actors to enter politics, with a hope that they too may become Chief minister one day. then Telugu superstar N.T.R followed M.G.R's suit in 1983 and won the Andhra Pradesh general Elections to become the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. Since then, no other actor has been able to recreate M.G.R's achievements in electoral Politics.


1977 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, Background, Split in Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
DMK gradually weakened in the years after the previous election due to several splits caused by the exit of many influential leaders including M.G.R. The popularity of the party was further undermined by widespread corruption allegations which was purposely aired by M.G.R who was in close relationship with Indian National Congress (INC). Cracks began to appear in Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam before 1971 election. K. A. Mathiazhagan was removed from office of the minister of Finance as he was considered a serious threat to Karunanidhi's leadership.


1977 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, Background, Split in Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Sathyavani Muthu, an influential dalit leader left the party in 1972 citing lack of concern for dalit issues within the party and formed Thazhthapattor Munnetra Kazhagam. M.G.R was expelled on 10 October 1972, in a disciplinary action for his attacks against party leadership for alleged corruption and dictatorial behaviour. He formed a new party All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. AIADMK won the Dindigul by-election held in 1973. V. R. Nedunchezhiyan along with some senior party leaders left Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in March 1977 to form Makkal Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.


1977 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, Background, Emergency
Emergency, which was declared in June 1975 had a mixed reception in Tamil Nadu. Jayaprakash Narayan's opposition movement did not receive much support in Tamil Nadu due to his association with the DMK government, which had its own trouble due to accusations of corruption. K. Kamaraj did not come in support of Jayaprakash Narayan due to his association with DMK despite the fact he disapproved of Indira Gandhi's actions. DMK executive council called the Emergency unnecessary and undemocratic on 27 June and party leaders condemned it in several statewide meetings.


1977 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, Background, Emergency
Emergency regulations and censorship were not strictly enforced in Tamil Nadu unlike in other states. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Communist Party of India continued to support Indira Gandhi. M. G. Ramachandran even visited Delhi to extend his support to Indira Gandhi. It was under these circumstances Karunanidhi's government was dismissed by the Government of India on 31 January 1976.


1977 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, Background, Death of Kamaraj and Rajaji
Kamaraj, leader of Indian National Congress (Organisation), who remarked in 1972, "Randu Katchigalum Orey Kuttaiyil Oorina Mattaigal (both parties, the DMK and the AIADMK, are like fronds dipped in the same bog or tarred by the same brush)." died in 1975. Indian National Congress (Indira) faction could not establish a foothold in Tamil Nadu until his death. After his death, Indian National Congress (Organisation) lost its identity as a party, and a large number of its members led by G. K. Moopanar merged with Indira Congress.


1977 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, Background, Death of Kamaraj and Rajaji
The remaining chose not to join with Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, but rather joined the Janata Party and later remained largely uncommitted. Swatantra Party lost much of its power after the death of C. Rajagopalachari in 1972 and did not contest the election. Most of its members joined the newly formed Janata Party.


1977 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, Background, Coalitions
This election was a four cornered contest. The AIADMK allied itself with the Communist Party of India (Marxist), while INC(I) and Communist Party of India (CPI) contested as allies. The DMK and Janata Party (JNP) contested the elections alone. The AIADMK did not field any candidate in the Usilampatti Constituency in support of the Forward Bloc leader P.K. Mookiah Thevar. Similarly the AIADMK also supported the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) candidate M. Abdul Latheef in the Vaniyambadi Constituency. In the parliamentary elections that occurred just three months prior to this elections, there had been two major alliances – the AIADMK led AIADMK-INC-CPI coalition and the DMK led DMK-NCO-JNP-CPM coalition. But in the months that followed the parliamentary election, these coalitions fell apart.


1977 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, Seat allotments, AIADMK Front
†: Forward Bloc contested in 6 different constituencies, but only the Usilampatti constituency contested by P.K.M. Thevar was supported by AIADMK


1977 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, Voting and results
Polling for the election was held on 10 June 1977. Turnout among the eligible voters was 61.58%.


1977 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, Voting and results, Results by Pre-Poll Alliance
‡: Vote % reflects the percentage of votes the party received compared to the entire electorate that voted in this election. Adjusted (Adj.) Vote %, reflects the % of votes the party received per constituency that they contested. Sources: Election Commission of India


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 2nd season in the National Football League, the 2nd  playing their home games at Tampa Stadium and the 2nd  under head coach John McKay. After one lone season in the AFC, it was the franchise's first season in the NFC, competing in the Central division. It continued the losing streak that encompassed the entire 1976 season, and extended it to 26 games, second only to the Chicago Cardinals who lost a total of 29 games in a row from 1942 to 1945.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
Fear of becoming the Buccaneers’ first victim provided motivation to opposing teams. It took nearly two seasons for the Buccaneers to achieve their first franchise victory, a 33–14 win over the New Orleans Saints in the second-to-last game of the year. The next week, the Bucs earned their first home victory, over the St. Louis Cardinals.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Offseason
Rumors began to circulate alleging that the Buccaneers were a disorganized and confused organization, and returning veterans were promised that changes were forthcoming. It was pointed out that none of the team's administrative staff had any experience in their position, at the same time that a team of rookie players and coaches was being fielded. These problems were addressed with the firings and resignations of six coaches and administrators at the beginning of the year. Head coach John McKay used the opportunity to take control of more aspects of the organization, and selected replacements of his choosing.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Offseason
McKay was criticized over his handling of the players and was accused of cutting veterans who could have helped the team, such as Ira Gordon, over ego conflicts. A perception arose that McKay was intolerant toward challenges to his authority, as he frequently cut players who argued with him and surrounded himself with former USC players and staff. Concern that McKay preferred players who would keep their mouth shut, rather than players with talent, produced resentment among veterans who worried that their limited career spans would be spent with a losing team.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Offseason
Critics accused McKay of attempting a style of play that was more appropriate for the college game, and noted Don Shula's comment that preparing for the Buccaneers was like preparing to play USC. Reporters who covered the team indicated that McKay did not respond to the losing streak with the humor that it was hoped he would, but that he became an "old grouch" who complained about his coaching assistants, game-day officiating, and opposing coaches who he accused of running up the score. This was reflected in a bitter tone that had crept into McKay's trademark humor, with comments such as "I keep a picture of O. J. Simpson by my side at all times to remind me of the days when I knew how to coach".


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Offseason
Dennis Fryzel, coach of the Buccaneers’ much-criticized special teams, was replaced by USC offensive line coach Skip Husbands, who became the fifth USC assistant to join McKay in Tampa. Head trainer Dave Kendall was replaced by Northwestern University trainer Tom Oxley. Oxley was immediately given the task of rehabilitating the previous season's seventeen players who finished the year on injured reserve. A surprise trade brought Chicago Bears backup quarterback and Tampa native Gary Huff to the team, while incumbent quarterback Steve Spurrier was placed on waivers. Spurrier and McKay had often feuded during the previous season. McKay stated that cutting Spurrier meant that he would have a choice of teams with whom to sign. A rumored attempt to make a deal for Cleveland Browns quarterback Mike Phipps was denied, although a trade was later made for Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Mike Boryla.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Offseason, NFL Draft, Draft trades
A pair of trades gained three picks for the team, which helped compensate for the lack of selections in rounds 4–7. Cedric Brown went to the Oakland Raiders in return for selections in rounds 6 and 9, while guard John Miller brought a tenth-round pick from the San Francisco 49ers. Brown eventually returned to the Buccaneers after being waived from Oakland. The two sixth round picks were traded to the Chicago Bears in return for quarterback Gary Huff, while the fifth round pick was traded to the Miami Dolphins for the rights to linebacker Ray Nettles. The other two selections had been traded during the previous season: the fourth round pick had gone to the Cincinnati Bengals for running back Charlie Davis, and the seventh round pick had been traded to the New York Jets for linebacker Richard Wood.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Offseason, NFL Draft, Draft selections
The Buccaneers held the first pick in the 1977 NFL Draft, and chose Ricky Bell of USC. This was the first time since O. J. Simpson in 1969 that a running back was taken with the first overall draft pick. Bell was signed to a contract the same day and quickly reunited with his college teammate Dave Lewis, who was taken in the second round. Lewis became the eleventh former USC player on the Tampa Bay roster, and when given the news that he was now a Buccaneer, said, "You mean a Trojan Buccaneer".


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Offseason, NFL Draft, Draft selections
No other NFL team had as many players from any one school, and the Buccaneers received the unwanted nickname of "USC East". Scouting services regarded Lewis poorly, but the Buccaneers rated him as the best linebacker in the draft. McKay would later call Lewis "the steal of the draft", and say that he would be a top five pick if the draft were held over again.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Offseason, NFL Draft, Draft selections
The previous year's offensive line woes were not addressed in the draft, as the team had no picks in the middle rounds, and didn't feel that there were any linemen worth taking in the later rounds. Third round pick Charley Hannah, brother of future Hall of Fame tackle John Hannah, would eventually be converted from defensive end to offensive guard.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Preseason
The expected preseason quarterback battle between Mike Boryla and Gary Huff failed to occur, as both suffered knee injuries in the first two preseason games. This left the team with just two healthy quarterbacks: Parnell Dickinson, who had less than a full year's experience due to a knee injury, and rookie Randy Hedberg. Jeb Blount was eventually claimed off waivers from the Oakland Raiders. Hedberg won the starting job with strong performances in the final two preseason games.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Preseason
Dickinson proved prone to throwing interceptions, due to trouble reading defenses and a tendency to throw late passes over the middle, and was cut from the team during training camp. The former Minot State quarterback Hedberg's surprising rise from fourth-stringer to opening-day starter led to shouts of "Why not Minot? ", sales of "RH Positive" T-shirts, and the addition of a radio affiliate in faraway North Dakota.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Preseason
A building strategy that emphasized developing young players instead of playing veterans who didn't fit into the team's future plans led the team to trade veteran offensive tackle Mike Current to the Miami Dolphins for troubled former first-round draft pick Darryl Carlton. McKay called Carlton "amazing", and said that "he just doesn't make mental mistakes". Dan Medlin and Jeff Winans, a pair of guards obtained from the Raiders via trade, were touted as the first Buccaneer guards with the speed to lead running plays.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Preseason
The team tried to address their lack of experience at linebacker by arranging a trade for Jack 'Hacksaw' Reynolds, at the time a training camp holdout from the Los Angeles Rams. Reynolds questioned the validity of his contract, and refused to report to what his agent called "Outer Mongolia". The Buccaneers eventually negated the trade, and obtained Rik Bonness from the Raiders. Bonness, a former Nebraska center in only his second season as a linebacker, added depth but not experience. Former 1974 first-round draft choice Bill Kollar came to Tampa Bay after being let go by the Cincinnati Bengals due to injury concerns. Jeris White came over from the Miami Dolphins to solidify the trouble spot at left cornerback.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Regular season
The Buccaneers took their place in the NFC Central Division, while the other 1976 expansion team, the Seattle Seahawks, switched conferences with Tampa Bay and joined the AFC West. This fulfilled the NFL's plan of having the expansion teams play each other twice and every other NFL franchise once during their first two seasons. Tampa Bay's 1977 schedule consisted of a game against each of the other 13 NFC teams, and the Seahawks.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Regular season
Coach John McKay declared the team to be "stronger at every position, with the exception of the quarterback position" than the 1976 team. The improved Buccaneer lineup included such oddities as running back Anthony Davis, who entered the NFL after playing in the World Football League and the Canadian Football League and thus was a rookie for the third time, and Cecil Johnson, a free-agent linebacker from Miami who chose the Buccaneers over three other teams so that he "wouldn't have a long, sad ride home" if he didn't make the squad.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Regular season
Progress was apparent with the defense, who allowed no 100-yard rushing performances other than Walter Payton's. A wave of injuries to the offense forced constant lineup changes. Redskins defensive end Ron McDole observed that, while the offensive line featured good individual blockers, their lack of experience playing together hindered their ability to operate as a unit, and that they were easily beaten by pulling stunts. Defenders thus had little trouble thwarting the "Student Body Right" plays favored by McKay.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Regular season
Never able to establish any offensive consistency, they were shut out an NFL-record six times (a league record that still stands) and managed only six touchdowns in the entire season. Their first twelve games produced a mere 53 points, some of which occurred on defense, and 23 of which came against fellow expansion team Seattle. McKay illustrated the team's situation with comments such as "We couldn't score against a strong wind", and "I may quarterback the team myself." Quarterback was the position most obviously affected, but the tight end position was struck similarly.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Regular season
A season-ending knee injury suffered by tight end Bob Moore in one game left Dana Nafziger, an injured rookie whose regular position was linebacker, as the team's only player available at a position that was crucial to McKay's offense. Ricky Bell had some injuries to contend with, but when healthy, displayed sluggish play and a tendency to fumble on crucial drives. Injuries, especially at quarterback and offensive line, prevented the offense from gaining any consistency, while the inexperienced line was able to provide neither adequate pass protection nor lanes for the running backs. Opponents lauded the Buccaneer defense's performance and stated that the team needed to improve its offense; they posted a record numbers of sacks against the Tampa Bay offense.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Regular season, 0-26 losing streak ends
Q. Name two disasters that were accompanied by band music...


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Regular season, 0-26 losing streak ends
The Buccaneers' losing streak was so famous that Johnny Carson frequently mocked the team on The Tonight Show. McKay joked that to break the jinx he had tried sleeping on his left and right sides, had worn many different outfits during games, and might try coaching naked. Fearful of the perceived humiliation of being the first to lose to Tampa Bay, opponents prepared carefully for the Buccaneers. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach said, "...we didn't want to be the first. Psychologically, it could have wrecked our year".


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Regular season, 0-26 losing streak ends
New York Giants coach John McVay said after a victory, "In 25 years of coaching I've never had as much pressure on me as I did this week". A popular Tampa area T-shirt depicted a sinking pirate ship with the inscription "Go for 0". The franchise finally broke through to victory in a week 13 road game against the New Orleans Saints that led Saints head coach Hank Stram to lament, "What a nightmare. It was the worst experience of my coaching career. We're all ashamed for our people, for our fans, for our organization".


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Regular season, 0-26 losing streak ends
Stram, an early head coaching candidate for the expansion Buccaneers, was fired the following week. The first Buccaneer home victory came in the following week's season-ending game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Cardinals coach Don Coryell, already feuding with team owner Bill Bidwill, was also fired shortly after the loss. The two-game winning streak ended the Buccaneers’ losing streak at 0–26. Saints safety Tom Myers said "We've been made the laughingstocks of the business ... I'm too embarrassed to say that I play for the team that got beat by Tampa Bay". He, Stram, and others described the game as a Saints loss, not a Buccaneers win; Stram insisted that his team was better overall.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Regular season, 0-26 losing streak ends
"It was the greatest victory in the history of the world. This is a habit I could get accustomed to", McKay joked through a megaphone, standing on top of a parked car, to a crowd of 8,000 celebrating fans around team headquarters. They gathered to greet the team two hours before the team plane arrived from New Orleans; the crowd caused police to close the street. Howard Cosell honored the Buccaneers’ first victory by choosing it as the lead game for the halftime highlights of ABC TV's Monday Night Football broadcast, and interviewed McKay by telephone during the game.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Regular season, 0-26 losing streak ends
Bill Cosby, guest hosting for Carson on Tonight, performed a five-minute comedy routine on the win. Audiences in NFL stadiums around the country cheered when they heard of the victory; dozens of people, including NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle and McVay, sent telegrams or called to congratulate the team and McKay. Comedian George Burns, playing God in Oh, God!, took credit for what his telegram described as a miracle more difficult than the parting of the Red Sea or the 1969 New York Mets.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Regular season, 0-26 losing streak ends
Both the St. Petersburg Times and Tampa Tribune's "BUCS WIN" headlines used gigantic, wartime-suitable font sizes; local radio stations spent hours discussing only the victory; one TV station did a live special report; and two other stations broadcast 30-minute specials the day after. Fans rushed to buy tickets for the last game of the season, increasing projected attendance by 50% and forcing the ticket office to stay open late.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Regular season, 0-26 losing streak ends
Tampa television had never shown Buccaneers home games because of NFL blackout rules; when discussing the possibility that the next game might sell out and be broadcast, owner Hugh Culverhouse admitted that he had never expected the team to do so. No Buccaneers were honored with Pro Bowl selections following the season, although it was believed that Lee Roy Selmon, Dave Lewis, and Dave Pear would all have been chosen had they played on a playoff contender.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Game summaries, Week 1: at Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles’ tight end Keith Krepfle, playing in a cast with pins in his hand, caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Ron Jaworski and made a 28-yard reception that set up a second touchdown. Ricky Bell carried the ball 15 times for 53 yards for the Buccaneers, but killed a scoring drive by fumbling on the Eagles’ 9-yard line. With Randy Hedberg unable to pick up the Eagles’ blitzes, the Buccaneers were ineffective on offense.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Game summaries, Week 1: at Philadelphia Eagles
After having praised the offensive line's performance in their final preseason game against the Baltimore Colts, coach McKay complained that the line "refused to block", and called the team's performance "horse manure". The offense failed to convert four opportunities from deep within Eagles territory, and scored only on a 22-yard Dave Green field goal.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Game summaries, Week 2: vs Minnesota Vikings
A scrambling, improvised 31-yard touchdown pass from Fran Tarkenton to Chuck Foreman on a broken play allowed the Minnesota Vikings to come from behind for the win. Carl Eller sacked Randy Hedberg in the end zone to give the Vikings an early lead, but the Buccaneers answered with an 18-yard Allan Leavitt field goal. Several key penalties and mental errors hurt the Buccaneers’ prospects of winning. An attempted quarterback sneak from the Vikings’ 1-yard line failed when a tailback forgot to line up, leaving the team with only ten players on the field.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Game summaries, Week 2: vs Minnesota Vikings
Dan Ryczek's clipping penalty took the Buccaneers out of field position and provided the Vikings with a short field for their scoring drive, while Eller's safety was set up when Bill Kollar's late hit on a punt play gave Tampa Bay possession inside their own 10-yard line. The safety destroyed Hedberg's confidence, and he was replaced by Gary Huff after completing only 4 of 14 passes for 51 yards. Unwilling to give any credit to the Buccaneer defense, the Vikings blamed their poor offensive performance on the wet field.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Game summaries, Week 2: vs Minnesota Vikings
This angered McKay, who thought that the Buccaneers should have been given more credit for a near-upset of a perennial Super Bowl contender. McKay also chafed over Minnesota comments that the Buccaneer offense was predictable and conservative, and accused the Vikings of the same. Tarkenton completed 25 of 38 passes for 223 yards, but was intercepted once by Dewey Selmon, and his completions were mostly limited to dump-offs to his running backs. Dave Lewis injured his knee early in the game, and newly acquired ex-Steelers linebacker Paul Harris played well in his place. Ricky Bell's 21 carries were the most yet by a Buccaneer running back, and the Vikings’ 9 points were the least yet allowed by the Buccaneers. The crowd of 66,272 was the second-largest attendance to date in Tampa Stadium.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Game summaries, Week 3: at Dallas Cowboys
Gary Huff and Anthony Davis returned from injuries to make their first starts for the team. The Buccaneers’ projected running back tandem of Davis at halfback and Ricky Bell at fullback finally materialized, although this would be its only appearance before McKay settled on Bell and Jimmy DuBose as his starters. The Buccaneers were not displeased with Randy Hedberg's performance at quarterback over the first two games, but Huff's experience was welcomed against a confusing Dallas defense.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Game summaries, Week 3: at Dallas Cowboys
While the offense was again held scoreless, Richard Wood returned a Tony Dorsett fumble 37 yards for the Buccaneers’ first touchdown of the season, and then mocked Cowboy Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson's earlier interception celebration by spiking the ball over the goalposts. Wood returned a second interception 29 yards. Several Cowboys complained of excessive trash-talking from the Buccaneers, and Cecil Johnson in particular. Johnson, who roomed with Dorsett in college and claimed close friendship with him, tore Dorsett's helmet off and punched him in the nose on consecutive plays.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Game summaries, Week 3: at Dallas Cowboys
Numerous costly injuries occurred: a season-ending knee injury to Bob Moore meant that the team's only remaining tight end was Dana Nafziger, who also suffered injuries to his knee and wrist. Ricky Bell and Jimmy DuBose both went out early. Gary Huff played the game in a knee brace, while starters Jeff Winans, Dave Lewis, and Jack Novak did not play at all.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Game summaries, Week 4: vs Washington Redskins
Ricky Bell sat out the game with a shoulder injury, and Darryl Carlton left the game early. Tampa Bay quarterbacks were sacked ten times (still a team record as of 2009), and threw three interceptions. Eddie Brown's 11 punt returns set an NFL single-game record, also still standing. John McKay reacted angrily to Washington tackle Bill Brundige's postgame remarks that McKay's USC offense would not work in the NFL. McKay called Brundige an "idiot" and a "dumb tackle", and pointed out that the Redskins scored their first touchdown from the same formation.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Game summaries, Week 4: vs Washington Redskins
He then told reporters, "none of you know anything about football", and chided them for asking why the Buccaneers were having trouble moving the ball, when they knew that several starters were out with injuries. The Tampa Bay defense held Washington to ten points, despite the Redskins’ eight possessions in Buccaneer territory. Washington players described it as among the best in the league, and coach George Allen said it was "of championship caliber". The 18th consecutive loss tied the Buccaneers with the 1972–1973 Houston Oilers for the third longest NFL losing streak.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Game summaries, Week 5: at Seattle Seahawks
McKay's pregame concern over his team's pass defense proved prophetic, as Seattle Seahawks backup quarterback Steve Myer passed for four touchdowns. Myer replaced an injured Jim Zorn, and threw two touchdowns to Steve Largent, one to Duke Fergerson, and one to Sherman Smith. The Seahawks still needed two late interceptions to seal the victory, as the Buccaneers’ offense achieved their highest point total to date. Gary Huff completed 18 of 32 pass attempts for 217 yards, but was intercepted four times.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Game summaries, Week 5: at Seattle Seahawks
His audible to beat a Seattle blitz resulted in a 67-yard touchdown pass to Morris Owens, and Anthony Davis had a 1-yard touchdown run. Owens gained 166 yards, a Buccaneers single-game record that stood for four years. Allan Leavitt contributed three field goals. McKay blamed the defensive letdown to the team's tendency to stop playing pass coverage when the quarterback would roll out, and said that they tackled "like a bunch of guys from a junior high school team".


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Game summaries, Week 6: vs Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers recovered reserve linebacker Jim Gueno's block of a Dave Green punt at the Buccaneers’ 24-yard line, which set up the only touchdown of the day and sealed a Packers victory. It was the first time since November 24, 1974, that the Packers had recorded a shutout. Tampa Bay drives ended in penalties and turnovers, and the Buccaneers once drove all the way to the Packers’ 2-yard line before a Ricky Bell fumble ended their opportunity. Chester Marcol kicked two field goals, and Eric Torkelson rushed 22 times for 73 yards and the touchdown.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Game summaries, Week 6: vs Green Bay Packers
Gary Huff completed 12 of 22 passes before he was pulled in the fourth quarter. Fans cheered when a sack laid Huff motionless on the turf with a cracked rib. Offensive line play continued to be criticized, as both Buccaneer quarterbacks suffered injuries. Randy Hedberg replaced Huff, and played the final series with a concussion. He had to be led off of the field to be hospitalized after the game. Both injuries were due to hits by Mike Butler. Packers quarterback Lynn Dickey was sacked three times, and knocked out of the game. The Packers and Buccaneers entered the game with the league's 26th- and 28th-ranked offenses, respectively.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Game summaries, Week 7: at San Francisco 49ers
Jeb Blount inspired teammates with a courageous performance in the face of a strong San Francisco pass rush, despite that he was named the starter only two days previously. Wilbur Jackson and Delvin Williams each ran for a touchdown, and Ray Wersching kicked a pair of field goals to give the San Francisco 49ers a lead that the Buccaneers would not overcome. The Buccaneers rallied in the fourth quarter. Blount led a drive that ended with a 5-yard Louis Carter touchdown run, and was followed by an onside kick which the Buccaneers recovered. Dave Green threw a 45-yard completion to Danny Reece on a fake punt, but the offense stalled at San Francisco's 1-yard line.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Game summaries, Week 8: at Los Angeles Rams
November 6, 1977, at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Game summaries, Week 8: at Los Angeles Rams
Rams quarterback Pat Haden was 10 of 21 for 123 yards passing, and two touchdowns. Jeb Blount was 8 of 21 for 83 yards for the Buccaneers, with two interceptions. On one play the Rams jumped offside, but the penalty was called against the Buccaneers. The officials corrected their mistake, but angered McKay by laughing about it. The Rams lost Dennis Harrah for the season with a knee injury, and suffered injuries to Dave Elmendorf and Kevin McLain.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Game summaries, Week 9: vs New York Giants
Despite nine possessions inside the New York Giants’ 35-yard line and six inside the 12, the Buccaneers were held scoreless for the fourth time of the season. It was the Giants’ first shutout since 1970. Dan Ryczek's high snap to punter Dave Green resulted in the Giants taking possession at the Buccaneers’ 1-yard line, leading to a Bob Hammond run for the Giants’ only touchdown. The Buccaneers were stopped twice when choosing to run on fourth down instead of attempting field goals.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Game summaries, Week 9: vs New York Giants
Isaac Hagins narrowly missed returning the kickoff for a touchdown following the Giants’ touchdown, but was tackled by the kicker. Danny Reece also was tackled by the last Giant during a punt return that nearly went for a touchdown. Starting quarterback Jeb Blount passed for 234 yards, and threw a touchdown pass to Louis Carter that was called back.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Game summaries, Week 10: at Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions’ quarterback Joe Reed prevented two Buccaneer touchdowns by tackling Dave Pear on a fumble return and Mike Washington on an interception return. Dan Ryczek's high snap ruined what was potentially a game-winning field goal attempt. Detroit fans booed the home team throughout the first half, and cheered when Ricky Bell scored on a 4-yard touchdown run following Washington's interception. This was the first time all year that the Buccaneers were the team to score first in a game. Fan support turned when Gary Danielson replaced Reed in the second half.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Game summaries, Week 10: at Detroit Lions
After Dick Jauron intercepted a Jeb Blount pass, Danielson led a 55-yard drive that ended in a 1-yard touchdown run by Rick Kane. A potential touchdown pass bounced off of Isaac Hagins’ helmet at the Detroit 10-yard line, and another was fumbled by Hagins and recovered in the end zone by James Hunter. Reggie Pinkney's late touchdown return of a Randy Hedberg interception sealed the victory for the Lions.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Game summaries, Week 11: vs Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons allowed a franchise-low 78 yards of offense while holding the Buccaneers to their fifth shutout of the season. Coach McKay called the Buccaneers’ play "our worst effort in two years". Gary Huff started at quarterback, throwing three interceptions in his second return from injury of the season. This marked the Buccaneers’ 12th change in starting quarterbacks in less than two seasons. Neither the 62 yards rushing or 16 yards passing were team lows, but the combined effort was the Buccaneers’ worst to date. The injured Ricky Bell was held to 11 yards on 6 carries.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Game summaries, Week 11: vs Atlanta Falcons
Fans threw soft drinks at McKay and son Richie, while Bell and Anthony Davis had to be restrained from going into the stands after a heckler. The Falcons intercepted the Buccaneers four times and recovered one fumble, and continued to pursue the league record for fewest points allowed in a season. They finished the game having held opponents to only 83 points, keeping them on pace to break the 1969 Minnesota Vikings record of 133.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Game summaries, Week 12: vs Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears’ running back Walter Payton entered the game with hopes of surpassing O. J. Simpson's 2,003-yard 1973 season, but was held to 101 yards on 33 carries. Ricky Bell set new franchise rushing records with 94 yards on 24 carries. Payton scored the game's only touchdown, a three-yard run that was set up by a 32-yard pass to Steve Schubert from punter Bob Parsons. Lee Roy Selmon sacked quarterback Bob Avellini twice, blocked one of his passes, and hurried him several times. The Buccaneers’ only serious offensive threat ended with a missed field goal in the first quarter.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Game summaries, Week 13: at New Orleans Saints
Although favored by 11 points, the New Orleans Saints did not get a first down until midway through the second quarter, and did not get past midfield until nearly the end of the half. The Buccaneers began their first five drives in Saints territory, scoring on two Dave Green field goals, and a five-yard pass from Gary Huff to Morris Owens that capped off a 71-yard drive. Mike Washington made it 20–0 early in the second half, returning an interception 45 yards for a touchdown. The Buccaneers also recovered a fumble, and had six interceptions in all.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Game summaries, Week 13: at New Orleans Saints
Their three interception return touchdowns, with Richard Wood and Greg Johnson also scoring, tied an NFL record. Before the game, John McKay had read the team an article in which Saints’ quarterback Archie Manning stated that it would be disgraceful to lose to Tampa Bay. Inspired by the statements, the Buccaneer defense yelled, "It's disgraceful! It's disgraceful!" at him as the clock wound down. Saints coach Hank Stram was so outraged at the defeat he allegedly ordered the game film burned. The Buccaneers won their first game in franchise history in this game and officially ending a 0-26 losing streak.


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Game summaries, Week 14: vs St. Louis Cardinals
The Buccaneers defeated the St. Louis Cardinals, only recently eliminated from playoff contention, for their first home victory. Gary Huff completed 7 of 12 passes, including 61- and 62-yarders to Morris Owens, the first of which went for a touchdown. The improved offensive line allowed no sacks. Huff's average of 14.3 yards per pass attempt is the third-best in Buccaneer history, and stood as the record until broken by Vinny Testaverde in 1992. Said Coach McKay following the victory: "I’m going to go home, take a shower, and tell myself what a great coach I am".


1977 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season, Game summaries, Week 14: vs St. Louis Cardinals
Fans tore down the goalposts after the game, and a vendor outside the stadium began stamping the word "Don’t" at the top of the "Throw McKay in Tampa Bay" T-shirts he had been selling. The fifty points the Bucs scored in their final two games were nearly as many (53) they had put up in the entire rest of the season (twelve games). They had scored only three points at home until this game, being shut out in five consecutive home games.


1977 Tampa Bay Rowdies indoor season
The 1977 Tampa Bay Rowdies indoor season was the third indoor season of the club's existence.


1977 Tampa Bay Rowdies indoor season, Overview
Despite much lobbying from Rowdies owner, George W. Strawbridge, Jr., the North American Soccer League voted not to sanction an indoor season or tournament in 1977. As such, Tampa Bay played only two indoor matches that year. The first one versus the Fort Lauderdale Strikers was played on February 27. This marked the first meeting of what would soon become one of the most enduring rivalries in North American soccer, the Florida Derby. The Rowdies' other match was an international friendly against Zenit Leningrad on March 9. At the time Zenit was the reigning champion of the Soviet indoor league. Likewise, the Rowdies were the defending NASL indoor champs. Both matches were played at the Bayfront Center in St. Petersburg, Florida.


1977 Tampa Bay Rowdies indoor season, Overview
Originally Tampa Bay had planned on playing FC Dynamo Moscow, but the match was canceled because of government delays in the Soviet Union. The Rowdies were also the first NASL side to ever be invited to the Wembley Indoor Invitational in mid June. The ten-team tournament featured five English clubs, plus other top squads from Europe. Although they originally planned to attend the London event, ultimately the tournament was canceled and the Rowdies scheduled an outdoor international friendly in Tampa versus A.S. Roma instead.


1977 Tampa Bay Rowdies indoor season, Longterm cultural significance
Not only was this brief indoor season the flash-point for one of the longest running professional soccer derbies in North America as previously mentioned, but it was significant for another reason. When Ed Tepper approached Earl Foreman about starting a fully professional indoor-only soccer league, he used a videotape of the 1977 Rowdies–Zenit Leningrad match to show not only the game's potential, but also the crowd's enthusiastic responses to the end-to-end action. By October 1977 the pair announced the formation of the Major Indoor Soccer League.


1977 Tampa Bay Rowdies indoor season, Longterm cultural significance
That league would grow to become the sport's standard bearer for many years, even gaining a regular slot in the ESPN programming line up, before finally folding in 1992. Today, though most popular in North America, indoor soccer is played throughout the world, with its own FIFA-like governing body. The World Minifootball Federation, based in the Czech Republic, is the international federation dedicated to promoting the sport.


1977 Tampa Bay Rowdies indoor season, Statistics
G = Goals (worth 2 points), A = Assists (worth 1 point), Pts = Points


1977 Tampa Bay Rowdies season
The 1977 season was the original Tampa Bay Rowdies third season of existence, and their third season in the North American Soccer League, the top division of soccer in the United States and Canada at that time.


1977 Tampa Bay Rowdies season, Overview
The year would see the Rowdies host friendlies against teams from the Soviet Union, Italy and China. The team also took part in the preseason Tournament of Champions, finishing as runners-up. In the NASL season, the Rowdies finished with 131 points and a record of 14–12, which placed them third in the Eastern Division of the Atlantic Conference. The point total qualified them for the playoffs. They lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Cosmos, 3–0. For the second consecutive season Tampa Bay lost in the playoffs to the eventual champion. For the third consecutive season South African striker, Derek Smethurst lead the club in scoring with 19 goals.


1977 Tampa Bay Rowdies season, Club, Team management
Eddie Firmani began the season as head coach, but abruptly resigned on June 3, a few days after a 4–2 victory over the Cosmos. The club’s record was 7–3 at the time. Team captain, Len Glover, who had been sidelined with an injury at the time, served as interim coach for one match, a loss to Rochester on June 5. Retired former Rowdies captain, John Boyle, was hired on June 9. Under Boyle the Rowdies record was 7–8, and though Tampa Bay made the playoffs, Boyle resigned to accept a position as the team’s permanent European scout after the season. For his part, Firmani re-immerged as the Cosmos coach (just as several of his former players had predicted in early June), and ultimately eliminated Tampa Bay, 3–0, in the first round of the 1977 playoffs.


1977 Tampa Bay Rowdies season, Club, Honors
Four Rowdies received individual honors following the 1977 NASL season.


1977 Tampa Bay Rowdies season, Competitions, Tournament of Champions
The inaugural Tournament of Champions was a friendly two-day tournament hosted by the Cosmos at Giants Stadium on April 2 and 3. Four teams participated: the Cosmos, Tampa Bay, Toronto Metros-Croatia and Victory SC of Haiti. In the opening match the Rowdies and Metros-Croatia played to a scoreless draw, before Tampa Bay won using the NASL’s new shoot-out tiebreaker, 2–1. This put the Rowdies into the finals vs. the Cosmos the following day. The Rowdies lost the match, 2–1, and were runners-up. Their lone goal came from Wes McLeod with an assist by Farrukh Quraishi.


1977 Tampa Bay Rowdies season, Competitions, Other friendlies
Tampa Bay hosted three international friendlies in 1977. The first was a, 1–0, losing effort on March 5 versus FC Zenit Leningrad. A crowd of more than 41,000 attended the preseason match. The second international was midseason match-up versus A.S. Roma on June 14. They drew with the Italians, 1–1. Adrian Alston scored for the Rowdies on 30-yard free kick. The third was played on October 13, and pitted the Rowdies against the Chinese National Team. Boris Bandov scored for Tampa Bay in the, 2–1, loss.


1977 Tampa Bay Rowdies season, Competitions, Other friendlies
The Rowdies also played a postseason friendly versus the Dallas Tornado in Tulsa, Oklahoma five days after the match against China. The game was meant to serve as a test balloon to see if Tulsa would support soccer. Tampa Bay won, 1–0, on an early second half goal by Mark Lindsay. The game drew 11,147 fans. Team Hawaii owner and potato chip magnate, Ward Lay soon moved his club, redubbing them the Tulsa Roughnecks.


1977 Tampa Bay Rowdies season, Competitions, North American Soccer League season
The Rowdies finished the regular season with 131 points placing them in 3rd place in the Eastern Division of the Atlantic Conference, and 7th out of 18 teams in the league overall. After a 7–3 start to the season, which put them at the top of the league standings, Tampa Bay limped home with a 7–9 record the rest of the way for a record of 14–12. The team’s midseason slump coincided exactly with Eddie Firmani’s abrupt resignation as head coach. The club averaged 19,491 fans per game, with three matches surpassing 21,000, one reaching 33,000 and still another topping 45,000.


1977 Tampa Bay Rowdies season, Competitions, North American Soccer League season, Regular-season standings
W = Wins, L = Losses, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, BP = Bonus Points, Pts= point system


1977 Tampa Bay Rowdies season, Competitions, North American Soccer League season, Regular-season standings
6 points for a win, 0 points for a loss, 1 point for each regulation goal scored up to three per game.


1977 Tampa Bay Rowdies season, Statistics, Season scoring
GP = Games Played, G = Goals (worth 2 points), A = Assists (worth 1 point), Pts = Points


1977 Tampa Bay Rowdies season, Statistics, Season goalkeeping
Note: GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; W = Wins; L = Losses


1977 Tangerine Bowl
The 1977 Tangerine Bowl was an American college football bowl game played on December 23, 1977 at Orlando Stadium in Orlando, Florida. The game pitted the Florida State Seminoles and the Texas Tech Red Raiders.


1977 Tangerine Bowl, Background
Texas Tech started the season ranked #8 in the nation, winning their first two games of the season before a face-off with #6 Texas A&M, which they lost 33–17. Three straight wins got them to #14, but a 26–0 loss to #1 Texas dropped them out permanently. Wins over TCU and SMU followed, but they lost to Houston and #6 Arkansas to finish the season. They finished tied for fourth in the Southwest Conference. This was their sixth bowl game of the decade. Florida State had just two losses, compounded with a six-game winning streak. They reached #13 at one point (before a loss to San Diego State), but they finished the season strong with a 37–9 thrashing of Florida. This was their first bowl game since 1971.


1977 Tangerine Bowl, Game summary
Jimmy Jordan threw 18-of-25 for 311 yards and three touchdowns en route to an MVP effort. Florida State had 22 first downs to Texas Tech's 21 first downs. Tech had 99 rushing yards (on 44 carries) while the Seminoles had 85 (on 37 carries). Florida State threw for 455 passing yards while the Red Raiders threw for 379. The Seminoles had two turnovers, but the Red Raiders turned it over four times. While Florida State had 10 penalties for 130 yards, they managed to convert their opportunities into points, where as Tech did not do as such, at least until the second half where it was too late.


1977 Tangerine Bowl, Aftermath
The Red Raiders did not qualify for another bowl game until the 1986 Independence Bowl. Florida State's next bowl appearance was the 1980 Orange Bowl.


1977 Taça de Portugal Final
The 1977 Taça de Portugal Final was the final match of the 1976–77 Taça de Portugal, the 37th season of the Taça de Portugal, the premier Portuguese football cup competition organized by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF). The match was played on 18 May 1977 at the Estádio das Antas in Porto, and opposed two Primeira Liga sides: Braga and Porto. Porto defeated Braga 1–0 to claim the Taça de Portugal for a fourth time.


1977 Temple Owls football team
The 1977 Temple Owls football team was an American football team that represented Temple University as an independent during the 1977 NCAA Division I football season. In its eighth season under head coach Wayne Hardin, the team compiled a 5–5–1 record and was outscored by a total of 286 to 229. The team played its home games at Veterans Stadium (four games) and Franklin Field (one game) in Philadelphia.


1977 Temple Owls football team
The team's statistical leaders included Pat Carey with 1,074 passing yards, Anthony Anderson with 756 rushing yards and 66 points scored, and Steve Watson with 573 receiving yards. On September 17, Temple set a new school record with 477 rushing yards in a 42–0 victory over Drake.


1977 Tennessee Volunteers football team
The 1977 Tennessee Volunteers football team (variously "Tennessee", "UT" or the "Vols") represented the University of Tennessee in the 1977 NCAA Division I football season. Playing as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the team was led by head coach Johnny Majors, in his first year, and played their home games at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. They finished the season with a record of four wins and seven losses (4–7 overall, 1–5 in the SEC).


1977 Texas A&M Aggies football team
The 1977 Texas A&M Aggies football team represented Texas A&M University during the 1977 NCAA Division I football season.


1977 Texas Longhorns football team
The 1977 Texas Longhorns football team represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 1977 NCAA Division I football season. The Longhorns finished the regular season with an 11–0 record. Earl Campbell won the Heisman Trophy in 1977 and led the nation in rushing with 1,744 yards. In 1977, he became the first recipient of the Davey O'Brien Memorial Trophy, which was awarded to the most outstanding player in the now-defunct Southwest Conference. He was selected as the Southwest Conference running back of the year in each of his college seasons and finished with 4,444 career rushing yards. Rothman (FACT), a mathematical rating system in use since 1968 and NCAA-designated major selector, selected Texas as co-national champions with Notre Dame and Arkansas.


1977 Texas Longhorns football team, 1977 team players in the NFL
The following players were drafted into professional football following the season.


1977 Texas Rangers season
The 1977 Texas Rangers season involved the Rangers finishing second in the American League West with a record of 94 wins and 68 losses. The 1977 Rangers were notable for having an American League record four managers in the same season. Frank Lucchesi began the season as the manager but team's board of directors decide to make a change after the Rangers entered June with a .500 record. Former Major League player and manager Eddie Stanky was introduced as the new manager on June 17 but changed his mind after one game and returned to his home in Alabama. Bench coach Connie Ryan served as the interim manager for six games before Billy Hunter was hired and led the team to a 60-33 record for the rest of the year.


1977 Texas Rangers season, Offseason
On December 10, 1976, shortstop Danny Thompson died of leukemia. Thompson had played in 64 games for the Rangers in 1976.


1977 Texas Rangers season, Regular season
For one June day in 1977, Eddie Stanky was drawn back into the major leagues as manager of the Rangers. After that day, he abruptly quit and left for Alabama, saying only that he was homesick.


1977 Texas Rangers season, Player stats, Batting, Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1977 Texas Rangers season, Player stats, Batting, Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1977 Texas Rangers season, Player stats, Pitching, Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1977 Texas Rangers season, Player stats, Pitching, Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1977 Texas Rangers season, Player stats, Pitching, Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1977 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team
The 1977 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team represented Texas Tech University in the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1977 NCAA Division I football season. In their third and final season under head coach Steve Sloan, the Red Raiders compiled a 7–5 record (4–4 against SWC opponents), outscored opponents by a combined total of 279 to 246, and finished in a tie for fourth place in the conference. The team played its home games at Clifford B. and Audrey Jones Stadium in Lubbock, Texas.


1977 Texas–Arlington Mavericks football team
The 1977 Texas–Arlington Mavericks football team was an American football team that represented  the University of Texas at Arlington in the Southland Conference during the 1977 NCAA Division I football season. In their fourth year under head coach Harold Elliott, the team compiled a 5–6 record.


1977 Thailand Regional Games
The 11th Thailand National Games (Thai: กีฬาเขตแห่งประเทศไทย ครั้งที่ 11, also known as the 1977 National Games and the 1977 Inter-Provincial Games) were held in Bangkok, Thailand from 11 to 17 December 1977, with contests in 14 sports and athletes from 10 regions. These games were the qualification for Thai athletes in the 1978 Asian Games.


1977 Thailand Regional Games, Emblem
The emblem of 1977 Thailand National Games was a red circle, with the emblem of Sports Authority of Thailand on the inside and surrounded by the text


1977 Thailand Regional Games, Emblem
อสกท กีฬาเขตครั้งที่ 11 กรุงเทพมหานคร ๒๕๒๐SAT 11th Thailand Regional Games, Bangkok 1977


1977 Thailand Regional Games, Participating regions
The 11th Thailand National Games represented 10 regions from 72 provinces. The country that made their Thailand National Games debut was Phayao, formerly part of Chiang Rai.


1977 Thailand Regional Games, Sports
The 1977 Thailand National Games featured 10 Olympic sports contested at the 1977 Southeast Asian Games, 1978 Asian Games and 1980 Summer Olympics. In addition, four non-Olympic sports were featured: badminton, sepak takraw, table tennis and tennis.


1977 The Citadel Bulldogs football team
The 1977 The Citadel Bulldogs football team represented The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina in the 1977 NCAA Division I football season. Bobby Ross served as head coach for the fifth season. The Bulldogs played as members of the Southern Conference and played home games at Johnson Hagood Stadium.


1977 Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship
The 1977 Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship was the 87th staging of the Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship since its establishment by the Tipperary County Board in 1887.


1977 Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship
On 23 October 1977, Kilruane MacDonaghs won the championship after a 1-05 to 0-05 defeat of Borris-Ileigh in a final replay at Semple Stadium. It was their first ever championship title.


1977 Tirreno–Adriatico
The 1977 Tirreno–Adriatico was the 12th edition of the Tirreno–Adriatico cycle race and was held from 12 March to 17 March 1977. The race started in Ferentino and finished in San Benedetto del Tronto. The race was won by Roger De Vlaeminck of the Brooklyn team.


1977 Toledo Rockets football team
The 1977 Toledo Rockets football team was an American football team that represented the University of Toledo in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1977 NCAA Division I football season. In their first season under head coach Chuck Stobart, the Rockets compiled a 2–9 record (2–7 against MAC opponents), finished in ninth place in the MAC, and were outscored by all opponents by a combined total of 287 to 112.


1977 Toledo Rockets football team
The team's statistical leaders included Jeff Hepinstall with 359 passing yards, Mike Alston with 772 rushing yards, and Frank Jarm with 204 receiving yards.


1977 Tonga earthquake
The 1977 Tonga earthquake took place on 22 June at 12:08:33 UTC some 200 km southwest of Tongatapu, which shocks infecting all islands of the kingdom of Tonga. The earthquake measured 8.0 on the moment magnitude scale and had a maximum intensity of VIII (Severe) on the Mercalli intensity scale.


1977 Tonga earthquake
The earthquake caused considerable damage to the infrastructures and some fatalities in most Tongan islands, with the most damage in Tongatapu and ʻEua and the least damage in Ha'apai and Vava'u.


1977 Toray Sillook Open
The 1977 Toray Sillook Open  was a women's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts in Tokyo, Japan that was a non-tour event, independent of the 1977 WTA Tour. It was the fifth edition of the tournament and was held from 14 September through 18 September, 1977. The first round and the quarterfinals were held in Osaka while the semifinals and final were held at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo. The singles event was the only competition held and was won by second-seeded Virginia Wade who earned $20,000 first-prize money.


1977 Toray Sillook Open – Singles
Betty Stöve was the defending champion, but lost in the first round to Terry Holladay.


1977 Toray Sillook Open – Singles
Virginia Wade won the title by defeating Martina Navratilova 7–5, 5–7, 6–4 in the final.


1977 Torneo Descentralizado
The 1977 Torneo Descentralizado, the top category of Peruvian football (soccer), was played by 16 teams. The national champion was Alianza Lima.


1977 Torneo Descentralizado
The season was divided into 3 stages. The Preliminary Tournament contested in two groups (home and away matches plus 2 inter-group    matches); each group winner qualified for the Championship Group. The second stage was the Descentralised (league tournament); the top 4 qualified for the Championship Group and the bottom two played for relegation. Championship Group was contested by 6 teams in home and away matches; teams carried their Descentralised Tournament record. Although finishing fifth in Descentralised, Universitario qualified for Championship Group, as Alianza had already qualified in Preliminary Tournament. Municipal and Cienciano played a third relegation playoff on a neutral ground, as each team won one match after home and away matches.


1977 Torneo Godó
The 1977 Torneo Godó or Trofeo Conde de Godó was a tennis tournament that took place on outdoor clay courts in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It was the 25th edition of the tournament and was part of the 1977 Grand Prix circuit. It was held from 17 October 17 until 23 October 1977. First-seeded Björn Borg won the singles title.


1977 Torneo Godó, Finals, Doubles
Wojciech Fibak /  Jan Kodeš defeated  Bob Hewitt /  Frew McMillan 6–0, 6–4


1977 Torneo di Viareggio
The 1977 winners of the Torneo di Viareggio (in English, the Viareggio Tournament, officially the Viareggio Cup World Football Tournament Coppa Carnevale), the annual youth football tournament held in Viareggio, Tuscany, are listed below.


1977 Torneo di Viareggio, Format
The 16 teams are seeded in 4 groups. Each team from a group meets the others in a single tie. The winner of each group progress to the final knockout stage.


1977 Toronto Argonauts season
The 1977 Toronto Argonauts finished in third place in the Eastern Conference with a 6–10 record. They appeared in the Eastern Semi-Final. Richard Holmes became the first player in CFL history to rush for 1,000 yards with two different teams. He rushed for 1016 yards while playing for the Argonauts and the Ottawa Rough Riders.


1977 Toronto Blue Jays season
The 1977 Toronto Blue Jays season was the first year of Major League Baseball played by the Toronto-based expansion franchise. The Blue Jays finished seventh in the American League East with a record of 54 wins and 107 losses, 45½ games behind the World Champion New York Yankees.


1977 Toronto Blue Jays season, Offseason, Spring training
The team had announced on August 26, 1976 that they had selected Dunedin, Florida for spring training. Dunedin was a 30-minute drive from the Tampa airport with daily flights to and from Toronto, and was near other spring training sites including the Phillies in Clearwater, the Mets and Cardinals in St. Petersburg, the Reds in Tampa, and the Pirates in Bradenton.


1977 Toronto Blue Jays season, Offseason, Spring training
Dunedin's Grant Field was located near the downtown and had been used in the 1950s and 1960s by AAA minor league clubs for spring training. The city improved the ballpark with new seats, fences, and clubhouses, increasing seating from approximately 1,200 to 2,000.


1977 Toronto Blue Jays season, Offseason, Spring training
The Blue Jays' first exhibition game was scheduled for March 10, 1977 against the Philadelphia Phillies, but was cancelled due to rain. Instead, the first game was March 11, 1977 against the New York Mets. Wire services reported, "Spectators who arrived too late to purchase tickets inhabited areas down the foul lines, outside the outfield fences and some even took seats in the Babe Ruth League grandstand located down right field line, some 500 feet away from home plate." Bill Singer started the game for the Blue Jays and surrendered a lead off homerun to the Mets' Lee Mazzilli. The Blue Jays came back and won 3-1 in front of 1,988 fans.


1977 Toronto Blue Jays season, Offseason, Spring training
The first two times that they played the Montreal Expos, the Jays were triumphant as well. Perhaps the highlight of spring training was a game against the Cincinnati Reds. The Blue Jays defeated the defending World Series champions with the Reds missing only one regular starter from their lineup. After spring training, the Blue Jays 25-man roster was set. Ron Fairly, who had previously played for the Montreal Expos, was one of the most recognizable players on the nascent team.


1977 Toronto Blue Jays season, Offseason, Spring training
The only marquee name was Bill Singer, a 20-game winner with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1969 and author of a no-hitter in 1970. Pat Gillick had worked out a deal with the New York Yankees to trade Singer for promising young left-hander Ron Guidry. Blue Jays president Peter Bavasi vetoed the deal, as Singer was part of his plan to market and promote the team.


1977 Toronto Blue Jays season, Regular season, The first game
On April 7, 1977, 44,649 fans watched the first game in Toronto Blue Jays franchise history, as the squad hosted the Chicago White Sox. Notables in attendance that day included Metro chairman Paul Godfrey, Toronto mayor David Crombie, legendary NHL broadcaster Foster Hewitt, and country singer Anne Murray. Besides the snow that adorned the field, hundreds of fans missed the first pitch because they were stuck in traffic. An enduring image was the Chicago catcher using his shin pads to ski on the field with bats used as poles before the game started.


1977 Toronto Blue Jays season, Regular season, The first game
The umpires for the game included crew chief Nestor Chylak, Joe Brinkman, Rich Garcia, and 27-year-old Steve Palermo, who was making his major-league debut. The game was broadcast on the CBC with Tom McKee (host), Don Chevrier (play-by-play) and New York Yankee legend Whitey Ford providing the commentary. McKee was the first-ever face, and voice, to appear on the inaugural Blue Jays telecast. The Blue Jays would appear on the CBC only 16 times that first season. Tom Cheek and analyst Early Wynn called the game on the radio, this being the first of 4,306 consecutive games that Cheek would call.


1977 Toronto Blue Jays season, Regular season, The first game
As the snow was squeegeed off the field (via a Zamboni on loan from the Toronto Maple Leafs), the 48th Highlanders marched onto the field to perform the Star Spangled Banner. Canadian country star Murray, wearing a red parka, then sang O Canada.


1977 Toronto Blue Jays season, Regular season, The first game
The fans chanted "We want beer," because Toronto's Exhibition Stadium was the only ballpark in the major leagues to not serve beer.


1977 Toronto Blue Jays season, Regular season, The first game
Bill Singer threw the first pitch in Toronto Blue Jays history to Ralph Garr of the White Sox, a high fastball called for a strike. From an 0–2 count, Garr battled back to 3–2, then drew a walk. Afterwards, Garr stole second base, advancing to third when catcher Rick Cerone's throw went into centre field. Shortstop Alan Bannister then hit a fly ball for the first out of the game. Jorge Orta followed with a sacrifice fly to cash in Garr, who scored the first run at Exhibition Stadium.


1977 Toronto Blue Jays season, Regular season, The first game
Richie Zisk then hit the first home run at the Ex, making the score 2–0, White Sox. Blue Jays manager Roy Hartsfield went to the mound to talk to Singer as reliever Jerry Johnson started warming up in the bullpen. Singer was able to compose himself, getting Eric Soderholm to hit into a fielder's choice to end the inning.


1977 Toronto Blue Jays season, Regular season, The first game
Outfielder John Scott was the first Blue Jay to have an at bat. He faced White Sox pitcher Ken Brett, taking a strike on the first pitch thrown to him. He struck out, as did the next batter, Héctor Torres. Up came first baseman Doug Ault, a 27-year-old career minor-leaguer with only nine games' experience in the majors and the Jays' 16th pick in the expansion draft. On a 1–1 pitch, Ault slugged the first home run (and first hit) in Blue Jay history deep to left-centre. The score was now 2–1, Chicago.


1977 Toronto Blue Jays season, Regular season, The first game
The Chisox scored two runs in the top of the second, increasing their lead to 4-1. In the bottom of the second, Gary Woods bunted for a single, stole second, and scored on a single to right field by Pedro García. In the third inning, Torres singled and Ault was back at the plate. With the count 1–1, Ault hit his second home run down the right field line, and the game was tied at 4 runs apiece. Toronto took their first lead in the fourth when Dave McKay singled in García from second base.


1977 Toronto Blue Jays season, Regular season, The first game
Singer struck out Chet Lemon to start the fifth inning, but Brian Downing and Ralph Garr singled off him. Hartsfield came out to the mound to make a pitching change. Singer left to a standing ovation as Jerry Johnson entered the game. Johnson recorded the final two outs of the fifth. In his first major-league at bat, Al Woods pinch hit for Steve Bowling in the bottom of the fifth. With Otto Vélez at second base, Woods homered to right field. The score was now 7–4 in favour of Toronto, the team having scored in every inning to that point.


1977 Toronto Blue Jays season, Regular season, The first game
The Sox scored a run in the sixth inning, making the score 7–5. Pete Vuckovich entered in relief of Johnson to begin the eighth. He struck out two batters, gave up a walk and a single, but got a ground ball to end the inning. In the bottom of the inning, Ault returned to the plate and singled in another run to make the score 8–5. Another run scored on a double play ground out, making the score 9–5, Blue Jays.