1981 Labour Party deputy leadership election
The election took place at the Labour Party conference, with affiliated trade unions holding 40% of the votes, delegates from Constituency Labour Parties holding 30% of the votes, and the Parliamentary Labour Party holding the final 30% of the votes.


1981 Labour Party deputy leadership election, Candidates
It was the first election to take place using the party's electoral college. At this time 40% of the votes were given to affiliated unions and societies, and 30% each to the Parliamentary Labour Party and the individual members and activists of the party. When this plurality in favour of the unions was first introduced, it received considerable criticism from the more social democratic wing of the party.


1981 Labour Party deputy leadership election, Candidates
It transpired that if the unions had had an equal share to the PLP and the membership then Healey's narrow majority would have been wiped out and the more left-wing Benn would have won the contest. The challenge for the deputy leadership of the party came a year after the election of Michael Foot as leader, which had seen the party shift to the left and resulted in a split which had created the SDP, who in turn had formed an alliance with the Liberal Party to appeal to centrist voters.


1981 Labour Party deputy leadership election, In popular culture
A documentary This Week: Benn's Bandwagon was first shown on 28 April 1981, in the second month of the contest and at the point when it began to dawn on the pundits that Tony Benn was going to come close to winning.


1981 Labour Party deputy leadership election, References, Sources
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1981 Ladies European Tour
The 1981 Ladies European Tour was the third season of golf tournaments organised by the Women's Professional Golfers' Association (WPGA), which later became the Ladies European Tour (LET). There were 13 tournaments on the schedule including four Carlsberg sponsored events and the Women's British Open, organised by the Ladies' Golf Union.


1981 Ladies European Tour
For the 1982 season, the majority of tournaments were increased to 54-holes, having previously been held over 36-holes. This included the Carlsberg events, which were reduced in number, from ten down to four, in order to increase the prize funds at each event. Total prize money on the tour was planned to rise to £250,000 in 1981, but the tour suffered financially during the season as several tournaments were cancelled after sponsors withdrew their support.


1981 Ladies European Tour
The Order of Merit was won by Jenny Lee Smith, who dominated the season with three wins and four runner-up finishes; her £13,518 in prize money put her more than £5,000 clear of runner-up Cathy Panton. The Carlsberg European Championship overall title was won by Panton, who won two of the four events.


1981 Ladies European Tour, Tournaments
The table below shows the 1981 schedule. The numbers in brackets after the winners' names show the number of career wins they had on the Ladies European Tour up to and including that event. This is only shown for members of the tour.


1981 Ladies European Tour, Order of Merit
The Order of Merit was sponsored by Hambro Life and based on prize money won throughout the season.


1981 Lafayette Leopards football team
The 1981 Lafayette Leopards football team was an American football team that represented Lafayette College as an independent during the 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season.


1981 Lafayette Leopards football team
In their first year under head coach Bill Russo, the Leopards compiled a 9–2 record. Steve Biale and Joe Skladany were the team captains.


1981 Lafayette Leopards football team
Lafayette played its home games at Fisher Field on College Hill in Easton, Pennsylvania.


1981 Lamar Cardinals football team
The 1981 Lamar Cardinals football team represented Lamar University in the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season as a member of the Southland Conference. The Cardinals played their home games at Cardinal Stadium now named Provost Umphrey Stadium in Beaumont, Texas. Lamar finished the 1981 season with a 4–6–1 overall record and a 1–3–1 conference record. A highlight for the season was a last second victory over the defending Southwest Conference champion Baylor Bears at the Bears' home field, Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas.


1981 Lamar Cardinals football team, Postseason, Move to NCAA Division I-AA
The 1981 season marked the Cardinals' final season at the NCAA Division I-A level. The Southland Conference along with several other conferences including the Ivy League, Southern Conference, several members of the Missouri Valley Conference, as well as several other teams were forced down to NCAA Division I-AA after failing to meet attendance / stadium size attendance requirements.


1981 Lamar Cardinals football team, Postseason, Head coach resignation
The 1981 season was Larry Kennan's last season as the Cardinals' head football coach. Kennan left the team after the conclusion of the 1981 season to take an assistant coaching position with the Los Angeles Rams.


1981 Larne Borough Council election
Elections to Larne Borough Council were held on 20 May 1981 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.


1981 Larne Borough Council election, Districts results, Area A
1977: 1 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent Nationalist1981: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x SDLP1977-1981 Change: Independent Nationalist gain from SDLP


1981 Larne Borough Council election, Districts results, Area B
1977: 1 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Vanguard1981: 2 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x United Loyalist1977-1981 Change: DUP and United Loyalist gain from Alliance and Vanguard


1981 Larne Borough Council election, Districts results, Area C
1977: 2 x Alliance, 2 x Vanguard, 2 x Independent, 1 x DUP1981: 3 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 2 x Alliance1977-1981 Change: DUP (two seats) and UUP (two seats) gain from Vanguard (two seats) and Independent (two seats)


1981 Latvian SSR Higher League, Overview
It was contested by 16 teams, and Elektrons won the championship.


1981 Laurence Olivier Awards
The 1981 Society of West End Theatre Awards were held in 1981 in London celebrating excellence in West End theatre by the Society of West End Theatre. The awards would not become the Laurence Olivier Awards, as they are known today, until the 1984 ceremony.


1981 Laurence Olivier Awards, Productions with multiple nominations and awards
The following 18 productions, including one ballet and one opera, received multiple nominations:


1981 League of Ireland Cup Final
The 1981 League of Ireland Cup Final was the final match of the 1980–81 League of Ireland Cup, a knock-out association football competition played annually by clubs affiliated with the League of Ireland. It was contested by Dundalk and Galway Rovers, and took place across two legs – with the first leg being played on 1 January 1981 at Terryland Park in Galway, and the second leg being played on 8 January 1981 at Oriel Park in Dundalk. Both legs finished scoreless and Dundalk subsequently won a penalty shoot-out to win the trophy for a second time.


1981 League of Ireland Cup Final, Background
The League Cup was the first trophy of the 1980–81 League of Ireland season. The two sides had met once previously that season in the League in a 1–1 draw. Dundalk had last won the competition in 1978 – their first win in the competition. They reached the final by defeating Home Farm (2–0), St Patrick's Athletic (2–0) and Drogheda United (5–0).


1981 League of Ireland Cup Final, Background
Galway Rovers were appearing in their first domestic final, having entered the League of Ireland in 1977–78.


1981 League of Ireland Cup Final, Match, Summary
The first leg in Galway was marked by an injury to Galway goalkeeper, Tom Lally, in the 52nd minute. Galway elected to continue with the injured player in goals, and Dundalk subsequently failed to seriously challenge him, particularly as they then lost forward Mick Fairclough to injury a minute later. Prior to that, Dundalk had dominated the first half and hit the post through Jerome Clarke just before half-time. But, despite the injury to Lally, they appeared happy to settle for the draw, which made them favourites going into the second leg.


1981 League of Ireland Cup Final, Match, Summary
The second leg in Oriel Park saw Dundalk dominate again as expected, with the Galway goalmouth being described as "resembling a very crowded Eyre Square". Goalkeeper Lally, recovered from his injury the week before, had to make a number of saves to keep Dundalk out. His opposite number, Richie Blackmore, meanwhile, had little to do – as Galway's players were forced into defending on the edge of their own penalty area. In extra-time Dundalk continued to dominate possession, but could only fashion one chance, which again was saved by Lally.


1981 League of Ireland Cup Final, Match, Summary
In the subsequent penalty shoot-out Dundalk missed two of their five penalties, while Galway missed two of their first four, leaving Lally to take their final kick to send the shoot-out to sudden-death. His penalty was saved by Blackmore, and Dundalk had won the League of Ireland Cup for the second time. They would go on to win the FAI Cup as well, later that season.


1981 Lehigh Engineers football team
The 1981 Lehigh Engineers football team was an American football team that represented Lehigh University as an independent during the 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season.


1981 Lehigh Engineers football team
In their sixth year under head coach John Whitehead, the Engineers compiled an 8–3 record. Joe Macellara and Larry Michalski were the team captains.


1981 Lehigh Engineers football team
Lehigh played its home games at Taylor Stadium on the university's main campus in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.


1981 Liberty Bowl
The 1981 Liberty Bowl, a college football postseason bowl game, was played on December 30, 1981, in Memphis, Tennessee, at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. The 23rd edition of the Liberty Bowl featured the independent Navy Midshipmen facing the Ohio State Buckeyes from the Big Ten Conference. Ohio State won the game, 31–28.


1981 Liechtenstein constitutional referendum
A constitutional referendum was held in Liechtenstein on 10 May 1981. Voters were asked whether they approved of amending article 46, which covered the number of seats in the Landtag, its membership and the electoral system. The proposal, which had been narrowly rejected in a 1975 referendum, was rejected by 52.9% of voters.


1981 Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito season
Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito's 1981 season was the club's 51st year of existence, the 28th year in professional football and the 21st in the top level of professional football in Ecuador.


1981 Limavady District Council election
Elections to Limavady Borough Council were held on 20 May 1981 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.


1981 Limavady District Council election, Districts results, Area A
1977: 3 x SDLP, 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP1981: 3 x SDLP, 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP1977-1981 Change: No change


1981 Limavady District Council election, Districts results, Area B
1977: 2 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x Independent1981: 2 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x IIP, 1 x Independent1977-1981 Change: IIP gain from SDLP


1981 Limavady District Council election, Districts results, Area C
1977: 2 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP1981: 2 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP1977-1981 Change: No change


1981 Limerick Senior Hurling Championship
The 1981 Limerick Senior Hurling Championship was the 87th staging of the Limerick Senior Hurling Championship since its establishment by the Limerick County Board.


1981 Limerick Senior Hurling Championship
South Liberties won the championship after a 4-07 to 2-11 defeat of Kilmallock in the final. It was their seventh championship title overall and their first title in three years. It remains their last championship triumph.


1981 Lincolnshire County Council election
The 1981 Lincolnshire County Council election was held on Thursday, 7 May 1981, following boundary changes to the county's electoral divisions. The whole council of 76 members was up for election and the election resulted in the Conservative Party retaining control of the council, winning 42 seats.


1981 Lincolnshire County Council election, Results by division
Each electoral division returned one county councillor. The candidate elected to the council in each electoral division is shown in the table below. "Unopposed" indicates that the councillor was elected unopposed.


1981 Lisburn Borough Council election
Elections to Lisburn Borough Council were held on 20 May 1981 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used five district electoral areas to elect a total of 23 councillors.


1981 Lisburn Borough Council election, Districts results, Area A
1977: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP1981: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP1977-1981 Change: No change


1981 Lisburn Borough Council election, Districts results, Area B
1977: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x UUUP1981: 3 x DUP, 2 x UUP1977-1981 Change: DUP gain from UUUP


1981 Lisburn Borough Council election, Districts results, Area C
1977: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UUUP1981: 3 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance1977-1981 Change: DUP (two seats) gain from UUP and UUUP


1981 Lisburn Borough Council election, Districts results, Area D
1977: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UPNI1981: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance1977-1981 Change: DUP gain from UPNI


1981 Lisburn Borough Council election, Districts results, Area E
1977: 1 x Alliance, 1 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP1981: 1 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x UUUP1977-1981 Change: UUUP gain from Alliance


1981 Little League World Series
The 1981 Little League World Series took place between August 25 and August 29 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The Taiping Little League of Taichung, Taiwan, defeated the Belmont Heights Little League of Tampa, Florida, in the championship game of the 35th Little League World Series.


1981 Little League World Series
This was the fifth consecutive title for Taiwan. As of 2018, this is the longest LLWS winning streak by any single country or U.S. state.


1981 Liège–Bastogne–Liège
The 1981 Liège–Bastogne–Liège was the 67th edition of the Liège–Bastogne–Liège cycle race and was held on 16 April 1981. The race started and finished in Liège. The race was won by Josef Fuchs of the Cilo–Aufina team.


1981 Lliga Catalana de Bàsquet
The 1981 Lliga Catalana de Bàsquet was the 2nd edition of the Catalan Basketball League. The competitionwas contested by six teams and the title game take place in the Palau dels Esports of Barcelona.


1981 London Marathon
The 1981 London Marathon was the first running of the annual marathon race in London, United Kingdom, which took place on Sunday, 29 March. The elite men's race was won in a time of 2:11:48 hours by two athletes, American Dick Beardsley and Inge Simonsen of Norway, who crossed the finish line holding hands. The women's race was won by Britain's Joyce Smith in 2:29:57.


1981 London Marathon
Around 20,000 people applied to enter the race, of which 7747 had their applications accepted and around 7055 started the race. A total of 6255 runners finished the race.


1981 Londonderry City Council election
Elections to Londonderry City Council were held on 20 May 1981 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used five district electoral areas to elect a total of 27 councillors.


1981 Londonderry City Council election, Districts results, Area A
1977: 3 x SDLP, 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP1981: 3 x SDLP, 2 x DUP, 1 x UUP1977-1981 Change: DUP gain from UUP


1981 Londonderry City Council election, Districts results, Area B
1977: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance1981: 2 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x SDLP1977-1981 Change: DUP gain from Alliance


1981 Londonderry City Council election, Districts results, Area C
1977: 3 x SDLP, 2 x Nationalist1981: 3 x SDLP, 2 x IIP1977-1981 Change: Nationalists (two seats) join IIP


1981 Londonderry City Council election, Districts results, Area D
1977: 3 x SDLP, 1 x Nationalist, 1 x UUP1981: 3 x SDLP, 1 x IIP, 1 x DUP1977-1981 Change: DUP gain from UUP, Nationalist joins IIP


1981 Londonderry City Council election, Districts results, Area E
1977: 3 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Nationalist1981: 4 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x IIP1977-1981 Change: SDLP gain from Alliance, Nationalist joins IIP


1981 Long Beach State 49ers football team
The 1981 Long Beach State 49ers football team represented California State University, Long Beach during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season.


1981 Long Beach State 49ers football team
Cal State Long Beach competed in the Pacific Coast Athletic Association. The team was led by fifth-year head coach Dave Currey, and played home games at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, California. They finished the season with a record of two wins, eight losses (2–8, 1–4 PCAA).


1981 Lorraine Open
The 1981 Lorraine Open was a men's tennis tournament played on Indoor carpet courts. The event was part of the 1981 Volvo Grand Prix and was played in Nancy in France. It was the third edition of the tournament and was held from 16 March through 22 March 1981. Seventh-seeded Pavel Složil won the singles title.


1981 Lorraine Open, Finals, Doubles
Ilie Năstase /  Adriano Panatta defeated  John Feaver /  Jiří Hřebec 6–4, 2–6, 6–4


1981 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers season got off to a strong start when rookie pitcher Fernando Valenzuela pitched a shutout on opening day, starting the craze that came to be known as "Fernandomania." Fernando went on to win both the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Awards.


1981 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The season was divided into two halves because of a players' strike in mid-season. The Dodgers won the Western Division of the National League in the first half and advanced to the playoffs. They beat the Houston Astros in a divisional playoff and the Montreal Expos in the National League Championship Series before beating the New York Yankees to win the World Series.


1981 Los Angeles Dodgers season, Postseason, 1981 National League Division Series
In the divisional series, the Dodgers fell behind the Houston Astros two games to zero but came back to win the next three games to take the series and advance to the LCS.


1981 Los Angeles Dodgers season, Postseason, 1981 National League Championship Series
The Dodgers faced the Montreal Expos in the 1981 NLCS and beat them three games to two, thanks to a ninth-inning home run by Rick Monday in Game 5.


1981 Los Angeles Dodgers season, 1981 World Series
The Dodgers met the New York Yankees in the World Series once again, this time beating them in six games to claim their first championship since 1965.


1981 Los Angeles Dodgers season, Major League Baseball Draft
The Dodgers drafted 33 players in the June draft and 18 in the January draft. Of those, eight players would eventually play in the Major Leagues. They received an extra pick in the 2nd round from the Houston Astros as compensation for the loss of free agent pitcher Don Sutton.


1981 Los Angeles Dodgers season, Major League Baseball Draft
The Dodgers first round pick in the June draft was shortstop Dave Anderson from the University of Memphis. He played 10 seasons in the Majors (8 of them with the Dodgers), primarily as a utility infielder. The draft also included pitchers Sid Fernandez (round 3) and John Franco (round 5), both of whom would have lengthy Major League careers primarily with the New York Mets after the Dodgers traded them.


1981 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
The 7th Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, honoring the best filmmaking of 1980, were announced on 14 December 1981 and given on 13 January 1982.


1981 Los Angeles Rams season
The 1981 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 44th year with the National Football League (NFL) and the 36th season in Los Angeles. The Rams looked to improve on their 11-5 record from 1980. The team failed to improve upon their 11-5 record, and finished with a mediocre 6-10 record and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1972.


1981 Los Angeles Rams season
This year's Rams squad also suffered the humiliation of being the first to be swept by NFC West rival New Orleans.


1981 Los Angeles Rams season
For the season, the Rams converted from gray facemasks to blue facemasks.


1981 Los Angeles Rams season, Offseason, Undrafted free agents
The Rams were touted as a possible Super Bowl contender prior to this season. However, Vince Ferragamo, who had previously led the Rams to Super Bowl XIV and set a Rams record the previous season with 30 touchdown passes, decided to bolt for the Canadian Football League's Montreal Alouettes. Pat Haden was named the starter, but with most of the offensive weapons that Ferragamo had, notably WR's Preston Dennard and Billy Waddy. Also, the Rams would benefit from the return of running back Wendell Tyler, who had missed most of the previous season with a hip injury from an automobile accident.


1981 Los Angeles mayoral election
The 1981 election for Mayor of Los Angeles took place on April 7, 1981. Incumbent Tom Bradley was re-elected.


1981 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football team
The 1981 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football team was an American football team that represented Louisiana Tech University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their second year under head coach Billy Brewer, the team compiled a 4–6–1 record.


1981 Louisville Cardinals football team
The 1981 Louisville Cardinals football team was an American football team that represented the University of Louisville as an independent during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their second season under head coach Bob Weber, the Cardinals compiled a 5–6 record and were outscored by a total of 212 to 180.


1981 Louisville Cardinals football team
The team's statistical leaders included Dean May with 589 passing yards, Don Craft with 475 rushing yards, Mark Clayton with 596 receiving yards, and Don Craft and Tony Blair with 42 points each.


1981 Lynda Carter Maybelline Classic
The 1981 Lynda Carter Maybelline Classic was a women's tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts at the Deer Creek Racquet Club in Deerfield Beach, Florida in the United States that was part of the Toyota Series of the 1981 Avon Championships World Championship Series. It was the second edition of the tournament and was held from October 12 through October 18, 1981. First-seeded Chris Evert-Lloyd won her second consecutive singles title at the event and earned $22,000 first-prize money.


1981 Lynda Carter Maybelline Classic, Finals, Doubles
Mary-Lou Daniels /  Wendy White defeated  Pam Shriver /  Paula Smith 6–1, 3–6, 7–5


1981 MacDonnell by-election
A by-election for the seat of MacDonnell in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly was held on 28 March 1981. The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Labor Party member Neville Perkins, the first indigenous person in Australia to hold a shadow ministry in an Australian parliament. The seat had been held by Perkins since 1977.


1981 MacDonnell by-election
The CLP selected Aboriginal film activist Rosalie Kunoth-Monks, as its candidate. The Labor candidate was Neil Bell.


1981 Maccabiah Games
The 1981 11th Maccabiah Games brought 3,450 athletes to Israel from 30 nations.


1981 Maccabiah Games
The 30-sports menu included rugby union, sailing and softball for the first time.


1981 Maccabiah Games
New facilities for squash, wrestling, karate, and judo were introduced.


1981 Maccabiah Games, History
The Maccabiah Games were first held in 1932. In 1961, they were declared a "Regional Sports Event" by, and under the auspices and supervision of, the International Olympic Committee.


1981 Maccabiah Games, Notable medalists
Mitch Gaylord, gymnastics, won 6 gold medals; he later went on to win Olympic gold.


1981 Maccabiah Games, Notable medalists
Also, American tennis players Brad Gilbert (in doubles, with Jon Levine) and Andrea Leand earned gold medals, and Shlomo Glickstein won the men's singles in tennis (defeating Brad Gilbert), the first Israeli to win a Maccabiah tennis championship. In golf, American Corey Pavin won two gold medals.


1981 Maccabiah Games, Notable medalists
Mark Berger, who three years later was to go on to win a silver medal in the Olympics, won a gold medal in judo. David Blatt, Danny Schayes, and Willie Sims won a gold medal with Team USA in basketball. American fencers Paul Friedberg won a gold medal for the US in saber, Peter Schifrin won a silver medal in epee, and  Elaine Cheris won an individual silver medal and a team gold medal in foil. British sabre fencer Paul Klenerman, who three years later fenced in the Olympics, also medaled.


1981 Maccabiah Games, Notable medalists
In track and field, James Espir of Great Britain, who earlier that year had run a mile in 3 minutes 56.7 seconds, thereby becoming the fastest Jewish miler ever, won the 1500 metres and 5000 metres gold medals on successive days. At the Games, Maya Kalle-Bentzur of Israel won the gold medal in the women's long jump.


1981 Maccabiah Games, Notable medalists
In swimming Lior Birkan won 3 gold and 2 silver medals.


1981 Maccabiah Games, Participating communities
The number in parentheses indicates the number of participants that community contributed.


1981 Magherafelt District Council election
Elections to Magherafelt District Council were held on 20 May 1981 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.


1981 Magherafelt District Council election, Districts results, Area A
1977: 2 x SDLP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Republican Clubs1981: 3 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Independent Republican1977-1981 Change: SDLP, DUP and Independent Republican gain from UUP (two seats) and Republican Clubs


1981 Magherafelt District Council election, Districts results, Area B
1977: 1 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x UUUP, 1 x Independent Nationalist1981: 1 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x UUUP, 1 x IIP1977-1981 Change: IIP gain from Independent Nationalist


1981 Magherafelt District Council election, Districts results, Area C
1977: 2 x DUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x UUP1981: 2 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Independent Republican1977-1981 Change: Independent Republican gain from SDLP


1981 Maghreb Athletics Championships
The 1981 Maghreb Athletics Championships was the eighth edition of the international athletics competition between the countries of the Maghreb. Algeria, Tunisia and Libya were the competing nations. Organised by the Union des Fédérations d'Athlétisme du Maghreb Uni (Union of Athletics Federations of the United Maghreb), it took place in Casablanca, Morocco from 15–17 July. A total of 39 athletics events were contested, 23 for men and 16 for women.


1981 Maghreb Athletics Championships
The 1981 edition marked a rejuvenation of the tournament, there having been a six-year gap since the last edition. It was the second time that Algiers played host to the championships, and also the second time Libya sent a team. With Morocco absent, the hosts, Algeria, were dominant at the competition, winning a total of 29 gold medals. Tunisia had nine gold medals, and Libya took the sole remaining gold medal.


1981 Maghreb Athletics Championships
The women's heptathlon was introduced, replacing the women's pentathlon in line with the new international standard set at the 1983 World Championships in Athletics. A women's 400 metres hurdles and Maghreb men's marathon were also staged for the first time. Track events were only officially timed to the tenth of a second.


1981 Maine Black Bears football team
The 1981 Maine Black Bears football team represented the University of Maine during the 1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season.


1981 Maitland state by-election
A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorate of Maitland on 21 February 1981 following the resignation of Milton Morris (Liberal) to unsuccessfully contest the federal seat of Lyne at the 1980 election.


1981 Maitland state by-election
By-elections for the seats of Cessnock, Oxley and Sturt were held on the same day.


1981 Maitland state by-election, Aftermath
Peter Toms' career was to be short-lived, as he was defeated by Allan Walsh in the Labor "Wranslide" at the election in September 1981.


1981 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1981 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 52nd playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League (AL) and National League (NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on Sunday, August 9, 1981, at Cleveland Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio, the home of the Cleveland Indians of the American League. As of 2020, it is the only MLB All-Star Game that was played on a Sunday.


1981 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
This was one of only two All-Star Games to be played outside the month of July (the other being the second 1959 game). The game was originally to be played on Tuesday, July 14, but was cancelled due to the players' strike lasting from June 12 to July 31. It was then brought back as a prelude to the second half of the season, which began the following day. At 72,086 people in attendance, it broke the stadium's own record of 69,751 set in 1954, setting the still-standing record for the highest attendance in an All Star Game.


1981 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
Cleveland Stadium set a new All-Star Game record by hosting its fourth (and ultimately, final) Midsummer Classic. By the time Indians played host to the All-Star Game for the fifth time in 1997, they had moved to Jacobs Field, and the sixth time in 2019 was at Progressive Field (formerly known as Jacobs Field).


1981 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Rosters
Players in italics have since been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.


1981 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Game, Game summary
The American League started with four shutout innings, two apiece by starter Jack Morris and Len Barker. Meanwhile, Fernando Valenzuela, only the second rookie pitcher to start an All-Star Game, pitched a scoreless first with two strikeouts. The AL got on the board in the second when Ken Singleton homered off Tom Seaver.


1981 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Game, Game summary
Gary Carter broke the scoring drought for the NL and tied the game with a shot off Ken Forsch in the fifth. Dave Parker gave the senior circuit the lead with a homer in the sixth off Mike Norris.


1981 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Game, Game summary
Burt Hooton came in for the NL in the AL-half of the sixth and promptly loaded the bases on three successive singles by Singleton, Dwight Evans, and Carlton Fisk. Fred Lynn lined another single, but only Singleton came home to tie it at 2-2. Buddy Bell followed with a sacrifice fly to give the AL a 3-2 lead.


1981 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Game, Game summary
Eddie Murray then bounced what looked to be a double-play grounder to Steve Garvey at first, but Garvey's low throw combined with a great play by Ozzie Smith at second and a rolling slide by Lynn resulted in only a force at second. Fisk went to third and Ted Simmons singled him in to make it 4-2. Al Oliver then lifted a bloop fly ball to left that looked like it would drop, but Dusty Baker hustled in and made a sliding catch for the third out, saving a run and possibly more.


1981 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Game, Game summary
In the seventh, Carter got one of the runs back with his second homer, this one off Ron Davis. Then, in the eighth, Rollie Fingers walked Ozzie Smith. Smith stole second and attempted to take third when Bo Díaz' throw went into center field. Dave Winfield hustled the ball back to the infield and Smith was caught in a rundown and tagged out by Fingers. Mike Easler walked and Mike Schmidt homered off Fingers to give the National League their winning runs.


1981 Major League Baseball draft, First round selections
The following are the first round picks in the 1981 Major League Baseball draft.


1981 Major League Baseball season
The 1981 Major League Baseball season culminated with the Los Angeles Dodgers defeating the New York Yankees in the World Series, capturing the franchise's fifth World Series title. The season had a players' strike, which lasted from June 12 to July 31, and split the season into two halves. Teams that won their division in each half of the season advanced to the playoffs. This was the first split season in American League history, and second for the National League, which had played a split season in 1892.


1981 Major League Baseball season
The All-Star Game was originally scheduled for July 14, but was canceled due to the strike. It was ultimately played on August 9, as a prelude to the second half of the season, which began the following day.


1981 Major League Baseball season, Postseason, Bracket
NOTE: Due to a strike in mid-season, the season was divided into a first half and a second half. The division winner of the first half (denoted E1, W1) played the division winner of the second half (denoted E2, W2).


1981 Major League Baseball strike
The 1981 Major League Baseball strike was the first work stoppage in Major League Baseball since the 1972 Major League Baseball strike that resulted in regular season games being cancelled. Overall, it was the fourth work stoppage since 1972, but actions in 1973, 1976, and 1980 did not result in any regular season games being cancelled. The strike began on June 12 and forced the cancellation of 713 games (or 38 percent of the Major League schedule) in the middle of the regular season. The two sides reached an agreement on July 31, and play resumed on August 9 with the All-Star Game, with regular season play resuming one day later.


1981 Major League Baseball strike
An estimated US$146 million was lost in player salaries, ticket sales, broadcast revenues, and concession revenues. The players lost $4 million a week in salaries while the owners suffered a total loss of $72 million.


1981 Major League Baseball strike, The strike deadline
The Executive Board of the Major League Baseball Players Association voted unanimously to strike on May 29 due to the unresolved issue of free agent compensation. The deadline was extended briefly, however, after the Players' Association's unfair labor complaint was heard by the National Labor Relations Board.


1981 Major League Baseball strike, The strike deadline, Reasons for the strike
The strike was called in response to the owners wanting  to win back the prerogatives over the players. The owners had already lost at the bargaining table and in the courts on the issue of the free agency draft. At issue during the seven-week-long negotiations was the owners demanding compensation for losing a free agent player to another team. The compensation in question was a player who was selected from the signing team's roster (not including 12 "protected" players). The players maintained that any form of compensation would undermine the value of free agency.


1981 Major League Baseball strike, The strike deadline, Reaction
Although the strike was called by the players, many sportswriters and even fans placed most of the blame on the owners. Sports Illustrated reflected this particular opinion with the cover headline "Strike! The Walkout the Owners Provoked." One of the reasons the owners doled out such hefty contracts from 1978–1981 (43 players each negotiated contracts worth over $1 million during this period) was that they were afraid of losing disgruntled stars in the free agency reentry draft. So the owners paid their players the so-called new going rate in order to keep them from going elsewhere.


1981 Major League Baseball strike, The strike deadline, Reaction
Jim Palmer observed the impact of arbitrators on the strike. "They [the owners] wanted an end to binding arbitration where the player picks a salary number (a high one) and the owners pick a number (yes, a low one) and the arbitrator has to choose one number or the other and nothing in between. So, since the owners kept paying more and more to mediocre players, the averages kept going up and the arbitrators looked at the averages and usually went with the player's number, which raised the average some more." He cited as an example of this trend Ed Farmer, an "okay player" who got his salary raised from $70,000 in 1980 to $495,000 in 1981 after an arbitrator sided with him. "The averages keep climbing."


1981 Major League Baseball strike, The strike deadline, Reaction
Palmer also noted the owners' desire to save money. "They said they just didn't have any more money...fast-forward thirteen years and the highest paid players in the game, guys like Cal Ripken Jr. and Kirby Puckett, are now making $6 million a year. Ten times what I made. Where do you suppose the owners who didn't have any more money got that extra $5 million? Lotto?" He faulted both sides for the strike. "The players said it was about freedom. The owners said it was about fairness. The bottom line was it was about the bottom line."


1981 Major League Baseball strike, The strike deadline, Reaction
Reporters used Strat-O-Matic to simulate the delayed 1981 All-Star game inside Cleveland Stadium, with the scoreboard displaying the game's progress; the Strat-O-Matic set went to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Some newspapers used Strat-O-Matic to simulate other canceled games during the strike.


1981 Major League Baseball strike, The strike ends
On July 31, 1981, a compromise was reached. In the settlement, teams that lost a "premium" free agent could be compensated by drawing from a pool of players left unprotected from all of the clubs rather than just the signing club. Players agree to restricting free agency to players with six or more years of major league service. The settlement gave the owners a limited victory on the compensation issue.


1981 Major League Baseball strike, The strike ends
Reportedly, the negotiations were so bitter that when a settlement was finally reached, Players Association representative Marvin Miller and the owners' negotiator Ray Grebey refused to pose with each other for the traditional "peace ceremony" photograph.


1981 Major League Baseball strike, The strike ends, The All-Star Game
Major League Baseball resumed on August 9 with the All-Star Game in Cleveland's Municipal Stadium. The All-Star Game, which was originally scheduled to be held on July 14, now served as a prelude to play resuming on August 10. The National League beat the American League 5-4.


1981 Major League Baseball strike, The strike ends, The All-Star Game
When play resumed, attendance dropped in 17 of 24 cities and television ratings slumped sharply. Despite the disgruntled fans, the All-Star Game, which was played on a Sunday instead of the usual Tuesday, had its largest attendance (72,086), due to the large seating capacity of Municipal Stadium.


1981 Major League Baseball strike, The split-season format
Due to the two-month strike, the owners tried to create an equitable solution.


1981 Major League Baseball strike, The split-season format
So on August 6, the owners decided to split the 1981 season into two halves, with the first-place teams from each half in each division (or a wild card team if the same club won both halves) meeting in a best-of-five divisional playoff series (this playoff round, known as the League Division Series was a one-off for this season; it was not until 13 years later in 1994 that the LDS round would become permanent in MLB [it was first played in 1995, as the 1994 season was ended due to another strike], when the league introduced the three-division format). The four survivors would then move on to the two best-of-five League Championship Series. It was the first time that Major League Baseball used a split-season format since 1892.


1981 Major League Baseball strike, The split-season format, Flaws
The split-season idea as put into practice (although garnering the league more playoff revenue) seemed to cheapen the results of the regular season. As first proposed, if a team won its division in both halves of the season, then it would play the team with the second best record overall (first and second half). An Orioles fan, J. Thomas Codd, pointed out that the arrangement would give a team with a good overall record an incentive to lose games against the first-half winner to help a division rival win both halves. On August 20, Major League Baseball revised the rules so that if a team won both halves of the season, it would face the second season runner-up instead.


1981 Major League Baseball strike, The split-season format, Flaws
Facing a playoff no matter their finish in the second half, the first-half winners lacked incentive (as opposed to the minor leagues, where if the same team did win both halves it was given a bye into the next round) to repeat, and finished the second half of the season with a composite record of only three games above .500. Tommy John of the AL East winning Yankees stated "With the first-half divisional 'title' wrapped up, we lost our intensity."


1981 Major League Baseball strike, The split-season format, Flaws
To make matters worse, the Cincinnati Reds (National League West) and St. Louis Cardinals (National League East) each failed to make the playoffs. This was despite the fact that they had the two best full-season records in the National League that season (and thus would have won their divisions under normal circumstances). The Cardinals would receive some vindication the following year when they won the World Series while the Reds would not make the postseason again until 1990, when they won the franchise's most recent World Series title.


1981 Major League Baseball strike, The split-season format, Flaws
In contrast to the Reds' and Cardinals' bad luck, the defending American League champion Kansas City Royals made the postseason despite owning the fourth-best full-season record in their division and posting a losing record overall (50–53). Notably, the format allowed the second-half National League East champion Montreal Expos to make the playoffs, the only time the Expos franchise would make the postseason in their 36-year stay in Montreal and their only postseason appearance of any kind until 2012, long after the team became the Washington Nationals. Ironically, the next time there would be a significant players' strike, 13 years later in 1994, the Expos would be end up being the team most hurt by the season's abrupt end.


1981 Major League Baseball strike, The split-season format, Flaws
The Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates ended up playing the fewest games of any team at 102. Meanwhile, the San Francisco Giants played the most at 111. Most teams finished with anywhere between 106 and 109 games.


1981 Major League Baseball strike, The split-season format, Flaws
Palmer summed it up thusly: "The strike of 1981 lasted fifty-one days. It hurt the owners, it hurt the players, but mostly it hurt the game. Eventually, the game recovered. But it's like a player. Every time he's injured, it's harder to come back."


1981 Maltese general election
General elections were held in Malta on 12 December 1981.


1981 Maltese general election
For the 1981 elections, the opposition Nationalist Party, reinvigorated with a new leader, looked set for a serious challenge to Mintoff. In fact, in that election, the Partit Nazzjonalista managed an absolute majority of votes, but it managed only 31 seats to the Labour Party's 34. Dom Mintoff said that he would not be ready to govern in such conditions and hinted that he would call for fresh elections within six months. However, this was not to be: Mintoff eventually accepted the President's invitation to form a government. This led to a political crisis whose effects continued through much of the 1980s, as well as increasing political violence in the street.


1981 Maltese general election
The election resulted in controversy because although the Nationalist Party received a majority of votes, the voting system in use led to Malta Labour Party winning a majority of seats and governing the Maltese islands with a disputed mandate, until the 1987 elections. This provoked a constitutional crisis, with the Nationalist Party boycotting parliament.


1981 Maltese general election
As a result a compromise was reached whereby changes were made to the voting system to prevent a recurrence of the same problem. Under the new system if a repeat of the 1981 scenario occurs, the party supported by an overall majority of voters is awarded a number of additional seats from a party list, so that it secures a parliamentary majority.


1981 Maltese general election, Electoral system
The 1981 election was held under the single transferable vote (PR-STV) system, with five-seat constituencies. Under the agreement reached following the 1981 election additional 'bonus' seats were introduced.


1981 Manitoba general election
The 1981 Manitoba general election was held on November 17, 1981 to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the opposition New Democratic Party, which took 34 of 57 seats. The governing Progressive Conservative Party took the remaining 23, while the Manitoba Liberal Party was shut out from the legislature for the only time in its history. The newly formed Progressive Party failed to win any seats.


1981 Manitoba general election
Sterling Lyon's Progressive Conservative government ran on a promise to continue investing in the province's "mega-projects" (including as a $500 million Alcan aluminum smelter, a $600 million potash mine and a "Western power grid"), and suggested that an NDP government would jeopardize these plans. The NDP campaign, which was largely co-ordinated by Wilson Parasiuk, questioned the Lyon government's fiscal accountability in such matters, noting that it had sold 50% of Trout Lake Copper Mine stock, possibly at a major loss. Jacques Bougie, the Alcan administrator for Manitoba, was also described as holding undue influence over the government.


1981 Manitoba general election
The NDP campaign generally focused on the economy, and drew attention to the issue of Manitobans emigrating from the province because of job losses. Progressive Party leader Sidney Green described Lyon's initiatives as "bega-projects", a reference to the government's controversial fundraising with foreign corporations.


1981 Manitoba general election
The election was considered too close to call until the final week, when the NDP campaign gained momentum.


1981 Manitoba general election, Results
1 "Before" refers to standings in the Legislature at dissolution, and not to the results of the previous election. These numbers therefore reflect changes in party standings as a result of by-elections and members crossing the floor.


1981 Manitoba general election, Riding results
Note:  There was one vacant seat at the time of the election.


1981 Manitoba general election, Riding results, Post-election changes
Henry Carroll (NDP) became (Ind), August 19, 1982. Russell Doern (NDP) became (Ind), March 7, 1984.


1981 Manitoba general election, Riding results, Post-election changes
Fort Garry (res. Louis Sherman, August 5, 1984), October 2, 1984:


1981 Manitoba general election, Riding results, Post-election changes
Kildonan (dec. Mary Beth Dolin, April 10, 1985), October 1, 1985:


1981 Marshall Thundering Herd football team
The 1981 Marshall Thundering Herd football team was an American football team that represented Marshall University in the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. In its third season under head coach Sonny Randle, the team compiled a 2–9 record (1–5 against conference opponents) and was outscored by a total of 284 to 94. The team played its home games at Fairfield Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia.


1981 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 1981 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland in the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their 10th and final season under head coach Jerry Claiborne, the Terrapins compiled a 4–6–1 record, finished in third place in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and outscored their opponents 232 to 194. The team's statistical leaders included Boomer Esiason with 1,635 passing yards, Charlie Wysocki with 715 rushing yards, and Russell Davis with 498 receiving yards.


1981 Mason-Dixon 500
The 1981 Mason-Dixon 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event that took place on May 17, 1981, at Dover Downs International Speedway (now Dover International Speedway) in Dover, Delaware.


1981 Mason-Dixon 500
During the preceding season, NASCAR had completely stopped tracking the year model of all the vehicles and most teams did not take stock cars to the track under their own power anymore. Only manual transmission vehicles were allowed to participate in this race; a policy that NASCAR has retained to the present day.


1981 Mason-Dixon 500
The NASCAR Winston Cup Series was also plagued with top teams running big engines and finishing in third place to avoid inspection around the time that this race was held.


1981 Mason-Dixon 500, Background
Dover Downs International Speedway, now called Dover International Speedway, is one of five short tracks to hold NASCAR races; the others are Bristol Motor Speedway, Richmond International Raceway, Martinsville Speedway, and Phoenix International Raceway. The NASCAR race makes use of the track's standard configuration, a four-turn short track oval that is 1 mile (1.6 km) long. The track's turns are banked at twenty-four degrees, and both the front stretch (the location of the finish line) and the backstretch are banked at nine degrees.


1981 Mason-Dixon 500, Race report
Five hundred laps took place on a paved track spanning a distance of 1.000 mile or 1.609 kilometres per lap. It took four hours and seventeen minutes for Jody Ridley to defeat Bobby Allison by 22 seconds in front of 40,000 live spectators. This race was the only win for a car numbered 90 in the NASCAR Cup Series. It was also the only Cup Series win for Ridley and the only points paying win for Donlavey Racing. However, this victory was controversial because Allison's team blamed a scoring error for his loss (even though Allison himself did not actually protest the win).


1981 Mason-Dixon 500, Race report
The winner would win $22,560 in prize money ($63,444 when adjusted for inflation) while the last place winner would take home only $5,980 ($16,817 when adjusted for inflation). Two cautions slowed the race for 24 laps and the average racing speed was 116.925 miles per hour (188.173 km/h). David Pearson would acquire the pole position with a speed of 138.425 miles per hour (222.773 km/h). Darrell Waltrip got his Mountain Dew #11 Buick in trouble early when he lost it off Turn 4 and set off a multi-car crash. The Junior Johnson team managed to make repairs and get him back out there, with the high attrition rate they salvaged a 12th place finish and maintained their third place position in the points.


1981 Mason-Dixon 500, Race report
David Pearson returns to the tour for the first time the Halpern team shut down after the owner's untimely death to take the wheel of Kennie Childers' #12 Kencoal Mining Oldsmobile. The new effort paired two legends of the sport with the Silver Fox driving and Jake Elder acting as crew chief with the pair winning the pole for this race. Unfortunately, engine issues started to arise as the weekend progressed so while Pearson led early in the time one a blown engine eventually sent him to the sidelines just after the 1/10th mark. The partnership of Pearson and the Childers team ended up being just a one-off effort.


1981 Mason-Dixon 500, Race report
Richard Petty was another contender who fell by the wayside in this one. He was running fourth in this race when a rear end failure sent the #43 STP Buick to the sidelines done for a 19th-place finish. Elmo comes out of retirement in a one-off for Lake Speed. Neil Bonnett was ahead by two laps over the entire field when he failed to finish the race after leading 404 laps; quite possibly the most number of laps led in NASCAR history while getting a DNF. In today's NASCAR, it is impossible for someone to finish 20 laps down but in 10th place.


1981 Mason-Dixon 500, Race report
All 32 drivers on the racing grid were American-born males. Benny Parsons would acquire a last-place finish on the first lap due to a crash with Dave Marcis. The lowest finishing driver to finish the race was Cecil Gordon; who was 42 laps behind the lead lap. The tenth-place driver would finish 20 laps down from the lead lap drivers. In today's NASCAR, he would have finished more towards the middle of the pack. There was a "communications meltdown" on lap 480 which put the race in jeopardy. Ridley's win was considered controversial because Allison claimed to have "won the race"; according to NASCAR team owner Harry Ranier.


1981 Mason-Dixon 500, Finishing order
* Driver failed to finish race † signifies that the driver is known to be deceased


1981 Masters (snooker)
The 1981 Benson & Hedges Masters was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament that took place from Tuesday 27 January to Sunday 1 February 1981 at the Wembley Conference Centre in London, England. The number of invited players had been raised to 12, which saw Steve Davis make his Masters debut and a rise in prize money. With the increase in the number of players the tournament was extended from 5 days to 6, with a Sunday finish.


1981 Masters (snooker)
Alex Higgins reached his fourth consecutive Masters final by defeating Cliff Thorburn 6–5 in the semi-finals, despite having trailed 1–5. There he reversed the result of the 1980 final against Terry Griffiths, who had himself made a dramatic recovery to beat John Spencer 6–5 in the semi-finals, after trailing 2–5 and needing two snookers in the eighth frame. Griffiths set a new tournament record break of 136 in the final. The tournament attracted 18,742 spectators in its six days, including a new British tournament record of 2,422 for the final session.


1981 Masters Tournament
The 1981 Masters Tournament was the 45th Masters Tournament, held April 9–12 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Tom Watson won his second green jacket and fifth major title by two strokes over Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller.


1981 Masters Tournament
Five-time champion Nicklaus shot a bogey-free 65 on Friday and led by four strokes after 36 holes, but a 75 on Saturday put him a stroke behind Watson entering the final round. It was the fourth runner-up finish for Nicklaus at the Masters and the third for Miller. Nicklaus won his sixth Masters five years later in 1986 at age 46.


1981 Masters Tournament
Defending champion Seve Ballesteros shot 154 (+10) and missed the cut by six strokes; he also missed the cut as defending champion in 1984. Lee Trevino, needing a green jacket to complete the career grand slam, also shot 154 with an ailing back. His best finishes at Augusta were tenth place ties in 1975 and 1985.


1981 Masters Tournament
Greg Norman, age 26, appeared in his first Masters and was fourth, the first of his eight top-five finishes at Augusta. He was runner-up three times, in 1986, 1987, and 1996.


1981 Masters Tournament
This was the first Masters with bentgrass greens, which were formerly Bermuda and ryegrass.


1981 Masters Tournament, Field
Tommy Aaron, George Archer, Seve Ballesteros (3,8), Gay Brewer, Billy Casper, Charles Coody, Raymond Floyd (8,11), Doug Ford, Bob Goalby, Jack Nicklaus (2,3,4,9,10), Arnold Palmer (8), Gary Player (8), Sam Snead, Art Wall Jr., Tom Watson (3,8,9,11), Fuzzy Zoeller (8,12)


1981 Masters Tournament, Field
Hubert Green (8,12), Hale Irwin (9,11,12), Andy North (8,9), Jerry Pate (8)


1981 Masters Tournament, Field
Jim Holtgrieve (7,a), Bob Lewis (a), Hal Sutton (6,7,a), Dick von Tacky (a)


1981 Masters Tournament, Field
Andy Bean (10,11,12), Jim Colbert, Ben Crenshaw (11), Ed Fiori, Gibby Gilbert, Jay Haas, Tom Kite (11,12), Billy Kratzert (11), Gil Morgan (9,10,12), Larry Nelson (11,12), Calvin Peete, Jack Renner, Jim Simons, J. C. Snead


1981 Masters Tournament, Field
Keith Fergus, Joe Hager, Mark Hayes (12), Lon Hinkle (10), Joe Inman, Pat McGowan, Mike Morley, Mike Reid, Bill Rogers (10,11), Ed Sneed, Craig Stadler, Curtis Strange (10,11), Lee Trevino (10,11,12), Bobby Wadkins


1981 Masters Tournament, Field
John Cook, Bob Gilder, Phil Hancock, Scott Hoch, Peter Jacobsen, Wayne Levi, Bruce Lietzke, Mark Pfeil, Don Pooley, Scott Simpson, Mike Sullivan, Doug Tewell


1981 Masters Tournament, Field
Isao Aoki (9), Bruce Devlin (9), Duncan Evans (6,a), David Graham (4,8,11), Dan Halldorson (11), Sandy Lyle, Jack Newton (8), Greg Norman, Norio Suzuki


1981 Maui Pro Tennis Classic
The 1981 Maui Pro Tennis Classic, also known as the Hawaii Open, was a men's tennis tournament played an outdoor hard courts in Maui, Hawaii, in the United States that was part of the 1981 Volvo Grand Prix circuit. It was the eighth edition of the tournament and was held from September 29 through October 4, 1981. Unseeded Hank Pfister won the singles title.


1981 Maui Pro Tennis Classic, Finals, Doubles
Matt Mitchell /  Tony Graham defeated  John Alexander /  James Delaney 6–3, 3–6, 7–6


1981 Mauritanian coup d'état attempt
The 1981 Mauritanian coup d'état attempt was a violent coup attempt in Mauritania which took place on 16 March 1981. The coup attempt, staged by elements of the military and opposition Alliance for a Democratic Mauritania (AMD) movement, was led by Lieutenant Colonel Ahmed Salim Ould Sidi and Lieutenant Colonel Mohamed Abdelkader, and resulted in heavy fighting in the capital Nouakchott, before conspirators were defeated by troops loyal to the Head of State (CMSN chairman), Colonel Mohamed Khouna Ould Haidalla.


1981 Mauritanian coup d'état attempt
Abdelkader (former Air Force commander) was killed in the fighting, while Sidi (former CMSN vice chairman) was subsequently executed. On 25 April, Haidalla and the CMSN decided to replace the fledgling civilian government of Sid Ahmed Ould Bneijara (appointed on 12 December 1980) with a six-member military government headed by Colonel Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya.


1981 McDonald's All-American Boys Game
The 1981 McDonald's All-American Boys Game was an All-star basketball game played on Saturday, April 11, 1981, at the Levitt Arena in Wichita, Kansas. The game's rosters featured the best and most highly recruited high school boys graduating in 1981. The game was the 4th annual version of the McDonald's All-American Game first played in 1978.


1981 McDonald's All-American Boys Game, 1981 game
The game was not televised, but highlights were aired by NBC Sports during Sportsworld on April 12. The East roster included the best big man in the 1981 class, Patrick Ewing (who did not play in this game), guard Michael Jordan and forward Chris Mullin. The West team could count on local stars Greg Dreiling, a 7-1 center who averaged 26.7 points for his high school team, and guard Aubrey Sherrod, the only player who was still undecided regarding his college choice. Both players went on to attend Wichita State.


1981 McDonald's All-American Boys Game, 1981 game
The West team also had more size, having 7 players standing 6-9 or taller, while the East had two of the best guards, Jordan and Milt Wagner. The game started at 8 PM and initially saw the West team take the lead, with the East team scoring their first points on a Jordan jumpshot with 7:54 minutes left in the first quarter. Jordan's basket started a 10-point run for the East, which outscored the West 21-12 in the first quarter.


1981 McDonald's All-American Boys Game, 1981 game
The second quarter ended 31-28 in favor of the West team, and at halftime the score was East 49, West 43. The East kept the lead until the fourth quarter, when the West went ahead 81-80 on a Hurt layup with 6:34 left. Aubrey Sherrod scored on a jumpshot with 22 seconds remaining, and the score was West 95, East 94. When the East regained possession of the ball, Jordan was fouled, and scored both free throws bringing the score to 96-95 for the East team.


1981 McDonald's All-American Boys Game, 1981 game
The West could win the game but Mark Acres missed the decisive free throw, shooting it short, and the game ended with the East win. Jordan set a new scoring record with 30 points on 13/19 shooting (4/4 from the free throw line): the record lasted for 18 years, until the 1999 game when Jonathan Bender scored 31 points. Despite Jordan's scoring effort, the MVP award went to Adrian Branch and Aubrey Sherrod. Of the 25 players, 14 went on to play at least 1 game in the NBA.


1981 McGill College
1981 McGill College, also known as The Richter Tower, is an 82 m (269 ft), 20-storey office complex in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The building was designed by WZMH Architects. It is located on McGill College Avenue at the intersection of De Maisonneuve Boulevard, in the Ville-Marie borough of Downtown Montreal.


1981 McGill College
1981 McGill College is currently owned and managed by Canadian insurance company Industrial Alliance. It consists of 96,380 square feet of office space.


1981 McNeese State Cowboys football team
The 1981 McNeese State Cowboys football team represented McNeese State University in the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season.


1981 McPherson by-election
A by-election was held for the Australian House of Representatives seat of McPherson on 21 February 1981. This was triggered by the sudden death of Liberal Party MP Eric Robinson. It was held on the same day as by-elections for Boothby and Curtin.


1981 McPherson by-election
Although National Country Party Senator Glen Sheil resigned from the Senate to contest the by-election, it was won by Liberal candidate Peter White, a former member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland who had retired in preparation for the by-election.


1981 Meath Intermediate Football Championship
The 1981 Meath Intermediate Football Championship is the 55th edition of the Meath GAA's premier club Gaelic football tournament for intermediate graded teams in County Meath, Ireland. The tournament consists of 21 teams. The championship starts with a group stage and then progresses to a knock out stage.


1981 Meath Intermediate Football Championship
This was Duleek's first year in the Intermediate grade since 1978, after 2 years in the Senior grade since being regraded.


1981 Meath Intermediate Football Championship
Meath Hill were promoted after claiming the 1980 Meath Junior Football Championship title. This was their first period as an Intermediate club since disbanding from their United Gaels amalgamation with Drumconrath in 1971. Ratoath were also given permission to affiliate a team in the Intermediate championship this season even though they failed to make the Quarter-Finals of the J.F.C. last season. This promotion was granted as they had a reserve side competing in the J.F.C. for 1981 and also 2 teams competing in the Division II F.C. (Junior B).


1981 Meath Intermediate Football Championship
On 27 September 1981, Ballivor claimed their 3rd Intermediate championship title when they defeated Wolfe Tones 2-8 to 1-4 in the final.


1981 Meath Intermediate Football Championship
Ballinabrackey were regraded to the J.F.C. for 1982 after failing to win a game and conceding their final two matches.


1981 Meath Intermediate Football Championship, Team changes
The following teams have changed division since the 1980 championship season.


1981 Meath Intermediate Football Championship, Group stage
There are 3 groups called Group A, B and C. The top finishers in Group A and B will qualify for the semi finals. First place in Group C along with the runners-up in all the groups qualify for the quarter finals.


1981 Meath Intermediate Football Championship, Knock-out Stages, Finals
The teams in the quarter-finals are the second placed teams from each group and the Group C winner. The teams in the semi finals are Group A and B winners along with the quarter final winners.


1981 Meath Senior Football Championship
The 1981 Meath Senior Football Championship is the 89th edition of the Meath GAA's premier club Gaelic football tournament for senior graded teams in County Meath, Ireland. The tournament consists of 13 teams, with the winner going on to represent Meath in the Leinster Senior Club Football Championship. The championship starts with a group stage and then progresses to a knock out stage.


1981 Meath Senior Football Championship
Walterstown were the defending champions after they defeated Syddan in the previous years final. However, they lost their crown when losing to eventual champions Navan O'Mahonys at the Semi-Final stage.


1981 Meath Senior Football Championship
This was Nobber's first ever period in the senior grade after claiming the 1980 Meath Intermediate Football Championship title.


1981 Meath Senior Football Championship
On 18 October 1981, Navan O'Mahonys claimed their 10th Senior Championship title, when defeating Skryne 1-14 to 0-5 after a replay in Pairc Tailteann, Navan. This was the 6th time an S.F.C. final was decided after a replay. Ben Tansey raised the Keegan Cup for O'Mahonys while Finian Murtagh claimed the 'Man of the Match' award.


1981 Meath Senior Football Championship, Team Changes
The following teams have changed division since the 1980 championship season.


1981 Meath Senior Football Championship, Knock-out Stages
The winners and runners up of each group qualify for the semi finals.


1981 Meenakshipuram conversion
The 1981 Meenakshipuram conversion was a mass religious conversion that took place in the Indian village of Meenakshipuram, in which hundreds of oppressed caste Hindus converted to Islam. This incident sparked debate over freedom of religion in India and the government decided to introduce anti-conversion legislation. Later, many converts converted back to Hinduism, citing the lack of fulfillment of promises made during the conversions.


1981 Meenakshipuram conversion, Conversion
Meenakshipuram is a village in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, India. The scheduled caste members in the village were segregated by the caste, who referred to them as untouchables on the basis of the Indian caste system. The district had a long history of caste-related violence. An estimated of 1,100 scheduled caste members from the village had converted to Islam. Though originally 220 families were registered for conversions, about 40 of them changed their mind and 180 families attended the ceremony held on 19 February 1981.


1981 Meenakshipuram conversion, Aftermath
After the incident, the Tamil Nadu government set up an inquiry commission to investigate the conversion. The commission in its report suggested an anti-conversion bill to be passed by the state government, but government put it on hold.


1981 Meenakshipuram conversion, Aftermath
Media reported that the conversion took place by force using foreign funding. While some converts denied the allegations, others said that they had been bribed. Ayyappan, a resident of Meenakshipuram, said that he had declined an offer of Rs. 500 in cash to convince him to renounce his faith. One news paper had also printed a photo of a currency note from a Gulf country.


1981 Meenakshipuram conversion, Aftermath
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was reportedly unhappy, and Home Minister Zail Singh questioned if "a conspiracy or political motivation" was involved in these conversions. A number of press reporters and politicians such as Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Yogendra Makwana visited the village.


1981 Meenakshipuram conversion, Aftermath
Many of the converts left Islam later on. By July 1981, some of the converts returned to Hinduism. In 1991, a decade later, 900 out of 1,100 converts returned to Hinduism, citing the lack of fulfillment of promises made during the conversions.


1981 Memorial Cup
The 1981 Memorial Cup occurred May 3–15 at the Windsor Arena in Windsor, Ontario. It was the 63rd annual Memorial Cup competition and determined the major junior ice hockey champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Participating teams were the winners of the Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and Western Hockey League which were the Kitchener Rangers, Cornwall Royals and Victoria Cougars. Cornwall won their second Memorial Cup in a row and third overall, defeating Kitchener in the final game.


1981 Memorial Cup, Teams, Cornwall Royals
The Cornwall Royals represented the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League at the 1981 Memorial Cup. This marked the second consecutive appearance by Cornwall at the tournament. The Royals were the top team during the 1980-81 season, earning a record of 44-26-2 for 90 points and winning the Jean Rougeau Trophy. The Royals had the most potent offense in the QMJHL, scoring a league high 403 goals. Defensively, Cornwall ranked second as they allowed 311 goals. In the QMJHL quarter-finals, the Royals were nearly upset the Quebec Remparts, however, Cornwall was able to win the series four games to three.


1981 Memorial Cup, Teams, Cornwall Royals
The Royals were again pushed to a seventh game during the QMJHL semi-finals before finally defeating the Sherbrooke Castors four games to three. In the President's Cup finals, the Royals had an easier time with the Trois-Rivières Draveurs, winning the series four games to one to clinch the QMJHL championship and earn a berth into the 1981 Memorial Cup.


1981 Memorial Cup, Teams, Cornwall Royals
The Royals high-scoring offense was led by Dale Hawerchuk, who led the league with 81 goals and 183 points in 72 games. Hawerchuk tied for the team league in post-season scoring, scoring 15 goals and 35 points in 17 games. Following the season, Hawerchuk was awarded the Michel Brière Memorial Trophy as the Most Valuable Player in the QMJHL, the Jean Béliveau Trophy as the Top Scorer in the League, and the Mike Bossy Trophy as the QMJHL's top prospect. Hawerchuk would be selected first overall by the Winnipeg Jets at the 1981 NHL Entry Draft.


1981 Memorial Cup, Teams, Cornwall Royals
Scott Arniel scored 52 goals and 123 points to rank seventh in league scoring. Arniel was also selected by Winnipeg during the 1981 NHL Entry Draft with the twenty-second overall selection. Marc Crawford had a very solid season, 42 goals and 99 points in 63 games. Crawford also led the Royals with 242 penalty minutes. In the post-season, Crawford scored a team high 20 goals, and tied Hawerchuk for the team league in points with 35, in 17 games. John Kirk joined the Royals after spending time with the Sudbury Wolves for the 1980-81 season.


1981 Memorial Cup, Teams, Cornwall Royals
In 55 games, Kirk scored 47 goals and 98 points. Overaged player Gilles Crepeau scored 40 goals and 94 points in 61 games. On defense, Fred Boimistruck scored 22 goals and 70 points in 68 games to lead the Royals. In goal, Joe Mantione emerged as the starting goaltender late in the season and the playoffs, as he earned a 21-5-0 record with a 3.97 GAA and a .873 save percentage. In the post-season, Mantione was 12-3 with a 3.40 GAA and a .880 save percentage in 17 games. For the Memorial Cup, the Sherbrooke Castors goaltender Corrado Micalef was loaned to the Royals.


1981 Memorial Cup, Teams, Cornwall Royals
The 1981 Memorial Cup was the Roysls third appearance in team history. The club had previously won the 1972 Memorial Cup and the 1980 Memorial Cup.


1981 Memorial Cup, Teams, Kitchener Rangers
The Kitchener Rangers represented the Ontario Hockey League at the 1981 Memorial Cup. Despite finishing the 1980-81 season with a mediocre 34-33-1 record and earning 69 points, the Rangers were the top club in the Emms Division. The Rangers offense produced 321 goals, ranking the team in a tie for seventh in the twelve team league. Defensively, the Rangers allowed 320 goals, ranking them fifth in the league. In the Emms Division semi-finals, Kitchener defeated the Niagara Falls Flyers four games to two, with one game ending in a tie.


1981 Memorial Cup, Teams, Kitchener Rangers
In the Emms Division finals, the Rangers easily beat the Windsor Spitfires four games to zero, and having a game end in a draw. In the OHL finals against the top ranked Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, Kitchener stunned the Greyhounds with a four games to one, and a game ending in a tie, series victory to clinch the J. Ross Robertson Cup and earn a berth into the 1981 Memorial Cup.


1981 Memorial Cup, Teams, Kitchener Rangers
The Rangers offense was led by sixteen year old rookie Brian Bellows, who scored 47 goals and 116 points in 66 games. Bellows led the Rangers in post-season goals with 14, and added 13 assists for 27 points in 16 games. Jeff Larmer had a breakout season, as he led the Rangers with 54 goals, and finished second in team scoring with 108 points in 68 games. Grant Martin finished the season with 41 goals and 98 points. In the post-season, Martin scored a team high 29 points in 18 games. Joe McDonell led the Rangers defense with 15 goals and 65 points in 66 games. In goal, Wendell Young was the Rangers starter, as he earned a record of 19-15-0 with a 4.44 GAA in 42 games.


1981 Memorial Cup, Teams, Kitchener Rangers
The 1981 Memorial Cup was the Rangers first appearance at the tournament in club history. A previous Kitchener-based team, the Kitchener Colts, lost in the final round of the 1923 Memorial Cup.


1981 Memorial Cup, Teams, Victoria Cougars
The Victoria Cougars represented the Western Hockey League at the 1981 Memorial Cup. The Cougars were the top team in the WHL during the 1980-81, setting a league record with 60 wins, and earning 121 points, the second highest total in WHL history, as the club won the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy. The high scoring Cougars scored a league best 462 goals, while their defense also ranked first as they allowed a league-low 217 goals. In the West Division semi-finals, Victoria swept the Spokane Flyers in four games.


1981 Memorial Cup, Teams, Victoria Cougars
In the division finals, the Cougars stayed red hot, defeating the Portland Winter Hawks four games to zero, to advance to the WHL finals. In the final series against the Calgary Wranglers for the President's Cup, the Cougars narrowly defeated the Wranglers four games to three to clinch the championship and a berth into the 1981 Memorial Cup.


1981 Memorial Cup, Teams, Victoria Cougars
The Cougars offense was led by Barry Pederson, who in 55 games, scored 65 goals and 147 points to lead the club, and rank third in WHL scoring. Pederson led the Cougars in post-season scoring, scoring 15 goals and 36 points in 15 games. Rich Chernomaz was acquired by Victoria in a trade with the Saskatoon Blades prior to the season. Chernomaz scored 49 goals and 113 points in 72 games.


1981 Memorial Cup, Teams, Victoria Cougars
Torrie Robertson was a third member of the Cougars to crack the 100-point plateau, as he scored 45 goals and 111 points in 59 games after he was returned to junior hockey after starting the season in the NHL with the Washington Capitals. Goaltender Grant Fuhr emerged as a top prospect during the season, as in 59 games, Fuhr posted a record of 48-9-1 with a 2.78 GAA and a .908 save percentage. Fuhr would be selected with the eighth overall pick at the 1981 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers.


1981 Memorial Cup, Teams, Victoria Cougars
The 1981 Memorial Cup was the Cougars first appearance in team history.


1981 Memphis State Tigers football team
The 1981 Memphis State Tigers football team represented Memphis State University (now known as the University of Memphis) as an independent during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. In its first season under head coach Rex Dockery, the team compiled a 1–10 record and was outscored by a total of 209 to 82. The team played its home games at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee.


1981 Memphis State Tigers football team
The team's statistical leaders included Tom Smith with 466 passing yards, Tony Wiley with 497 rushing yards, Jerry Knowlton with 244 receiving yards, and Greg Hauss with 23 points scored.


1981 Men's British Open Squash Championship
The 1981 Audi British Open Championships was held at the Bromley Town Squash Club with the later stages being held at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley, Greater London from 30 March - 9 April 1981. Geoff Hunt won his eighth title defeating Jahangir Khan in the final. This eighth win set a new record surpassing the seven wins set by Hashim Khan of Pakistan.


1981 Men's British Open Squash Championship, Seeds
Gogi Alauddin  Jonah Barrington  Gawain Briars  Dean Williams  Steve Bowditch  Roland Watson - withdrew  Phil Kenyon - seed 13  Ross Norman - seed 14


1981 Men's European Volleyball Championship
The 1981 Men's European Volleyball Championship was the twelfth edition of the event, organized by Europe's governing volleyball body, the Confédération Européenne de Volleyball. It was hosted in several cities in Bulgaria, with the final round held in Varna, from September 19 to September 27, 1981.


1981 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy
The 1981 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy' was the third edition of the Hockey Champions Trophy men's field hockey tournament. It took place from 9-16 January in Karachi, Pakistan and was won by the Netherlands national team - the first of eight trophies to date.


1981 Men's Junior World Handball Championship
The 1981 Men's Junior World Handball Championship was the third edition of the IHF Men's Junior World Championship, held in Portugal from 4 to 13 December 1981.


1981 Men's Junior World Handball Championship, Main round
All points and goals against the team from the same preliminary round were carried over.


1981 Men's South American Volleyball Championship
The 1981 Men's South American Volleyball Championship, the 14th tournament, took place in 1981 in Santiago ( Chile).


1981 Men's World Open Squash Championship
The 1981 McGuinness Men's World Open Squash Championship is the men's edition of the 1981 World Open, which serves as the individual world championship for squash players. The event took place in Toronto in Canada from 19 November until 28 November 1981. Jahangir Khan won his first World Open title, defeating Geoff Hunt in the final.


1981 Men's World Open Squash Championship, Seeds, Notes
Geoff Hunt was defeated for the first time in the World Open, every edition of the event which had been inaugurated in 1976 had been won by Geoff Hunt previously.


1981 Men's World Team Squash Championships
The 1981 Men's World Team Squash Championships were held in Sweden and took place from September 24 until October 3, 1981.


1981 Mercedes Cup
The 1981 Mercedes Cup, was a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts and held at the Tennis Club Weissenhof in Stuttgart, West Germany that was part of the 1981 Grand Prix circuit. It was the fourth edition of the tournament and was held from 13 July until 19 July 1981. First-seeded Björn Borg won the singles title.


1981 Mercedes Cup, Finals, Doubles
Peter McNamara /  Paul McNamee defeated  Mark Edmondson /  Mike Estep, 2–6, 6–4, 7–6


1981 Merdeka Tournament
The 1981 Merdeka Tournament was held from 30 August to 20 September 1981 in Malaysia.


1981 Merseyside County Council election
The 1981 Merseyside County Council election took place on 7 May to elect members of Merseyside County Council in England. This was on the same day as other local elections.


1981 Mestaruussarja, Overview
Preliminary Stage is performed in 12 teams, and higher 8 teams go into Championship Group. Lower 4 teams fought in Promotion/Relegation Group with higher 4 teams of Ykkönen.


1981 Mestaruussarja, Championship group
The points were halved (rounded upwards in uneven cases) after the preliminary stage.


1981 Mestaruussarja, Promotion and relegation group
The teams obtained bonus points on the basis of their preliminary stage position.


1981 Metro Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
The 1981 Metro Conference Men's Basketball Tournament was held March 6–8 at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky.


1981 Metro Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
Top-seeded Louisville defeated Cincinnati in the championship game, 42–31, to win their third Metro men's basketball tournament.


1981 Metro Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
The Cardinals received an automatic bid to the 1981 NCAA Tournament, serving as the conference's lone representative.


1981 Metro Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, Format
All seven of the conference's members participated in the tournament field. They were seeded based on regular season conference records, with the top team earning a bye into the semifinal round. The other six teams entered into the preliminary first round.


1981 Metro Manila Film Festival
The 7th Metro Manila Film Festival was held in 1981.


1981 Metro Manila Film Festival
Bancom Audiovision's Kisapmata, a movie about a deranged retired policeman, won ten of the thirteen awards in the 1981 Metro Manila Film Festival including the Best Picture, Best Director for Mike de Leon, and Best Actor for Vic Silayan and among others. Vilma Santos was named Best Actress for her role in Sining Silangan's Karma.


1981 Metro Manila Film Festival
FPJ Productions' Pagbabalik ng Panday was the top grosser of the festival.


1981 Mexican League season
The 1981 Mexican League season was the 57th season in the history of the Mexican League in baseball. It was contested by 16 teams, evenly divided in North and South zones. The season started on March and ended on 9 September with the last game of the Serie Final, where Diablos Rojos del México defeated Broncos de Reynosa to win the championship.


1981 Miami Dolphins season
The 1981 Miami Dolphins season was the 16th year of existence for the Miami Dolphins franchise. With the retirement of Bob Griese, not much was expected out of the Dolphins. The Dolphins Defense became known as the Killer Bees because of the number of players whose last name began with the letter B; Bill Barnett, Bob Baumhauer, Lyle Blackwood, Kim Bokamper, and Bob Brudzinski anchored a strong team. They finished 11-4-1, as Don Shula reached a milestone by winning his 200th game of his coaching career.


1981 Miami Dolphins season
In the Divisional Playoffs against the San Diego Chargers the Dolphins fell behind 24-0 early in front of a sold out crowd at the Orange Bowl. With time running out in the first half, the Dolphins desperately needed a score to get back in the game. Out of nowhere the Dolphins ran the old schoolyard hook and lateral play to success. On the play, Quarterback Don Strock threw a pass over the middle to WR Duriel Harris, who lateraled to HB Tony Nathan, who ran the ball in for a touchdown.


1981 Miami Dolphins season
The play sparked the Dolphins, who came back and took a lead in the 4th Quarter. However, the Killer Bees could not contain Chargers QB Dan Fouts, who tied the game and forced overtime, where the Chargers won the game on a Rolf Benirschke field goal in the 14th minute of overtime.


1981 Miami Dolphins season, Regular season
The Dolphins won the AFC East title behind second-year quarterback David Woodley and a running attack that managed 2,173 yards and 18 touchdowns. In their eight divisional games they swept the Colts and Patriots but split with Buffalo and went winless against a resurgent Jets squad; they tied the Jets 28–28 at Miami then lost at Shea Stadium 16–15. They won their last four games of the season to finish 11–4–1.


1981 Miami Dolphins season, Playoffs
The Dolphins returned to the playoffs after a one-year absence, hosting the "Air Coryell" Chargers in one of the greatest playoff games in NFL history.


1981 Miami Hurricanes baseball team
The 1981 Miami Hurricanes baseball team represented the University of Miami in the 1981 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Hurricanes played their home games at Mark Light Field. The team was coached by Ron Fraser in his 19th season at Miami.


1981 Miami Hurricanes baseball team
The Hurricanes reached the College World Series, where they were eliminated after recording a win against Maine and losses to eventual runner-up Oklahoma State and third-place Texas.


1981 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 1981 Miami Hurricanes football team represented the University of Miami during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. It was the Hurricanes' 56th season of football. The Hurricanes were led by third-year head coach Howard Schnellenberger and played their home games at the Orange Bowl. They finished the season 9–2 overall.


1981 Miami Redskins football team
The 1981 Miami Redskins football team was an American football team that represented Miami University in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. In its third season under head coach Tom Reed, the team compiled an 8–2–1 record (6–1–1 against MAC opponents), finished in second place in the MAC, and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 199 to 154.


1981 Miami Redskins football team
The team's statistical leaders included John Appold with 929 passing yards, Greg Jones with 1,134 rushing yards, and Don Treadwell with 391 receiving yards.


1981 Michigan State Spartans football team
The 1981 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University in the 1981 Big Ten Conference football season. In their second season under head coach Muddy Waters, the Spartans compiled a 5–6 overall record (4–5 against Big Ten opponents) and finished in a tie for sixth place in the Big Ten Conference.


1981 Michigan State Spartans football team
Four Spartans were recognized by the Associated Press (AP) and/or the United Press International (UPI) as first-team players on the 1981 All-Big Ten Conference football team: center Tom Piette (AP-2; UPI-1); linebacker Carl Banks (AP-2; UPI-1); defensive back James Burroughs (AP-2; UPI-1); and placekicker Morten Andersen (AP-1; UPI-1). Several Michigan State players ranked among the Big Ten leaders, including the following:


1981 Michigan Wolverines baseball team
The 1981 Michigan Wolverines baseball team represented the University of Michigan in the 1981 NCAA Division I baseball season. The head coach was Bud Middaugh, serving his 2nd year. The Wolverines finished the season in 7th place in the 1981 College World Series.


1981 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1981 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the 1981 Big Ten Conference football season. In their 13th season under head coach Bo Schembechler, the Wolverines compiled a 9–3 record (6–3 against conference opponents) and outscored all opponents by a total of 355 to 162. Ranked No. 1 by both the AP and UPI in the preseason polls, Michigan lost to Wisconsin in its season opener, then defeated No. 1 Notre Dame the following week, and ended its season with a victory over UCLA in the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl. The Wolverines were ranked No. 10 in the final UPI poll and No. 12 in the AP Poll.


1981 Michigan Wolverines football team
Running back Butch Woolfolk was selected as the team's most valuable player. The team's statistical leaders included Woolfolk with a school record 1,459 rushing yards, wide receiver Anthony Carter with 952 receiving yards, and quarterback Steve Smith with 1,661 passing yards, 2,335 yards of total offense, and 72 points scored.


1981 Michigan Wolverines football team
Five Michigan players, all on offense, received first-team All-America honors: Anthony Carter (consensus); offensive guard Kurt Becker (consensus); offensive tackle Ed Muransky (consensus); offensive tackle Bubba Paris; and Butch Woolfolk. Thirteen Michigan players were named to the 1981 All-Big Ten Conference football team.


1981 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, at Wisconsin
On September 12, 1981, Michigan, ranked No. 1 in the preseason AP and UPI polls, opened its season losing to unranked Wisconsin by a 21–14 score in front of a crowd of 68,733 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. Wisconsin had not scored a point against Michigan since 1976, and it was Michigan's first loss to Wisconsin since 1962.


1981 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, at Wisconsin
In his first start, Michigan's sophomore quarterback Steve Smith completed only three of 18 passes for 39 yards and was intercepted three times by Wisconsin safety Matt Vanden Boom. After a scoreless first quarter, Dave Keeling of Wisconsin fumbled a punt and Michigan drove 33 yards for the touchdown, a four-yard run by Smith. Wisconsin followed with two second quarter touchdowns in the final four minutes of the half to take a 14-7 lead.


1981 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, at Wisconsin
With nine minutes remaining in the third quarter, Butch Woolfolk ran 89 yards for a touchdown on an off-tackle play to tie the game at 14–14. Wisconsin retook the lead on a 71-yard touchdown pass from Jess Cole to John Williams. Neither team was able to score in the fourth quarter.


1981 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, at Wisconsin
After the game, Schembechler told reporters: "Our offense wasn't any good; our defense wasn't any good; our kicking game wasn't any good, and our coaching was poor. It's a miracle we only lost by 7 points."


1981 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, at Wisconsin
For the first time since 1945, Bob Ufer was not Michigan's radio play-by-play announcer. Ufer, who had announced 360 consecutive Michigan football games, was recovering from surgery to remove a blood clot and was also battling cancer. He was replaced by Frank Beckmann. Ufer died the following month.


1981 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Notre Dame
On September 19, 1981, Michigan defeated Notre Dame, ranked No. 1 in both the AP and UPI polls, by a 25–7 score in front of a crowd of 105,888 at Michigan Stadium.


1981 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Notre Dame
On the opening drive, Michigan drove to the Notre Dame 14-yard line, but Ali Haji-Sheikh missed a field goal. Notre Dame then drove to the Michigan five-yard line and faked a field goal attempt on fourth down. Notre Dame completed a pass, but the receiver fell down at the four-yard line, and Michigan took over on downs. After a scoreless first quarter, Steve Smith connected with Anthony Carter for a 71-yard touchdown pass -- the fourth longest pass play in Michigan history. Michigan again drove deep into Notre Dame territory before the half, but the drive ended on an interception. Michigan led, 7-0, at halftime.


1981 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Notre Dame
At the start of the third quarter, Michigan intercepted a Notre Dame pass, drove 52 yards down the field, and scored on a 15-yard pass from Smith to Carter. On the extra point attempt, the snap bounced off B. J. Dickey's head, and Ali Haji-Sheikh's pass attempt fell incomplete. Still in the third quarter, Michigan again drove downfield, took the ball at the one-yard line on a pass interference penalty, and scored on a one-yard run by Lawrence Ricks. Michigan attempted a two-point conversion, but an end-around by Carter was stopped at the two-yard line.


1981 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Notre Dame
In the fourth quarter, Michigan mounted a 53-yard, six play touchdown drive capped by six-yard touchdown run by Smith, and Michigan led, 25–0. Notre Dame's only scoring drive began when Joe Johnson intercepted a Steve Smith pass at Michigan's 42-yard line. After a long completion from Tim Koegel to Tony Hunter, Koegel threw eight yards for a touchdown to Dan Masztak with 7:42 remaining in the game.


1981 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Notre Dame
Butch Woolfolk gained 139 yards on 23 carries. Aside from his two touchdown passes to Carter, Smith struggled in his second start, completing only four of 15 passes and throwing two interceptions. On defense, Michigan limited Notre Dame to 213 yards of total offense, and middle linebacker Mike Boren was selected by the ABC broadcasting crew as the Star of the Game.


1981 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Notre Dame
After the game, Michigan coach Schembechler dedicated the game ball to radio play-by-play announcer Bob Ufer who was dying of cancer. Schembechler praised his team's performance: "This was a great win for us, because we came back from our poorest performance I can ever remember. We're not there yet -- we've got a ways to go -- but that looked a whole lot better than a week ago." Michigan's 18-point margin of victory over top-ranked Notre Dame was one of the largest margins of victory over a No. 1 team to that point in history.


1981 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Navy
On September 26, 1981, Michigan defeated Navy, 21–16, before a crowd of 105,213 at Michigan Stadium.


1981 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Navy
In the first quarter, Michigan drove 46 yards on seven plays, with Anthony Carter taking the ball to the 10-yard line on a 22-yard reception. Butch Woolfolk ran four yards for the touchdown. Early in the second quarter, Michigan drove 66 yards on 11 plays, including several passes to Carter and Vince Bean. Quarterback Steve Smith scored on a two-yard option run. On Michigan's next drive, Smith was intercepted by Navy's Elliott Reagans, and Anthony Carter sustained a sprained right ankle colliding with Reagans. Carter did not return to the game. Later in the second quarter, Michigan's Tony Jackson fumbled a punt, and Navy recovered at Michigan's 35-yard line. Steve Fehr kicked a 46-yard field goal, and then a 31-yarder with 32 seconds left in the half, to narrow the lead to 14–6 at halftime.


1981 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Navy
Early in the third quarter, Evan Cooper intercepted a Navy pass and returned it to Navy's 34-yard line. Michigan scored on an eight-yard touchdown pass from Smith to Vince Bean. Navy responded with a 12-play, 94-yard drive ending with a 22-yard touchdown run by quarterback Marco Pagnanelli on the final play of the third quarter. Navy then drove 66 yards on its next possession, ending with a 45-yard field goal. Late in the fourth quarter, Navy drove 48 yards to Michigan's 22-yard line. With two minutes remaining in the game, Pagnanelli threw to a wide open Troy Mitchell in the end zone, but the pass was overthrown.


1981 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Navy
After the game, coach Schembechler said: "I don't think we were ready to play. They were the better team today. This team has not performed like a Michigan team yet. They're not hungry, and unless they become that, I don't see us winning the championship."


1981 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, at Indiana
On October 3, 1981, Michigan defeated Lee Corso's Indiana Hoosiers, 38–17, before a crowd of 50,612 at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana.


1981 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, at Indiana
On the opening possession, Michigan drove to the Indiana 29-yard line, but Stan Edwards fumbled, and Indiana recovered at its 36-yard line. Indiana quarterback Babe Laufenberg led a three-play, 65-yard touchdown drive capped by a 20-yard pass from Laufenberg to Bob Stephenson. On the next possession, Michigan drove 74 yards on 14 plays (including 55 yards by Butch Woolfolk), scoring on a three-yard run by quarterback Steve Smith. Indiana drove back down the field and kicked a 22-yard field goal to move back ahead, 10-7, at the end of the first quarter. Michigan pulled away with 17 unanswered points in the second quarter. Michigan's touchdowns were scored by Craig Dunaway on a six-yard pass from Smith and Woolfolk on a one-yard run. Ali Haji-Sheikh added a 42-yard field goal on the last play of the half.


1981 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, at Indiana
Early in the third quarter, Indiana advanced to the Michigan five-yard line on drive that featured a 16-yard pass from tailback John Roggeman to Laufenberg. However, on third-and-goal, Laufenberg's pass was intercepted by Marion Body. Woolfolk scored on a 24-yard touchdown run, but the extra point failed due to a fumbled snap. Indiana responded with a 48-yard touchdown run on a reverse by wide receiver Duane Gunn. In the fourth quarter, Michigan drove 75 yards on 12 plays with Lawrence Ricks scoring on a two-yard run. Smith then passed to Anthony Carter for a two-point conversion.


1981 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, at Indiana
Michigan out-gained Indiana by 597 yards to 316. Woolfolk rushed for 176 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries. It was Woolfolk's sixth consecutive 100-yard game, tying a Michigan school record. Steve Smith completed 12 of 19 passes for 164 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 48 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.


1981 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, at Michigan State
On October 10, 1981, Michigan defeated Michigan State, 38–20, before a crowd of 77,923 at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan. Michigan rushed for 445 yards, led by Butch Woolfolk with 253 yards on 39 carries. Michigan State quarterback Bryan Clark, the son of Detroit Lions head coach Monte Clark, completed 21 of 38 passes for 316 yards and two touchdowns, but he was also intercepted three times (one each by Tony Jackson, Mike Boren, and Jerry Burgei).


1981 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Iowa
On October 17, 1981, Michigan lost to Iowa by a 9–7 score before a crowd of 105,915, the third largest in the history of Michigan Stadium up to that time. It was Iowa's first win over Michigan since 1962.


1981 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Iowa
Iowa's freshman place-kicker Tom Nichol accounted for all nine of Iowa's points, kicking two field goals in the first quarter and the game-winner in the third quarter. Nichol's first field goal was set up when Michigan's Evan Cooper fumbled a punt that was recovered by Iowa at Michigan's 38-yard line. Michigan scored in the second quarter on a 17-yard touchdown pass from Steve Smith to Anthony Carter.


1981 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Iowa
Iowa's defense held Michigan to only 155 yards of total offense. Anthony Carter accounted for 91 of those yards on five catches. After the game, Iowa coach Hayden Fry said: "Nobody expected us to win today except for those guys in the next room. Hell, before this year, Michigan didn't even know we existed."