{"id":253500,"date":"2021-05-18T21:34:14","date_gmt":"2021-05-18T18:34:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/how-tiger-jordan-and-the-williams-sisters-changed-pro-sports-in-1996\/"},"modified":"2021-05-18T21:34:14","modified_gmt":"2021-05-18T18:34:14","slug":"how-tiger-jordan-and-the-williams-sisters-changed-pro-sports-in-1996","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-tiger-jordan-and-the-williams-sisters-changed-pro-sports-in-1996\/","title":{"rendered":"#How Tiger, Jordan and the Williams sisters changed pro sports in 1996"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a24c140730a5\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a24c140730a5\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-tiger-jordan-and-the-williams-sisters-changed-pro-sports-in-1996\/#Trivia_nights_gained_a_bunch_of_questions\" >Trivia nights gained a bunch of questions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-tiger-jordan-and-the-williams-sisters-changed-pro-sports-in-1996\/#Tiger_raised_the_stakes\" >Tiger raised the stakes<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-tiger-jordan-and-the-williams-sisters-changed-pro-sports-in-1996\/#NFL_retirees_got_a_new_blueprint\" >NFL retirees got a new blueprint<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-tiger-jordan-and-the-williams-sisters-changed-pro-sports-in-1996\/#Women_went_pro\" >Women went pro<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-tiger-jordan-and-the-williams-sisters-changed-pro-sports-in-1996\/#Tennis_met_its_future\" >Tennis met its future<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#How Tiger, Jordan and the Williams sisters changed pro sports in 1996<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>In 1996, sports ruled pop culture, as <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">movies<\/a> like \u201cJerry Maguire,\u201d \u201cH<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>y Gilmore\u201d and \u201cSpace Jam\u201d \u2014\u00a0starring the king, Michael Jordan \u2014 topped the box office. <\/p>\n<p>Legends walked among us: Ken Griffey Jr. earned headlines for his record-breaking $8 million contract with the Mariners. Muhammad Ali lit the torch at the Atlanta Olympics, where Kerri Strug and Michael Johnson would win gold. <\/p>\n<p>It was also the year that Kobe Bryant\u00a0debuted in the NBA and Dwayne Johnson in WWE. Derek Jeter was a rookie. The Williams sisters entered public consciousness. The WNBA and MLS launched, and Tiger Woods shook up the PGA.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are not many years in sports that match up to this,\u201d author Jon Finkel told The Post. His new book, \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/1996-Reliving-Undefeated-Undisputed-Greatest\/dp\/1635767504\/ref=sr_1_2?tag=nypost-20\">1996, A Biography: Believing the Legend Packed, Dynasty Stacked Most Iconic Sports Year Ever<\/a>\u201d (Diversion), marks the 25th anniversary of what may be sport\u2019s greatest year. Here are five ways 1996 changed the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a>:<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Trivia_nights_gained_a_bunch_of_questions\"><\/span>Trivia nights gained a bunch of questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-amazon\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"1996: A Biography \u2014 Reliving the Legend-Packed, Dynasty-Stacked, Most Iconic Sports Year Ever: A Biography \u2015 Reliving the Legend-Packed, Dynasty-Stacked, Most Iconic Sports Year Ever\" type=\"text\/html\" width=\"618\" height=\"550\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" style=\"max-width:100%\" src=\"https:\/\/read.amazon.com\/kp\/card?preview=inline&amp;linkCode=kpd&amp;ref_=k4w_oembed_hauYQJebj2d9Oy&amp;asin=B08VMFFZBX&amp;tag=kpembed-20\"><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Who starred in the 1996 golf flick \u201cTin Cup\u201d? (Kevin Costner.) Who was Robert De Niro\u2019s character obsessed with in \u201cThe Fan\u201d? (A baseball player.) What sports are plot points in \u201cKingpin\u201d (bowling), \u201cCeltic Pride\u201d (basketball) and \u201cHappy Gilmore\u201d (hockey)? Which movie features Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny vs. aliens? (\u201cSpace Jam.\u201d) And which sports movie had everyone screaming \u201cShow me the money\u201d? (\u201cJerry Maguire.\u201d) Said Finkel: \u201cYou won\u2019t find more quotable sports movies [than in 1996].\u201d<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tiger_raised_the_stakes\"><\/span>Tiger raised the stakes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" alt=\"Tiger Woods smiles with the winner's trophy after winning the 1996 U.S. Amateur Championship at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Course in Cornelius, Oregon.\" class=\"wp-image-18274545 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/05\/1996-sports-5.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=300 300w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/05\/1996-sports-5.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=640 640w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/05\/1996-sports-5.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/05\/1996-sports-5.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/05\/1996-sports-5.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2000 2000w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Tiger Woods smiles with the winner\u2019s trophy after winning the 1996 U.S. Amateur Championship at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Course in Cornelius, Oregon.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In August 1996, a 20-year-old Tiger Woods went pro; by October he\u2019d notched his first win at the Las Vegas Invitational. \u201cWhen I grew up, it was players like Craig Stadler \u2014 pudgy white guys with beer bellies who had no charisma,\u201d Finkel, 43, said. \u201cGolf in the early \u201990s was a broken planetarium: no stars. Then Tiger shows up. He played video games, went to Stanford and was cool.\u201d Woods\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a> attention and giant deal with Nike\u00a0brewed resentment on the tour. That would soon change. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRatings jumped, and these guys went from being upset that he was getting all the attention to realizing purses were doubling [from renewed interest] and he was making them rich,\u201d said Finkel.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"NFL_retirees_got_a_new_blueprint\"><\/span>NFL retirees got a new blueprint<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" alt=\"Quarterback Troy Aikman of the Dallas Cowboys.\" class=\"wp-image-18274544 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/05\/1996-sports-4.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=300 300w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/05\/1996-sports-4.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=640 640w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/05\/1996-sports-4.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/05\/1996-sports-4.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/05\/1996-sports-4.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2000 2000w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Quarterback Troy Aikman of the Dallas Cowboys.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Dallas Cowboys won the Super Bowl in 1996, and Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin and Deion Sanders were stars off the field, too.<\/p>\n<p>Sanders had five Sports Illustrated covers and his own video game for Sega sports, and was a pitchman for Burger King, American Express, Nike, Pizza Hut and Wheaties. \u201cYou couldn\u2019t take your eyes off of him if you tried,\u201d Finkel writes. Aikman, too, had a massive amount of deals and magazine covers. Along with Irvin, they ended up being \u201ctrailblazers in terms of how to make the transition from NFL Hall of Famers to television personalities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Aikman is now Fox\u2019s top analyst, Sanders was at NFL Network and is now at Barstool Sports, and Irvin is at NFL Network. And everyone in the league wants to emulate their post-NFL careers. \u201cYou can\u2019t turn on television on a Sunday and not see them,\u201d said Finkel. \u201cIt\u2019s been a shocking display of longevity.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Women_went_pro\"><\/span>Women went pro<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" alt=\"Rebecca Lobo of the USA Womens Basketball Team.\" class=\"wp-image-18274543 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/05\/1996-sports-3.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=300 300w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/05\/1996-sports-3.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=640 640w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/05\/1996-sports-3.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/05\/1996-sports-3.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/05\/1996-sports-3.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2000 2000w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Rebecca Lobo of the USA Womens Basketball Team.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>On April 24, 1996, the NBA approved the concept for a women\u2019s pro league, which hosted its first game a year later. Soon-to-be-legends Sheryl Swoops, Rebecca Lobo and Lisa Leslie were the first to put their names on WNBA contracts. Twenty-five years later, thanks to them, women playing pro hoops is no longer seen as a joke. \u201cThe female players have their own followings and are stars,\u201d said Finkel of women like Sue Bird and Candace Parker. \u201cThe WNBA is a now a force.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Finkel added that it was poetic that Kobe Bryant started in the NBA in 1996 \u2014\u00a0and later became one of the WNBA\u2019s biggest supporters.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tennis_met_its_future\"><\/span>Tennis met its future<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" alt=\"Young Venus and Serena Williams.\" class=\"wp-image-18274540 lazyload\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/05\/1996-sports-2.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=300 300w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/05\/1996-sports-2.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=640 640w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/05\/1996-sports-2.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1280 1280w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/05\/1996-sports-2.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/05\/1996-sports-2.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2000 2000w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Young Venus and Serena Williams.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">ZUMAPRESS.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>No one expected 16-year-old Venus Williams to beat Steffi Graf at the Acura Classic \u00a0\u2014 and she didn\u2019t \u2014 but the 1996 match gave a glimpse of how tennis was soon to be dominated by two \u00a0sisters.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was a girl with 14 pro matches against a woman with 20 Grand Slam victories,\u201d writes Finkel. \u201cVenus was just coming onto the scene and was playing lights-out \u2026 \u00a0she took it to Steffi.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It was also a generational passing of the torch: \u201cIf you are making a Mount Rushmore for the last 40 years [of women\u2019s tennis], it\u2019s Graf and the Williams sisters.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Finkel noted that Venus\u2019 sister Serena was in the stands that day \u2014 perhaps dreaming of the time, 20 years later, when she would break Graf\u2019s Women\u2019s Grand Slam singles\u2019 match record at Wimbledon.\n            <\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2021\/05\/18\/how-tiger-jordan-and-the-williams-sisters-changed-pro-sports-in-1996\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#How Tiger, Jordan and the Williams sisters changed pro sports in 1996&#8221; In 1996, sports ruled pop culture, as movies like \u201cJerry Maguire,\u201d \u201cHappy Gilmore\u201d and \u201cSpace Jam\u201d \u2014\u00a0starring the king, Michael Jordan \u2014 topped the box office. Legends walked among us: Ken Griffey Jr. earned headlines for his record-breaking $8 million contract with the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":253501,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/05\/tiger.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[106210,37691,72835,4859,5006,1931,35862,106462,44162],"class_list":["post-253500","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-5-18-21","tag-jerry-maguire","tag-kobe-bryant","tag-michael-jordan","tag-serena-williams","tag-sports","tag-tiger-woods","tag-venus-williams","tag-wnba"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253500","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=253500"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253500\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/253501"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=253500"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=253500"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=253500"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}