Today in Sports History: August 24th

8/24/1910 - Sullivan catches ball from obelisk

Mirroring the feat made famous by Gabby Street two years earlier, Billy Sullivan of the Chicago White Sox catches a ball thrown from the top of the Washington Monument, 504 feet away. Sullivan, like the two other men to catch a ball from the top of the monument -- Street and Pop Schriver -- was a catcher, and had the ball thrown to him by teammates Ed Walsh and Doc White. Sullivan even bested Street by catching three baseballs in a row at one point.

8/24/1989 - Rose expelled for betting on games

It is one of the saddest days in all of sports, as Major League Baseball bans Pete Rose for betting on games he managed. Rose was one of the greatest, most beloved ball players of all time and finished his career with the most base hits in history. And yet, a decade and a half worth of steadfast lying ruined what was an otherwise splendid career.

To read more about this story, click here for an in-depth Inhistoric article:

8/24/2008 - The Redeem Team wins gold

Four years after losing for the first time since professionals were allowed to compete, the United States men's basketball team defeats Spain's, 118-107, to win the gold medal at the '08 Beijing Olympics. Nicknamed the "Redeem Team," the U.S. club had been preparing for three years to take home the gold, to restore order to the basketball world after an embarrassing bronze finish in the 2004 Olympic games.

Dwyane Wade was the man of the hour, having scored a game-high 27 points on 9-12 shooting. Kobe Bryant added an additional 20, while his teammate on the Lakers, Pau Gasol, added 21 points and 6 rebounds for the Spanish team. It wasn't easy though. The United States had crushed their previous seven opponents, including Spain in a 37-point blowout a week earlier, but the Spaniards gave them a run for their money, cutting the lead to two with only eight minutes remaining.

"We played with great character in one of the great games in international basketball history, I think," said U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski. Coach K wasn't alone; after watching the fast-paced, high-scoring game in which every shot seemed to go down, many called it the most exciting Olympic basketball game they had ever seen.

"The intensity was unbelievable," said LeBron James, who scored 14 points. "Spain was incredible. It will go down as one of the greatest Olympic games ever. Every possession mattered."