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1988 sports

The 1988 Seattle Seahawks Win The Franchise’s First Division Title

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The Seattle Seahawks came into existence in 1976 and by the early 1980s, they were starting to enjoy some success under head coach Chuck Knox. They made the playoffs three times from 1983-87, and won 48 regular season games. But the one thing the franchise had not done was win a division title. The 1988 Seattle Seahawks might have been the weakest of the organization’s playoff teams in the 1980s, but they were also the only ones to bring home the AFC West crown.

1988 Buffalo Bills: Paving The Way For An AFC Dynasty

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The Buffalo Bills would have the great dynasty of the AFC in the early 1990s, winning four straight conference championships from 1990-93. They never won the Super Bowl, but the four straight appearances remain unprecedented. The 1988 Buffalo Bills were the edition that first cracked the postseason with Marv Levy at head coach and Jim Kelly at quarterback.

Buddy Ryan Takes The 1988 Philadelphia Eagles Back To The Top Of The NFC East

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Buddy Ryan arrived in Philadelphia as the new head coach in 1986 with much fanfare. Ryan was the defensive coordinator for the 1985 Chicago Bears, one of the great defenses of all time. In three short years, Ryan turned a struggling franchise into a playoff team as the 1988 Philadelphia Eagles captured the NFC East.

A Third Straight Home Playoff Loss Ends The 1988 Chicago Bears Run

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The Chicago Bears were one of the NFL’s consistently outstanding teams in the late 1980s under head coach Mike Ditka. But after winning the Super Bowl in 1985, they had suffered disappointing home playoff losses in the second round to the Washington Redskins. The 1988 Chicago Bears made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game, but another home playoff loss gave a great season a sour ending.

The 1988 Cincinnati Bengals Come One Drive Short Of Greatness

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There haven’t been too many high points in the history of the Cincinnati Bengals—in fact, there’s never been the ultimate high point of winning the Super Bowl. But the late 1980s were pretty good and saw some postseason victories. The 1988 Cincinnati Bengals produced the league MVP, reached the Super Bowl and came oh-so-close to winning it.

The Playoff Teams & October Battles Of The 1988 MLB Season

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The 1988 MLB season wasn’t filled with drama when it came to pennant races, but that didn’t stop the year from having an epic ending that was seemingly written in Hollywood and literally ended there.

1988 Sports: A College Football Culture War, A Guarantee Made Good & A Super Bowl Drive

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Editor’s Note: This is part of a series of sports history articles aimed at preserving the best moments of the modern sports era, from 1976 to the present. The focus is team sports—college & pro basketball and football, major league baseball and hockey. This article offers a snapshot of 1988 sports, a year that saw an epic college football clash with cultural overtones, an NBA guarantee made good and a great Super Bowl drive finally save face for America’s most popular sporting event.