The Indians finished with a 96 – 66 record tied with the Red Sox for best in baseball, their seventh Central Division title in 13 years and their first post-season trip since 2001.

The three-game sweep was Colorado's first post-season series win in team history.

The Cowboys defeated the Eagles for the first Cowboys ' post-season win since the 1996 season, ending a streak of six consecutive NFL post-season losses.

The Astros would however win the one-game playoff 7-1, and advance to their first post-season.

That year, Walker became the first African-American to play in ANY post-season intercollegiate basketball tournament.

In 2008, the Phillies clinched their second straight division title and defeated the Milwaukee Brewers in the Division Series to record the franchise's first post-season victory since winning the 1993 NLCS.

1998 was also the first time the Cubs made the post-season since 1989.

In the 1984 NLCS, the Padres faced the NL East champion Chicago Cubs, who were making their first post-season appearance since 1945 and featured NL Most Valuable Player Ryne Sandberg and Cy Young Award winner Rick Sutcliffe.

Thus the Padres finished the season with an overall regular-and-post-season record of 82 – 83, the first post-season qualifier in a normal-length season to lose more games than it won overall.

The following season, the Redskins then hosted their first post-season game in Washington since 1942, where they beat the Green Bay Packers 16 – 3 in the NFC Divisional Playoffs.

In 1969, the American League expanded when the Kansas City Royals and Seattle Pilots, were admitted to the league prompting the expansion of the post-season for the first time since the creation of the World Series.

** The Pittsburgh Steelers win their first ever post-season NFL game, defeating the Oakland Raiders 13 – 7, on a last second play that becomes known as The Immaculate Reception.

Future Yankee manager Casey Stengel hit the first post-season homerun in stadium history while playing with the opposing New York Giants.

The Surf made it to the post-season four times in five years ( 2002 and 2004 – 06 ) but were eliminated in the first round each time.

Lynam finished the season 16 – 23, and overall Philadelphia finished 36 – 46, failing to reach the post-season for the first time since 1974 – 75.

Immediately following that, the Celtics won their first road playoff game of the post-season, 94 – 80, in game three.

The Canucks made their first significant playoff impact in the post-season of 1982.

Its post-season basketball tournament, which was first conducted in 1936, is the oldest college post-season tournament in continuous existence — predating the NCAA tournament ( 1939 ) and the NIT ( 1938 ).

After entering NCAA Division II competition, the Rattlers won the Heartland Conference co-championship and advanced to the regional tournament in 2001, the team ’ s first year of post-season competition eligibility.

In 1987, the Twins reached the post-season for the first time since 1970 despite finishing with a mark of 85-77 ( a mark that would have put them 4 games behind fourth place New York in the American League East ).

In the post-season, Valenzuela became the youngest pitcher to start the first game of a series and pitched a complete Game 3 of the 1981 World Series against the New York Yankees.

In total, he went 3 – 1 in the post-season as he helped the Dodgers to their first World Championship since 1965.

In the first round they beat Aurora University 42-13, to win their first post-season game in school history.

In the first play of the second overtime, Jake Delhomme hit receiver Steve Smith with a 69-yard touchdown pass to win the game 29 – 23.

Carolina played Atlanta in its first ever game, losing 23-20 in overtime.

If the teams remain tied, overtime periods continue, with a coin flip determining the first possession.

In the NFL, only scoring plays, the final 2: 00 of each half and all overtime periods are reviewed, and coaches are issued two challenges ( with the option for a 3rd if the first two are successful ).

In week five, with starting wide receiver Roy Williams sidelined by injury, receiver Miles Austin got his first start of the season and had a record setting day ( 250 yards receiving and 2 TDs ) to help lead Dallas to an overtime win over Kansas City.

* 1958 – " Greatest Game Ever Played " – Baltimore Colts defeat the New York Giants in the first ever National Football League sudden death overtime game at New York's Yankee Stadium.

The Colts defeated the Giants 23 – 17 in the first game ever to utilize the overtime rule and a game seen by 45 million people.

Although its opponents would include winners of 9 of the last 15 NFL MVP awards, the team advanced to the 2010 NFC Championship game where they defeated the Minnesota Vikings, led by Brett Favre, 31 – 28 in overtime ( at 9: 19 CST ), and then went on to win their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.

The Chargers entered the first round of the playoffs but were eliminated by the New York Jets, who won in overtime 20 – 17.

From that point on, however, the Chargers began a six game skid with losses to the Jets, Chiefs, Packers, Raiders, Bears and Broncos with the first four by only a score and against Denver in overtime.

The Bills first defeated the Houston Oilers, 41 – 38 in overtime, in what became known as " The Comeback ".

Had Dyson scored and the extra point been made, it would have been the first Super Bowl overtime period in history.

After winning the first game of the series by a score of 4 – 1, the team lost the next three games in overtime, and then fell 4 – 1 in the deciding fifth game where Gretzky failed to get a shot on net.

After losing the first game of a best-of-three final series against the Soviets, Gretzky propelled Canada with a five-assist performance in the second game, including the game-winning pass to Lemieux in overtime, to extend the tournament.

On September 14, 1997, the Redskins played in their new stadium for the first time, and beat the Arizona Cardinals, 19 – 13 in overtime.

** The New York Islanders win their first Stanley Cup, from a goal by Bobby Nystrom in overtime of game six of the Stanley Cup playoffs's final round.

* May 10 – The Boston Bruins win their first Stanley Cup since 1941 when Bobby Orr scores a goal 40 seconds into overtime for a 4-3 victory which completed a four-game sweep of the St. Louis Blues.

Five minutes of four-on-four sudden-death overtime are played, with the first goal winning the game.

Because this presents a significant advantage to the team winning the coin toss to decide who receives the first overtime possession, the NFL moved in 2011 to require that if both teams have not had possession of the ball prior to the first score, then the team who does have possession must score a touchdown to end the game, preventing the team winning the coin toss from making a much shorter drive down the field and kicking a " golden goal " without the other team having a chance to touch the ball.

The Islanders won the first two games in Buffalo, including a 2-1 victory in game two on Bob Nystrom's goal in double overtime.

In that game, Bob Nystrom continued his overtime heroics, scoring at 7: 11 of the extra frame, on assists by John Tonelli and Lorne Henning, to bring Long Island its first Stanley Cup.

Ray Ferraro emerged as a playoff hero, scoring a pair of overtime winners in the first round series against the Capitals.

After splitting the first two games, the Islanders defeated the more-established Rangers eleven seconds into overtime of the deciding game three, establishing a rivalry that continued to grow for years.

The Rangers won game seven 2 – 1, when Stephane Matteau scored a goal in double overtime, leading the team to the finals for the first time since.