Jan. 17, 1962 - The New York Yankees beat the Green Bay Packers by 1 percentage point in a poll to determine the top professional sports team of 1961. The Boston Celtics finished third, with the Cincinnati Reds fourth. The poll of 45 of the nation’s top sports editors and writers was conducted by Ten at the Top, an independent polling organization. The Yankees, who won the American League pennant and then the world series from the Reds, wound up with a percentage of 92. The Packers, who beat the New York Giants for the NFL championship, had a score of 91 percent. In another poll, the question: “Will professional football in 10 or 20 years replace baseball as our national pastime?” was asked. “Yes,” voted 109 of the 215 sportswriters and broadcasters participating in the Associated Press survey. There were 106 dissenters.
