1973 in sports
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
1973 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.
| Centuries: | 19th century · 20th century · 21st century |
| Decades: | 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s |
| Years: | 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 |
[edit] Alpine skiing
- Alpine Skiing World Cup
- Men's overall season champion: Gustav Thöni, Italy
- Women's overall season champion: Annemarie Pröll, Austria
[edit] American football
- O.J. Simpson becomes the first player in NFL history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a single season.
- Super Bowl VII – Miami Dolphins won 14–7 over the Washington Redskins to complete the only perfect (unbeaten and untied) season in the modern NFL era.
[edit] Association football
- Brazil – Palmeiras wins the Campeonato Brasileiro
- England – FA Cup – Sunderland wins 1–0 over Leeds United
- 1 January 1973, Edinburgh, Scotland, Edinburgh Derby between Hearts and Hibernian played at Tynecastle ends in a 7–0 victory for Hibernian.
- Rangers F.C win European Cup Winners Cup, after beating Dynamo Moscow F.C. 3–2.
- Philadelphia Atoms defeat Toronto Metros to win the North American Soccer League championship in their inaugural season.
[edit] Australian rules football
- Victorian Football League
- Richmond wins the 77th VFL Premiership (Richmond 16.20 (116) d Carlton 12.14 (86))
- Brownlow Medal awarded to Keith Greig (North Melbourne)
[edit] Baseball
- 18 January – Orlando Cepeda signs with the Boston Red Sox, making him the first player signed by a team specifically to be a designated hitter.
- The American League uses the designated hitter rule for the first time. Ron Blomberg is the first player to bat as a DH.
- World Series – Oakland Athletics won 4 games to 3 over the New York Mets
[edit] Basketball
- NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship –
- UCLA wins 87–66 over Memphis State. Bill Walton of UCLA scored 44 points in the Championship game.
- NBA Finals –
- New York Knicks won 4 games to 1 over the Los Angeles Lakers
- 1973 ABA Finals –
- Indiana Pacers defeat Kentucky Colonels, 4 games to 3
[edit] Boxing
- 22 January – George Foreman beats Joe Frazier by a knockout in two rounds to lift the world's Heavyweight championship from Frazier. It is HBO Boxing's first telecast.
[edit] Canadian football
- Grey Cup – Ottawa Rough Riders win 22–18 over the Edmonton Eskimos
- Vanier Cup – St. Mary's Huskies win 14–6 over the McGill Redmen
[edit] Cycling
[edit] Dogsled racing
- Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion –
- Dick Wilmarth won with lead dog: Hotfoot
[edit] Field hockey
- Men's World Cup in Amstelveen, Netherlands won by the Netherlands
[edit] Figure skating
- World Figure Skating Championships –
- Men's champion: Ondrej Nepela, Czechoslovakia
- Ladies' champion: Karen Magnussen, Canada
- Pair skating champions: Irina Rodnina & Alexander Zaitsev, Soviet Union
- Ice dancing champions: Lyudmila Pakhomova & Alexandr Gorshkov, Soviet Union
[edit] Golf
Men's professional
- Masters Tournament – Tommy Aaron
- U.S. Open – Johnny Miller
- British Open – Tom Weiskopf
- PGA Championship – Jack Nicklaus
- PGA Tour money leader – Jack Nicklaus – $308,362
- Ryder Cup – United States won 19–13 over Britain & Ireland in team golf.
Men's amateur
Women's professional
- LPGA Championship – Mary Mills
- U.S. Women's Open – Susie Berning
- LPGA Tour money leader – Kathy Whitworth – $82,864
[edit] Harness racing
- United States Pacing Triple Crown races –
- United States Trotting Triple Crown races –
- Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
- Pacers: Hondo Grattan
- Trotters: Precocious
[edit] Horse racing
- Secretariat, ridden by jockey Ron Turcotte, becomes the first horse in 25 years to win all three United States Triple Crown Races
Steeplechases
Flat races
- Australia – Melbourne Cup – Gala Supreme
- Canada – Queen's Plate – Royal Chocolate
- France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe – Rheingold
- Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes – Weaver's Hall
- English Triple Crown Races:
- United States Triple Crown Races:
[edit] Ice hockey
- Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Phil Esposito, Boston Bruins
- Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Bobby Clarke – Philadelphia Flyers
- Stanley Cup – Montreal Canadiens defeat the Chicago Black Hawks 4 games to 2
- World Hockey Association –
- AVCO Cup – New England Whalers defeat the Winnipeg Jets 4 games to 1 for first league championship.
- World Hockey Championship –
- Men's champion: Soviet Union defeated Sweden
- NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship – University of Wisconsin–Madison Badgers defeat University of Denver Pioneers 4–2 in Boston
[edit] Motor racing
- 2 July – death of Swede Savage (26), USAC race car driver, in a racing accident
- 29 July – death of Roger Williamson, British Formula One driver, in a racing accident
- Open wheel racing
- Formula One Championship
- Jackie Stewart wins World Drivers' Championship in a Tyrell 003-Cosworth
- World Constructors Championship won by Tyrrell
- 28 & 30 May – Gordon Johncock wins the 57th running of the Indianapolis 500 in the STP Double Oil Filter Eagle-Offenhauser
- USAC Championship Car Series – Won by Roger McCluskey
- Formula One Championship
- Stock car racing
- February 18 – Richard Petty wins the Daytona 500 in the #43 Plymouth for Petty Enterprises
- singer Marty Robbins makes his first appearance as a driver
- May 27 – E. W. Baker wins the World 500 in the #6 Dodge
- NASCAR championship won by Benny Parsons
- February 18 – Richard Petty wins the Daytona 500 in the #43 Plymouth for Petty Enterprises
- 24 hours of Le Mans – the team of Henri Pescarolo / Gérard Larrousse won, driving a Matra MS670B
- Rally racing
- World Rally Championship for Manufacturers – Won by Alpine Renault (1973 is the inaugural season for the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's new World Rally Championship series)
- Drag racing
- NHRA Supernationals – Top Fuel Dragster won by Don Garlits
- NHRA Top Fuel championship – Top Fuel Dragster (TFD) won Jerry Ruth, Top Fuel Funny Car (TF/FC) by Frank Hall
[edit] Radiosport
- Seventh Amateur Radio Direction Finding European Championship held in Komló, Hungary.
- First ARRL 10 Meter Contest held in December.
[edit] Rugby union
- 79th Five Nations Championship series is a five-way tie with all teams winning two matches each
[edit] Snooker
- World Snooker Championship – Ray Reardon beats Eddie Charlton 38–32
[edit] Swimming
- The first FINA World Championships held in Belgrade, Yugoslavia
[edit] Tennis
- Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
- Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
- Davis Cup – Australia wins 5–0 over the United States in world tennis.
- Men and women players receive equal prize money at the US Open
- 20 September – In the famed Battle of the sexes at Houston's Astrodome – Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in 3straight sets.
[edit] Water polo
- 1973 FINA Men's World Water Polo Championship held in Belgrade and won by Hungary
[edit] General sporting events
- Second All-Africa Games held in Lagos, Nigeria
- Seventh Summer Universiade held in Moscow, Soviet Union
[edit] Awards
- Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – O.J. Simpson, National Football League
- Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Billie Jean King, Tennis
