Sports in January include the NBA and NHL seasons, NFL playoffs, college bowl games, some college basketball tournaments, the Australian Open for tennis, UFC Fight Nights, Formula E, and PGA Tour Events. Over the years, Jan. 6 has witnessed many notable moments and stories involving sporting legends. Here are some of them.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Great moments in sports history from Jan. 6 have included:
- 1925:Â Paavo Nurmi set indoor records in both the mile and 5,000-meter races.
- 1951:Â The Indianapolis Olympians beat the Rochester Royals 75-73 with an NBA record of six overtimes. It was also the longest game in NBA history.
- 1970:Â Johnny Famechon retained his WBC featherweight title by defeating Fighting Harada with a knockout in the 14th round.
- 1980:Â The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Houston Oilers 27-13 to win the AFC Championship.
- 1980:Â The Los Angeles Rams beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-0 and won the NFC Championship.
- 1980:Â The Philadelphia Flyers set a North American professional sports record of 35 straight games without a defeat.
- 1980:Â The Steelers beat the Oilers and made it to the Super Bowl. John Stallworth caught a touchdown pass in the game.
- 1981:Â John Tonelli scored five goals in a game in a victory for the New York Islanders over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
- 1994:Â Nancy Kerrigan was injured in an attack that involved her rival, Tonya Harding.
- 1995:Â Atlanta Hawks coach Lenny Wilkens became the NBA's all-time winningest coach with his 939th career win when the Hawks beat Washington 112-90.
- 1996:Â Croatia won its first Hopman Cup tennis title.
- 1998:Â Don Sutton was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
- 2001:Â Roger Federer beat Jan-Michael Gambill to help Switzerland win the Hopman Cup title.
- 2006: Lisa Raymond and Taylor Dent beat Dutch pair Michaëlla Krajicek and Peter Wessels to win the Hopman Cup for the United States.
- 2012:Â Thierry Henry rejoined Arsenal for two months.
- 2014:Â At the 16th BCS National Championship Game, the No. 1 Florida State Seminoles beat the No. 2 Auburn Tigers 34-31.
- 2015:Â Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz, and Craig Biggio were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
- 2018:Â Switzerland won its third Hopman Cup tennis title.
- 2018:Â Jon Gruden returned to the NFL to coach the Oakland Raiders.
- 2018:Â Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota scored a touchdown off of his own pass, and the Titans beat the Kansas City Chiefs 22-21. He became only the second quarterback to score on that type of play.
Three athletes who stood out on Jan. 6 were John Tonelli, Nancy Kerrigan, and Jon Gruden.
Tonelli was a gritty Canadian hockey forward, best known for winning four consecutive Stanley Cups with the New York Islanders from 1980 to 1983. Kerrigan is a decorated American figure skater who won national titles and Olympic medals (bronze in 1992 and silver in 1994). Gruden is a former Super Bowl-winning NFL head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who served as an analyst on ESPN's popular "Monday Night Football," where he was known for his "Chucky" persona and "Gruden Grinders" film breakdowns, and a charismatic, high-energy figure in football culture.
