Sports in January include the NBA and NHL seasons, NFL playoffs, college bowl games, college basketball tournaments, the Australian Open for tennis, UFC Fight Nights, Formula E, and PGA Tour events. Over the years, Jan. 14 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. 14 included:
- 1932: Jockey Eddie Arcaro won his first race at the age of 16.
- 1935: Jack Crawford won his fourth Australian tennis singles title.
- 1940: The Green Bay Packers beat the NFL All-Stars 16-7 in the second NFL All-Star Game.
- 1943: Montreal Canadiens' left winger Alex Smart became the first rookie to score a hat trick in his NHL debut.
- 1946: The Boston Yanks drafted Frank Dancewicz from the University of Notre Dame with the first pick in the NFL draft.
- 1951: The American Conference beat the National Conference 28-27 in the first NFL Pro Bowl. The Most Valuable Player was Cleveland Browns quarterback Otto Graham.
- 1964: The East beat the West 111-107 in the 14th NBA All-Star game. The MVP was Oscar Robertson of the Cincinnati Royals.
- 1969: Sir Matt Busby announced his decision to retire as manager of Manchester United.
- 1973: The Miami Dolphins beat the Washington Redskins 14-7 to win Super Bowl VII. They finished the season 17-0 and remain the only NFL team to complete a season undefeated.
- 1975: Anita Wold of Norway set the women's ski jump distance record at 98 meters.
- 1979: John McEnroe won the first of his three season-ending Association of Tennis Professionals Masters Grand Prix tennis titles.
- 1979: Wilfred Benitez defeated World Boxing Council welterweight champion Carlos Palomino in a 15-round split decision.
- 1984: Ray Mancini retained his World Boxing Association lightweight title by way of a third-round technical knockout of Bobby Chacon.
- 1985: Martina Navratilova became the third player to win 100 career tennis singles titles.
- 1987: Jim "Catfish" Hunter and Billy Williams joined the Baseball Hall of Fame.
- 1993: Mark Eaton became the second player in NBA history to record 3,000 career blocks.
- 1995: Boxer Vinny Pazienza beat Roberto Duran in a 12-round unanimous decision.
- 2018: The Minnesota Vikings beat the New Orleans Saints 29-24 in the NFC divisional round. Quarterback Case Keenum threw a 61-yard touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs as time expired.
- 2023: Quarterback Brock Purdy won his first playoff game as a rookie against the Seattle Seahawks.
Three athletes who stood out on Jan. 14 were Alex Smart, Martina Navratilova, and Mark Eaton.
Smart had a long career in the Quebec Senior Hockey League, helping the Ottawa Senators win the Allan Cup in 1949. Navratilova won a record-breaking 59 Grand Slam titles, including 18 singles, 31 doubles, and 10 mixed, and dominated the 1980s with a fierce serve-and-volley style. Eaton was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and set the NBA record for most blocks in a season at 456.
