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1977 in sports
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January 2022
1977 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.
1977 sports
Alpine skiing
Alpine Skiing World Cup
Men's overall season champion: Ingemar Stenmark, Sweden
Women's overall season champion: Lise-Marie Morerod, Switzerland
American football
January 9 − Super Bowl XI: the Oakland Raiders (AFC) won 32−14 over the Minnesota Vikings (NFC)
Location: Rose Bowl
Attendance: 103,438
MVP: Fred Biletnikoff, WR (Oakland)
October 9 - Eddie Brown sets NFL record for punt returns in a game (11).
November 20 – Playing despite a 101 °F °C on fever as a result of the flu, Chicago Bears running back Walter Payton sets a new single-game NFL rushing record, gaining 275 yards in a 10–7 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
December 11 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their second NFL season win their first ever game over the New Orleans Saints. The win ends their NFL record 26-game losing streak encompassing the entire 1976 season and the first 12 games in 1977.
Sugar Bowl (1976 season):
The Pittsburgh Panthers won 27–3 over the Georgia Bulldogs to win the college football national championship
Association football
Liverpool dominate English and European football, winning both the European Cup and the Football League Championship, but they miss out on a "treble" by losing in the FA Cup final.
January 18 – death of Luciano Re Cecconi (28), Lazio and Italy, who was shot during a hoax robbery
October 1 - Pelé played the final game of his storied career at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. He played the first half for his current club, the New York Cosmos, and the second half for his old Brazilian club Santos.
Australian rules football
Victorian Football League
May 7: Hawthorn kick 25.41 (191) against St. Kilda. That score breaks by seven the record for the most behinds by a team in a match, and by six the most scoring shots. Neither record has been equalled.
North Melbourne wins the 81st VFL Premiership (North Melbourne 9.22 (76) drew Collingwood Football Club 10.16 (76), replay North Melbourne 21.25 (151) d Collingwood 19.10 (124))
Brownlow Medal awarded to Graham Teasdale (South Melbourne)
Baseball
1977 in baseball
January 19 – Ernie Banks is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. He won back-to-back MVP awards, but is best remembered for his famous line, "Let's play two".
Sparky Lyle breaks Ron Perranoski's major league record for left-handers of 179 career saves.
The Major League Baseball expansion Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays make their debuts (both are American League teams). It would be the last expansion in MLB until 1993.
World Series – The New York Yankees defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers. This is the Series in which Reggie Jackson becomes known as "Mr. October."
Basketball
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship –
Marquette wins 67–59 over North Carolina
NBA Finals –Portland Trail Blazers won 4 games to 2 over the Philadelphia 76ers
Boxing
After 13 years and 82 contests, including 14 title defences, World Middleweight Champion Carlos Monzón retired undefeated.
Canadian football
Grey Cup – Montreal Alouettes won 41–6 over the Edmonton Eskimos
Vanier Cup – Western Ontario Mustangs win 48–15 over the Acadia Axemen
Cricket
12–17 March, Melbourne - Centenary Test played between Australia and England to commemorate 100th anniversary of first Test match. Australia won by 45 runs, exactly the same margin as in the first Test match in 1877.
World Series Cricket begins playing games in competition to official International Cricket Council sanctioned matches.
Cycling
Giro d'Italia won by Michel Pollentier of Belgium
Tour de France - Bernard Thévenet of France
UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race – Francesco Moser of Italy
Dogsled racing
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion –
Rick Swenson won with lead dogs: Andy & O.B. (Old Buddy)
Figure skating
World Figure Skating Championships –
Men's champion: Vladimir Kovalev, Soviet Union
Ladies' champion: Linda Fratianne, United States
Pair skating champions: Irina Rodnina & Alexander Zaitsev, Soviet Union
Ice dancing champions: Irina Moiseyeva & Andrei Minenkov, Soviet Union
Golf
Men's professional
Masters Tournament - Tom Watson
U.S. Open - Hubert Green
British Open - Tom Watson
PGA Championship - Lanny Wadkins
PGA Tour money leader - Tom Watson - $310,653
Ryder Cup - United States won 12½ -7½ over Britain & Ireland in team golf. This was the last Ryder Cup to feature a side exclusively from the British Isles; the U.S. opponents in the next Ryder Cup, held in 1979 at White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, would be drawn from all of Europe. The U.S.-Europe format has continued ever since.
Men's amateur
British Amateur - Peter McEvoy
U.S. Amateur - John Fought
Women's professional
LPGA Championship - Chako Higuchi
U.S. Women's Open - Hollis Stacy
LPGA Tour money leader - Judy Rankin - $122,890
Harness racing
United States Pacing Triple Crown races –
Cane Pace - Jade Prince
Little Brown Jug - Governor Skipper
Messenger Stakes - Governor Skipper
United States Trotting Triple Crown races –
Hambletonian - Green Speed
Yonkers Trot - Green Speed
Kentucky Futurity - Texas
Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
Pacers: Stanley Rio
Horse racing
Red Rum wins the Grand National a third time
Steeplechases
Cheltenham Gold Cup – Davy Lad
Grand National – Red Rum
Flat races
Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Gold and Black
Canada – Queen's Plate won by Sound Reason
France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Alleged
Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by The Minstrel
English Triple Crown Races:
2,000 Guineas Stakes – Nebbiolo
The Derby – The MinstrelEpsom Derby History, Winners, & Facts Britannica https://www.britannica.com/sports/Derby-horse-race www.britannica.com 3 January 2022 en
St. Leger Stakes – Dunfermline
United States Triple Crown Races:
Kentucky Derby – Seattle Slew
Preakness Stakes – Seattle Slew
Belmont Stakes – Seattle Slew
Ice hockey
1977 in ice hockey
Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Guy Lafleur, Montreal Canadiens
Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Guy Lafleur - Montreal Canadiens
Stanley Cup – Montreal Canadiens defeat the Boston Bruins 4 games to 0.
World Hockey Championship
Men's champion: Czechoslovakia defeated Sweden
Junior Men's champion: Soviet Union defeated Canada
Avco World Trophy - Quebec Nordiques won 4 games to 3 over the Winnipeg Jets
Motorsport
1977 in motorsport List of 1977 motorsport champions
Radiosport
Eighth amateur radio direction finding European Championship held in Skopje, Yugoslavia.
First IARU Radiosport Championship held in July.
Rugby league
1977 Amco Cup
1977 European Rugby League Championship
1977 New Zealand rugby league season
1976–77 Northern Rugby Football League season / 1977–78 Northern Rugby Football League season
1977 NSWRFL season - St George and Parramatta draw 9–9 in the Grand Final. St George takes the title by winning the replay 22–0.
1977 Pacific Cup
1977 Rugby League World Cup
Rugby union
83rd Five Nations Championship series is won by France who complete the Grand Slam and do so by using the same 15 players in all four matches, the first time that an unchanged team has won the Grand Slam
Snooker
World Snooker Championship – John Spencer beats Cliff Thorburn 25-12
World rankings – Ray Reardon remains world number one for 1977/78.
Swimming
July 3 – USA's Joseph Bottom sets a world record in the 50m freestyle at a swimming meet in Etobicoke, Ontario (Canada), clocking 23.74.
Tennis
Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
Australian Open - January: Roscoe Tanner - December: Vitas Gerulaitis
French Open - Guillermo Vilas
Wimbledon championships - Björn Borg
U.S. Open - Guillermo Vilas
Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
Australian Open – January: Evonne Goolagong - December: Kerry Reid
French Open - Mima Jaušovec
Wimbledon championships - Virginia Wade
U.S. Open - Chris Evert
Davis Cup – Australia won 3–1 over Italy in world tennis.
Volleyball
Men and Women's European Volleyball Championship held in Finland: both men's and women's tournaments won by USSR
Yacht racing
The New York Yacht Club retains the America's Cup as media mogul Ted Turner skippers Courageous to victory over challenger Australia, of the Sun City Yacht Club, 4 races to 0
General sporting events
Ninth Summer Universiade held in Sofia, Bulgaria
Awards
Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Steve Cauthen, Horse racing
Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Chris Evert, Tennis
ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year: Steve Cauthen, Horse Racing
References
Category:Sports by year