- Jan 1 37th Orange Bowl: #3 Nebraska beats #5 LSU, 17-12
- Jan 1 37th Sugar Bowl: #4 Tennessee beats #11 Air Force, 34-13
- Jan 1 57th Rose Bowl: #12 Stanford beats #2 Ohio State, 27-17
- Jan 2 Spectator crush at Ibrox Park in Glasgow, Scotland as Rangers supporters leave the ground with home team 0-1 behind to Old Firm rivals Celtic; 66 deaths and more than 200 injuries; Rangers score late for 1-1
Colts Defeat Raiders
Jan 3 1st AFC Championship, Memorial Stadium, Baltimore: Baltimore Colts beat Oakland Raiders, 27-17
- Jan 3 1st NFC Championship, Kezar Stadium, SF: Dallas Cowboys beat San Francisco 49ers, 17-10
- Jan 4 Philadelphia's multi-purpose Veteran's Stadium dedicated, it becomes home to MLB Phillies and NFL Eagles
Liston Found Dead
Jan 5 Body of former world heavyweight boxing champion Charles "Sonny" Liston (40) is found by his wife Geraldine at their Las Vegas home; he had been dead for an estimated 6 days; foul play suspected
- Jan 5 Globetrotters lose 100-99 to NJ Reds, ending 2,495-game winning streak
Wilkens Oldest MVP
Jan 12 21st NBA All-Star Game, San Diego Sports Arena: West beats East, 108-107; MVP: Lenny Wilkens, Seattle SuperSonics, PG; oldest MVP in All-Star history (33); scores 21 points
Canadiens Obtain Mahovlich
Jan 13 In a high profile NHL trade, the Montreal Canadiens obtain future Hockey Hall of Fame left wing Frank Mahovlich from Detroit, in exchange for Bill Collins, Guy Charron and Mickey Redmond
- Jan 14 Cricketer John Snow takes 7-40 for England to beat Australia by 299 runs
Schenk Sets World Record
Jan 16 Dutch speed skater Ard Schenk skates world record 1500m (1:58.7)
- Jan 17 Super Bowl V, Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, FL: Baltimore Colts beat Dallas Cowboys, 16-13; MVP: Chuck Howley, Dallas, LB
24th NHL All-Star Game
Jan 19 24th NHL All-Star Game, Boston Garden: Western Division beats Eastern Division, 2-1; MVP: Bobby Hull, Chicago, LW
- Jan 19 NHL Writers' Association renamed Professional Hockey Writers' Association
- Jan 20 Ard Schenk skates world record 1000m (1:18.8)
- Jan 24 21st NFL Pro Bowl, LA Memorial Coliseum: NFC beats AFC, 27-6; MVPs: Fred Carr, Green Bay Packers, LB; Mel Renfro, Dallas Cowboys, CB
- Jan 28 1971 NFL Draft: Jim Plunkett from Stanford University first pick by New England Patriots
Lillee's Bowling Debut
Jan 30 Dennis Lillee takes 5-84 in his 1st Test bowl, v England
- Jan 30 UCLA starts 88 basketball game winning streak
Baseball Hall of Fame
Jan 31 Dave Bancroft & George Weiss elected to baseball Hall of Fame
- Jan 31 Special Veterans Committee adds 6 former players and 1 executive to the Baseball Hall of Fame: Dave Bancroft, Jake Beckley, Chick Hafey, Harry Hooper, Joe Kelley, Rube Marquard and George Weiss
Baseball Players
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Tennis Champions