Namath's Last Game
Dec 12 Quarterback Joe Namath plays his last game with the NY Jets
- Dec 12 Spaniard Manuel Orantes beats Wojtek Fibak of Poland 5–7, 6–2, 0–6, 7–6, 6–1 to win his first and only season-ending ATP Masters Grand Prix tennis title in Houston, Texas
Finley vs. Kuhn Suit
Dec 16 Charlie Finley's $10 million damage suit against Bowie Kuhn begins
- Dec 19 Davis Cup Men's Tennis, Santiago, Chile: Paolo Bertolucci & Adriano Panatta give Italy unassailable 3-0 lead; beat Patricio Cornejo & Jaime Fillol of Chile 6-3, 2-6, 9-7, 6-3; ends, 4-1
- Dec 19 John Lever takes 7-46 in 1st Test Cricket innings, v India Delhi
- Dec 19 Piper Cherokee plane crashes into Baltimore Memorial Stadium upper stands, 10 minutes after Colts lose 40-14 to Pittsburgh Steelers, no one seriously hurt
- Dec 25 6th Fiesta Bowl: #8 Oklahoma beats Wyoming, 41-7
Raiders Beat Steelers
Dec 26 AFC Championship, Oakland Coliseum: Oakland Raiders beat Pittsburgh Steelers, 24-7
- Dec 26 NFC Championship, Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington: Minnesota Vikings beat Los Angeles Rams, 24-13
Ballon d'Or
Dec 28 Ballon d'Or: Bayern Munich defender Franz Beckenbauer wins title of Europe's best football player for a 2nd time; beats Anderlecht winger Rob Rensenbrink and Dukla Prague goalkeeper Ivo Viktor
Baseball Players
Basketball Stars
Boxers
Footballers
NFL Stars
Tennis Champions