- Jan 1 42nd Orange Bowl: #3 Oklahoma beats #5 Michigan, 14-6
Paul Brown Retires
Jan 1 After 45 years of coaching, Paul Brown (Cleveland Browns; Cincinnati Bengals) announces his retirement from the National Football League
Goolagong's 3rd Win
Jan 3 Australian Open Women's Tennis: Australian Evonne Goolagong Cawley beats Renata Tomanova of Czechoslovakia 6-2, 6-2 for her 3rd straight home singles title
Steelers Defeat Raiders
Jan 4 AFC Championship, Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh Steelers beat Oakland Raiders, 16-10
Edmondson Defeats Newcombe
Jan 4 Australian Open Men's Tennis: In an all-Australian final Mark Edmondson upsets John Newcombe 6-7, 6-3, 7-6, 6-1 for his first and only Grand Slam title
- Jan 4 NFC Championship, LA Memorial Coliseum: Dallas Cowboys beat Los Angeles Rams, 37-7
Chappell's 182 Not Out
Jan 5 Greg Chappell scores 182* for Australia at SCG against West Indies
Turner Buys Atlanta Braves
Jan 6 Ted Turner purchases Atlanta Braves for reported $12 million
Trottier's Penalty Fail
Jan 9 Bryan Trottier failed in 4th Islander penalty shot
Hamill's 3rd Championship
Jan 11 Dorothy Hamill wins her 3rd consecutive national figure skating championship
- Jan 13 Future undisputed world middleweight boxing champion Marvin Hagler suffers his first career loss in a controversial 10-round majority decision to Bobby Watts at the Philadelphia Spectrum
- Jan 14 Ted Turner becomes CEO of Atlanta Braves
- Jan 18 Super Bowl X, Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, FL: Pittsburgh Steelers beat Dallas Cowboys, 21-17; MVP: Lynn Swann, Pittsburgh, WR
- Jan 20 29th NHL All-Star Game, Spectrum, Philadelphia: Wales Conference beats Campbell Conference, 7-5; MVP: Peter Mahovlich, Montreal, C
- Jan 23 Ian Redpath hits his only 2 sixes in Cricket Tests, v WI Adelaide
- Jan 23 Washington Capitals end 25 game winless streak (0-22-3) beat NY Rangers 7-5
- Jan 24 Cleveland Cavaliers score their biggest margin of victory to date (43 points), when they beat Milwaukee 132-89
Foreman vs. Lyle
Jan 24 Former world heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman KOs Ron Lyle in 5th round at Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas; Foreman knocked down twice in 4th; 'The Ring' Fight of the Year
- Jan 26 NFL Pro Bowl, Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans: NFC beats AFC, 23-20; MVP: Billy Johnson, Houston Oilers, WR
Richards' 1st Test Century
Jan 27 Viv Richards scores his 1st Test century against Australia
- Jan 28 NBA Atlanta Hawks begin a 28 game road losing streak
- Jan 30 1st-class debut of Australian cricketer Dav Whatmore, in Johannesburg, South Africa
- Jan 31 In his final Test, West Indian cricket spin bowler Lance Gibbs dismisses Australian opener Ian Redpath for 101 in 6th Test in Melbourne; becomes highest Test wicket-taker at 308
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