1973 in sports

Auto Racing

• Stock car racing:
  • Richard Petty wins the Daytona 500 in which singer Marty Robbins made his first appearance as a driver.
  • NASCAR Championship - Benny Parsons[?]
• Indianapolis 500 - Gordon Johncock[?]
• USAC Racing - Roger McCluskey[?]
• Formula One Championship - Jackie Stewart[?] of Great Britain
• 24 hours of Le Mans: the team of Henri Pescarolo[?] / Gérard Larrousse[?] won, driving a Matra MS670B
• Rally racing - Jean-Claude Andruet[?] / Michele Petit[?] ("Biche") won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Alpine-Renault A110[?]. This year's rally was the first ever FIA World Rally Championship event.
• Drag racing - Don Garlits won "Top Fuel" at the NHRA Supernationals

Baseball

• World Series: Oakland Athletics won 4 games to 3 over the New York Mets

Basketball

• NCAA Men's Basketball Championship:
  • UCLA wins 87-66 over Memphis

• NBA Finals:
  • New York Knicks won 4 games to 1 over the Los Angeles Lakers

Boxing

• January 22 - George Foreman beats Joe Frazier by a knockout in two rounds to lift the world's Heavyweight championship from Frazier. It is HBO Boxing's first telecast.

Cycling

• Tour de France - Luis Ocaña[?] of Spain
• World Cycling Championship: Felice Gimondi[?], of Italy

Figure Skating

• World Figure Skating Championships:
  • Men's champion: Ondrej Nepala[?], Czechoslovakia
  • Women's champion: Karen Magnussen[?], Canada
  • Pairs champions: Irina Rodnina[?] & Alexander Saizew[?], Soviet Union

Football (Soccer)

• England - FA Cup: Sunderland wins 1-0 over Leeds United

Football (American)

• O.J. Simpson becomes the first player in NFL history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a single season.

• Super Bowl VII: Miami Dolphins won 14-7 over the Washington Redskins

Canadian Football League

• Grey Cup: Ottawa Rough Riders win 22-18 over the Edmonton Eskimos
• Vanier Cup: St. Mary's Huskies[?] win 14-6 over the McGill Redmen[?]

Golf

Men's Golf

• Grand Slam of golf results:
  1. May - The Masters - Tommy Aaron[?]
  2. June - US Open - Johnny Miller[?]
  3. July - British Open - Tom Weiskopf[?]
  4. August - PGA Championship - Jack Nicklaus

• PGA tour's leading money winner for the year: Jack Nicklaus - $308,362

• Ryder Cup: United States won 19-13 over Britain & Ireland in world team golf.

Women's Golf

• US Women's Open - Susie Berning[?]
• LPGA Championship - Mary Mills[?]
• Kathy Whitworth[?]: leading money winner on the LPGA tour, earning $82,854

Thoroughbred Horse Racing

• Australia - Melbourne Cup - Gala Supreme[?]
• Canada - Queen's Plate - Royal Chocolate[?]
• France - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Rheingold[?]
• Ireland - Irish Derby Stakes - Weaver's Hall[?]

• English Triple Crown Races:
  1. Two Thousand Guineas Stakes - Mon Fils[?]
  2. Epsom Derby - Morston[?]
  3. St. Leger Stakes - Peleid[?]

• Secretariat, ridden by jockey Ron Turcotte, becomes the first horse in 25 years to win the United States Triple Crown Races:
  1. Kentucky Derby - Secretariat
  2. Preakness Stakes - Secretariat
  3. Belmont Stakes - Secretariat

Harness Racing

• United States Pacing Triple Crown races:
  1. Cane Pace - Smog[?]
  2. Little Brown Jug - Melvin's Woe[?]
  3. Messenger Stakes - Valiant Bret[?]

• United States Trotting Triple Crown races:
  1. Hambletonian - Flirth[?]
  2. Yonkers Trot
  3. Kentucky Futurity

• Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:
  • Pacers: Hondo Grattan[?]
  • Trotters: Precocious[?]

Ice Hockey

• Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Phil Esposito[?], Boston Bruins

• Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Bobby Clarke[?] - Philadelphia Flyers

• Stanley Cup - Montreal Canadiens defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 4 games to 2

• World Hockey Championship:
  • Men's champion: Soviet Union defeated Sweden

Skiing

• Alpine Skiing
  • The men's overall season champion: Gustavo Thoeni[?], Italy
  • The women's overall season champion: Annemarie Pröll[?], Austria

Tennis

• Grand Slam in tennis mens results:
  1. Australian Open - John Newcombe[?]
  2. French Open - Ilie Nastase[?]
  3. Wimbledon championships - Jan Kodes[?]
  4. US Open - John Newcombe[?]

• Grand Slam in tennis womens results:
  1. Australian Open - Margaret Smith Court
  2. French Open - Margaret Smith Court
  3. Wimbledon championships - Billie Jean King
  4. US Open - Margaret Smith Court

• Davis Cup: Australia wins 5-0 over the United States in world tennis.

General sporting events

• Ray Reardon[?] won the World Professional Snooker Championship

• Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion:
  • Dick Wilmarth[?] won with lead dog: Hotfoot

Births

• February 26 - Jenny Thompson, U.S. Olympic swimmer
• February 26 - Marshall Faulk[?], American football star
• February 28 - Eric Lindros[?], ice hockey star
• May 1 - Oliver Neuville, soccer player, German National Soccer Team
• May 10 - Dario Franchitti[?], automobile racer

Deaths

• February 8 - Herbie Taylor[?], South African cricketer
• March 12 - Frankie Frisch[?], Major League Baseball player (1919-1937)
• March 26 - George Sisler[?], Major League Baseball hall of famer (1915-1930)
• July 2 - Swede Savage[?] 26, USAC race car driver
• July 8 - Wilfred Rhodes[?], English cricketer
• July 29 - F1 driver, Roger Williamson[?] burns to death at the Dutch Grand Prix[?]
• August 7 - Wilbur Cooper[?], Major League Baseball pitcher (1912-1926)
• August 9 - Charlie Daniels[?], U.S. Olympic Gold medal swimmer
• October 2 - Paavo Nurmi, Finnish runner
• December 16 - Syd Barnes[?], Australian cricketer