1972 in sports

Table of contents

1 Auto Racing
2 Baseball
3 Basketball
4 Boxing
5 Cycling
6 Figure skating
7 Football (Soccer)
8 Football (American)
9 Canadian Football League
10 Golf
11 Thoroughbred Horse Racing
12 Harness Racing
13 Ice Hockey
14 Skiing
15 Snooker
16 Tennis
17 General sporting events
18 Births
19 Deaths

Auto Racing

January 19: The BBWAA elects Sandy Koufax (344 votes), Yogi Berra (339), and Early Wynn (301) to the Hall of Fame. Koufax makes it in his first try and, at 36, is the youngest honoree in history. He won three Cy Young awards in a four-year span when the honor was only given to one pitcher for both leagues. Berra played in 14 World Series (ten world champions), he had more hits in Series play than any other player, and he was a three-time MVP for the Yankees. Wynn won 300 career games, and won 20 games five times.
Sparky Lyle saves 35 games for the New York Yankees, breaking Ron Perranoski's 1970 records for AL pitchers and lefthanders. Lyle also becomes the first left-hander to save 100 career games in the American League.
World Series: Oakland Athletics win their 6th World Championship by defeating the Cincinnati Reds, 4 games to 3.
December 31 - The Pittsburgh Pirates' legendary right fielder Roberto Clemente dies in a plane crash near Puerto Rico on his way to bring relief supplies to Nicaraguan earthquake victims.

June 26 - Roberto Duran stopped Ken Buchanan in the thirteenth round to win the WBA Lightweight Championship.

World Figure Skating Championships:
- Men's champion: Ondrej Nepala, Czechoslovakia
- Women's champion: Beatrix Schuba, Austria
- Pairs champions: Irina Rodnina & Alexei Ulyanov, Soviet Union

The European PGA tour begins its first season of competition.
Grand Slam of golf results:
1. May - The Masters - Jack Nicklaus
2. June - US Open - Jack Nicklaus
3. July - British Open - Lee Trevino
4. August - PGA Championship - Gary Player
PGA tour's leading money winner for the year: Jack Nicklaus - $320,542

World Hockey Association (WHA) formed to compete with the NHL. This new league signed several of the top NHL stars including Bobby Hull and Derek Sanderson.
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 Orr, Boston Bruins
Stanley Cup - Boston Bruins win 4 games to 2 over the New York Rangers
September 28 - Paul Henderson scores the “goal of the century” to give Canada the series win in the first ever Canada versus the Soviet Union hockey showdown.
World Hockey Championship
- Men's champion: Czechoslovakia defeated the Soviet Union

Alpine Skiing
- The men's overall season champion: Gustavo Thoeni, Italy
- The women's overall season champion: Annemarie Pröll, Austria

1972 Summer Olympics takes place in Munich, Germany
- USSR wins the most medals (99), and the most gold medals (50).
1972 Winter Olympics takes place in Sapporo, Japan
- USSR wins the most medals (16), and the most gold medals (8).

February 28 - Victor Barna, Hungarian-born, 5 time World table tennis champ
February 28 - Dizzy Trout, Major League Baseball pitcher (1939-1957)
March 11 - Zack Wheat, Major League Baseball player (1909-1927)
March 16 - Pie Traynor, Major League Baseball player (1920-1937)
March 28 - Donie Bush, Major League Baseball player (1908-1923)
April 2 - Gil Hodges, Major League Baseball player/manager (1943-1963)
October 9 - Dave Bancroft, Major League Baseball player (1915-1930)
October 17 - Turk Broda, ice hockey goaltender
October 24 - Jackie Robinson, (Baseball Hall of Famer) (1947-1956)
December 31 - Roberto Clemente, (Baseball Hall of Famer) (1955-1972)
December 20 - Gabby Hartnett, Major League Baseball player (1922-1941)