Events in Sport
- Jan 2 72nd Sugar Bowl: #11 West Virginia beats #7 Georgia, 38-35
- Jan 2 35th Fiesta Bowl: #4 Ohio State beats #5 Notre Dame, 34-20
- Jan 3 72nd Orange Bowl: #3 Penn State beats #22 Florida State, 26-23 in 3OT
- Jan 4 College Football, 8th BCS National Championship: #2 Texas beats #1 Southern California, 41-38, at 92nd Rose Bowl
- Jan 6 Hopman Cup Tennis, Perth: Lisa Raymond & Taylor Dent beat Dutch pair Michaëlla Krajicek & Peter Wessels 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 for a 2-1 win and 4th American title
Event of Interest
Jan 12 During an emotional ceremony, Mark Messier's #11 jersey is retired by the New York Rangers
Mark Messier
NBA Record
Jan 22 Kobe Bryant scores 81 points in a 122-104 Lakers victory over the Toronto Raptors; second-highest game total in NBA history, behind only Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game (1962)
Kobe Bryant
- Jan 22 AFC Championship, Mile High Stadium, Denver: Pittsburgh Steelers beat Denver Broncos, 34-17
- Jan 22 NFC Championship, Qwest Stadium, Seattle: Seattle Seahawks beat Carolina Panthers, 34-14
- Jan 28 Australian Open Women's Tennis: Amélie Mauresmo of France wins her first Grand Slam title; beats Justine Henin 6-1, 2-0; Henin retires from stomach cramps
Australian Men's Tennis Open
Jan 29 Australian Open Men's Tennis: Roger Federer beats Marcos Baghdatis 5-7, 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 for his 2nd Australian title
Roger Federer
- Jan 29 Irfan Pathan becomes first bowler to take a Test cricket hat-trick in the opening over of a match
Weddings in Sport
- Jan 5 Adult film actress Linsey Dawn McKenzie (27) weds former Wimbledon F.C. and Northern Ireland footballer Mark Williams (35) at the central London register office
- Jan 28 London Broncos rugby football player Craig Gower (27) weds TV personality and model Amanda Flynn (24) in Sydney, Australia
Deaths in Sport
- Jan 1 Paul Lindblad, American baseball pitcher (World Series champion 1973-74, 78; Kansas City Athletics, Oakland Athletics), dies from Alzheimer's disease at 64
- Jan 3 Steve Rogers, Australian rugby league centre (24 Tests; NSW; Cronulla-Sutherland), dies after swallowing combination of prescription drugs and alcohol at 51
- Jan 9 Andy Caldecott, Australian motorcycle racer (b. 1964)
- Jan 13 Frank Fixaris, American sportscaster (b. 1934)
- Jan 13 Marc Potvin, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1967)
- Jan 14 Mark Philo, English footballer (b. 1984)
- Jan 19 Geoff Rabone, New Zealand cricket all-rounder, captain (NZ 12 Tests @ 31.22, 16 wickets), dies at 84