- January 16
- Anthony Stuart takes ODI hat-trick, Australia versus Pakistan, Melbourne Cricket Ground. [1]
- January 17
- NBA suspends Dennis Rodman indefinitely, fines him $25,000 for kicking cameraman. [1]
- January 18
- 47th NHL All-Star Game: East beat West 11-7 at San Jose Arena. [1]
- January 19
- Ivan Rodriguez signs the richest one-year deal in baseball history, agreeing to a contract worth US$6.65 million to play with the Texas Rangers. [56]
- Michelle McGann wins LPGA Healthsouth Inaugural. [1]
- January 20
- Pakistan defeats West Indies 2-0 to win Australia one-day Series. [1]
- January 25
- 71st Australian Women's Tennis: Martina Hingis beat Mary Pierce (6-2, 6-2). [1]
- January 26
- 85th Australian Mens Tennis: Pete Sampras beats Carlos Moya (6-2, 6-3, 6-3). [1]
- Brunswick World Bowling Tournament of Champions won by John Gant. [1]
- The Green Bay Packers win the NFL Championship for the first time since 1967, defeating the New England Patriots 35-21 in Super Bowl XXXI at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. [1] [18]
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- February 2
- Mark O'Meara wins Pebble Beach National Golf Pro-am. [1]
- NFL Pro Bowl: AFC beats NFC 26-23 (overtime). [1]
- February 4
- Mario LeMieux is 7th NHL player to score 600 goals. [1]
- Ipswich Town football player Adam Tanner, who recently failed a drugs test, is banned from football for three months at an FA hearing. Tanner received a relatively lenient punishment as he had admitted taking drugs at the first attempt and shown remorse for his behaviour. [18]
- February 9
- 47th NBA All-Star Game: East beats West 132-120 at Cleveland. [1]
- Kelly Robbins wins LPGA Diet Dr Pepper National Pro-Am. [1]
- Mark O'Meara wins Buick golf invitational. [1]
- Scotty Bowman is first NHL coach to win 1,000 games. [1]
- February 11
- Bill Parcells becomes head coach of New York Jets. [1]
- February 15
- US female Figure Skating championship won by Tara Lipinski. [1]
- US male Figure Skating championship won by Todd Eldridge. [1]
- February 16
- At age 25, Jeff Gordon is youngest winner in Daytona 500 history. [1]
- Paul Stankowski wins Hawaiian Golf Open. [1]
- Terry-Jo Myers wins LPGA Los Angeles Women's Championship. [1]
- February 20
- San Francisco Giants' Barry Bonds signs record $22.9 million two-year contract. [1]
- February 22
- Annika Sorenstam wins LPGA Cup Noodles Hawaiian Ladies Open. [1]
- February 23
- Jeff Sluman wins Tucson Golf Classic. [1]
- March 2
- Gail Graham wins LPGA Alpine Australian Ladies Masters. [1]
- Nick Faldo wins Nissan Golf Open. [1]
- March 5
- Tommy Lasorda, Nellie Fox, and Willie Wells selected for American Baseball Hall of Fame. [1]
- March 7
- Athens, Buenos Aires, Cape Town, Rome and Stockholm are finalists for 2004 Olympics site. [1]
- March 9
- Steve Elkington wins Doral-Ryder Golf Open. [1]
- March 11
- San Francisco Giants' player J T Snow suffers a fractured eye socket when hit by a pitch. [1]
- March 14
- 68-year-old Gordie Howe signs AHL contract with Syracuse Crunch. [1]
- Olympics gold medalist Michael Johnson wins 67th James E Sullivan Award. [1]
- March 15
- Pittsburgh Penguins' Joe Mullen is first American to score 500 NHL goals. [1]
- March 16
- Donna Andrews wins LPGA Welch's/Circle K Championship. [1]
- New Jersey Devils' Dave Andreychuk is 26th NHL player to score 500 goals. [1]
- Stuart Appleby wins Honda Golf Classic. [1]
- March 19
- Major League Baseball announces five year/$50 million deal with Pepsi. [1]
- March 21
- World Ice Dance won by Oksana Grishuk and Evgeny Platov (Russia). [1]
- World Ice Pairs Figure Skating won by Mandy Woetzel and Ingo Steuer (Germany). [1]
- World Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Lausanne won by Tara Lipinski (USA). Tara Lipinski, 14, becomes the youngest women's world figure skating champion. [1] (March 22 [18])
- World Men's Figure Skating Championship in Lausanne won by Elvis Stojko (Canada). [1]
- March 23
- Laura Davies wins Standard Register PING Golf Tournament. [1]
- Phil Mickelson wins Bay Hill Golf Invitiational. [1]
- March 25
- Cleveland Indians trade Lofton and Embree to Atlanta Braves for Grissom and Justice. [1]
- March 26
- NHL announce Mighty Ducks and Vancouver Canucks to open 1998 in Japan. [1]
- March 29
- First game at Turner Field in Atlanta, Atlanta Braves beats New York Yankees 2-0 (exhibition game). [1]
- PBA National Championship Won by Rick Steelsmith. [1]
- March 30
- 16th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Tennessee beats Old Dominion 68-59. [1]
- 26th Nabisco Dinah Shore Golf Championship won by Betsy King. [1]
- Steve Elkington wins Golf's Players Championship. [1]
- March 31
- 59th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Arizona beats Kentucky 84-79 (overtime). [1]
- April 1
- 69-year-old Gordie Howe begins playing AHL game with Syracuse Crunch. [1]
- April 2
- Chicago White Sox agree to pay Albert Belle US$10 million for the season. [56]
- April 4
- Anaheim Ducks clinch their first-ever playoff berth. [1]
- Atlanta Braves officially open Turner Field against Chicago Cubs. [1]
- April 6
- 9th Seniors Golf Tradition: Gil Morgan wins. [1]
- Annika Sorenstam wins LPGA Longs Drugs Challenge. [1]
- Brad Faxon wins Freeport-McDermott Golf Classic. [1]
- April 9
- Major League Soccer announces Miami and Chicago expansion. [1]
- NFL announces it will give $3 million to Canadian Football League and possible "World Classic Bowl". [1]
- April 13
- First time since 1961 that two doubleheaders are played in the same city - San Francisco Giants versus New York Mets and Oakland Athletics vs New York Yankees in New York. [1]
- 48th time opposing pitchers hit homeruns, Carlos Perez (Mon)/Darren Holmes. [1]
- In Augusta, Georgia, 21-year-old Eldrick "Tiger" Woods wins the 61st Golf Masters Tournament by a record 12 strokes (total 270; 18 under par), his first victory in one of golf's four major championships, the greatest performance by a professional golfer in more than a century, and the youngest golfer to win the Masters. [1] [129]
- Hartford Whalers last NHL game. [1]
- NHL Pittsburgh Penguins' player Mario Lemieux's last NHL regular game. [1]
- Travis Fryman homers off R Hernandez in both games of double header. [1]
- April 15
- Baseball honors Jackie Robinson by retiring #42 for all teams. [1]
- April 17
- New Jersey Devils' goalie Martin Brodeur is second NHL goalie to score in a playoff game. [1]
- April 20
- First baseball game in Hawaii, Saint Louis Cardinals beat San Diego Padres in doubleheader. [1]
- 58th PGA Seniors Golf Championship: Hale Irwin. [1]
- Chicago Cubs beat New York Mets ending National League worst opening, lost 14 straight games. [1]
- Karrie Webb wins LPGA Susan G Komen International. [1]
- Mark McGwire is fourth to homerun on Detroit Tigers' left field roof (others are Frank Howard, Harmon Killibrew, and Cecil Fielder). [1]
- Nick Price wins golf MCI Classic. [1]
- PGA Seniors Championship; Hale Irwin wins. [1]
- April 21
- 101st Boston Marathon won by Lameck Aguta of Kenya in 2:10:34. [1]
- 26th Boston Women's Marathon won by Fatuma Roba of Ethopia in 2:26:23. [1]
- April 25
- Seattle Mariners' player Ken Griffey Junior hits his 250th homerun. [1]
- April 27
- Frank Nobilo wins Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic at Forest Oaks. [1]
- Nancy Lopez wins LPGA Chick-fil-A Charity Championship. [1]
- April 29
- Kansas City Royals' player Chili Davis is 75th to hit 300 homeruns. [1]
- April (month)
- Atlanta Braves win record 19 games in April. [1]
- Tino Martinez hits record 34 RBIs in April. [1]
- May 3
- 123rd Kentucky Derby: Gary Stevens aboard Silver Charm wins in 2:02.3. [1]
- ABC Bud Light Masters Bowling Tournament won by Jason Queen. [1]
- May 4
- Phil Blackmar wins 50th Houston golf Open. [1]
- Tammie Green wins LPGA Sprint Titleholders Championship. [1]
- May 6
- NHL Hartford Whalers become Carolina Hurricanes. [1]
- Rick Pitino becomes coach of Boston Celtics. [1]
- May 7
- Montreal Expos score 13 in 6th inning against San Francisco Giants. [1]
- May 9
- San Diego Padres retire #35 worn by pitcher Randy Jones. [1]
- May 10
- Chicago Cubs turn baseball's 68th triple play (vs San Francisco Giants). [1]
- May 11
- New York Mets' players C Everett and Butch Huskey are 9th to hit consecutive pinch home runs. [1]
- Scott McCarron wins Bellsouth Golf Classic. [1]
- Terry-Jo Myers wins LPGA Sara Lee Classic. [1]
- May 12
- Anaheim Angels score 13 in 7th inning versus Chicago White Sox. [1]
- May 13
- Eddie Murray is sixth baseball player to play in 3,000 games. [1]
- May 14
- Baseball's Exec Council suspends New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. [1]
- May 16
- Atlanta Braves beat Saint Louis Cardinals, 1-0 in 13 innings. [1]
- Montreal Expos trailing San Francisco Giants by nine runs comeback to win 14-13. [1]
- Saint Louis Cardinals' player Gary Gaetti records his 2,000th hit. [1]
- May 17
- 123rd Preakness: Gary Stevens aboard Silver Charm wins in 1:54. [1]
- WIBC Bowling Queens won by Sandra Jo Shiery-Odom. [1]
- May 18
- 43rd McDonald's LPGA Championship won by Chris Johnson. [1]
- Tiger Woods wins Byron Nelson Golf Classic. [1]
- May 20
- Chicago White Sox player Frank Thomas reaches base safely for 15th straight time. [1]
- May 25
- David Frost wins Golf's Colonial Final in Fort Worth, Texas. [1]
- Minnesota Twins retire Kirby Puckett's uniform number. [1]
- Rosie Jones wins LPGA Corning Classic. [1]
- Todd and Mel Stottlemyre become first father and son to win 100 Major League Baseball games. [1]
- May 26
- Sammy Sosa (Chicago Cubs) and Tony Womack (Pittsburgh Pirates) hit inside the park homeruns. [1]
- May 27
- Major League Baseball revenue sharing begins, New York Yankees pay out most $28 million. [1]
- May 30
- Ken Dryden becomes president of NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs. [1]
- May 31
- Canadian Donovan Bailey beats American Michael Johnson in 150-metre race. [1]
- June 1
- Chivas wins their 10th Verano 1997 championship 7-2 against Toros Neza. [18]
- June 7
- The Detroit Red Wings win their first Stanley Cup championship in 42 years, defeating the Philadelphia Flyers four games to none. Red Wings goaltender Mike Vernon is awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff Most Valuable Player. [18]
- June 13
- The Chicago Bulls win their 5th NBA championship by defeating the Utah Jazz in the best-of-7 series 4 games to 2. [18]
- July 17
- Daniel Komen breaks the two-mile world record, in a time of 7:58.61. [5]
- August 13
- In Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Cruzeiro wins Sporting Cristal of Peru by 1-0 and are Copa Libertadores de América champions by second time. [18]
- September 5
- The International Olympic Committee picks Athens, Greece to be the host city for the 2004 Summer Olympics. [18]
- September 27
- The Adelaide Crows win the AFL Premiership for the first time in their 7th season, beating Saint Kilda who have only ever won one premiership in their 100 year history. [18]
- October 11
- The mixed martial arts organisation PRIDE Fighting Championships holds its inaugural event at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. In the main event Rickson Gracie defeats Nobuhiko Takada by armbar. [18]
- October 15
- The Cleveland Indians win their second pennant in three years defeating the Baltimore Orioles 1-0 to win the American League Championship Series in six games. [56]
- October 26
- The Florida Marlins win Game 7 of the 1997 World Series against the Cleveland Indians 3-2 in 11 innings. [18] [56]
- November 16
- The Toronto Argonauts win their second consecutive Canadian Football League title by defeating the Saskatchewan Roughriders 47-23 to win the 85th Grey Cup at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta. [18]
- December 1
- Golden State Warriors' guard Latrell Sprewell attacks his coach P J Carlesimo. [1]
- December 2
- MCI Center opens in Washington DC, as Washington Wizards play the Seattle SuperSonics. [1]
- December 3
- Golden State Warriors' guard Latrell Sprewell's four-year, $32 million, contract terminated for attacking his coach P J Carlesimo. [1]
- December 4
- NBA suspends Latrell Sprewell for one year for attacking his coach. [1]
- December 5
- First game at Washington Capitals' MCI Center versus Florida Panthers. [1]
- December 7
- Amy Fruhwirth and Clarence Rose win LPGA J C Penney Classic. [1]
- December 12
- Florida Marlins release Alex Arias, the last original Marlins player. [1]
- Boston Red Sox sign Pedro Martinez to record six year $69 million contract. [1]
- December 13
- 63rd Heisman Trophy Award: Charles Woodson, Michigan (CB). [1]
- December 14
- Juli Inkster and Dottie Pepper win LPGA Diners Club Matches. [1]
- Phoenix Coyotes player Mike Gartner is 5th NHL player to score 700 goals. [1]
- December 15
- San Francisco 49ers retire Joe Montana's #16. [1]
- December 21
- Detroit Lions' Barry Sanders is third to run for 2,000 yards in a season. [1]
- Detroit Lions linebacker Reggie Brown knocked unconscious in game. [1]
- December 23
- Chicago Bulls' coach Phil Jackson is quickest to reach 500 wins (682 games). [1]
- Colorado Avalanche player Jari Kurri is 8th NHL player to score 600 career goals. [1]
- December 28
- Sting beats Hollywood Hogan for WCW Championship. [1]
- December 29
- Carquest Bowl 8: Georgia Tech beats West Virginia, 35-30. [1]
- December 31
- Marv Levy retires as coach of Buffalo Bills. [1]
- Orlando Hernandez, half-brother of pitcher Livan, defects from Cuba. [1]
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