Chicago Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Eagles 28-21 to win the NFL championship.
Cleveland Browns beat the New York Yankees to win the AAFC championship.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish – college football national championship shared with Michigan
Colombia
Atletico Nacional, officially founded in Medelin on March 7.
England
First Division – Liverpool win the 1946-47 title.
FA Cup – Charlton Athletic beat Burnley 1-0 after extra time
Spain
La Liga won by Valencia
Italy
Serie A won by Torino
Germany
No major football is held due to the Allied occupation of Germany.
France
French Division 1 won by CO Roubaix-Tourcoing
Portugal
Primeira Liga won by Sporting C.P.
Romania
Asociatia Sportiva a Armatei Bucuresti (Bucharest Army Sports Association FC), a predecessor for Steaua Bucharest FC, officially founded on June 7.
Victorian Football League
Carlton wins the 51st VFL Premiership, defeating Essendon 13.8 (86) to 11.19 (85) in the 1947 VFL Grand Final.
Brownlow Medal awarded to Bert Deacon (Carlton)
South Australian National Football League
4 October – West Adelaide win their sixth SANFL premiership, defeating Norwood 10.15 (75) to 5.15 (45)
Magarey Medal awarded to Bob Hank (West Torrens)
Western Australian National Football League
11 October – South Fremantle with their third WA(N)FL premiership but first since 1917, defeating West Perth 13.8 (86) to 9.17 (71)
Sandover Medal awarded to Clive Lewington (South Fremantle)
January 20 – death of Josh Gibson (35), famed Negro League slugger
Jackie Robinson becomes the first African-American baseball player in Major League Baseball.
April 27 – Babe Ruth Day was celebrated all across the Major Leagues, with Babe himself appearing at Yankee Stadium. Although stricken with throat cancer, Ruth said to the audience: "The only real game I think in the world is baseball."
World Series – New York Yankees beat Brooklyn Dodgers 4 games to 3.
June 27–28 – In the inaugural College World Series, California defeats Yale 2 games to 0 in the best-of-three series. The Yale team featured future U.S. President George Bush.
Negro World Series – New York Cubans defeat the Cleveland Buckeyes, 4 games to 1.
BAA (NBA) Finals
Philadelphia Warriors win four games to one over the Chicago Stags
NBL Championship
Chicago American Gears win three games to two over the Rochester Royals
Rocky Graziano defeats Tony Zale to win boxing’s world middleweight championship.
December 5 – Joe Louis defeats Jersey Joe Walcott to retain his heavyweight championship
Grey Cup – Toronto Argonauts defeat Winnipeg Blue Bombers 10–9
Events
Dennis Compton and Bill Edrich both beat Tom Hayward’s 1906 record of 3,518 runs in a first-class season.
England tour Australia for the first Ashes series since 1938, losing three Tests to nil
South Africa tour England for the first time since 1935, losing three Tests to nil
England
County Championship – Middlesex
Minor Counties Championship – Surrey Second Eleven
Most runs – Dennis Compton 3,816 @ 90.85 (HS 246)
Most wickets – Tom Goddard 238 @ 17.38 (BB 9–41)
Wisden Cricketers of the Year – Alan Melville, Norman Yardley, Martin Donnelly, Dudley Nourse, Jack Robertson
Australia
Sheffield Shield – Victoria
Most runs – Dennis Compton 1,432 @ 65.09 (HS 163)
Most wickets – Doug Wright 51 @ 33.31 (BB 7–105)
India
Ranji Trophy – 7-11 March: Baroda defeated Holkar by an innings and 409 runs
New Zealand
Plunket Shield – Auckland
South Africa
Currie Cup – Transvaal
World Figure Skating Championships
Men's champion: Hans Gerschwiler, Switzerland
Ladies' champion: Barbara Ann Scott, Canada
Pair skating champions: Micheline Lannoy & Pierre Baugniet, Belgium
Men’s professional
Masters Tournament – Jimmy Demaret
U.S. Open – Lew Worsham
PGA Championship – Jim Ferrier
British Open – Fred Daly
Men’s amateur
British Amateur – Willie Turnesa
U.S. Amateur – Skee Riegel
Women’s professional
Women's Western Open – Louise Suggs
U.S. Women's Open – Betty Jameson
Titleholders Championship – Babe Zaharias
Steeplechases
Cheltenham Gold Cup – Fortina
Grand National – Caughoo
Hurdle races
Champion Hurdle – National Spirit
Flat races
September 1, 1947: Calumet Farm of Lexington, Kentucky became the first stable in Thoroughbred racing history to surpass $1 million in annual earnings when Armed won the Washington Park Handicap.
Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Hiraji
Canada – Queen's Plate won by Moldy
France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Le Paillon
Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Sayajirao
English Triple Crown Races:
- 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Tudor Minstrel
- Epsom Derby – Pearl Diver
- St. Leger Stakes – Sayajirao
United States Triple Crown Races:
- Kentucky Derby – Jet Pilot
- Preakness Stakes – Faultless. This race is remembered for radio race caller Clem McCarthy declaring Jet Pilot the winner when in reality it was Faultless.
- Belmont Stakes – Phalanx
Toronto Maple Leafs defeat Montreal Canadiens 4 games to 2 to win the Stanley Cup. Ted "Teeder" Kennedy scores the match-winning goal late in game six to win the Maple Leafs their first of three straight Cups, the first time any NHL team has accomplished that feat.
FIA formalizes a new World Drivers' Championship for Formula A (Formula One) open-wheel racing. It replaces the European Championship.
Wally Parks founds the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) to better organize drag racing.
30 May – Mauri Rose wins the 31st running of the Indianapolis 500 in the Blue Crown Spark Plug Special Deidt-Offenhauser
16 September – J. R. Cobb in the Railton Special breaks his own prewar land speed record, raising the mark to 394.19 mph (634.39 km/h). In doing so, Cobb records the first one-way pass over 400 mph (640 km/h).
14 December – at the Ebony Bar at the Streamline Hotel, Daytona Beach, Florida, "Big Bill" France begins talks with influential racers and promoters that will lead to the creation of NASCAR.
The Boat Race
29 March — Cambridge wins the 93rd Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race
1946–47 European Rugby League Championship/1947–48 European Rugby League Championship
1947 New Zealand rugby league season
1947 NSWRFL season
1946–47 Northern Rugby Football League season/1947–48 Northern Rugby Football League season
Five Nations Championship
53rd Five Nations Championship series is shared by England and Wales
World Snooker Championship – Walter Donaldson beats Fred Davis 82-63.
Speed Skating World Championships
Men's All-round Champion – Lassi Parkkinen (Finland)
Women's All-round Champion – Verné Lesche (Finland)
Australia
Australian Men's Singles Championship – Dinny Pails (Australia) defeats John Bromwich (Australia) 4–6, 6–4, 3–6, 7–5, 8–6
Australian Women's Singles Championship – Nancye Wynne Bolton (Australia) defeats Nell Hall Hopman (Australia) 6–3, 6–2
England
Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Jack Kramer (USA) defeats Tom Brown (USA) 6–1, 6–3, 6–2
Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Margaret Osborne duPont (USA) defeats Doris Hart (USA) 6–2, 6–4
France
French Men's Singles Championship – József Asbóth (Hungary) defeats Eric Sturgess (South Africa) 8–6, 7–5, 6–4
French Women's Singles Championship – Patricia Canning Todd (USA) defeats Doris Hart (USA) 6–3, 3–6, 6–4
USA
American Men's Singles Championship – Jack Kramer (USA) defeats Frank Parker (USA) 4–6, 2–6, 6–1, 6–0, 6–3
American Women's Singles Championship – Louise Brough Clapp (USA) defeated Margaret Osborne duPont (USA) 8–6, 4–6, 6–1
Davis Cup
1947 Davis Cup – United States 4–1 Australia at West Side Tennis Club (grass) New York City, United States
Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Johnny Lujack, College football
Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Babe Didrikson Zaharias, LPGA golf
