Top 20 Crazy Moments in Sports

#20: The World Series Earthquake

As the Oakland As and San Francisco Giants were warming up for Game 3 of the 1989 World Series at Candlestick Park, a massive earthquake struck the Bay Area. The TV broadcast had been replaying clips from Game 2 when the feed was lost and the voices of announcers Tim McCarver and Al Michaels cut out. Fortunately, there were no injuries inside the stadium, and both players and fans were able to evacuate safely. The disaster did cause numerous casualties, but it could have been much worse. Thousands of people who usually would have been out and about that Tuesday afternoon were instead home to watch the game. It was ultimately played 10 days later the longest ever delay of a World Series game.

#19: Scandal at the 1990 World Cup

During a qualifying round at Maracanã Stadium, Brazil was leading Chile 1 0 after 67 minutes of play. Suddenly, a flash of light zipped through the stadium and landed on the field. Chilean goalkeeper Roberto Rojas fell to the ground, blood streaming down his head. Witnesses said a flare had been shot from the stands, and only one photographer in the entire stadium had caught the moment. The photos were rushed into development, and they proved that the flare hadnt actually hit Rojas. He later admitted that the entire thing had been staged to get Brazil eliminated, and that he had cut his own head with a razor hidden in his glove. He got a lifetime ban, and Chile was barred from the 1994 tournament.

#18: The Heidi Bowl

This 1968 game between the Raiders and the Jets saw Oakland score two touchdowns in the final minute to pull off a crazy comeback. Unfortunately, the fans missed it. NBCs made-for-TV movie Heidi was scheduled to start at 7 p.m. As the game ran long, NBC execs soon realized it wouldnt end in time. At around 6:45, they decided to delay Heidi and let the game continue. At the same time, frantic football fans began calling in, demanding that the network not cut away, and jamming the switchboards. The higher-ups couldnt get through to the technicians, who switched over to Heidi on schedule. Fans missed one of the most exciting minutes in football history, and NBC had to eat a lot of crow.

#17: Tiger Woods Comeback at the Masters

If you can only name one professional golfer, its probably Tiger Woods, who shot to the top of the game starting in the late 90s. He soon became the only player ever to win the Open Championship, U.S. Open, PGA Championship, and the Masters in one season, a move now known as the Tiger Slam. However, starting in late 2009, Woods was involved in several major scandals, including marital infidelity and a DUI arrest. He stepped away from the game, and long-standing injuries led to him having four back surgeries between 2014 and 2017. After 11 years without a major tournament win, Woods made an incredible comeback by winning the 2019 Masters by one stroke. The moment will go down in golf history.

#16: The Immaculate Reception

The 1972 NFL playoffs produced one of the most well-known plays in the sport. During the divisional round, the Raiders faced the Steelers in Pittsburgh just two days before Christmas. The Steelers were down 7 6 with only 22 seconds to go when quarterback Terry Bradshaw launched a pass downfield to running back John Fuqua. However, Fuqua missed the catch and the ball bounced off a defenders helmet. Steelers fullback Franco Harris reacted with lightning speed to snag the ball just inches above the ground and run it in for a touchdown. Pittsburgh fan Michael Ord coined the term Immaculate Reception as he celebrated at a bar that evening, and the name stuck.

#15: Mets Fan Parachutes into the World Series

In 1986, the Red Sox were up three games to two against the Mets when they faced each other for Game 6. After just one out, players and fans alike were shocked when a man dropped out of the sky. Carrying a huge banner that read, Go Mets, he made an impressively smooth landing and was immediately escorted out by security. The intruder was musician and actor Mike Sergio, who, at the time, was best known for a small part in the slasher flick The House on Sorority Row. Now, of course, hes best known for this stunt. Sergio has had plenty of copycats, most notably when James Miller, aka Fan Man, parachuted into the 1993 heavyweight match between Riddick Bowe and Evander Holyfield.

#14: Zinedine Zidanes Infamous Headbutt

This French footballer is considered to be one of the best to ever play the game, but his time on the pitch had an ugly ending. During the 2006 World Cup final against Italy, as the players were walking across the field, Zidane suddenly headbutted Italian player Marco Materazzi. Zidane was issued a red card and ousted from the game, becoming only the second player ever to be expelled from two different World Cup tournaments. He had already announced his retirement prior to the match, meaning the incident marked the end of his time as a player. Materazzi later admitted that hed made a nasty comment about Zidanes sister, which provoked Zidane to attack him. Italy would go on to win in a penalty shootout.

#13: The Helmet Catch

We dont know which part of this play was more impressive: Eli Manning escaping a sack by three Patriots, or David Tyrees catch. When Super Bowl XLII rolled around, the Patriots were about to become the first team to have a perfect season in over 30 years. With just over one minute to go, the Pats were up 14 10, and the Giants had the ball at their own 43-yard line. Manning took the snap, and the play immediately broke down as multiple defenders got their hands on him. Somehow, he broke free, and launched a beautiful 32-yard pass. Tyree secured it against his helmet in one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history.

#12: Simone Biles Triple-Double

Shes one of the most decorated athletes in the world, and she just keeps raising the bar no pun intended. At the 2019 U.S. Gymnastics Championships, she performed two historic moves. First, she nailed a double-twisting double dismount off the balance beam, a move never before seen in competition. Then came the crown jewel of her performance: a double back somersault with three twists. She became the first woman and the first American to complete the skill successfully, joining a small handful of men from around the world. Biles now has five gymnastics skills named after her, not to mention the official title of G.O.A.T.

#11: 1972 Olympic Basketball Final

The final three seconds of this game would go down in infamy. The Soviets were down against the U.S. 50 49. They inbounded the ball as their coach stormed over to the scorers table, insisting hed called a timeout that was never recognized. The officials blew the whistle with one second left and instructed the clock operator to reset to three seconds. This time, the Soviets inbounded, missed a shot, and the game appeared to be over. However, the clock operator hadnt reset the clock correctly, so the last three seconds were replayed again. The third time, the U.S.S.R. made the shot, giving them the gold in an incredibly controversial victory. The U.S. players never accepted their silver medals.

#10: The Pine Tar Incident

No one would remember this 1983 game if not for this strange incident. It was the top of the ninth, and the Kansas City Royals were down 4 3 against the Yankees. Royals player George Brett stepped up to the plate and hit a two-run homer to give his team the lead. However, the Yankees manager pointed out to the umpires that Bretts bat had more pine tar than the rules allowed. The officials sided with the Yankees and called Brett out. He was not happy. The Royals later protested the decision, and American League President Lee MacPhail overturned the out and ordered the rest of the game be replayed. It was resumed 25 days later, and the Royals won 5 4.

#9: Battle of the Sexes

Female athletes have been fighting for respect and recognition not to mention equal pay as long as sports have existed. Retired tennis star Bobby Riggs derided women players and bragged that he could beat any of them, even at age 55. He was wrong. When he faced off against Billie Jean King, who was then the top-ranked female player in the world, she beat him easily. The match garnered huge publicity, with 50 million Americans tuning in to the primetime broadcast. King felt it was her duty to beat Riggs, fearing that womens sports would be set back decades if she lost. Fortunately, she didnt.

#8: Serena Williams Wins the Australian Open While Pregnant

Womens tennis has come a long way since the Battle of the Sexes, thanks in part to athletes like Venus and Serena Williams. In 2017, Serena beat her sister in the Australian Open, setting all kinds of records. The win marked her 7th Australian Open trophy the most of any player and her 23rd Grand Slam singles title, which put her ahead of Steffi Graf for the record. The match was also the first time both players in a Grand Slam final were at least 35 years old. On top of all that, Serena later revealed that she had been two months pregnant when she competed. Now that is some incredible athleticism.

#7: Punch-up in Pieany

Hockey can produce some pretty entertaining fights, but this one was a bridge too far. At the 1987 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Pieany, Czechoslovakia, Canada faced off against the U.S.S.R. The two nations were already bitter rivals, and the tension was palpable on the ice. With six minutes left in the second period, a Russian player collided with a Canadian, leading to a fight. Meanwhile, a second fight broke out between two different players. Before the officials could react, the benches had been cleared and there was an all-out brawl going on the ice. After 20 minutes, the officials shut off the lights, desperately hoping it would settle things down. Both teams were subsequently kicked out of the tournament.

#6: The Hand of God

This was simultaneously an incredible score and an incredible screw-up by the referees. During the second half of the 1986 World Cup match between Argentina and England, Diego Maradona and goalie Peter Shilton both went up for the ball at the same time. Maradona appeared to be trying for a header, but he actually punched the ball in with his fist. Thats illegal but the refs didnt see it, and the goal counted. Just four minutes later, Maradona scored a brilliant and legal point dubbed the Goal of the Century, which was made famous partly thanks to the fantastic commentary from Uruguayan analyst Víctor Hugo Morales.

#5: The Bite Fight

Today, Mike Tyson is known for his larger-than-life personality and his appearances in The Hangover franchise. But in 1997, he caught the worlds attention for something a little less amusing. During the third round of the WBA World Heavyweight Championship fight against Evander Holyfield, Tyson bit a chunk out of Holyfields right ear. The fight was stopped as Holyfield was attended to, and referee Mills Lane prepared to disqualify Tyson. However, Holyfield said he wanted to continue, so Lane penalized Tyson two points and let the opponents fight on. Just moments later, Tyson bit Holyfield again on the other ear. At that point, Lane did disqualify Tyson, who didnt take it well. Tyson has since apologized.

#4: Disco Demolition Night

By the end of the 1970s, the tide had turned against disco music. In 1979, the Chicago White Sox who werent having a great season advertised Disco Demolition Night, hoping to draw in rock fans and sell tickets. Anyone who brought a disco record to destroy would get into the doubleheader for just 98 cents, and shock jock Steve Dahl would blow up the discs between the two games. Things did not go as planned. More than 50,000 people flooded into the stadium, filling it beyond capacity. The explosion was way bigger than anticipated and sparked a riot. Rowdy attendees rushed the field, flinging records like deadly frisbees. The field was so badly damaged that the Sox had to forfeit the second game.

#3: The Play

The Stanford Cardinal and the California Golden Bears have always been major rivals, but this 1982 edition of the Big Game took it to another level. With just four seconds to go, Stanford kicked a field goal to go up 20 19, and the game appeared to be over. But the Golden Bears werent ready to give up, and the final play of the game was wild. The Bears recovered the kickoff and lateralled the ball five times two of which might have been illegal. By that point, the Stanford band had already rushed the field, and runner Kevin Moen had to fight his way through them to reach the endzone. The final score was California 25, Stanford 20.

#2: Miracle on Ice

At the 1980 Winter Olympics, an American hockey team made up of college players faced off against a juggernaut, a Soviet team full of pros that hadnt lost an Olympic game since 1968. No one thought the U.S. had a chance. The Soviets were up 3 2 going into the third period, and around nine minutes in, the Americans were able to take advantage of a power play to tie the game at 3 points each. Just a minute later they scored again, and they held on for the remainder of the period to win. The game was dubbed the Miracle on Ice thanks to the legendary Al Michaels amazing commentary. The U.S. would go on to beat Finland and win the gold.

#1: Malice at the Palace

This was not the NBAs proudest moment or the city of Detroits for that matter. During a 2004 game between the Pacers and Pistons, Ron Artest, aka Metta Sandiford-Artest, fouled Detroit player Ben Wallace, who reacted by trying to pick a fight. Artest mostly kept his cool, until a fan threw a drink at him. At that point, he and several other Pacers climbed into the stands and attacked the Pistons fans, setting off a huge brawl between players and spectators. The officials and team staff struggled to get the Pacers off the court and into the locker room as the crowd pelted them with food and drinks. Ultimately, nine players were suspended and five were charged with assault, along with five fans.

Which of these wild moments would you like to have seen in person? Let us know in the comments.