The 75 Greatest Sports Bloopers of All Time
“Human imperfection is a bit of a field leveler between ordinary guys like us and the greats,” says Ricky Cobb, a spectacular sports name if ever there was one.
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Few understand human imperfection in sports better than Cobb, the smart-ass comic mind behind the Super 70s Sports social media accounts. Is there any other goof followed by so many of the greats in both comedy (Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers and Robert Smigel) and sports punditry (Kenny Mayne, Woj and Bill Simmons)? The popularity is due to Cobb’s uncanny ability to take the piss out of our sports heroes.
Cobb affirms that nothing levels the playing field between sports gods and mere mortals quite like the blooper. “As magnificent as it may be to see these athletes perform their incredible feats, there is something very relatable about seeing Tiger Woods hit a terrible shot and cuss himself,” says Cobb. “Or seeing that Pro Bowl, Hall of Fame quarterback fumble the snap, try to pick it up and accidentally kick it. All of a sudden, it’s like, ‘Okay, these guys do put their pants on one leg at a time.’”
Super 70s Sports mainly riffs on sports and pop culture from the 1970s and 1980s, the decades when the sports blooper came to prominence in our national consciousness. Sports Illustrated offered VHS tapes full of football follies as an incentive to subscribe…
…while Marv Albert showed up regularly on David Letterman’s show to hand out his Albert Achievement Awards, a celebration of “the wild and wacky in the world of sports.”
“People just discovered, ‘You know, we string together fuck-ups and people really like that!’” says Cobb. But while the sports blooper took off during the days of VCRs, it has never really left us since. The appeal — and the comedy — is timeless. “It makes somebody that we put up on a pedestal seem more relatable. Whether it’s consciously or unconsciously, I think the average fan wants to relate. That might have been easier back in the days when (ball players) would go and sell cars in the off-season. There wasn’t a complete class divide between professional athletes and the rest of us,” says Cobb. “So anything that can drop them down a peg or two, even just for a moment, makes us feel like they’re one of us.”
With the advent of TikTok, Reels and other social video meant to be consumed in quick bites, sports bloopers are more popular than ever. “It's visceral, says Cobb. “It's just funny seeing a guy going back for a fly ball, tripping over his own feet, falling down, losing his hat, the ball bounces to the wall, the runners are advancing, he’s scrambling, he throws it away. You don’t even have to explain it. There’s just something inherently funny about seeing somebody screw up then frantically try to cover for their mistake and make it worse.”
Those immortal laughs are why Cracked has compiled this list of the 75 greatest sports bloopers. After all, says Cobb, “A guy gets hit in the nuts? That was funny in 5,000 B.C., and it will be funny long after we’re gone.”
Jose Canseco Uses His Head
“That’s an all-timer,” says Cobb of the chemically enhanced outfielder lending his skull to help a ball over the fence. “It’s hard to top Canseco for ‘Oh my god, you doofus!’ He was the perfect person for that to happen to.”
Sneaky George Springer
That shortstop still has zero clue what just happened. Shifty!
Chocolate Thunder
“When I was a kid,” remembers Cobb, “Darryl Dawkins shattering backboards was some pretty crazy stuff.” Look out below!
Sorry, Excuse Me, Pardon Me
Possibly the most apologetic home-plate collision of all time.
@mykidsaretrash
God, Not That One!
This is why the guy is an announcer, not a pitching coach.
@lousyrefsports
Alley Oops
Denied at the, er, BY the rim.
@euroleague
Rick Dempsey’s Rain Delay
Every time it rained, Oriole catcher Rick Dempsey became a one-man comedy show. “He would stuff a pillow under his shirt then run around and slide on the tarp,” remembers Cobb. “He’s one of the legends of bloopers videos.”
@dudestalgia
I’ll Be Brief
When Steve Lyons has a game, he drops everything. “He doesn’t even realize that there were like 30,000 people witnessing this until he’d already done it,” laughs Cobb.
Hope He’s Got a Screen Protector
Some people are really addicted to their phones.
@cbssports
That’s Going to Leave a Mark
Get a little help, ref?
@maxpreps
Hair Jordan
In case you wondered why guys like Michael Jordan shaved their heads…
@pipergilles
Wrong Way Marshall
Could this be the granddaddy of sports bloopers?
Highsteppin’
Public speaking 101: Know your audience.
@euroleague
Volleyball 1, Tripp 0
Gravity wins again.
@mckvolley
Up and Over
Yeah, we’d call it a foul.
@euroleague
Attack of the Killer Kitten
Cat fight!
Ready for His Close-up
The camera operator got the butt of this joke.
@euroleague
June 3rd Sucks
Although honestly, this kind of awfulness happens on the daily.
@mlb_errors
The Curse of the Bambino
Bill Buckner’s all-time goof prolongs Boston fans’ misery for a few more decades.
Do the Humpty Hump
We would have thrown an extra flag for smoking the cigarette after he was done.
@vmacshots
Reckless Driver
Hope you kept your receipt, buddy.
@macbouchergolf
Wiffle While You Work
America’s Funniest Home Videos made millions with clips like these.
@themarketingmatchmaker
Swing and a Miss
Take a whiff of this.
@panamaleagues
I’d Run Through a Wall for That Guy
We’re not positive, but that outfielder might still be running.
That’s Turrible
Golfing Charles Barkley is a one-man blooper machine.
Wrong Way Marshall, meet Wrong Way Parker
“Wait a minute… he’s going the wrong way!”
The Worst Things in Life Are Free (Throws)
Imagine if somebody were guarding him.
And a Fist Bump for the Cameraman
Mom always said we were going to break something — she didn’t know it would be him.
@nbcsports
Running on Empty Net
You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take. And most of the ones you do.
Throwing Away a Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity
And that’s why Amanda was put up for adoption.
Urine Trouble Now
We’re pretty sure the towels are just drawing attention to it. (And yes, Kenny Mayne sounds like he might have had a couple.)
I’m Out of Order? You’re Out of Order!
The whole trial is out of order!
@riley.mckibbin
And in This Corner — Titus!
Titus? Where’d you go, man?
Masters Meltdown
Sergio Garcia is a big Tin Cup fan.
The Groundskeeper Is Cursed
Meet the Wile E. Coyote of field crews.
Everyone Forgets How to Baseball
This is where we got the term “comedy of errors.”
Act Casual
Just beating your ass, no big thang.
Why Do You Think They Call It a ‘Warning Track’?
Face, meet wall.
Hey Man, It’s Not Croquet!
Rose’s shot was a knockout.
You Never Forget Your First Score
Especially when the goalie gets out of the way first.
The Worst First Pitch in Baseball History
This is why God invented lens caps.
Chain Reaction
When football players become dominoes.
Jones meets his worst enemy — his feet.
Premature Celebration
Let’s go over this again: 1) Score touchdown; 2) celebrate. (It doesn’t work the other way around.)
@actionnetworkhq
Sore Loser
If at first you don’t succeed, sock him in the ear.
@chaelhart153
Kemba Walker Does the Shimmy Shake
There’s just one problem…
Third Time’s the Charge
No wonder Tommy John needed surgery. “Three errors on the same play,” marvels Cobb of a blooper that was one of the first to come to his mind.
Kaelin Clay!
“That is the most insane thing I have ever seen.”
Cycle Showboats
Some guys get just what they deserve.
The Butt Fumble
When an unstoppable force meets an immovable ass.
@games.with.names
The Putt Fumble
Pro tip: Never butter your putter.
Leon Lett-down
This is our last clip of a premature football celebration. Probably. Maybe. C’mon, this was the Super Bowl!
@calor420
Gurley, Man!
The guy was so good, he couldn’t help but score.
Just Manny Being Manny
With teammates like these, who needs opponents?
3rd and 93
Just like Coach drew it up on the blackboard.
Fast Break Fails
We’re going to cheat with this fast-paced compilation of hoops failures.
In Your Face
Down goes Frazier!
Hurdle Hurls
Clumsiness is contagious.
That’s Shoe Business
How is the person farthest from the play the one who gets faked out of her Nikes?
Hit the Dekker
Sometimes, a clear path to the basket isn’t enough.
Tenacious D
If your man gets by you, you know what to do.
Cup Check
Wrong place, wrong time.
Your Slightest Touch…
…will send me tumbling into the stands.
Who Moved the Hoop?
It was here a minute ago…
@backyardbreaks
Pole Vault Pain
This should be required viewing for every wannabe track-and-field competitor.
@alexmadore
Miracle in the Meadowlands
“Probably my favorite blooper of all time is the Miracle at the Meadowlands between the Giants and the Eagles in 1978,” says Cobb. “The Giants were ahead, and the clock was ticking down. They have the game in the bag. They just got to run it into the line and it’s basically over. And they botched the handoff. Herman Edwards comes along for the Eagles, scoops it up and runs it the other way for a touchdown to end the game.” And that, kids, is how “taking a knee” was invented.
What Is Pain?
Looks like some eight-year-olds are about to find out.
@lousyrefsports
Over the Normal Limit of Athleticness
On the average Tuesday afternoon, pickleball kills 17 men.
@valenciabros.pb
Instant Karma
Celebrating too early will never not be funny.
Fielding Fail
Even our most finely tuned athletes can make mistakes.
Otto Porter Takes a Nap
It was worth it for the look on coach’s face. Shaq and Kenny are still laughing.
Why Not Throw Your Hand While You’re at It?
Nepo baby Vlad Guerrero Jr. does just like dad taught him.
NBA, But It’s Slippery
Basketball is the greatest show on ice.
This is Why Oakland Can’t Have Nice Things
Let the As go to Vegas if this is how they’re going to do it.
The Braves Mascot Is Actually Named Blooper
Who better to end our list than a big furry galoot who absolutely despises children? Go get ‘em, Blooper!
