40 Random Bits of Trivia About Athletes and Their Escapades

Plug your ears. There’s a gunshot at this list’s starting line
40 Random Bits of Trivia About Athletes and Their Escapades

Fore! 

That’s what we just learned golfers yell before they smack that little white ball. We thought it was fitting since we’re about to drive this list of random facts about athletes into your brain. 

Would you look at that? A hole in one! Tiger Woods would be proud. He’s a golfer, right?

Shaun White

Shaun White CRACKED.COM White not only showed up to prom at the request of a fan; his band, Bad Things, played a set. That's like Justin Bieber cruising through and doing stand-up. Regardless, the lucky fan said cloud 9 was like decades ago... I'm on cloud 47 right now. Sadly, her actual date straight-up left the party when Shaun White showed up.

Shin A-lam

If you challenge a ruling, you can't leave the court FENCING allst CRACKED.COM When Shin A-lam contested a controversial call at the 2012 Olympics, she was forced to stand on the piste while the call was reviewed, which took 75 minutes. She was essentialy forced to filibuster for a fair call, and was ultimately dragged off by security.

Ricky Williams

CRACKED Ricky Williams rides the couch. Не said, Back in 2004, I retired to smoke weed. Overall it was to help care for himself (which cannabis helped with), but his weed usage lost him $10 million in salary and endorsements.

Carlos Roa

CRACKED Carlos Roa quit for apocalypse prep. The goalkeeper was offered $10 million to play for Manchester United in 1999, but with the new millennium approaching, he announced his retirement so he could go prepare for the end of the world.

Bryce Mitchell

CRACKED GRAVITY IS A LIE BRYCE MITCHELL The UFC fighter thinks that the world is flat and that gravity doesn't exist. This paper, when it drops it's because it's more dense than the world around it, not because of some magical thing called gravity, he said in a rant.

Magic Johnson

CRACKED BASKETBALL CAN GIVE YOU HIV T In the early '90s, some people in the NBA didn't think it was a good idea for Magic Johnson to play in the All-Star game or the Olympics, because of the danger of spreading HIV through contact during a game.

William Hayes

CRACKED DINOSAURS AREN'T REAL WILLIAM HAYES 95 55 The Rams defensive end thinks it's crazy to think that dinosaurs ever existed. Не believes that archaeologists planted bones underground like Easter eggs.

Kyrie Irving

CRACKED THE EARTH IS FLAT (MAYBE) KYRIE IRVING Не isn't sure if the Earth is round or flat, and he doesn't want to get into it. Не thinks it's worth talking about, and he encourages people to look into it and decide what they think, he says. Surely, the Earth's shape isn't that controversial.

Roy Oswalt

Roy Oswalt Houston Astros GRACKED COM In 2005, Oswalt's contract said that if the team won the National League championship, he'd get a frickin' bulldozer. That seemed to be enough incentive for him, because the Astros won the NCLS and Oswalt got his dozer.

The Royals

The Pine Tar Game Ro e CRACKED.COM In 1983, Royals legend George Brett dinged a go-ahead home run late in a game against the Yankees. But when a ref called it back because of an illegal amount of pine tar on the bat, Brett Naruto-charged out of the dugout to give him what-for.

The Bruins

The Bruins team up on a Rangers fan CRACKED.COM When a spectator reached over the glass and whapped a Bruins player with a rolled up magazine, the entire team retaliated. They hopped the barrier one by one and beat the tar out of the magazine guy and anyone who came to his aid.

Ohio State

An Ohio State coach decks a player's neck OC 58 CRACKED.COM Near the end of the 1978 Gator Bowl, a Clemson player was tackled out of bounds amidst a crowd of Ohio State players. Coach Hayes, possibly forgetting about all the newfangled TV cameras in the stadium, swung a sneaky roundhouse and connected with the player's throat.

Ron Artest

The Malice at the Palace CRACKED.COM In 2004, a late-game fight between players on the Pistons and the Pacers turned into a full-team brawl. That's rare enough in the NBA, but then a fan hucked a beer at Ron Artest, and the carnage spilled into the bleachers.

Eddie Gaedel

Eddie Gaedel St. Louis Browns CRACKED.COM In 1951, Browns owner Bill Veeck hired the 3'7 performer for exactly one at-bat, in order to present an impossibly small strike zone and get a guaranteed walk. The ump called shenanigans, but they had the contract on-hand, so it was all technically legit.

Rougned Odor

Rougned Odor Texas Rangers TEXAS CRACKED.COM When your contract is already just shy of $50 million, you have to get creative with added incentives. The Rangers threw in a bonus of two horses to sweeten the deal.

Dan Marino

COMEDY NERD CRACKED.COM DAN MARINO WAS GOING TO SAY NO TO 'ACE' But then came to the restaurant dressed like Ace Ventura with the tutu, messing with people. I was laughing my butt off the whole lunch. So I thought 'I'll do it.' Kids will say 'hey, you were in Ace Ventura' way before they say 'hey, did you play for the Miami Dolphins?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

COMEDY NERD CRACKED.COM KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR COULD HAVE BEEN PETE ROSE The part of Roger Murdock in Airplane was originally written for Rose. But filming was during baseball season so Kareem got the part. His agent asked for $35, 000, the cost of an oriental rug he wanted to buy. Не got the part, the cash - - and the rug.

LeBron James

COMEDY NERD CRACKED.COM LEBRON JAMES PLAYED LEBRON JAMES In Trainwreck, LeBron plays LeBron, professional basketball pal of Bill Hader's Dr. Conners. He's essentially playing the Carrie Fisher part, the quirky best friend who doles out love advice while mooning over Cuyahoga sunsets.

Mike Tyson

COMEDY NERD CRACKED.COM MIKE TYSON WAS HIGH ON LAFFS (AND COKE) I was drinking and smoking back then, doing drugs so I didn't know I was involved in the movie, says Mike Tyson of his cameo in The Hangover. Good thing he ran into Zach Galifianakis in a club--that's how the heavyweight champ found out he was filming the next day.

Peyton Manning

COMEDY NERD CRACKED.COM PEYTON MANNING CAN NO LONGER COACH KIDS An SNL Digital Short features Manning as the worst youth coach ever, telling one kid to get your head out of your ass when he fails to catch a bullet pass. You suck! That made parents a little hesitant to have Peyton coach their kids' teams. Relax. I'm not gonna do that to your kid. Probably not.

Bloodgate

Bloodgate CRACKED.COM Due to some weird rugby rule that we won't pretend to understand, a UK team had to figure out a sneaky way to get their best kicker back on the field. Tom Williams pretended to be injured - the only way to trigger the needed substitution-by chomping a blood capsule and feigning a head injury.

Adam Jones

Adam Jones 1 SEASON CRACKED.COM Jones missed a whole season because of one really bad night at a strip club in 2007: he allegedly attacked a dancer and threatened a security guard.

Myles Garrett

Myles Garrett THE REST OF THE SEASON 2 CRACKED COM In 2019, Garrett was suspended indefinitely -- though he returned to the field the next season - for taking off the opposing quarterback's helmet and bludgeoning him with it.

The Whizzinator

The Whizzinator CRACKED.COM When airport security flagged Vikings running back Onterrio Smith for a tube of toothpaste, they found something much weirder: a prosthetic penis and dried urine. Не tried to say it was a gift for his cousin; a dubious claim, considering he already had two failed drug tests under his belt.

Ben Johnson

The dirtiest race in history BA CRACKED.COM 6 of 8 finalists from a 1988 record-breaking 100-meter race would later go down for doping. Most notably, the winner, Ben Johnson, was doped up in that very race. Ironically, upon receiving his medal, he said this world record will last 50 years, maybe 100.

Chris Simon

Chris Simon 65 GAMES TOTAL 17 CRACKED.COM This guy was the real-life Happy Gilmore. Не was once suspended for taking a baseball swing at Ryan Hollweg's face, and another time for stomping Jarkko Ruutu's leg with his skate.

Glenallen Hill

Glenallen Hill Outfielder, Toronto Blue Jays III CRACKED.COM Hill was napping on his couch one day in 1990, when he fell victim to that scourge of pro ballers: he had a nightmare about spiders. Не freaked out, and in his frenzy, absoutely wrecked a glass coffee table.

Steve Sparks

Steve Sparks Pitcher, Milwaukee Brewers CRACKED COM Sparks was actually on the Brewers' farm team at the time, and was expected to make the jump to the big league that season. But just before the season started, inspired by a motivational speaker, he tried to rip a phone book in half -- and dislocated his shoulder in the process.

Ken Griffey Jr.

Ken Griffey Jr. THE KID MEATINE CRACKED.COM Junior once missed a game because one of his testicles got pinched by his jock strap.

Adam Eaton

Adam Eaton Pitcher, San Diego Padres Diloles 24 CRACKED COM When trying to open a double-DVD set of Backdraft and Happy Gilmore, Eaton accidentally stabbed himself in the stomach.

Joe Sakic

Joe Sakic Centre, Colorado Avalanche CRACKED.COM Sakic missed three months of the 2008 season after he broke three fingers in some nebulous accident involving a snowblower.

Mike Ditka

FOOTBALL Mike Ditka CRACKED.COM The legendary coach never tried to hide his disdain for reporters: What's the difference between a 3-week-old puppy and a sportswriter? In six weeks, the puppy stops whining.

Michael Jordan

BASKETBALL Michael Jordan CRACKED.COM A heckler once chided Jordan for dunking on a scrawny li'l 6'1 dude. The next time he got the ball, he targeted a guy 10 inches taller, then yelled to the fan: Was he big enough?

Bo Jackson

FOOTBALL Bo Jackson NCAA CRACKED.COM Во doesn't care if you changed his diapers, you're gettin' hit: If my mother put on a helmet and shoulder pads and a uniform that wasn't the same as the one I was wearing, I'd run over her if she was in my way. And I love my mother.

Muhammad Ali

BOXING Muhammad Ali CRACKED.COM Just before brutally yoinking the heavyweight belt from reigning champ Sonny The Big Bear Liston, Ali called his shot: After the fight I'm gonna build myself a pretty home and use him as a bearskin rug. Liston even smells like a bear. I'm gonna give him to the local ZOO after I whup him.

Charles Barkley

BASKETBALL Charles Barkley CRACKED.COM Barkley was on trial in 1997, because apparently it's a crime to throw a guy out the window of a nightclub. When the judge asked him if he had any regrets, he belligerently answered: I regret we weren't on a higher floor.

Babe Ruth

BASEBALL Babe Ruth CRACKED.COM The Great Bambino was once asked how he, an athlete, could justify getting paid more than the President (it was a more innocent time): I had a better year than Hoover.

Tony Hawk

TONY. HAWK loses to Homer in a skateboarding duel CRACKED.COM Do you live in this building? Bart asks the skateboarding legend. When I'm not on the road or in rehab for my shattered pelvis, replies Hawk. I hope you don't mind living below a bunch of pro skaters who love to party. (Bart doesn't mind.)

MLB All Stars

MLB ALL STARS made Homer a baseball immortal CITY CHAMPS LA 1992 CHAMPIONS GRACKED COM SPRINGFELLD NUEVEA 25 years after Homer at the Bat, Homer was inducted into the Baseball HOF. His speech: It is with great humility that I enter the Hall of Fame. And it's about time! I'm fatter than Babe Ruth, balder than Ty Cobb and have one more finger than Mordecai Three Finger Brown.

Troy Aikman

TROY AIKMAN has his own Super Bowl caricature booth 67 8 CRACKED.COM The Super Bowl champ-turned- broadcaster asks Ned if he likes dune buggies. Everyone likes dune buggies!

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