28 Classic Sports Facts to Windmill Dunk Into Your Cranium

Man, sports used to be pretty wacky
28 Classic Sports Facts to Windmill Dunk Into Your Cranium

Well, we just gained a whole new appreciation for the modern Olympics. Any of our ancestors who attended during the early- to mid-1900s must have been either bored out of their minds or utterly horrified.

Don’t take our word for it either. Check out the entries on music theory and pigeon shooting as Olympic events.

Do we need to shoot a gun in the air before you start or what?

Running Bases the Backwards

You could, at one time, run the bases backward BASEBALL CRACKED.COM In a 1908 game, a Detroit Tiger successfully stole second base --but his goal wasn't to steal the base, it was to distract the catcher, allowing another baserunner to steal home. When it didn't work, he ran back to first base to try it over until he got it right. MLB changed the rules the next day, calling the reverse-steal a travesty of the game.

NCAA Football

Biggest Ass-Kicking NCAA FOOTBALL GA.TECH 63 63 54 42 22 2 CUMBERLAND O O O O CRACKED.COM The Cumberland Bulldogs tried to back out of a 1916 game, but Georgia Tech wouldn't take we don't even have a football team anymore for an answer. The Engineers crushed the Bulldogs 222-0.

Umpires

If the ump missed it, the fans made the call BASEBALL CRACKED.COM Until 1911, there was a rule in the MLB that said Should the umpire be unable to see whether a catch has been fairly made or not, he shall be at liberty to appeal to the bystanders.

Athletes Who Have Won Medals in the Winter and Summer Olympics

Five athletes have won medals in both the Winter and the Summer Olympics. Panason While Christa Rothenburger in person to have Ludinger- is won the medals only the same year. Speed Skating in the winter, and cycling in the summer. GRACKED.COM

Ancient Olympics

In ancient times, the horse owners were declared Olympic champion- not the riders. As a result, the first female Olympic champion was Kyniska, daughter of King Archidamos of Sparta. Her four horses won in the 396BC and 392BC Olympiads. CRACKED.COM

Baron Pierre

GRACKED.COM CANCELLED OLYMPIC EVENTS Baron Coubertin Founder of the modern Olympics, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, won the first Gold Medal for Literature in 1912 with his poem Ode to Sport. Не used a pseudonym; no-one knew he won until 1919.

The Stanley Cup

You had to defend your championship HOCKEY CRACKED.COM Up until 1914, almost any other team in the leaegue could challenge the current holders of the Stanley Cup, at any point in the season, and force a de facto championship.

Swimming Obstacle Courses

GRACKED.COM CANCELLED OLYMPIC EVENTS 71 The 1900 Olympics included a Swimming Obstacle Course held in the River Seine. Compet- itors had to swim over a pole, clamber over a row of boats, then swim under another row of boats.

Olympic Mascots

The first official Olympic mascot was Waldi at the 1972 Games in Munich. Не was a dachshund, a German dog breed. CRACKED.COM

Plunge for Distance

GRACKED.COM CANCELLED OLYMPIC EVENTS Plunge For Distance was in the 1904 Olympics. Athletes ran and dove in the pool, then remained motionless until surfacing. The Gold Medal winner got 62 1/2 feet. Newspapers called it tedious.

Underwater Swimming

GRAGKED.COM CANCELLED OLYMPIC EVENTS In the 1908 Olympics, Underwater Swimming was scored in time and distance. The bronze medal winner actually swam longest, but went in circles instead of a straight line.

‘Gold’ Medals

Gold medals are not made of gold. They are mostly silver and finished with gold. The last time they were solid gold was in the 1904 Olympic Games. London CRACKED.COM

Bizarre Golf Rules

It's illegal to kneel on a towel GOLF CRACKED COM In 1987, pro golfer Craig Stadler kneeled on a towel while hitting out of a sand trap. Unbeknownst to him--or any PGA reps in attendance - that constituted the illegal practice of building a stance.. A random TV viewer called in to report the crime against golf, and Stadler was indeed DQd for not reporting his penalty.

Live Pigeon Shooting

GRACKED.COM CANCELLED OLYMPIC EVENTS Live Pigeon Shooting was an event in 1900. Nearly 300 birds were killed in total. The winner shot 22.

The Forward Pass Loophole

The clumsy forward pass loophole FOOTBALL И CRACKED.COM Until 1978, anyone on the field could toss the football forward at any time, provided they made it look like an accident. Then the Holy Roller incident occurred - - John Madden's Oakland Raiders faux-fumbled the ball to each other until they bumbled into the endzone for a last-minute, come-from-behind victory.

The St. Louis Bombers

Most Fruitless Freethrow Shooting St-Louis BOMBERS GRACKED.COM Before the NBA, the Basketball Association of America was the premier league for US ballers. At one point in the 1940's, Griff Roux set a record that stands to this day: he took 20 free throws in a single game, and missed every last one.

The Longest Suspension in NHL History

Longest Suspension NHL CRACKED.COM Professional concussion deliverer Billy Coutu was suspended for life when he tried to beat the sh*t out of the exact wrong person: the referee.

Equestrian Vaulting

GRACKED.COM CANCELLED OLYMPIC EVENTS The 1920 Olympics included Equestrian Vaulting The horses didn't jump. Competitors jumped onto, off of and over one or more horses.

The Biggest Margin of Victory in NHL History

Biggest Ass-Kicking NHL CRACKED.COM In 1944, the Red Wings absolutely demoralized the New York Rangers, 15-0. Over half of those goals came in the final third of the game.

The First Olympic Games

The first Olympic Games took place in 8 В.С. in Olympia, Greece. And then every four years before it was banned in the 4th century A.D. for being a pagan festival. The first modern Olympics took place in Athens, Greece, in 1896. CRACKED.COM

The Friendship Medal

In 1936, a tie resulted something called the Friendship MedaNDE BERLIN 1936 During the 1936 Berlin Games, two Japanese pole-vaulters tied for second place. They cut the silver and bronze medals in half and fused the two different halves together, leaving them both with a half-silver and half-bronze medal. CRACKED.COM

Music in Sports

GRACKED.COM CANCELLED OLYMPIC EVENTS ALTOR Until 1948 the Olympics included a competition for music inspired by sport Entries were submitted on paper, not performed, making it very hard for judges.

Winter and Summer Games

From 1924-1992, the Winter and the Summer Olympics took place in the same year. DIPLOME Today they' re on separate cycles and alternate every two years. 100 - d die beer Lam like du LePrindest de Consite letterna CRACKED.COM Le Presulent & Cimite Laveno all D.

Cy Young

Biggest Loser MLB CRACKED.COM He's better known as the namesake of the yearly award for best pitcher, but Cy Young's prolific career also produced a fair amount of duds. In 22 years, he had a league-record 316 losses.

Summer Olympic Host Cities

The United States has hosted the Summer Olympics more times than any other country. LOS ANGELES MEMORIAL COLISEUM St. Louis in 1904, Los Angeles in 1932 & 1984, and Atlanta in 1996. Los Angeles is slated to host again in 2028. CRACKED.COM

Visual Arts

GRAGKED.COM CANCELLED OLYMPIC EVENTS Silver medal painting, 1924 At Olympics from 1912 to 1948 medals were given for various Visual Arts , including sports-themed paintings, prints, watercolors, engravings and oils.

Tug of War

GRACKED.COM CANCELLED OLYMPIC EVENTS Tug of War was too controversial for the Olympics. In 1908 the U.S. team accused the Liverpool Police team of wearing extra-heavy boots. The Liverpudlians offered a shoe- less rematch, but America declined.

The Herean Games

Women used to compete in their own competition: The Herean games. In ancient Greece, a separate festival in honor of Hera (the wife of Zeus) included foot races for unmarried girls. CRACKED.COM

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