29 Facts About Sports and Athletes to Make the Jocks Feel Like the Brains of the Operation for Once

The nerds will be cheating off the jocks’ papers after this
29 Facts About Sports and Athletes to Make the Jocks Feel Like the Brains of the Operation for Once
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We don’t exactly know when the transition of power between the nerds and the jocks occurred, but it was somewhere around the release of the term “nerding out.” 

The jocks were getting sick of being seen as the bad guys in movies, and they chilled out enough to let the nerds run free. Nerds could now openly state their love for Dungeons & Dragons and all kinds of other geekery without fear of locker-stuffings. Then, to make matters even stranger, the jocks wanted to get in on the action! They began claiming that they “nerd out” on stuff too, and that shifted the balance way too far! You can’t say that you “nerd out” over football, Travis! It’s just weird. 

What’s our point, you ask? Well, these nerding-out jocks drummed up these geeky facts about sports, and although we love facts, we don’t exactly know how to feel about it.

Mark McGwire

Mark McGwire St. Louis Cardinals MCGWIRE 25 CRACKED.COM Just before his big 1998 home run competition with Sammy Sosa, Big Mac put a stipulation in his contract that he'd get $1 per fan that came out to Busch Stadium (after 2.8 million). They wound up getting 3.2 million fans to the stadium that season --up from 2.4 milion in '97.

Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls BULLS ه2 CRACKED COM Most pros are contractually barred from playing pickup games, but the best of best have enough leverage to include a love of the game clause. MJ put his to good use, putting in iconic extracurricular performances at a couple UNC alumni games (and also the Olympics).

The Seattle Snowball Fight

The Seattle snowball fight CRACKED.COM In 2008, Seattle Seahawks fans started hurling snowballs at the visiting Jets team. The Jets' Shaun Ellis decided to toss something back, but brought out the big guns: he hucked a small boulder-sized chunk of ice at a swarm of hecklers.

The Fan Who Fell Into a Penalty Box

A fan falls into the penalty box MI CRACKED.COM In 2001, Flyers fans were pestering notorious ass-kicker Tie Domi in the penalty box, when the glass broke and a dude fell right in. Domi did what Domi does, and said in a post-game interview It's nice to see the fans get involved, I guess.

The Pine Tar Game

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.

Dennis Rodman

Dennis Rodman stomps a camera guy in the nards CRACKED.COM When Rodman was bumped out of bounds in a 1997 game against the Timberwolves, he landed on a pile of photographers. In a huff, he heeled the nearest set of nads to his Nikes, a decision that would cost him over $200k.

The Boston 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.

Malice at the Palace

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.

Craig Stadler

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.

Running the Bases

You HAVE to touch all the bases -- no excuses! BASEBALL CRACKED COM In 2008, a Red Sox runner's Achilles tendon snapped as he was rounding 2nd base during a home run trot. The umps declared that someone had to go play footsie with all the bases, and allowed them to substitute a runner mid-play.

Wayne Gretzky

50 GOALS IN 39 NHL GAMES WAYNE GRETZKY CRACKED.COM Yes, Wayne again. Once Maurice Rocket Richard made 50 goals in 50 games possible in 1944-45, it became a mark for NHL goal scorers. Only a handful of other NHL greats have hit 50 in 50, but in 1983-84 Gretzky reached 50 in only 39 games. In today's NHL, a player reaching 50 goals in a full 82 game season is a noteworthy feat.

Fans Make The Call

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.

Pablo Escobar

FANTASY FOOTBALL CRACKED.COM Drug lords Pablo Escobar and El Mexicano hand-picked a dream team of pro soccer players and flew them to Escobar's private field. Today, fans of every sport play in virtual fantasy leagues, and many believe this was the very first Fantasy game ever played.

The Glowing Puck

Sports Reinvented THE NHL'S GLOWING PUCK After new fans complained that the puck was hard to follow, Fox Sports experimented with FoxTrax, a luminescent disc in the puck that debuted (and completely failed) at the 1996 All-Star game. CRACKED

The Longest Field Goal in History

The longest recorded field goal in the NFL is shorter than those in college and high school games. CRACKED.COM The 66 yard kick by Balti- more Ravens' Justin Tucker was under a Nevada high school student's 68 yard goal in 1985. The longest ever recorded was 69 yards, by Ove Johansson at Abilene Christian University.

Longest Point in Tennis History

The longest point in tennis history took 29 minutes. GRACKED.COM There is no time limit in tennis. In a match between Vicki Nelson and Jean Hepner in 1984, the ball was hit back and forth 643 times before a single point was awarded.

The Forward Pass

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.

Steffi Graf

TENNIS Steffi Graf CRACKED.COM During a match at Wimbledon, a fan yelled out Steffi, will you marry me? Instead of launching her racket at his larynx, as she had every right to do, she put him on the spot: How much money do you have?

Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi

Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi were bitter tennis rivals. The Championships And it came to a head during a charity match. Sampras and Agassi feuded on and off the court until Sampras' retirement. In 2010 they reunited for a charity doubles tournament, and spent their round mocking one another on open mics and aiming shots at one another's heads. CRACKED.COM https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/mar/16/andre-agassi-apologises-pete-sampras

Diego Maradona

The Hand of God 100 CRACKED.COM Soccer player Diego Maradona scored on a deliberate hand ball in the 1986 World Cup, but the refs didn't notice, so the goal counted. Maradona himself dubbed it the Hand of God, and contends that it's not technically cheating.

Tim Thomas

NHL goalie Tim Thomas got paid for his year off. EASY BUCK$ BRUINS 3 aUER The Boston Bruins goalie decided to take a year off from hockey in 2012, but wouldn't retire, so the Bruins were forced to pay his $5 million salary and/or trade him. They traded him to the Islanders, who helped with the tab. CRACKED

Homer Simpson

Homer Simpson got inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame a few years ago. 178 It was thanks to the 1992 episode Homer at the Bat, in which he played for the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant softball team. CRACKED.COM

Source: MLB

Dean Cain

Dean Cain CRACKED.COM Superman was a star on Princeton's football team in the late 80's (when that was extremely impressive), and snagged a league-record 12 interceptions. He was signed to the Buffalo Bills, but dropped out due to injury.

Roy Oswalt

Roy Oswalt Houston Astros CRACKED 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.

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