60 Fun Facts About Crazy Sports

In 1979 the Chicago White Sox had to forfeit a game after a promotion in which what was blown up on the field between games of a doubleheader?

Thousands of fans stormed the field after the explosion and the turf was wrecked. The Detroit Tigers were awarded the second game.

Cleveland forfeited a 1974 game to Texas after a riot during a promotion selling cups of beer for how much?

Fans streamed onto the field in the ninth inning with the score tied. The umpire decided order would not be restored and awarded the game to Texas.

How tall was Eddie Gaedel, who batted once for the Browns in 1951 as a Bill Veeck stunt?

He wore the number 1/8 and was told not to swing. The American League voided his contract the next day.

What did a Randy Johnson fastball hit and kill during a 2001 spring training game?

The bird flew across the plate at the wrong moment and exploded in a puff of feathers. The pitch was ruled no pitch, neither a ball nor a strike.

In 1993 a fly ball bounced off which outfielder's head and over the wall for a home run?

Three days later he talked his manager into letting him pitch an inning of a blowout, hurt his elbow, and missed the rest of the season after Tommy John surgery.

On 'Grandstand Managers Night' in 1951, how did St. Louis Browns fans make the team's decisions?

More than a thousand fans voted on strategy. The Browns, who lost 102 games that year, won 5–3.

Who was the first woman to play in an NHL game, in goal for Tampa Bay in 1992 preseason?

She was also the first woman to play in any of the major North American pro leagues. She later played minor-league hockey and won two Olympic silver medals with Canada.

In the 1988 Bears–Eagles 'Fog Bowl', visibility on the field dropped to roughly how far?

The fog rolled in off Lake Michigan just before halftime. Chicago won 20–12 and neither team scored a touchdown in the second half.

In 1968 NBC cut away from a Jets–Raiders game with a minute left to show which film?

The Raiders won 43–32. The outcry led the NFL to demand that games be shown to their conclusion in the visiting team's market.

Who cleared a spot for the Patriots' winning kick in the 1982 'Snowplow Game' against Miami?

Coach Ron Meyer waved equipment operator Mark Henderson onto the field. Don Shula was furious, and the NFL later banned the tactic.

Which rule change followed the Raiders' 1978 'Holy Roller' fumble-and-bat touchdown against the Chargers?

Ken Stabler fumbled, Pete Banaszak pitched it forward and Dave Casper fell on it in the end zone with no time left.

How did Greg Chappell order his brother Trevor to bowl the last ball to New Zealand in a 1981 ODI?

It was legal at the time and outraged both countries. New Zealand's prime minister called it the most disgusting incident he could recall in cricket.

Wrestler Antonio Inoki spent most of his 1976 Tokyo bout with Muhammad Ali doing what?

Inoki landed more than a hundred kicks. The fight was scored a draw and Ali left with blood clots in his legs.

The 1900 Paris Olympics remain the only Games at which animals were deliberately killed. In which event?

Nearly 300 birds died. Belgium's Léon de Lunden won the main event with 21 pigeons.

Why was Dorando Pietri disqualified after finishing first in the 1908 Olympic marathon?

He fell five times in the stadium. Queen Alexandra gave him a gilded silver cup as consolation, and the finish made him world famous.

How did Eric 'the Eel' Moussambani win his 100 m freestyle heat at Sydney 2000 in 1:52.72?

He had learned to swim eight months earlier in a lake and a 12-metre hotel pool, and had never seen a 50 m pool before the Games.

What happened on the last corner to hand Steven Bradbury 2002 Olympic short-track gold?

He was about 15 metres back with 50 to go. It was the first Winter Olympic gold for any Southern Hemisphere country, and 'doing a Bradbury' entered Australian slang.

What was the record of the 1899 Cleveland Spiders, the worst in Major League history?

The owners moved the good players to their other club in St. Louis. Fans and opponents stopped coming, so the Spiders played 112 of their games on the road.

What did Cubs outfielder Rick Monday grab from two protesters at Dodger Stadium in 1976?

He was in centre field when the pair knelt to light it. He handed the flag to a Dodgers pitcher, and the crowd broke into 'God Bless America'.

George Brett's 1983 go-ahead home run against the Yankees was briefly nullified because of what?

He charged out of the dugout in a rage. The league president overturned the umpires and the game was finished 25 days later with the Royals winning 5–4.

1976 Rookie of the Year Mark 'The Bird' Fidrych was famous for doing what on the mound?

He also got down on his knees to smooth the dirt by hand and strutted after every out. His nickname came from his resemblance to Big Bird.

After his field goal was blocked in Super Bowl VII, kicker Garo Yepremian picked up the ball and did what?

He then batted the ball back into the air, and Washington's Mike Bass caught it and ran it back for a touchdown, the only points Miami allowed all game.

In 1964 Vikings defensive end Jim Marshall recovered a fumble and ran 66 yards to where?

He tossed the ball away in celebration, which made it a safety for the 49ers. Minnesota still won the game.

'The Play' ending the 1982 Cal–Stanford game finished with Kevin Moen scoring through what obstacle?

The band thought the game was over. Moen flattened a trombone player in the end zone and Cal won 25–20.

Which NBA rule change was prompted by Darryl Dawkins shattering two backboards with dunks in 1979?

Dawkins claimed to come from the planet Lovetron and gave his dunks names. The league decided rims that snapped back were cheaper than new glass.

Why did Barbados deliberately score an own goal against Grenada late in a 1994 Caribbean Cup qualifier?

Barbados needed to win by two. Grenada then tried to score in either net while Barbados defended both, and Barbados won 4–2 in extra time.

Where had Rosie Ruiz joined the course when she 'won' the 1980 Boston Marathon?

Two Harvard students saw her burst out of the crowd on Commonwealth Avenue. She had reportedly ridden the subway during the New York Marathon that qualified her.

What did Alan Shepard use as a golf club to hit two balls on the Moon during Apollo 14 in 1971?

Bulky gloves forced him to swing one-handed. He joked the second shot went 'miles and miles'; analysis put it at about 40 yards.

The 1993 Grand National was declared void, the only time in its history. What went wrong?

Thirty of the 39 runners kept racing and seven finished, with 50/1 shot Esha Ness first past the post in a race that officially never happened.

How did Devon Loch, the Queen Mother's horse under Dick Francis, lose the 1956 National?

He was five lengths clear at the time. Nobody has ever fully explained it, and 'to do a Devon Loch' became British shorthand for a late collapse.

How did 42-year-old Zamboni driver David Ayres end up winning an NHL game in goal for Carolina in 2020?

He was the arena's practice goalie in Toronto and had to play against the home team. He is the first emergency backup ever credited with an NHL win.

Which two NFL teams merged for 1943 as the "Steagles" because so many players had left for the war?

The combined team went 5–4–1. The next year Pittsburgh merged with the Cardinals instead and went winless.

How old was Henri Cornet, declared winner of the 1904 Tour de France after the top four were disqualified?

Riders had been accused of taking trains and cars. Cornet remains the youngest Tour winner ever.

What happened to the baseball that Cubs fan Steve Bartman deflected in the 2003 playoffs?

A restaurant group bought it for more than $100,000 and had a special-effects expert detonate it. The Cubs gave up eight runs in the inning after the deflection.

When the US beat England 1–0 at the 1950 World Cup, what did some newspapers assume?

The only goal was scored by Haitian-born Joe Gaetjens. Most of the American players had day jobs.

How old was Bobby Riggs when Billie Jean King beat him in the 1973 'Battle of the Sexes'?

About 90 million people watched worldwide. Riggs had beaten Margaret Court a few months earlier on Mother's Day.

How many rounds did the longest gloved boxing match, Bowen v Burke in 1893, last?

It ran more than seven hours and was declared no contest when neither man could leave his corner.

At the 1974 World Cup, Zaire's Mwepu Ilunga became famous for doing what as Brazil lined up a free kick?

He was booked. He later said he knew the rules perfectly well and wanted to be sent off in protest at unpaid bonuses.

How much was Mike Tyson fined by the Nevada commission for biting Evander Holyfield's ears in 1997?

He was disqualified in the third round and his licence was revoked. Holyfield needed stitches on his right ear.

What did a fan throw at Ron Artest to spark the 2004 'Malice at the Palace' brawl?

Artest had been lying on the scorer's table when the cup hit him. His suspension for the rest of the season ran to 86 games.

Why was Ian Woosnam penalised two strokes in the final round of the 2001 Open Championship?

His caddie had left a spare driver in after the range. Woosnam still finished third and sacked the caddie two weeks later.

After 'Eddie the Eagle' finished last at the 1988 Olympics, the IOC introduced a rule doing what?

He was Britain's first Olympic ski jumper and had trained partly on borrowed equipment. The 'Eddie the Eagle rule' still stands.

Cramping against Ivan Lendl at the 1989 French Open, Michael Chang shocked him with what?

On match point he then stood just behind the service line to receive, and Lendl double-faulted. Chang went on to become the youngest men's major champion.

In the 2012 'Butt Fumble', Jets QB Mark Sanchez lost the ball after running into what?

Steve Gregory scooped it up and scored, one of three New England touchdowns in 52 seconds.

Why was no champion declared in the 1919 Stanley Cup Final between Montreal and Seattle?

It was called off after five games with the series tied. Canadiens defenceman Joe Hall died of pneumonia days later.

Australian sculler Bobby Pearce stopped rowing mid-race in his 1928 Olympic quarter-final. Why?

He still won the heat with the fastest time of the round, then took the gold medal.

How long did the 1912 Olympic wrestling semi-final between Martin Klein and Alfred Asikainen last?

Klein won but was too exhausted to wrestle the final the next day, so the gold went to Sweden's Claes Johansson by default.

What did the Mariners' Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. do in 1990 that no other father and son have?

They were also the first father and son to be teammates. Senior was 40, Junior 20.

How did Auburn beat Alabama in the 2013 Iron Bowl on the game's final play, the 'Kick Six'?

Alabama tried a 57-yard field goal with one second left. Chris Davis caught it nine yards deep in the end zone and never got touched.

Paul, the octopus in a German aquarium, correctly picked the winner of how many 2010 World Cup matches?

He called all seven of Germany's games, including two defeats, plus Spain over the Netherlands in the final, by choosing a mussel from a flag-marked box.

The United States withdrew from the 1908 Olympic tug of war in protest at what?

The protest was thrown out. British police teams took gold, silver and bronze.

At the 1900 Paris Olympics, the 200 m obstacle race in the Seine required swimmers to do what?

Australia's Frederick Lane won. The event was never held again.

Cuban postman Félix Carvajal finished fourth in the 1904 Olympic marathon despite stopping to do what?

The apples gave him cramps and he lay down for a nap. He had also cut his trousers off at the knee at the start line.

How did Fred Lorz cover part of the 1904 Olympic marathon before being exposed?

He quit with cramps at nine miles, hitched a ride, then started running again when the car broke down at mile 19.

The modern sport of wife carrying was first introduced in 1992 in which country?

The village of Sonkajärvi still hosts the championship; the 'Estonian-style' carry has the partner upside down over the runner's shoulders.

Which cheese do racers chase down Cooper's Hill in Gloucestershire every Spring Bank Holiday?

The 7-9 pound wheel gets a one-second head start and is never actually caught; the first runner to the bottom wins it.

The World Bog Snorkelling Championship is held near which Welsh town?

Competitors cover two lengths of a 60-yard peat trench on flipper power alone; the men's record is 1 minute 18.81 seconds.

Which French comic-book artist dreamed up chess boxing before it became a real sport?

Iepe Rubingh staged it as art; the sport is now especially popular in the UK, India, Finland, France and Russia.

Extreme ironing was invented in 1997 in which English city by Phil Shaw?

Facing a pile of ironing but wanting to go rock climbing, he combined the two; boards have since been pressed underwater and on the M1.

What did trainers dose 1904 Olympic marathon winner Thomas Hicks with, leaving him hallucinating?

Fred Lorz was cheered as winner first, until it emerged he had ridden part of the course in a car.