The 10 Funniest Movie Cameos by Athletes of All Time

In case you missed it, Mike Tyson makes a hilarious cameo in the trailer for the upcoming movie The Hangover.

In it, He of the Giant Face Tattoo reveals his love for Phil Collins and shows that "he's still got it."

Athletes in movies are tricky. Ask them to do too much, and it can be painfully awkward. But a well-placed cameo can be comic gold.

This is a salute to those movies that did it right: The 10 Funniest Athlete Cameos.

10. Mike Ditka, Kicking & Screaming

Kicking & Screaming was a horribly unfunny movie, but Mike Ditka's turn as Will Ferrell's assistant coach was a rare bright spot.

This is a great example of just the athlete's presence making things funnier.

Ditka doesn't actually do anything that funny, but the thought of the great Mike Ditka getting yelled at by Will Ferrell to go get him a juice box is awesome.

Memorable Quote

Phil Weston: You're my assistant. Okay? You're supposed to back me up and go get me juice boxes when I tell you. Now go get me a juice box.

Mike Ditka: You know who you're talking to?

Phil Weston: I'm talking to the juice box guy.

Mike Ditka: You're crazy!

Phil Weston: I'm not crazy, I'm just thirsty.

Mike Ditka: Why don't you go to hell?

Phil Weston: No, you go to hell. And while you're there, why don't you grab me a juice box!

9. Lee Trevino, Happy Gilmore

I can just imagine Adam Sandler's people pitching this to Lee Trevino. "Okay, we actually just need you to go stand there, look shocked, and shake your head a few times."

It totally works, though. Trevino was the nicest guy in real life, so it was funny to see his reaction to Sandler's antics in the movie.

Trevino never had to utter a word. Sometimes less is more.

Memorable Quote

Obviously none, but the best part was when Trevino shows up at the putt-putt course to show his displeasure once more.

8. John McEnroe, Mr. Deeds and Anger Management

Has anybody gotten more mileage out of his bad boy image than McEnroe?

Years after he's done playing tennis, he's still cashing in on it and even managed to hit the Adam Sandler two-fer with Mr. Deeds and Anger Management.

McEnroe keeps it from getting too stale, though, by playing it with such fervor that it's still fun to watch.

Memorable Quote

John McEnroe: I like the way you beat up those guys who were making fun of you. It was pretty cool.

Longfellow Deeds: Yeah, I bet you know what it's like to get all riled up, Johnny Mac.

John McEnroe: That I do.

7. Dan Marino, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

Marino doesn't do much in this movie, but anything other than letting Jim Carrey be Jim Carrey would have been forcing it.

That's not to say that Marino was a stiff. He does a good job of

6. Alex Karras, Blazing Saddles

Who better to play a lovable buffoon than an NFL lineman?

Alex Karras, who ended up becoming a working actor, most famously as George Papadapolis on Webster, was memorable as the giggling, simple strongman Mango in Blazing Saddles.

No matter how many times he got tricked, we all still loved him.

Memorable Quote

Mango: Mango just a pawn in game of life.

5. Brett Favre, There's Something About Mary

The Farrelly brothers set this one up nicely, casually throwing in something about a football player named Brett early in the movie, only that Brett turns out to be Brett Favre.

Looking all clean shaven and in his trademark Wranglers, Favre (or Fav-ruh, as Ben Stiller's character pronounces it) plays the hunk and gets to say cheesy lines like, "You know I'll always be true to you, Mary."

Bonus points for the humor in Favre sweeping in to take something precious away from a bumbling group of guys. Maybe Tarvaris Jackson and Gus Frerotte should pass on this movie for a little while...

Memorable Quote

Pat Healy: What the hell is Brett Favre doing here?

Brett Favre: I'm in town to play the Dolphins, you dumbass.

4. Lawrence Taylor, The Waterboy

It's not often that LT is the second best linebacker and the first sanest person on the field, but that exact scenario happens during his brief scene in The Waterboy.

'Nuff said.

Memorable Quote

Lawrence Taylor: Gentlemen, that brings me to my next point: Don't smoke crack.

3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Airplane!

Airplane! was great because it had Kareem play an actual character, but also has a wink-wink moment where he breaks character for a second and confesses to being the center for the Lakers when a kid starts questioning his work ethic.

I love the look on his face after he blurts out, "The hell I don't!" after he's accused of only playing hard during the playoffs.

Memorable Quote

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar/Roger Murdock: Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes.

2. Bob Uecker, Major League

This is the gold standard for athlete cameos in my book. Uecker is so hilarious as a play-by-play guy that I was shocked when I found out later in life that he was an athlete and not an actor.

Every line, every facial expression is pure awesomeness. If you have ever played or watched baseball at any point in your life, you have uttered the phrase, "Juuust a bit outside." Don't lie.

Memorable Quote

Harry Doyle: Vaughn, a juvenile delinquent in the offseason in his major league debut. Vaughn into the windup for his first offering. Juuust a bit outside. He tried the corner and missed.

1. Lance Armstrong, Dodgeball

Lance gets the top spot in our countdown because his brief exchange with Vince Vaughn is so side-splittingly funny that we don't even care that he can't act a lick.

His ability to poke fun at himself ("You know, once I was thinking about quitting when I was diagnosed with brain, lung, and testicular cancer, all at the same time") is what sells it, with just the right amount of underlying sarcasm.

Lance Armstrong, you truly are an inspiration to all, especially to any athlete looking to do a cameo from here on out.

Memorable Quote

Lance Armstrong: So what are you dying from that's keeping you from the finals?

6. Alex Karras, Blazing Saddles

Who better to play a lovable buffoon than an NFL lineman?

Alex Karras, who ended up becoming a working actor, most famously as George Papadapolis on Webster, was memorable as the giggling, simple strongman Mango in Blazing Saddles.

No matter how many times he got tricked, we all still loved him.

Memorable Quote

Mango: Mango just a pawn in game of life.

5. Brett Favre, There's Something About Mary

The Farrelly brothers set this one up nicely, casually throwing in something about a football player named Brett early in the movie, only that Brett turns out to be Brett Favre.

Looking all clean shaven and in his trademark Wranglers, Favre (or Fav-ruh, as Ben Stiller's character pronounces it) plays the hunk and gets to say cheesy lines like, "You know I'll always be true to you, Mary."

Bonus points for the humor in Favre sweeping in to take something precious away from a bumbling group of guys. Maybe Tarvaris Jackson and Gus Frerotte should pass on this movie for a little while...

Memorable Quote

Pat Healy: What the hell is Brett Favre doing here?

Brett Favre: I'm in town to play the Dolphins, you dumbass.

4. Lawrence Taylor, The Waterboy

It's not often that LT is the second best linebacker and the first sanest person on the field, but that exact scenario happens during his brief scene in The Waterboy.

'Nuff said.

Memorable Quote

Lawrence Taylor: Gentlemen, that brings me to my next point: Don't smoke crack.

3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Airplane!

Airplane! was great because it had Kareem play an actual character, but also has a wink-wink moment where he breaks character for a second and confesses to being the center for the Lakers when a kid starts questioning his work ethic.

I love the look on his face after he blurts out, "The hell I don't!" after he's accused of only playing hard during the playoffs.

Memorable Quote

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar/Roger Murdock: Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes.

2. Bob Uecker, Major League

This is the gold standard for athlete cameos in my book. Uecker is so hilarious as a play-by-play guy that I was shocked when I found out later in life that he was an athlete and not an actor.

Every line, every facial expression is pure awesomeness. If you have ever played or watched baseball at any point in your life, you have uttered the phrase, "Juuust a bit outside." Don't lie.

Memorable Quote

Harry Doyle: Vaughn, a juvenile delinquent in the offseason in his major league debut. Vaughn into the windup for his first offering. Juuust a bit outside. He tried the corner and missed.

1. Lance Armstrong, Dodgeball

Lance gets the top spot in our countdown because his brief exchange with Vince Vaughn is so side-splittingly funny that we don't even care that he can't act a lick.

His ability to poke fun at himself ("You know, once I was thinking about quitting when I was diagnosed with brain, lung, and testicular cancer, all at the same time") is what sells it, with just the right amount of underlying sarcasm.

Lance Armstrong, you truly are an inspiration to all, especially to any athlete looking to do a cameo from here on out.

Memorable Quote

Lance Armstrong: So what are you dying from that's keeping you from the finals?