The 25 Funniest Sportscenter Commercials

If you're a sports fan, chances are you've run across ESPN once or twice. And in those few times, you've probably seen one of the networks' "This Is Sportscenter" commercials.

As a kid, I used to love them because they combined sports and humor in some of the best ways possible. And I'm happy to say that they have continued to make me laugh through the years.

So just for fun, I thought I would count down the 25 Funniest Sportscenter Commercials of All Time.

If you think I left one out, sound off in the comments.

No. 25: Big Papi's Hat

Back when he was at his best, Big Papi was one of the most beloved athletes in Boston of all time. So it's safe to say there wasn't a much more horrifying sight than seeing him with a Yankees cap on.

The mascot's reaction was pretty dead on for how a Red Sox fan would have taken such a terrible sight.

No. 24: Drew Rosenhaus

Drew Rosenhaus may be the devil, but at least he can poke fun at himself in this commercial. I'd be happier if a mascot came out of nowhere to tackle him, but I guess I'll just settle for this.

No. 23: Big Buddies

I know it's played out, but I just can't get enough of adults beating the crap out of little kids in sports. It's hilarious.

"Get up. Your parents signed the permission slip."

No. 22: The Copy Machine

This commercial would have been funny with pretty much any good pitcher, but it's even funnier because Clemens is so nutty about the letter K. I mean, he started all of his children's names with the letter K.

And at this point in his career, Clemens was probably so roided up that I'm surprised we couldn't see that third eye in the middle of his head.

No. 21: Studio Rivalries

I love this one for the West Side Story finger snapping at the end. And I'm pretty sure that Sal Paolantonio is a badass. I wouldn't want to fight him. Just saying.

No. 20: Handshakes

Sometimes baseball players do things that wouldn't exactly be acceptable in everyday life. That's what this commercial exploits.

He could have been spitting seeds on the floor, adjusting his cup, or spitting in his hands before he shakes hands like he did. That's just who baseball players are.

No. 19: LeBron's Chair

"This Is Sportscenter" commercials don't just mock the athlete's worlds, they also can tackle things that happen in all offices around the world, like taking someone else's chair.

And denying it right to the person's face, even when it's obvious. Yeah, that happens too.

No. 18: He's Coming Back

Here's the part where I make my usual joke about Brett Favre, but since he threw that winning touchdown pass in Week Three, I'm going to cut the man some slack for a little while.

Well played, Favre. Well played.

No. 17: T-Shirt Cannon

I love this because no matter how old I get, I will still stand up, wave my arms, and yell as loud as I can in the hopes that I can catch a t-shirt from a t-shirt cannon.

No matter how lame or small the t-shirt may be, it's just a gut reaction.

Bonus points to this commercial for having them catch dress shirts.

No. 16: The Perfect Show

One thing I love about baseball is the superstitions. You don't congratulate a rookie after his first home run, you wear a rally cap to turn the game around, and you never, never talk to your pitcher during a perfect game.

This commercial does a great job of bringing those elements into the show. Too bad Dan had to lose it in the ninth.

"And that's the sort of thing that can't never happen in a playoff race."

No. 15: Theme Music

Seriously, there's nothing much funnier than watching a 7'7" man dance. And as funny as I think this is now, 13-year-old me thought this was even funnier.

No. 14: Warm Up Suits

You know, I never really did grasp the importance of the warm up suit. But you can be sure that I wore won and tore off my button up pants with relish, even though it took a while to button them back up.

Maybe that's why I like this commercial so much.

No. 13: Stone Cold

Sometimes when I'm studying, I think being hit in the back with a steel chair might not be a bad idea to keep me awake. But, since I'm not Stone Cold, I think I'll just stick with Red Bull for now.

No. 12: Reception

Some quarterbacks are pretty useless without their handy dandy armband that tells them all of their plays. I love how this commercial figures out a way that we could utilize that magic armband in everyday life.

No. 11: Spelling Bee

Man, those spelling bee kids are annoying. I love how this commercial makes fun of the fact that they have to ask every single, stupid question before they can take half an hour spelling out their word.

Scott Van Pelt shows that we don't actually need to know how to spell things anymore anyways because we have Google. Sweet, sweet Google.

No. 10: The WKU Mascot

If "This Is Sportscenter" has taught me anything, it's that things can be made funny simply by the inclusion of a mascot.

I love this because Big Red is such a ridiculous one and they play on the fact that nobody really knows what it is, much less what gender it is.

But the best part is the mascot's face at the end.

No. 9: Steve Smith

As a Panthers fan, I can attest to the fact that Steve Smith's speed is incendiary. He made Jake Delhomme look like a respectable quarterback for as long as he could. So for that, this commercial is awesome.

No. 8: The Sweet Science

Just because Steiner punches out the Syracuse Orange at the end. I have nothing against Syracuse, but I want to punch that thing every time I see it too.

No. 7: Going Up?

This one cracked me up the first time I saw it. Sometimes the simplest ones are the best.

No. 6: Lance Armstrong

It's just funny to think of ESPN being powered by Lance Armstrong riding a bike in a small room somewhere. A glorified hamster wheel. The best part is, I'm sure he could do it for a while if he had to.

No. 5: Recycling

Easily one of the worst mascots on the planet, the Stanford Tree at least is good for plenty of jokes.

I especially loved this one where the guy is guilted into recycling just because the Stanford Tree watches him throw away a piece of paper.

I would have left it in the trash.

No. 4: Steve Irwin

As if the Crocodile Hunter wasn't funny enough, ESPN gave us this gem. I just love the gator walking nonchalantly off the elevator, only to get tackled by Steve Irwin.

She was a beaut.

No. 3: Slumps

This is definitely one of my favorites. Jimmy Rollins comes to help Scott Van Pelt who is in a "slump," only he doesn't see any of the things that Rollins points out to him. The comparison to athletes is dead on there.

No. 2: The Manning Brothers

What makes this commercial so great is its simplicity. Brothers fight. Even successful, Super Bowl winning, quarterback brothers.

Even better than the two grown men giving each other wet willies and kicking each other, is the look that Archie Manning shoots them. For anyone with a brother, we know that look far too well.

No. 1: Y2K

I just have six words for you.

"Follow me! Follow me to freedom!"

Charlie Steiner was the best.