The 20 Most Boneheaded Plays in Sports History

Athletes are supposed to strive for perfection. They train day and night, study film and have tons of team meetings. Every team and player action is planned in pursuit of personal accolades and team success. 

Losing focus for even a second could cost your team a point, a game or a championship.

Sometimes we laugh it off, while other occasions yield a gut wrenching, agonizing defeat that makes us all lose sleep for months.

These are the 20 biggest boneheaded plays or actions in sports history, with immortalizing video to prove it.

20. Shawn Marion Almost Goes the Wrong Way

Situation: Shawn Marion takes the tip from a jump ball and runs the wrong way.

I will give him credit, because at the very least he realized: “Hey, why does everyone look so confused? Oh no, I’m about to score on the wrong basket.”

He is lucky that the referees blew the whistle and called a backcourt violation, because it would not have counted, even if he scored.

The look on Marion’s face was like a little kid who was caught with his hand in the cookie jar: “Who, me?”

Bonehead Meter: 4

19. Jose Canseco off the Head

Situation: Routine fly to right field bounces off Jose Canseco's head and over the fence for a home run.

Canseco’s steroid use turned lazy fly balls into home runs. Apparently this applies to his defense as well.

It is one thing to misplay the baseball; this happens to everyone. But letting the ball go off of your head, and subsequently go over the wall, is downright embarrassing.

Bonehead Meter: 4.5

18. Bill Gramatica's Field Goal Celebration

Situation: Bill Gramatica celebrates after successfully kicking a 43-yard field goal.

Every NFL player likes to celebrate. We have seen posters, sharpies in socks, cell phone usage and every dance imaginable. I suppose we should leave it to the skilled position players.

Bill Gramatica's field-goal celebration was modest, just a small little jump and fist pump. Apparently, this is too athletic for even a kicker.

New rule: No kicker celebrations unless the field goal is over 50 yards or a game winner. Beyond that, these “athletes” should stay grounded.

Bonehead Meter: 4.5

17. Leon Lett Forgets the Ball on the Way to the End Zone

Situation: Leon Lett showboats and gets the ball stripped on the goal line in the Super Bowl.

Leon Lett is not used to having the ball in his hands. This was no more evident than while streaking down the sideline, holding the football like a loaf of bread.

He slowed down, cockily flashed the ball to the other team and could not see a Buffalo Bill in sight.

But he made the cardinal sin of not checking his rear-view mirrors! Don Beebe, a Bills wide receiver, caught up to him, knocked the ball out of his hands and a touchback was ruled.

Do not worry, this is not the last time we will hear from the Cowboys genius…

Bonehead Meter: 5

16. Lamar Odom Dribbles Inbounds

Situation:  The score was 93-87 with New Orleans leading the Lakers and 4:38 remaining the fourth quarter.

Lamar Odom is set to inbound the ball with nobody within 50 feet of him. He takes the ball from the referee and, instead of passing it to Smush Parker, he just starts dribbling!

In his defense, I would not want to pass the ball to Smush Parker under any circumstances, but come on Lamar!

Bonehead Meter: 5

15. Astros Bat out of Order Vs. the Brewers

Situation: On May 21, 2009, the Houston Astros bat out of order against the Milwaukee Brewers.

The team got the game off to a great start. Outfielder Michael Bourn, the first batter, slapped the Yovani Gallardo offering to right field for a base hit.

One on, nobody out…or so we think. Earlier on, the Astros manager Cecil Cooper made a last-second lineup change, but he forgot to tell anyone.

Kaz Matsui, the actual leadoff hitter, was sitting on deck waiting for his turn, while Bourn, the No. 2 batter, was hitting.

As a result, Matsui was called out and Bourn was forced to come back again and hit, as the No. 2 batter in the lineup. I remember this happened to me once…when I was 10 years old.

Bonehead Meter: 6

Check out the video here: Click here.

14. Plaxico Spikes the Ball

Situation: Plaxico Burress spikes a live ball and loses the fumble.

During Plaxico Burress’ rookie season, the Michigan State product had his "welcome to the NFL" moment during a 2002 regular-season game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Burress made a diving catch, fell to the ground, got up, and spiked the ball, forgetting that you must be touched in the pros to be considered down. Of course, the Jaguars recovered and Burress was mortified.

What makes this a double bonehead move is the fact that even if that play was not ruled a fumble, he still spiked the ball after a routine catch.

He probably would have been penalized, but the referees felt that he had shamed himself enough.

Bonehead Meter: 6.5

There is no video on this out there (trust me, I looked). I think Burress scoured the Internet and made some calls so he would never have to see that again.

13. John Carney Missed Extra Point

Situation: John Carney misses the game-tying extra point after a miracle play. 

Cal-Stanford has nothing on the 2003 New Orleans Saints' miracle, last-second play against the Jacksonville Jaguars. After the pitch and catch, there were three laterals and about 10 missed tackles.

The coaches could not have drawn up a better play. It was a quintessential schoolyard play that worked to perfection.

Except for the easiest part.

John Carney will forever live with missing the extra point that followed one of the most clutch plays in history. You can blame nerves, or the wind, but at the end of the day, it was just a huge shank.

Bonehead Meter: 6.5

12. Gus Frerotte Uses His Head

Situation: Gus Frerotte headbutts a wall in celebration.

Frerotte thought it was a brilliant idea to slam his head into a concrete wall as part of a touchdown celebration. He had to leave the game and, for all intents and purposes, his career was not the same after.

Something like this makes the likes of Ochocinco, TO and Joe Horn’s touchdown celebrations seem normal.

I have watched this video over and over again, laughing each time, and thanking God that he was at least wearing a helmet.

Bonehead Meter: 7

11. Michelle Wie Forgets to Sign Score Card

Situation: Michelle Wie shoots a 67 and 65 in the first two rounds of the 2008 State Farm Classic, and forgets to sign her scorecard.

In the LPGA, you must sign your scorecard in order for the score to be official. See where this is going...

Wie was disqualified, nullifying two of her better rounds of golf to date. Apparently they forget to teach prodigies to sign their names on a piece of paper.

Bonehead Meter: 7.5

10. DeSean Jackson Celebrates Too Early

Situation: DeSean Jackson drops the ball before crossing the plane. No touchdown.

Donovan McNabb throws a bomb over the Cowboys defense to DeSean Jackson, who makes a great catch and waltzes into the end zone…or does he?

The Eagles wide receiver dropped the ball just a little bit too soon and it cost the Eagles a touchdown. Luckily, they scored soon after, but at the time, everyone with Jackson on their fantasy teams pulled a Gus Frerotte and started banging their heads against the wall after losing six fantasy points.

It was a truly dumb move. How much effort does it take to hold onto the football in the end zone?

Bonehead Meter: 7.5

9. Roscoe Smith for the Win!

Situation: Tie game, Roscoe Smith rebounds the ball and lets it fly.

Know the game situation! There were 11 seconds left and Smith heaved a prayer (that, keep in mind, was not even close).

The look on his teammates and coaches faces were priceless. How can a player have no idea how much time is left in the game?

Imagine how awesome that would have been if he sunk that 90-footer? I think I like this version better.

Bonehead Meter: 8

8. Mt. Mansfield High School Crazy Football Finish

Fast forward to 1:29

Situation: A missed field goal is recovered and celebrated waaaay too soon. The ball is dropped, recovered by the offense and run in for a game-winning touchdown.

There are about 100 other things that this kid could have done besides dropping the ball inside the 20-yard line and running away.

The question is, why did the coach even have players back there to touch the ball? That is one of those one-in-a-million situations that leads us to believe that kid was on the take!

Bonehead Meter: 8

7. Butler and Pittsburgh Bonehead Fouls

Situation: Two fouls in the last 2.2 seconds, both resulting in costly free throws.

Any dumb thing you can do, I can do better. Any dumb thing you can do, I can do too.

Butler guard Shelvin Mack’s foul with one second remaining was only topped by Nasir Robinson’s over-the-back foul on Butler’s Matt Howard to seal the victory for Butler and abruptly end Pittsburgh’s season.

Many criticized both fouls, because of the notion that referees should swallow their whistles at the end of games.

Both of these plays, in fact, were fouls and properly called. What the pundits should be talking about is how boneheaded both of these fouls were, considering the situation and magnitude of the game.

Bonehead Meter: 8

6. Jim Marshall Runs the Wrong Way

Situation: Jim Marshall picks up the fumble and runs the wrong way, for a safety.

He could. Go. All. The. Wrong. Way. One would think that it is almost impossible to run the completely wrong way during a football game. Some clues include:

1)   All of the fans in the stands are gasping and/or laughing

2)   The other team is blocking for you

3)   Your teammates are nowhere to be found

If you watch the video closely, you can see him look over his shoulder. Did his teammates running the other way not give him a clue that something was up? This is one of the best blunders in NFL history and an all-time funny sports moment.

Bonehead Meter: 8.5

5. Dwayne Rudd Lets His Head Go

Go to 2:30.

Situation: With 12 seconds left, Dwayne Rudd threw his helmet in exclamation, thinking the game was over, when the ball was actually still live. Because the game cannot end on a defensive penalty, the Chiefs get another play, and Morten Anderson knocks in the game-winning field goal.

Rudd’s boneheaded play is even more incredible because you never see players take their helmets off the second the game is over and chuck them halfway across the field...ever. He cost his team the game by simply ignoring what was going on around him. If that is not boneheaded, I don’t know what is.

Bonehead Meter: 9

4. Leon Lett Thanksgiving Blunder

Situation: The Dolphins' game-winning field goal is blocked, and then touched by Leon Lett. It was recovered by the Dolphins, followed by a game-winning field goal.

Emmitt Smith really does a great job of setting up the scene.

“Everyone is saying get away...stay away from the ball, stay away from the ball. All of a sudden you see one white jersey, with a star on it, come running out of nowhere.”

How can a professional football player not understand not to touch the ball under any circumstances after a blocked kick?

The whole team is running away from the ball, and you think it is a good idea to go jump on it.

I know it was Thanksgiving and he probably had mistaken it for a turkey. But his teammates have to know better than to let him anywhere near a football.

Bonehead Meter: 9

3. Miracle at the Meadowlands

Situation: The New York Giants fumble the final snap of the game, with the lead, and lose.

Take a knee! That’s all the New York Giants needed to do to win the 1978 regular season versus the Philadelphia Eagles.

Even the CBS crew was wrapping up the game, thanking the production staff and calling a Giants victory.

Future coach and analyst Herman Edwards recovered the fumble and ran it in for the game-winning touchdown. He played to win the game.

Bonehead Meter: 9

2. Ricky Davis Goes for the Triple Double...on His Own Basket

Situation: Ricky Davis throws the ball off his own rim to try and get the 10th rebound for a triple-double.

One rebound shy of a triple-double, in a blowout, and Ricky Davis throws the ball off of his own basket in an attempt to pad his stats.

I know that triple-doubles are hard to come by, but the idea of shooting the ball off your own rim is just sad.

Davis has always been an NBA clown; he really put on a memorable performance with this one.

Bonehead Meter: 9.5

1. Chris Webber Calls a Timeout

Situation: Chris Webber calls an illegal timeout, down two points, in the NCAA finals.

Everyone in the building knew that the Michigan Wolverines did not have any timeouts left. Chris Webber knew that he did not have any more timeouts.

But after not getting called for a traveling violation, he panicked and did what his instinct told him to do: Stop the game.

This will go down as one of the biggest sports blunders ever, because it cost the team the NCAA title, cemented him as a career loser and it was the last game the Fab Five ever played together.

Bonehead Meter: 10

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