Funniest Moments in Sports: Hal McRae Does the Twirly Bird

Ah, meltdowns. Why do we seem to take so much pleasure in watching other people lose it? The infamous phrases and actions that lasts a lifetime—you can just repeat the phrase and everyone in the bar knows the incident you're talking about.

"Playoffs?"

"We had 'em right where we wanted them."

"I'm a man! I'm 40! I'm not a—I'm not a kid!"

"I don't know what a game face is..."

One of my all-time favorites, though, is former Kansas City Royals manager Hal McRae. This 1993 scene takes place in his back office under the stadium holding a press interview. Clearly, a bad day at the ball park, but after a reporter questions his batting lineup late in the game, the blowup ensues.

Check it out for old time's sake here, if the embedded video below does not load.

There are four reasons I love this meltdown.

1. The desk-clearing sweep. Yup, the stuffs flying in every direction. Everything's in harms way.

2. The poor phone. After having thrown everything in front of him, he doesn't just merely pick up the phone and chuck it. He does the twirly bird and flings it in God knows what direction.

3. Bloody-faced reporter. The reporters start to exit the room, realizing it's probably a good time to leave. One of the first guys that comes out has blood coming down his cheek. To this day, I'm still curious what he actually got hit with. Was it the phone?

4. 1.75 liter of a little something-something. As the tirade spills out into the hallway, Hal seems to gripping a fairly large bottle of liquor while f-bombs fly so quickly, the "bleeper" can barely keep up with him. I wonder whether Hal poured himself a glass, or if he just chugged it straight from the bottle.

And the phrases we'll always remember: "Don't ask me all those stupid-a$$ questions," and "Put that in your f*cking pipe and smoke it."