Best and Worst Sports Fan Stories of the Year (So Far)

Sometimes sports fans are the best, and sometimes they’re the worst.

Even in just the last few months, there have been stories of fans raising money for charity or displaying generosity to opposing fans. There have been moments that make you go, “Aww,” or, “That is awesome.”

Unfortunately there have also been stories of fans failing to recognize American sports heroes or urinating in water bottles. These are moments that make you go, “Come on man,” or simply just shake your head.

Violent outbursts and drunken shenanigans aside, let’s take a look at some of the best and worst fan moments in sports as of late.

Worst: Tim Tebow Jerseys

Rich Schultz/Associated Press

Sometimes fans wear out-of-date jerseys—jerseys of guys who got traded or left the team or retired.

But a New York Jets Tim Tebow jersey? Come on Jets fans.

Just because you jumped the gun when he came to your team in 2012 doesn't mean you have to continue embarrassing yourself now.

That is just inexcusable. 

Best: Generous Little Red Sox Fan

Steven Senne/Associated Press

Nothing warms the heart like kids being kind to other kids.

This one didn't start off so well—two young fans fighting to reach a foul ball at a game between the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays.

However, when the presumably older Red Sox fan came up victorious, he decided to hand the ball over to the smaller rival fan.

Worst: Fan Licks Baseball

What?

Why would anyone lick a baseball, at any time, ever—let alone one that, you know, just was on a baseball field?

This kid did it though. And the young Houston Astros fan got a straight slap across his face for it.

Best: A.J. Hawk Tackle

So, this probably could’ve been categorized as either best or worst, but today it's going on the best list because of this fan's sheer devotion to his team.

One fan loves the Green Bay Packers so much that he asked A.J. Hawk to tackle him at a celebrity golf tournament.

Guess what? Hawk did it, and it was glorious.

Worst: Failed Jeter Hug Attempt

Mike McGinnis/Getty Images

Sure, everyone loves Derek Jeter, but most people know enough not to try to hug him…while he’s on a baseball field.

One Milwaukee Brewers fan (as evidenced by the Ryan Braun jersey he was wearing) is not most people.

In May, the fan charged onto the field toward Jeter. Jeter told him, "Look out," before he was tackled by security.

Brendan Kuty of NJ.com reported that Jeter’s thoughts on the matter were as follows: "He was saying he wanted a hug. I was thinking, I wasn't gonna hug him. That was pretty much it."

Best: Simba Cam

The Atlanta Braves have replaced the traditional kiss cam at Turner Field with the Simba Cam. And it might just be one of the greatest ideas for fan engagement ever.

Is there anything more adorable than parents holding up their babies like Simba with The Lion King's “Circle of Life” playing in the background?

Is there anything more hilarious than adults trying to Simba each other?

Well done, Braves.

Worst: Burning DeSean Jackson Jersey

(Video NSFW)

Burning jerseys is ridiculous no matter what the case—even if, say, your hometown superstar abandoned and publicly humiliated your sports-cursed city.

It’s especially awful when the jersey’s namesake is a man who was actually released by his team.

This is what happened to DeSean Jackson jerseys in Philadelphia when his new team, the Washington Redskins, came to town.

Fans were apparently unaware of the circumstances of Jackson’s departure. Fail.

Best: Super Bowl Winnings to Charity

A successful businessman winning unlikely Super Bowl bets doesn’t exactly warm your heart, but the fact that he gave the money to charity is pretty great.

Jona Rechnitz, a wealthy New York City realtor, won $50,000 in 2012 because of a Giants safety, and he won $25,000 in 2014 because of a Seattle safety. The unlikelihood of that same thing happening twice is pretty incredible in and of itself.

Rechnitz told TMZ that he planned to donate his 2014 winnings to the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Stewart J. Rahr Foundation.

Worst: Fans Don't Recognize Clint Dempsey

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

It’s one thing for New York Mets fans to not know Matt Harvey. It’s quite another for Americans to not know Clint Dempsey.

Unfortunately, this is what we’re dealing with.

Clint Dempsey went around asking people what they thought about Clint Dempsey, and sadly the outcome is what you might expect.

The best (and by best, of course, I mean worst) was the guy who thought Landon Donovan was the captain of the U.S. men’s national team. Right, because players left off of team rosters often still act as captains for those teams.

Best: Yankee Fan Returns Red Sox Ring

Michael Dwyer/Associated Press

It probably seems like a rare thing that New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox fans would show each other generosity.

But that’s just what happened back in July when a New York restaurant owner (and major Yankees fan) found a Red Sox World Series ring in the restroom of his bar.

Ben Walker of The Associated Press reported that the rightful owner of the ring was Drew Weber, the owner of a Red Sox minor league affiliate team.

The restaurant owner, Luigi Militello, returned the ring after Weber called about it. In return, Militello apprently got an invite to Derek Jeter’s final game, to be played at Fenway Park.

Uh, worth it.

Worst: Inappropriate Urination

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

It’s hard to imagine how one would even pull this off, but apparently fans at a Swiss soccer match managed to urinate in the opposing goalkeeper’s water bottle.

The keeper, Reto Felder, did in fact drink out of the bottle and is now considering legal action.

Dominic Gover of the International Business Times reported that fans yelled, “Now you will get AIDS,” while watching Felder consume the liquid.

That is wrong. Gross and wrong.

Best: 49ers and Seahawks Donations

Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

Leading up to the 2014 NFC Championship Game, rival fans came together to do something other than disagree about football.

Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers fans engaged in a friendly battle over who could raise the most money for the opposing city.

Money raised by Seahawks fans went to the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, and the 49er fan-raised funds went to the Seattle Children’s Hospital, according to Barry Petchesky of Deadspin.

Pretty classy.