Funny Things Athletes Can Get Away with That Real People Can't

It's probably not surprising to see or read about some of the crazy things that pro athletes have been able to get away with, right?

While us "normal" folks are restricted to harsher rules and penalties when doing something stupid, athletes don't seem to play by the same types of rules. They're able to get away with things that we just can't.

Besides some of the obvious like dropping serious money on things they want to just because they can, what else are athletes able to get away with? Keep reading and you'll find out.

Eating Almost Anything They Want to

After eating a ton of junk food—which, let's be honest, is almost all any of us ever really eat—I bet the last thing we want to do is go to the gym and work it all off.

But the life of a professional athlete is way different than ours.

That's because, thanks to a ridiculous metabolism due to working out like crazy, athletes are constantly eating stuff that, otherwise, probably would be frowned upon by most personal trainers.

Let's not forget that Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps admitted that he consumes 8,000 to 10,000 calories per day before training—which is something you should never try at home.

Buying Lavish Toys Just Because

It must be really nice to have lots of money.

And, as we all know, athletes are some of the highest-paid people on the planet, so it's no surprise to see them flash their wealth with pictures or videos on social media or read a story about them rewarding themselves with something lavish.

Oh, Indiana Pacers star Paul George busted his knee up and wanted a little get well present for himself? There's nothing like a Ferrari to put a smile on someone's face. It's too bad we can't do something like that when we want to.

Tweeting Ridiculous Things

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

Sure, we might not have as many followers as our favorite athletes do, meaning there's a smaller chance anyone actually reads our inappropriate tweets, but that doesn't mean we don't get talked to about what we send.

And, yes, a few athletes have gotten in trouble for hitting "send" too fast, but that's few and far between, as, more often than not, they can voice their opinions without any consequence.

Go ahead and say something bad about your employer or engage in a Twitter war with another person and see if you don't get in a little hot water for it—especially if it's on a company's account.

Rather than play things politically correct, athletes do what they want in 140 characters.

Send Inappropriate Pics

Mike Stobe/Getty Images

I originally wanted to have this say, "to employees," seeing how former gunslinger Brett Favre sent a certain, former New York Jets worker a picture of his, well, you know.

Instead, though, I just went full picture since athletes aren't shy in going full monty and sending pics to people that, somehow, find their way making the rounds on the Internet.

Us normal dudes might be able to do something like that, sometimes, but athletes seem to actually use it to their advantage in landing women—which is totally unfair.

Hazing

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

Hazing might be something that colleges and other places are cracking down on, but in pro sports, it's just part of the culture.

From NFL players wrapping up rookies around goal posts to MLB pitchers being forced to carry little girls' backpacks and, finally, to NBA rooks doing the popular donut run for their veteran teammates, hazing in sports is the way for guys to show their seniority while having fun with younger guys.

But, in most social circles, it's not really the proper way to initiate someone.

Acting a Fool

Mark Wallheiser/Associated Press

You know those moments when you read something about an athlete and you just can't do anything but shake your head in amazement because it's so ridiculous? Yeah, that would almost never happen to any of us.

That's because, thanks to their high-profile image and support from fans, athletes can act a fool in most places without ever getting in much trouble.

Sure, some may receive a small suspension or slap on the wrist for doing something stupid, but it's certainly minor when comparing it to what might happen to us.

Overspending

Much like athletes who can afford nice things, a few of our favorite players make it be known how big their bank account is by tweeting pictures of bills or partying in VIP areas of clubs.

Spending $5,000 a week at the Cheesecake Factory might sound completely insane to you or me but not to a pro athlete who can afford anything they want—just like former quarterback Vince Young.

Rocking Incredible Hair

Lenny Ignelzi/Associated Press

In honor of Movember, I figured I would toss this little perk onto this list, because, to be frank, I'm jealous athletes can rock ridiculous facial hair.

Sure, an occasional mustache is accepted by bosses and higher-ups, but what do you think would happen if we showed up to the office looking like former NFL defensive lineman Antonio Garay, who would have dyed hair and different designs shaved into his facial hair?

Yeah, there probably aren't too many people who would define that as being business casual.

Bad-Mouthing Their Boss in Public

Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

Only in sports can someone openly bash their boss and still get paid millions of dollars for their job, right?

If you or I as much as whisper about displeasure with a few of the people we work with, there's a good chance a closed-door meeting will be called for discipline.

For athletes, though, they can talk trash about their teammates, coach, owner and, yes, even the commissioner of their sport with nothing more than a small fine, if that.

And don't even get me started on guys who force their way out of town via trade and still get paid by their former teams. If you do, I may just blow a gasket in my rant.

Fighting in Public

Much like the aforementioned hazing that athletes can get away with, the long arm of the law rarely gets involved when a brawl breaks out between a few guys.

Sure, there aren't too many vicious cases of fighting in sports—although we have seen a few—but even the smaller ones aren't broken up immediately.

So the next time you see a bogus fight break out in the bar between two drunk dudes, just watch and cheer it on as if you would at a sporting event—except, those two guys won't just be spending five minutes in the penalty box. Possibly, it'll be a night in jail.

Wearing Something Ridiculous

Although some athletes have proven to have some serious style, many of them, for whatever reason, tend to wear things that would be considered quite embarrassing if one of us ever wore it.

From frames without lenses to hats that look like they belong on a cartoon character, athletes aren't afraid to push the limits when it comes to wearing crazy stuff.