15 Most Infamous Comedian Sports Moments

Sports and comedy intersect all the time. Jerry Seinfeld and Louis C.K. made fun of golf in a new video. Steve Carell hilariously parodied "The Decision" for the 2010 ESPY Awards. Jimmy Fallon is killing it with his NFL superlatives, and Frank Caliendo can impersonate pretty much any sports personality in existence.

These 15 moments, however, these are some of the most infamous, real-life moments involving sports and comedians. Some are more recent, destined to live on, and others already have a solid place in sports/comedy lore. Some are hilarious, and some are actually not, but all are memorable. 

Will Ferrell is an early favorite, but then again, remember that time Bill Murray body slammed Lee Corso on College GameDay? This is going to be fun(ny).  

Lee Nelson Showers Sepp Blatter with Cash

In May, serious corruption charges were brought against several senior officials at FIFA. The allegations included, in part, suspicion the officials took bribes in exchange for naming World Cup sites.

In July, comedian Simon Brodkin, aka Lee Nelson, ambushed a FIFA press conference and showered its unpopular president, Sepp Blatter, with fake bills. He was arrested, but months later, he is still cracking jokes at Blatter's expense.  

John Oliver Rips FIFA

Speaking of FIFA, John Oliver has been crushing the sports commentary on HBO's Last Week Tonight with riffs on publicly funded stadiums, the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue and, of course, FIFA.

Oliver's rant on FIFA arrests was particularly memorable, given both the highly visible nature of the story and the comedian's spot-on take. If you have 13 minutes to kill, this is worth a watch.

Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso

To promote its coverage of the English Premier League, NBC Sports created a couple of hilarious promo videos starring Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso, the fictional head coach of Tottenham Hotspur.

The schtick is that Lasso is an American football coach treading in the unfamiliar waters of European football. Sudeikis provides a memorable, and on-point, performance. 

Will Ferrell 'Arrests' Shaquille O'Neal

Comedian Will Ferrell is becoming a regular at the Staples Center. He was there in February filming a scene for an upcoming movie, but perhaps his most famous moment at the arena came in 2013.

Ferrell joined the security staff ahead of a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns, apparently just for fun. True to form, Ferrell committed to the part, donning a red jacket and even escorting a fan out of the building. The fan? Former Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal.

Props to Shaq for being a good sport about it. 

Dennis Miller Hosts 'MNF'

L.G. PATTERSON/Associated Press

Dennis Miller served as a commentator on Monday Night Football for two years, from 2000 to 2002, so this is a pretty long "moment." Still, is there a better idea than having a comedian host Monday Night Football?

ABC viewers apparently thought so, since Miller was eventually replaced by John Madden. Still, his unique style and sarcastic jokes brought a new kind of life into the broadcast for a time.

Miller uttered many memorable (sometimes offensive) quotes, including the following, per Sports Business Daily:

• "If there's anybody in this stadium more pumped up than me, they wouldn't pass the league's standardized drug test."
• "Start blow-drying Teddy Koppel's hair, 'cause this one's done."
• "Things have gotten so bad in [Dallas] this year, as I entered the stadium tonight, I saw a picket line of guys in 10-gallon hats and spurs protesting Dallas' use of the nickname the Cowboys."

Yankees Sign Billy Crystal

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

Before Will Ferrell donned 10 MLB uniforms in one day during spring training (more on that later), Billy Crystal got his chance with the New York Yankees.

The team signed the legendary comedian and noted Yankees fan to a one-day contract in 2008. Crystal worked out with the team during the day and played in a spring training game at night.

He told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, "I've been waiting 50 years for this call. I'm overwhelmed by the generosity of the Yankees and Commissioner Selig. I know this'll be tougher than the Broadway Softball League, but I'm looking forward to helping the younger players—by the way, which is all of them."

Daniel Tosh Rips ESPN

Warning: Video contains NSFW language.

In 2014, ESPN ran a segment on SportsCenter that bore striking similarities to a Daniel Tosh staple schtick, "Web Redemption." Tosh sought revenge by publicly calling out the network and staging a parody of its own segment, "Sports Science."

Jon Stewart Hits John Cena with a Chair

JP Yim/Getty Images

Jon Stewart stepped down from his iconic role as host of The Daily Show in August after 16 years on the job. Among his first public appearances after that was WWE SummerSlam in New York.

The comedian was on hand to introduce wrestlers and fire up the crowd, but he couldn't resist joining the action himself. Stewart invaded the ring during a fight between John Cena and Seth Rollins and smashed Cena with a chair. Brave man.

Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers Defend Women's Sports

During the Women's World Cup in June, Sports Illustrated analyst Andy Benoit opined on Twitter that women's sports are "not worth watching."

Well, Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers let him have it. Poehler joined her former Saturday Night Live cohort on his show, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and the two used an old bit to absolutely crush Benoit. Really.

Bill Murray Bodyslams Lee Corso

ESPN's College GameDay has featured many celebrity guests over the years, everyone from Joe Namath to Katy Perry.

However, none made quite the impression Bill Murray did in October 2013. The Caddyshack star joined the crew onsite at Death Valley for a Florida State-Clemson matchup.

The big moment came when Murray and Lee Corso disagreed on the final pick. Murray went with Clemson, and as Corso emerged donning a Seminole costume, the comedian famously bodyslammed him on live television.

Chris Rock on Black Players and Fans in Baseball

Warning: Video contains NSFW language.

In April, Chris Rock appeared on HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel and delivered a monologue about the declining involvement of black players and fans in Major League Baseball. 

The seven-minute speech received widespread attention for its witty delivery and salient points—definitely worth a listen. 

Norm Macdonald Hosts the ESPYs

Warning: Video contains NSFW jokes.

Many comedians have hosted the ESPY Awards over the years—Jeff Foxworthy, Dennis Miller, Seth Meyers, Joel McHale. However, one of the most memorable performances came from Norm Macdonald in 1998.

Of course, if fans have seen his opening monologue, they know it was memorable in a bad way. Many of Macdonald's jokes were offensive and would have no chance of making the airwaves today. Still, Ken Griffey Jr.'s continued, horrified reactions were pretty hilarious.

Will Ferrell Does Spring Training

Spring training highlights generally include rotation updates and roster competitions. In 2015, Will Ferrell brought some unusual yet welcome comedy to the Cactus League in Arizona.

Ferrell played 10 positions for 10 different teams in one day, and HBO captured all the glory for its special, "Ferrell Takes the Field."

Andy Kaufman Wrestles Jerry Lawler

Andy Kaufman was in a wrestling ring long before Jon Stewart chair-smashed John Cena. 

Kaufman, late entertainer and comedian, was also a wrestler (well, sort of). The performer began wrestling women in the 1980s and famously took to the ring against WWE commentator Jerry Lawler in 1982.

The two began what was later revealed to be an elaborate, staged feud, which they continued in the ring and on an iconic episode of Late Night with David Letterman.

Roseanne Barr's National Anthem

In 1990, Roseanne Barr sang the national anthem at a San Diego Padres game. To say it did not go well would be an understatement. Barr butchered the song, afterward grabbing her crotch and spitting before she left the field.

Her performance was criticized as disrespectful, but Barr insisted she had good intentions. Years later, she wrote to Geoff Edgers of the Washington Post in an email, "I started too high. I knew about six notes in that I couldn't hit the big note. So I just tried to get through it, but I couldn't hear anything with 50,000 drunk a—— booing, screaming 'you fat [expletive],' giving me the finger and throwing bottles at me during the song they 'respect' so much."