Our Favorite 'Crazy Uncles' in Sports Right Now

Bill Walton is the sports version of everyone's favorite crazy uncle, right?

The ESPN broadcaster makes random comments on air, does random things and just generally makes otherwise plain broadcasts more entertaining (and confusing at the same time).

Much like the crazy uncle at family gatherings, Walton is notable for his peculiarity. Perhaps you're familiar with the concept? Perhaps you too have an uncle who says or does crazy, nonsensical things, but you love (or at least tolerate) him anyway.

These are the crazy uncles of the sports world. Agree or disagree with their antics, at minimum, their eccentricity makes things more interesting.

Rex Ryan

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Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan is a mixed bag. One minute he's displaying a framed photo of (probably) his wife's feet on his desk, and the next he's donning a Clemson helmet to a press conference.

One minute he's tricking out his ride with a massive Bills logo, and the next, he's likening the New York Jets to "some girl" who dumped him.

Now that Ryan has been reunited with his brother in Buffalo—Rob Ryan signed on to become an assistant in January—the shenanigans are sure to continue.  

Dick Vitale

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Broadcaster Dick Vitale is definitely loud and a tad off-the-wall, yes, but he is also a basketball staple. Much like Thanksgiving without the crazy uncle, big-time college basketball just wouldn't be the same without him.

Sure, he's a bit of a Duke homer (to put it mildly) and yes, his enthusiasm can reach extreme levels on occasion. Still, from showing off his dance moves to nearly popping a vein over a tournament snub, Vitale is absolutely never boring.    

Charles Barkley

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If speaking one's mind is characteristic of lovable crazy uncles, then Charles Barkley definitely belongs on this list.

The opinionated NBA Hall of Famer and TNT analyst would not be afraid to say he is no fan of advanced statistics in basketball or social media in general. He also would not be afraid to admit if he was wrong, like that time he insisted a jump-shooting team would never win an NBA title.

Also, if this video does not depict a crazy uncle, then nothing does.

Jim Harbaugh

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Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh is all over the place lately, right? Note: He did pick up the No. 1 overall recruit on national signing day and secure one of the nation's top classes, so he's not too crazy.

Still, in addition to sleeping over at recruits' homes over the winter, Harbaugh got philosophical about artificial sweetener on Twitter and made a joke about the effect of global warming on the recruitment process. He also has that uncle-esque cheeseball thumbs up move nailed.

And that's just 2016. Keep bringing that weird, coach.

Herm Edwards

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ESPN personality Herm Edwards is not someone to bottle up his thoughts. He is in the Hall of Fame of sports rants, after all. (Who could forget the iconic "You play to win the game" presser?)

The former coach did not hang up his ranting ways with his playbook, however. As an analyst, he is one of the most spirited and opinionated people in sports.

In December, he went off about "disrespectful" players in the NFL, specifically referencing Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy. You never know what Edwards is going to say, and it's great.

Dennis Rodman

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Dennis Rodman was an eccentric guy when he played in the NBA, and there is no real evidence anything has changed in retirement.

Rodman is sort of Mike Tyson-esque when it comes to the randomness of his comings and goings. He has dabbled in professional wrestling and forged a highly publicized friendship with controversial North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

In the last month, he has participated in a wing-eating contest and declared an interest in coaching the New York Knicks.

Pete Rose

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Despite his lifetime ban from MLB, former player and manager Pete Rose seems to be everywhere.

He joined the Fox postseason broadcast team in 2015 and brought many crazy-uncle moments, including this epic videobomb for the ages and whatever is happening here.

Rose is also becoming a commercial sensation. He appeared in an ad for a sports gambling app after the Super Bowl and made fun of his own Hall of Fame exclusion in a Skechers commercial.

Skip Bayless

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Skip Bayless (and his co-host on ESPN's First Take, Stephen A. Smith) is known for speaking his mind. It's just that, sometimes, his thoughts seem to come out of left field.

For example, he might be the only person on Earth who thinks Manny Pacquiao beat Floyd Mayweather, and he firmly believes the Indianapolis Colts made a mistake drafting Andrew Luck.

Some might be of the opinion that Bayless is not a likable crazy uncle, but just imagine life without him. Alex Kaufman of Awful Announcing wrote of the possibility, "If Bayless leaves ESPN, First Take will lose half of its firepower. No matter what you believe about the show, there is a lot of chemistry between the two hosts."

John Daly

In a sport known for being, generally, rather tame, PGA golfer John Daly is anything but.

His colorful outfits have become legendary, he has released two country music albums, and ESPN is making a 30 for 30 documentary about his life. Here he is belting out Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" just a day after a health scare on the golf course.

Daly will play in the PGA Tour Champions season, and his presence is expected to generate quite a bit of interest.

Luke Kerr-Dineen of For the Win wrote, "Daly's wild backstory and untraditional demeanor still means he commands a massive following, so playing regularly on the Champions Tour would be a huge boost for the senior circuit."

Metta World Peace

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Metta World Peace has had a crazy NBA journey. He changed his named from Ron Artest to Metta World Peace, for one thing, and he once wore a "The Panda's Friend" jersey during a game in Italy. 

In November, Zolan Kanno-Youngs of the Wall Street Journal wrote the Los Angeles Lakers forward has mellowed, but "is still capable of spurts of pure absurdity."

For instance, after blowing a big lead in a close win, World Peace said, per Kanno-Youngs:

"

Some of the guys forgot how we got the lead, kind of like a fish. You know how fish dig their thing in 30 second intervals? Then run into a mirror. Then they go, 'Oh, that hurt…' Sometimes we forget and the fish brain comes out. Maybe they ate too much sushi. Maybe they should just stick to the red meat. Maybe just be vegan.

"

Bill Walton

ESPN broadcaster Bill Walton regularly says and does completely inexplicable things on the air.

During a December game between St. Mary's and Cal, he said, "I majored in biology at UCLA. On sorority row," per Ian Casselberry of Awful Announcing. (Sure, that one was a little creepy, but overall harmless.)

In January, he rubbed dirt on himself and told broadcasting partner Dave Pasch it would "hopefully get you out of the funk that you're in," per Samer Kalaf of Deadspin.

This clip of him declaring his undying love for Maui pretty much says it all, though. 

Mike Tyson

Ah Mike Tyson. No ever knows what is going to come out of the former heavyweight champion's mouth. He has been making crazy comments for decades. 

For instance, Tyson recently appeared on Conan and talked about UFC fighter Ronda Rousey. In one of his more tame comments, he said, per Teddy Cutler of Newsweek, "Rousey's just unfortunate that she's a Goliath. David is a great king, he's done great things! But he's more famous for beating Goliath."

Here are a few things the champ has done in the last year alone: Helped kick off a pigeon pageant, posted a video of himself falling off a hoverboard, appeared in a Super Bowl ad for a local plumbing company and said NSFW things about Khloe Kardashian.