Best Sports Stuff on Reddit Right Now
Want to watch a bunch of perfect jams from the NBA Slam Dunk Contest's history? You can, thanks to Reddit.
Reddit is pretty much the ultimate Internet rabbit hole, except the rabbit hole is an extensive network of secret caves filled with buried treasure and genie lamps.
What would happen if you added the word "extreme" before every sport? Find out on Reddit (NSFW). Or, look into an analysis of the best and worst contracts in the NBA. It would be impossible to point out all the great sports stuff on Reddit, but read on for a current sampling.
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Warning: None of this content is explicitly explicit, but NSFW language does run semi-rampant in Reddit comments.
Dunk Contest Perfect Scores
How unreal were Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon's masterpiece jams at the NBA Slam Dunk Contest this year? Redditor ThisIsMyFavoriteSub capitalized on the excitement and compiled every perfect-score jam in dunk-contest history. The original is over 52 minutes long, but the 15-minute mini-version is pretty sweet, too. From Julius Irving in 1984 to LaVine in 2016, this is a must-watch for dunk-lovers.
Conspiracy Theories
Reddit is a hotbed for sports conspiracy theories. Anyone who has read the Bill Belichick Double Agent Theory (NSFW) knows it's true. In an updated version, check this out:
Who knew there are actually people out there (or at least one) who don't believe Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a game?
Reddit can answer the most random of sports questions. For instance, what would happen if MLB pitcher Phil Coke played all positions on a baseball team? How would that team fare over the course of an MLB season? (Hint: badly.)
Redditor camly75 dove into this question head first, and attempted to answer it specifically. The Philadelphia Cokes, according to this analysis, would fare pretty poorly in simulated game action. They would, for instance, go 0-22 in April, not win a game until June and ultimately finish 92 games out of first place. There is even a fake team page—that's dedication.
Boban Holding Things
San Antonio Spurs center Boban Marjanovic plays less than eight minutes per game, but the 7'3" rookie's fame is outgaining his playing time.
Teammate Danny Green told Bleacher Report's Mike Monroe, "He's the definition of a gentle giant and very charismatic and sociable and goofy helps make him popular. He likes to have fun with people and they get a kick out of it."
Oh and also, he has massive hands. There is actually a subreddit called "Boban Holding Things," moderated by repetitionofalie, that is decidedly better than it sounds. Some personal favorites include "Boban holding Lebron's Cleveland title hopes" and "Boban holding fashion hostage." Enjoy.
Spontaneous Poetry
Often on Reddit, the comments are where it's at. What was a simple post-match thread after Southamptons's 3-2 win over Liverpool turned into an Eminem-inspired rap battle (NSFW) in the comments section. None of it is any good, mind you, but it is a delightful reminder of the uncharted territory to which those Reddit subterranean tunnels can lead.
Thanks to letspaly, you can watch a whole bunch of awesome NBA shots that didn't actually count in official game action. As commenter 7hepretender said, "Didn't even know this was something I wanted to see. Thank you." That comment could easily be Reddit's motto.
'Things That Have Happened Since' Posts
Reddit is also where fans go to vent. For instance, in honor of the Edmonton Oilers' elimination from 2016 playoff contention, smyth260 shared several things that have (according to him) happened since the team's last postseason game, which was in the 2005-06 season.
They include, but are not limited to (and not independently verified): "Three Canadian Elections," Liquid water has been discovered on Mars" and "Donald Trump has hosted 14 seasons of The Apprentice, fought in WWE Wrestlemania and has won 678 delegates."
That's not quite as bad as the sister list (NSFW)for the Chicago Cubs World Series drought, which includes things like the invention of the television. This one isn't quite as sad since the Cubs are straight stacked in 2016.
Data Maps
Redditors are often responsible for creating fantastic graphics. The the NFL and NBA hate maps, courtesy of kmhokies35, come to mind. Or check out this map from FDTAEV detailing the birthplaces of generations of baseball players (sounds pointless, but it's actually interesting):
According to a new map from the college football subsection and okiewxchaser, the Virginia Cavaliers are actually the most hated team in Virginia. Ouch.
According to Jake Russell of the Washington Post, responses collected from 5,000 voters also found Ohio State to be the most hated college football team nationwide, with Michigan and Alabama tied for second.
Old-School Stuff
Reddit has a way of digging up tidbits from the past. For example, thanks to LVGambler, baseball fans can ponder the inspiration behind certain baseball cards:
They can also look at 250 old-school NBA print ads, thanks to DorkChopDX.
Reddit can be a great place to find answers, too. ClearlyDense went there in search of information about his great-grandfather, former MLB player Alva "Rip" Williams, and he got something even better. Fellow Redditor IckyChris turned up an old photo (NSFW) that depicts, according to him, Williams in 1911.
Thank you for all the random rabbit-hold treasure, Reddit. Here's scrambledpancakes, signing off on the ending of Caddyshack:
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
