20 Most Awkward Sports Plays of All-Time
Awkward moments happen every day, including in the world of sports. Sometimes, players do things that simply leave viewers, fans, and coaches baffled and cringing.
While, in retrospect, most awkward sports moments are very funny, at the time they occur they can be frustrating or enraging, especially if they cost their team an important game or championship.
Whether they are being seen for the first time or the 100th time, these plays never seem to make any sense, and they continue to leave viewers laughing or cringing even years after they happen.
Here are the top 20 most awkward sports plays of all time.
No. 20: Joey Gathright Jumps Over Teammate
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During a spring training game, Joey Gathright, who was also known for jumping over cars, jumps over the pitcher in an attempt to avoid being tagged out.
The jump seemed a little unnecessary, and he almost hits the other player in the face with his crotch, making this moment extremely awkward.
Here is a link to a video of the event on IViewTube.
No. 19: Trevor Ariza Loses a Shoe, Lakers Pick It Up
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In a 2009 game between the Rockets and the Lakers, Rockets forward Trevor Ariza loses his shoe while playing defense. One of the Lakers bends down to pick it up, thinking it was the ball, as the actual ball rolls through the legs of several players, and everyone scrambles to pick it up.
Here is a clip of this awkward moment on YouTube.
No. 18: Lakers Add Referee to Their Team
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In a game between the L.A. Lakers and the Detroit Pistons, a Lakers player throws the ball to the referee, thinking he was a member of his own team. The ball bounces off of the referee to another Lakers player, allowing the Lakers to make a basket.
Here is a clip of this awkward sports play on YouTube.
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No. 17: J.J. Redick Wrestles on the Court
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In a game between Duke and Georgia Tech, Duke guard J.J. Redick attempts to wrestle a Georgia Tech player who falls over him, to keep the other player from getting up and getting the ball. Somehow, Redick doesn’t draw a foul, even though his play was obviously an illegal basketball move and something one doesn’t usually see on the court.
Here is a clip of this awkward play on YouTube.
Photo courtesy of In.com
No. 16: Miami Dolphins Almost Fumble Ball Twice
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During a 1986 game, Dolphins player Reggie Roby almost drops the ball as he struggles to get a hand on it. He then is almost tackled, but first awkwardly keeps his balance and passes the ball off to a fellow teammate. The Dolphins then pass the ball down the field, where the receiver almost drops the ball again, only moments after Roby nearly fumbled the ball.
They then proceeded to actually lose the ball in the endzone to the other team.
Here is a clip of this awkward play on YouTube. It occurs between the 1:30 and 2:00 marks.
No. 15: Goalie Teuvo Moilanen Misses Save
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The Finnish Goalie Teuvo Moilanen goes to stop the ball rolling towards the goal with his foot and misses it, allowing it to go in. As it rolls in, he stares at the ball and makes no further attempt to stop it.
Here is a clip of this moment on YouTube.
No. 14: Jason Richardson Misses Dunk
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One very awkward moment occurred when Jason Richardson of the Phoenix Suns steals the ball from the San Antonio Spurs and has a clear path down the court. As he speeds down towards the basket, he goes up for the dunk and completely misses the net, which allows the Spurs to catch the ball off the rebound.
Here is a link to this awkward moment on YouTube.
No. 13: Tony Romo Has His Legs Taken Out From Under Him
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In the last seconds of a 2007 game between the Cowboys and the Seahawks, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is tackled at his legs on the one yard line and drops the ball, effectively losing the game for the Cowboys.
Here is a clip of this awkward moment on YouTube.
No. 12: J.R. Smith Thinks He Sees a Three-Point Shot
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In a 2010 game between the Denver Nuggets and the Sacramento Kings, J.R. Smith believes he sees Kings rookie Tyreke Evans make a three-point shot, but in reality the Kings player missed. Smith then proceeds to take the ball out of bounds, forcing his team to turn the ball back over to the Kings.
Here is a clip of this awkward moment on YouTube.
No. 11: Dallas Stars Player Misses Shot on Open Net
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During a game between the Dallas Stars and the Edmonton Oilers, Stefan, a player for the Stars, is driving towards the unguarded net and completely misses the shot. He then falls over and loses possession of the puck to the Oilers, who then scores.
Here is a clip of this awkward moment on YouTube.
No. 10: Redskins vs. Patriots, Unsportsmanlike Play
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In a preseason 1998 game between the Red Skins and the Patriots, Steven Alexander of the Red Skins punched Greg Spires in the crotch as a defensive move to avoid being tacked. Not only was thins play unnecessary, it was also very un-sportsman like.
Here is a clip of this awkward moment on YouTube. It happens from the 19 second mark to the 30 second mark on the video.
No. 9: Jackie Smith Drops Pass in Super Bowl XIII
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In Super Bowl XIII, between the Cowboys and the Steelers, Cowboys player Jackie Smith drops a pass from quarterback Roger Staubach at the end of the third quarter in the endzone.
The dropped pass put the Cowboys even further behind and helped the Steelers cinch a win in this Super Bowl game.
Photo courtesy of the Boston Globe.
No. 8: Leon Lett Celebrates Too Early
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In Super Bowl XXVII, Leon Lett, who played for the Dallas Cowboys, makes a break for the endzone and has almost made it when he begins to celebrate and slow down. A Buffalo player then comes from behind and knocks the ball out of Lett’s hand before he actually makes it into the endzone.
He would have had a touchdown if he hadn’t gotten cocky and begin to celebrate before he made it safely into the endzone.
Here is a clip of this awkward moment on YouTube.
No. 7: Ron Artest De-pants Paul Pierce
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Ron Artest and Paul Pierce have a very competitive rivalry between them. In one Lakers-Celtics game, Artest decides to pull Pierce's pants down in order to distract him from the play in front of him. While the defensive maneuver is unsuccessful, it does provide a very awkward moment on the court.
Here is a clip of the pantsing and Artest singing an apology to Pierce afterward on YouTube.
No. 6: Game Goes on Around Injured Carmelo Anthony
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In this awkward play, Carmelo Anthony falls to the ground after his attempt to dodge Thunder defense failed and he is called for traveling. While he may have been hurt, the refs allow the game to go on and the other team, as well as the Nuggets, continue to play with Anthony lying on the ground.
Here is a clip of this awkward play on YouTube.
No. 5: Chris Webber Calls Timeout with None Left
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During a championship game between the University of Michigan and South Carolina, Michigan player Chris Webber calls a time-out in the last moments of the game. However, there are no time outs left for Michigan, which forces them to turn over the ball to South Carolina.
Here is a clip of this awkward moment on YouTube.
Photo Courtesy of Sports Illustrated.
No. 4: Mike Tomczak Throws Ball Out on Fourth Down
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While playing for Ohio State, during the last minute of a game against Purdue, Mike Tomczak throws the ball out of bounds in an attempt to stop the clock. However, OSU was on fourth down, so Tomczak effectively gives possession over to the other team for the last minute of the game.
Photo Courtesy BestSportsPhotos.com
No. 3: The Robert Green Mistake
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Goalie Robert Green caught a shot on his goal. When he went to pass the ball off to his teammates, he set the ball down and a player from the other team came from behind, stole the ball from Green, and scored on the empty goal.
Here is a clip of this awkward play on YouTube.
No. 2: Roy Riegels Runs the Wrong Way
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In the 1929 Rose Bowl, Roy Riegels, playing for the University of California, Berkeley, picks up a fumbled pass, and even though he is only a short way from the Georgia Tech endzone, runs 65 yards in the opposite direction towards his own team’s endzone.
While he doesn’t actually score against his own team, he puts Georgia Tech close enough to their end line, allowing them to score against the Golden Bears.
Photo courtesy of Write on New Jersey.
No. 1: Mike Tyson Bites Opponent's Ear
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This is one of the most unforgettable awkward moments in all of sports history. In a fight between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, Tyson becomes a little too aggressive and actually bites off a piece of Holyfield’s ear. Not only is this completely against the rules, it is gross and leaves everyone speechless.
Here is a clip of the aftermath of this awkward moment on YouTube.
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