The Weirdest Athlete Hobbies Of All Time

If you are reading this article, chances are, that, like me, sports is a hobby for you. This gets me to thinking, what do the people that make a profession out of our hobby do for hobbies?

Most athletes, like people, have fairly ordinary hobbies. Things like fishing, movies and music etc.. Then there are others with hobbies that are not quite as common. This list goes out to you, interesting hobby-involved athlete guy.

I guess this means I just made a hobby out of finding out other people's hobbies and if you are reading this, than you now have a hobby of reading someone's hobby about hobbies.  Hobby...the word has lost all meaning.

No. 11: Todd Marinovich (Painting)

Painting really isn't all that unique a hobby, and Todd Marinovich is far from the only athlete to enjoy painting. Also, if you were to ask Marinovich, painting would be a far more primary activity than playing sports.

He is on the list though, because it is a great story and at some point, painting was a hobby while his life was filled with playing a sport he didn't really love.

If you like this, check out more of his work here.

No. 10: Chad Brown (Herpetology)

Former All-Pro linebacker Chad Brown is a herpetologist. This surprised me, I didn't even know Brown had herpes. Then I discovered herpetology is the study of amphibians and reptiles.

Brown has had a lifelong love affair with snakes. He founded and runs Pro Exotics, an emporium and one of the nation's largest online snake stores.

No. 9: Randy Moss (NASCAR)

When I think Randy Moss, I think NASCAR. Wait, no I don't. That actually seems like a really odd pairing.

Moss isn't racing in NASCAR. He decided that ownership fit him better. Moss, in his usual non-mainstream fashion, didn't even decided to go for the cars. He bought a truck team.

No. 8: Curt Schilling and Doug Glanville (Gaming)

Curt Schilling and Doug Glanville are avid gamers. They aren't the only professional athletes that are, but they may be the only one's whose gaming seeps into their on-the-field rivalry. 

Glanville hit two home runs off of Schilling in Schillings first start against his former team, the Phillies. Glanville said later it was revenge, not for leaving the Phils, but for "leaving his poor dwarven paladin Bingbong to die at the hands of some aviaks."

Schilling now owns his own game-developing company.

No. 7: Chet Lemon (Shell Collecting and Greek Mythology)

Chet Lemon didn't like common answers to common questions.

When asked what his hobbies were, instead of answering the usual golf or hunting, Lemon went unique and told the reporter he enjoyed shell collecting and Greek Mythology.

Lemon later revealed that his hobbies weren't shells or Greek culture as much as it was having fun with questions.

No. 6: Ron Artest (Ron Being Ron)

Artest is a man of many hobbies. As you can see in the pic, he enjoys driving the world's greatest go-carts on city streets.

He also owns his own recording company and performs his own songs.

Lately, Artest has been devoting a lot of time into helping the advancement of mental health for children.

No. 5: Herschel Walker (Everything)

Herschel Walker is a man of many personalities and each one seems to have its own hobby.

Herschel also does not like to do things at half-speed. When Walker does something, he usually does it well.

Walker is currently a 1-0 MMA fighter, he competed in the Olympics on the bobsled team and he has performed in professional ballets.

No. 4: Terrell Owens (Reality TV)

Terrell Owens loves him some him and he is pretty sure the rest of the world will, too. At this point, you can't really blame the guy.

Cable stations are seemingly granting him any reality TV show idea he can come up with. I can't wait for T.O.'s reality show about being on reality shows.

No. 3: Shaquille O'Neal (Law Enforcement)

Shaq is a man of many interests. He acts (or tries to), raps, makes TV shows, goes to broadcasting school and law enforcement.

Shaq competed 1,200 hours of training and he is actually a reserve Miami Beach Police Officer.

No. 2: Deron Williams (Cliff Jumping)

Deron Williams probably appreciates his hobby a lot more than the rest of the people in the Utah Jazz organization.

Williams likes to do exotic dives off cliffs. Not exactly the safest hobby, but one of the more adventurous and unique.

No. 1: Mike Tyson (Pigeon Raising and Racing)

It's the classic story of a hard-hitting, ear-biting, children-eating man who has a lifelong love affair with pigeons. 'Iron' Mike  has devoted much of his life to raising racing pigeons.

Tyson used to skip school to escape bullies while seeking out the solace and comfort of pigeons. He has raised his own pigeons for years and Tyson is now ready to put out a reality show about racing them.