The Worst Celebrations in Sports

On this slideshow, we're going to cele-berate.

If you thought that pun was bad, just wait until you see some of the worst fails in celebration history. Some end in injury. Some end in embarrassment. Some are incredibly premature. And all of them were done in poor judgment.

If nothing else, this slideshow will reinforce the notion that you should act like you've been there before. Because being boring would be much better than failing like these celebrations did.

30. Somebody Catch Meeeee....Ouch

What his thought process must have been:

Okay, it will look super-awesome if I celebrate by crowd-surfing on my own teammates. They'll love it, I'll love it, the crowd will love it, everyone is going to love it. Here I go...

...Umpf. Oh god, I hurt everywhere. Maybe I should make sure my teammates see me coming next time.

29. Hello There, Grass

I call this celebration "The Ostrich."

28. Duck, Duck, Blue Bomber

There is a part of me that thinks this is clever, and pretty cool in a nostalgic way.

But every time I watch it, I can't get over how foolish these guys look.

So no, I can't endorse this celebration for anyone over the age of 12.

27. The Funky Merton Hanks Dance

You say "Funky Chicken Dance," I say "The Walking Seizure."

For heaven's sake, let's call the whole thing off.

26. Terrell Owens and the Dallas Star

I enjoyed many of TO's old touchdown celebrations—I thought they were fun.

This, however, was poor sportsmanship. It's one thing to do your shtick in the end zone; it's quite another to run across the field, attract the ire and attention of the entire stadium, and attempt to lay claim to the beloved (vile) Dallas star.

Much as I hate the Cowboys, this one wasn't cool, TO.

25. B.J. Raji

Some things you can't un-see.

24. Warren "Beyonce" Sapp

Avert your eyes!

I've heard of junk in the trunk, but that, ladies and gentlemen, is like having a landfill in the trunk.

23. Drew Stanton

Drew Stanton—doing nothing to disprove the stereotype that white men can't dance with this touchdown celebration.

22. Nate Robinson

This video is so awesome.

What is especially funny to me is that Robinson can jump over Dwight Howard, but he eats it trying to celebrate with Paul Pierce.

21. Hot Potato, but with a Trophy

And to this day, she is terrified of winning.

20. Kelley Washington

What the hell just happened?

Even Chad Johnson—he wasn't Ochocinco yet—was surprised at what he was seeing.

19. Marion Barber Backflip Fail

And thus begins a run of failed backflips. We get our first gem from early October.

Of course, Barber was pleased with his effort.

18. Backflip Fail No. 1

KO by celebration.

If you can't enjoy your victory because you are unconscious due to your celebration, you might be an idiot.

I take that back—you are definitely an idiot.

17. Hey, MMA Fighters Get Hit in the Head a Lot

His coaches warned him not to do his patented "Belly Flop Celebration."

And he listened. Sort of.

16. Fabian Espindola

Espindola failed here on two accounts. From Deadspin:

"

There were only two problems: first he was offsides, second, he broke his leg on the flip.

"

So he not only had his goal disallowed, but he also hurt himself on the play. That's just embarrassing.

15. Ride 'em, Cardinal!

There are layers of disturbing images from this video.

See if you catch them all!

14. That's One Way To Crash the Boards

The defense couldn't contain him. The goalie couldn't block his shot. The boards couldn't withstand the force of his celebration.

He was literally unstoppable.

13. I Would Have Definitely Called Unsportsmanlike Conduct

For the rest of the game, that referee spoke at the same pitch as the tweet of his whistle.

12. That's One Way to Hail a Cab

This was different than the reaction of Phillies fans this postseason, when many of them simply stood in traffic and waited for a vehicle to end their misery.

11. Kwok Kin Pong

Nothing says "Great goal, man!" like cleating your teammate in the face.

10. Gus Frerotte

"Me Gus Frerotte! Me score touchdown! Me cannot contain my excitement! Me head-butt this wall!"

"Me go to hospital now."

9. Bill Gramatica

What do you call a kicker who tears his ACL after celebrating a routine field goal?

A dummy, blockhead, chump, clown, dimwit, dolt, dope, dumbbell, dunce, fool, imbecile, lame-brain, lout, oaf, simpleton, moron, boob, dingbat, dork, halfwit, idiot, ignoramus, loony, loser, nerd, simpleton and my personal favorite, a Gramatica.

8. Mark Gastineau

When you are remembered—in a video honoring your skill set, mind you—as a dancing fool that enraged opponents with your celebrations, well, you deserve a place on this list.

And that dance—good lord, what was that dance about, my man?

7. What Are You Doing, Adam Bobrow?

Tragically hilarious.

On one hand, it's pretty entertaining. On the other, you just know he had already come to grips with his inevitable defeat. Either way, those moves deserve to be on this list.

6. Hey, Look at Our Troph...Oh, Crap

Here's what the coveted Copa Del Rey trophy—the first time Real Madrid has earned the trophy in 18 years—looked like after this incident.

Personally, I think the trophy took a flop.

5. Mexican Mock-Execution

We get the story of this ill-conceived celebration from the Los Angeles Times:

"

That's how Guadalajara star Marco Fabian marked his first of three goals on Saturday in the Chivas' 5-2 win over crosstown squad Estudiantes Tecos. He stopped before teammate Alberto Medina, pointed his finger and mimicked the cocking of a pistol, and then "fired" at Medina, who played along by falling back onto the turf as if executed by a gunshot to the head.

Watch video of the incident. One Spanish-language broadcaster is heard remarking, "Well, all the beauty of their goal was just ruined with the celebration." 

Critics slammed Fabian's mock execution on the playing field. Dubbing it a "celebración de sicario," or "hit man's celebration," commentators said the stunt made an unfortunate reference to Mexico's convulsive drug war, in which brutal executions are a daily reality in many parts of the country (link in Spanish).

"

He really shot himself in the foot with this celebration.

4. DUMB

I like to call this celebration, "The Drunk Man."

3. Pride Before the Goal

He who gloats will be the goat.

Especially if he walks away from his own goal while the ball rolls in.

2. Ziggy Palffy

And you thought it was only in baseball that a player reached first base.

1. Don't Count Your Chickens Before They've Hatched

Or before the final buzzer, for that matter.

My name is Timothy Rapp, and I put the "grrrr" in Swagger.