"The Khabib Nurmagomedov - Conor McGregor super fight left everyone with one thought: What the hell did we just watch? It was one of the craziest events in recent sports history..." -- Miles De Rosa
The Khabib Nurmagomedov - Conor McGregor super fight left everyone with one thought: What the hell did we just watch? It was one of the craziest events in recent sports history, and it had quite a bit of lead up: McGregor blitzing Nurmagomedov’s team on their bus back in April, the jabs thrown in the pre-fight press conference, and the anticipation engineered by the UFC all fueled the post fight brawl.
Almost immediately after submitting McGregor in round 4, Nurmagomedov jumped into the crowd and went after a heckling McGregor team member who, apparently, spoke against his family, his religion, and his country. In return, two members of Nurmagomedov’s team hopped out of the crowd and into the ring, one of them landing a punch in the back of McGregor’s head.
This insanity recalls some of the other moments in sports history where an event conducted with fluidity and beauty devolves into unorganized mayhem. For this, we will be excluding things that happened in the course of competition, e.g. Doc Ellis throwing a no hitter on LSD, or the Red Sox coming back from 0-3 against the Yankees in 04. Though crazy, both were just people playing the game. This list is about the craziest things that have happened to disrupt competition, or resulting from it. Let’s get into it, here are the five craziest moments in sports history.
Almost immediately after submitting McGregor in round 4, Nurmagomedov jumped into the crowd and went after a heckling McGregor team member who, apparently, spoke against his family, his religion, and his country. In return, two members of Nurmagomedov’s team hopped out of the crowd and into the ring, one of them landing a punch in the back of McGregor’s head.
This insanity recalls some of the other moments in sports history where an event conducted with fluidity and beauty devolves into unorganized mayhem. For this, we will be excluding things that happened in the course of competition, e.g. Doc Ellis throwing a no hitter on LSD, or the Red Sox coming back from 0-3 against the Yankees in 04. Though crazy, both were just people playing the game. This list is about the craziest things that have happened to disrupt competition, or resulting from it. Let’s get into it, here are the five craziest moments in sports history.
Honorable MEntion: Andres Escobar Shot After Own Goal
The only reason this didn’t make the list is because it didn’t happen on the field of play or even during the game. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about it. In the 80’s and 90’s, Colombian soccer was controlled and financed by drugs. Colombian drug lords, mainly Pablo Escobar, helped finance Colombian teams and supported the national team in it’s World Cup efforts. Drug Lords were also heavily involved in gambling on the games.
In 1994, the Colombian national team was expected to make noise in the world cup, but were unfortunately eliminated by the host nation, United States, losing 2-1 in the qualifying round. The deciding goal came in the 34th minute of the game, when Colombian defensemen Andres Escobar attempted to pass back to his goalie. But he unintentionally misdirected him and the ball rolled passed him and into the back of the net.
After the team returned home, Escobar was put on high alert by local police, warning him to stay in his house until things cooled down. He ignored them, going out drinking with his friends. At the bar, he got into an altercation with a man, baiting him about the goal. Afterwards, he decided it was time to go.
Walking out the car park he was confronted by a few men who had lost a small fortune on the game. They berated him about the mistake and when he tried to defend himself, they shot him multiple times. This incident was one of the most shocking in World Cup history, and tainted the international community's’ view of Colombia.
In 1994, the Colombian national team was expected to make noise in the world cup, but were unfortunately eliminated by the host nation, United States, losing 2-1 in the qualifying round. The deciding goal came in the 34th minute of the game, when Colombian defensemen Andres Escobar attempted to pass back to his goalie. But he unintentionally misdirected him and the ball rolled passed him and into the back of the net.
After the team returned home, Escobar was put on high alert by local police, warning him to stay in his house until things cooled down. He ignored them, going out drinking with his friends. At the bar, he got into an altercation with a man, baiting him about the goal. Afterwards, he decided it was time to go.
Walking out the car park he was confronted by a few men who had lost a small fortune on the game. They berated him about the mistake and when he tried to defend himself, they shot him multiple times. This incident was one of the most shocking in World Cup history, and tainted the international community's’ view of Colombia.
Number Five: Disco Demolition night At Comiskey Park
In 1979, the poorly performing Chicago White Sox were owned by the eccentric entrepreneurial spirit, Bill Veek. Veek was notorious for hair-brained promotional ideas (such as squirrel night), but even for this promotional genius, this was too far. The White Sox sold tickets for a dollar to this double header against Detroit, as long as you brought a disco record to be blown up on field between games. They also sold beer for ninety cents a cup.
So to recap: cheap alcohol, a bad home team, and explosions. This has to go well, right? Shockingly, after local rock D.J. Steve Dahl lit the fuse and blew up the box of records -- sending cardboard and pieces of vinyl everywhere over the field -- fans threw bottles and firecrackers onto the field. After that, fans rushed the field. They brawled with police, lit small fires, kids climbed the foul poles, fans tried to break into the clubhouse, and players armed themselves with bats in the dugouts.
After the brawl was brought back under control, the White Sox were forced to forfeit the second game. All that, on top of the racist, sexist, and homophobic undertones of a disco demolition night in the first place, made this event an all around nightmare.
So to recap: cheap alcohol, a bad home team, and explosions. This has to go well, right? Shockingly, after local rock D.J. Steve Dahl lit the fuse and blew up the box of records -- sending cardboard and pieces of vinyl everywhere over the field -- fans threw bottles and firecrackers onto the field. After that, fans rushed the field. They brawled with police, lit small fires, kids climbed the foul poles, fans tried to break into the clubhouse, and players armed themselves with bats in the dugouts.
After the brawl was brought back under control, the White Sox were forced to forfeit the second game. All that, on top of the racist, sexist, and homophobic undertones of a disco demolition night in the first place, made this event an all around nightmare.
Number Four: The Fan Man
Riddick Bowe v. Evander Holyfield was ticketed as the fight of the year. Bowe had taken Holyfield’s title. Holyfield wanted it back. In round 7, it was interrupted. James Miller, now known as “The Fan Man” flew his powered paraglider into the open-air Caesars Palace arena, landing in the ring. He delayed the fight for 21 minutes as he was beaten to an unconscious pulp by security and ringside spectators and then sped to the hospital.
Miller claims his landing was accidental, but the video says otherwise. He also was banned from England, the whole country, from landing with his paraglider on the roof of Buckingham palace. Whether or not it was an accident doesn’t change his hilarious interruption of what was a very serious fight. He was later quoted as saying “It was a heavyweight fight and I was the only one who got knocked out.”
Holyfield won by decision, but who really cares? Tyson was better than either of them anyways.
Miller claims his landing was accidental, but the video says otherwise. He also was banned from England, the whole country, from landing with his paraglider on the roof of Buckingham palace. Whether or not it was an accident doesn’t change his hilarious interruption of what was a very serious fight. He was later quoted as saying “It was a heavyweight fight and I was the only one who got knocked out.”
Holyfield won by decision, but who really cares? Tyson was better than either of them anyways.
Number Three: Cleveland Indians Ten Cent Beer Night
More cheap alcohol—sensing a theme? To draw fans to the yard in 1974, the Indians ownership offered fans as much beer as they could drink for ten cents a pop on June 4th. Oh, also the hometown Indians were playing the Texas Rangers whom they had a bench clearing brawl with earlier that week. Tensions were high, people were drunk, and it didn’t go well.
The Rangers jumped out to an early 5-1 lead and the fans were disgruntled, plastered, and ready for madness. One woman jumped the wall, exposed her breasts to the Cleveland Indians dugout from the on deck circle, and tried to kiss the home plate umpire. As Rangers slugger Tom Grieve hit his second home run, a naked man streaked across the field and slid into second base. A father, son duo hopped onto the field and mooned the fans in the outfield bleachers. Fans threw hot dogs at Ranger players and set fireworks off over the Texas dugout.
Then, in the ninth inning, things really went down hill. A fan tried to steal the Rangers’ Jeff Burroughs's hat. He tripped. Rangers manager Billy Martin thought he had been attacked and instructed his players to arm themselves against the fans, some wielding knives, chains, and stadium seats.
The Indians, realizing the Rangers players were in danger, armed themselves as well and went to bat, as it were. Some players with hit in the head with throne chairs, others involved in hand to hand combat with fans. Luckily no one was seriously hurt, but this whole situation was a nightmare. The game was called by the home plate umpire in favor of Texas and everyone went home drunk and unhappy.
The Rangers jumped out to an early 5-1 lead and the fans were disgruntled, plastered, and ready for madness. One woman jumped the wall, exposed her breasts to the Cleveland Indians dugout from the on deck circle, and tried to kiss the home plate umpire. As Rangers slugger Tom Grieve hit his second home run, a naked man streaked across the field and slid into second base. A father, son duo hopped onto the field and mooned the fans in the outfield bleachers. Fans threw hot dogs at Ranger players and set fireworks off over the Texas dugout.
Then, in the ninth inning, things really went down hill. A fan tried to steal the Rangers’ Jeff Burroughs's hat. He tripped. Rangers manager Billy Martin thought he had been attacked and instructed his players to arm themselves against the fans, some wielding knives, chains, and stadium seats.
The Indians, realizing the Rangers players were in danger, armed themselves as well and went to bat, as it were. Some players with hit in the head with throne chairs, others involved in hand to hand combat with fans. Luckily no one was seriously hurt, but this whole situation was a nightmare. The game was called by the home plate umpire in favor of Texas and everyone went home drunk and unhappy.
Number Two: The Malice At The Palace
The Malice at the Palace is easily one of the craziest, scariest, ugliest moments in NBA history. On November 19th of 2004, the Detroit Pistons hosted the Indiana Pacers. It was a rematch from earlier that year, when the Pistons dispatched a battered Pacers team on their way to their first title since the early nineties. The serious is best remembered by a vicious flagrant foul committed by Pacers small forward Ron Artest against the Detroit guard Rip Hamilton.
This was an early statement game for both teams. The Pistons trying to prove that they were still legitimate title contenders, and the Pacers proving they could get over the hump with a healthy team. It was acknowledged by both sides to be an intense rivalry before the game. The Pacers’ Jermaine O’Neal was quoted after word saying, “We did not like each other. It was one of those old school Bulls-Knicks rivalries…”
The game ended up being a blowout. The Pacers iced the game early in the fourth with back to back threes after a Pistons cold shooting streak. Despite this, the game became incredibly chippy. With a 6:43 left in the fourth, Hamilton elbowed the Pacers Jamal Tinsley hard in the back, and the Pacers bench erupted. Then with 1:25 left and the Pistons down by 11, Ben Wallace blocked an Artest lay up, sending him to the floor as he did so. No foul was called. Artest responded on the other end, fouling Wallace under the basket.
Wallace shoved Artest in response, then chased him around the court. Both teams emptied onto the hardwood. Refs struggled to control the situation. As they teams are pushing and shoving Artest decided he needed a break, lying down on the scorer’s table. Here’s were it really hits the fan.
A fan decided to throw a beer at Artest. It hit him, and Artest went charging into the stands, Pacers’ Steven Jackson followed. Artest hit a fan, and then John Green, the man who threw the beer, punched Artest. Fans at this point had spilled onto the court, and Artest followed, returning the hardwood and punching a fan there. A man who Pacer’s forward James O’Neal later hit. Several other players hit fans on there way to the locker room.
This is one of those things you can try to explain but it doesn’t really come through unless you see it, so the link is below. Unfortunately, this ruined the Pacers. Artest (who has since changed his name to Metta World Peace), Jackson, and O’Neal were all suspended indefinitely, turning a potential final contender into a fringe play off team.
Part of what makes this even crazier than the player-fan brawls mentioned earlier was that those fights were kind of the norm for baseball in the 70’s. Baseball in the seventies was infamously ugly. This was basketball in the early 2000’s, and though the style of play was rougher than today, it was no doubt cleaner, more professional. This was completely out of the blue.
This was an early statement game for both teams. The Pistons trying to prove that they were still legitimate title contenders, and the Pacers proving they could get over the hump with a healthy team. It was acknowledged by both sides to be an intense rivalry before the game. The Pacers’ Jermaine O’Neal was quoted after word saying, “We did not like each other. It was one of those old school Bulls-Knicks rivalries…”
The game ended up being a blowout. The Pacers iced the game early in the fourth with back to back threes after a Pistons cold shooting streak. Despite this, the game became incredibly chippy. With a 6:43 left in the fourth, Hamilton elbowed the Pacers Jamal Tinsley hard in the back, and the Pacers bench erupted. Then with 1:25 left and the Pistons down by 11, Ben Wallace blocked an Artest lay up, sending him to the floor as he did so. No foul was called. Artest responded on the other end, fouling Wallace under the basket.
Wallace shoved Artest in response, then chased him around the court. Both teams emptied onto the hardwood. Refs struggled to control the situation. As they teams are pushing and shoving Artest decided he needed a break, lying down on the scorer’s table. Here’s were it really hits the fan.
A fan decided to throw a beer at Artest. It hit him, and Artest went charging into the stands, Pacers’ Steven Jackson followed. Artest hit a fan, and then John Green, the man who threw the beer, punched Artest. Fans at this point had spilled onto the court, and Artest followed, returning the hardwood and punching a fan there. A man who Pacer’s forward James O’Neal later hit. Several other players hit fans on there way to the locker room.
This is one of those things you can try to explain but it doesn’t really come through unless you see it, so the link is below. Unfortunately, this ruined the Pacers. Artest (who has since changed his name to Metta World Peace), Jackson, and O’Neal were all suspended indefinitely, turning a potential final contender into a fringe play off team.
Part of what makes this even crazier than the player-fan brawls mentioned earlier was that those fights were kind of the norm for baseball in the 70’s. Baseball in the seventies was infamously ugly. This was basketball in the early 2000’s, and though the style of play was rougher than today, it was no doubt cleaner, more professional. This was completely out of the blue.
Number One: Monica Seles Stabbed
In 1993, Monica Seles (left) was 19 years old and was already the undisputed number one tennis player in the world. Seles was set to rival Steffi Graf for the title of best Tennis player in the world throughout the nineties and into the 2000’s. But she didn’t.
On April 30th of that year, Seles was playing against Magdalena Maleeva in Germany. She was up 4-3 in the second set, having already won the first, and was in control of the match. It was during the change-over that Gunter Parche -- an unemployed, 38 year old, Steffi Graf super fan -- leaned over the short wall and stabbed Seles with a nine inch blade, taking the rivalry between the two into his own hands.
Seles was relatively lucky. The incision was only about an inch and a half deep and fellow spectators and security managed to restrain the man before he could lunge again, but the damage had been done. It would be over two years until Seles returned to win only one more major. Without a check on her power, Steffi Graf obliterated women’s tennis, collecting twenty-two majors on her way to becoming one of the most celebrated tennis players of all time.
Seles’ stabbing not only altered her life, but it altered the entire landscape of her sport. Making this the craziest moment in sports history.
On April 30th of that year, Seles was playing against Magdalena Maleeva in Germany. She was up 4-3 in the second set, having already won the first, and was in control of the match. It was during the change-over that Gunter Parche -- an unemployed, 38 year old, Steffi Graf super fan -- leaned over the short wall and stabbed Seles with a nine inch blade, taking the rivalry between the two into his own hands.
Seles was relatively lucky. The incision was only about an inch and a half deep and fellow spectators and security managed to restrain the man before he could lunge again, but the damage had been done. It would be over two years until Seles returned to win only one more major. Without a check on her power, Steffi Graf obliterated women’s tennis, collecting twenty-two majors on her way to becoming one of the most celebrated tennis players of all time.
Seles’ stabbing not only altered her life, but it altered the entire landscape of her sport. Making this the craziest moment in sports history.