Yardbarker
x
The 50 most bizarre sports moments of 2018
David Dow/Getty Images

The 50 most bizarre sports moments of 2018

The sports world, for all its seriousness, is often theater of the bizarre. There are plenty of events that make you scratch your head, and with social media's reach, most any strange occurrence goes viral, and quickly. From mascots, to strange plays, to painful mishaps, to inexplicable coaching decisions, 2018 had it all. Let's take a look at some of the most bizarre sports moments of the year.

 
1 of 50

A cloak and dagger confrontation or much ado about nothing?

A cloak and dagger confrontation or much ado about nothing?
Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

The Rockets and Clippers had some beef, mainly concerning Chris Paul, who had jumped from L.A. to Houston after the previous season. First reports of the incident suggested that after a heated, tension-filled game, several Rockets players, including Paul and Trevor Ariza, utilized what was characterized as a "secret tunnel" to gain entry to the Clippers' locker room. Was the tunnel actually secret? Not according to many other NBA players. Was the beef almost certainly overblown? Subsequent reports suggested as much. Are either of those elements to the story as fun to think about as an actual secret tunnel and some spy movie misdirection? Of course not.

 
2 of 50

An ignominious end for an impressive NHL streak

An ignominious end for an impressive NHL streak
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Hockey is a tough sport to play. It's a very tough sport to play consistently. And it's an exceptionally tough sport to play night in and night out without a day off. Andrew Cogliano of the Ducks saw his 830-game consecutive games streak, one that encapsulated his entire NHL career, end in mid-January when he received a two-game suspension for a hit on the Kings' Adrian Kempe. Cogliano only missed those two contests all season, and so far has not missed a game this year. Cal Ripken deciding on his own to take a day off, it wasn't.

 
3 of 50

Steve Kerr makes the old "meant it as a DM" mistake

Steve Kerr makes the old "meant it as a DM" mistake
Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Warriors' head coach rarely screws things up, but to his credit, he owns it when he does. Kerr tweeted out, "It's an embarrassment. I think the league is so happy with all the scoring that it doesn't want to enforce stuff like that." He was referencing the myriad and sometimes dubious tactics James Harden uses to get to the free throw line, and when asked about it, had a good sense of humor, laughing all the while. He also got the last laugh, too, as the Dubs bounced the Rockets in seven games in the Western Conference Finals. 

 
4 of 50

Belichick benches Butler, botches (Super) Bowl

Belichick benches Butler, botches (Super) Bowl
Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Bill Belichick is deservedly venerated for his coaching skills. There is an argument to be made that he is the greatest coach in football, and possibly professional sports, history. That's why his decision to bench Malcolm Butler for Super Bowl LII is so bizarre. There was no good explanation for it, and Belichick's defense got eviscerated for 41 points by a backup quarterback. Most of the damage was done through the air, as well. Belichick's decision got shredded, and the lack of a truly good reason for it made the story all the more strange.

 
5 of 50

Marcus Smart suffers an injury so weird it should have happened to a baseball player

Marcus Smart suffers an injury so weird it should have happened to a baseball player
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Smart is one of the NBA's toughest players, and it is that hard-nosed reputation that makes him popular with fans. Still, his intensity got the best of him and he took a swipe at a hotel picture frame, cutting his hand and keeping him out of action for two weeks. It wasn't him falling up stairs, or sneezing his way into broken ribs, but it would absolutely make more sense if Smart was a shortstop and not a shooting guard. Oh, and the incident sustained the unbeaten winning streak that inanimate objects have had over angry humans since the beginning of time.

 
6 of 50

Fergie's national anthem performance leaves NBA stars cringing

Fergie's national anthem performance leaves NBA stars cringing
Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Singing the national anthem at any major sporting event is a big honor, albeit a pressure-packed one. Fergie's performance at the 2018 NBA All-Star Game did not go over as she intended. The Black Eyed Peas singer did a slowed down, "jazzy" version of the song, and it was awkward enough that several of the players in the game, notably Draymond Green, could not keep a straight face during the performance. The reaction was negative enough that the singer later apologized for her performance.

 
7 of 50

Every Markelle Fultz jump shot

Every Markelle Fultz jump shot
Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Fultz is pictured here shooting a layup, which, along with dunking, hasn't been an issue for him this season. Every other type of shot, however, has. The 2017 number one overall pick has been plagued by health issues almost from the moment he was picked by Philly, and his free throw and jump shooting form has vacillated between awkward and flat-out painful to watch. Fultz was diagnosed with neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome, which is treatable, and the Sixers think that this will finally cure his shooting woes and allow him to unlock his full potential. Others think he has the "yips," and that his shooting issues are mental in nature. Whenever Fultz does return, his shooting form will be one of the biggest stories in the NBA.

 
8 of 50

Grayson Allen keeps trying to trip people — or does he?

Grayson Allen keeps trying to trip people — or does he?
Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

Allen was the Duke villain we all love to hate. It truly angered people that he was both very good at basketball, and very good at pouting and playing in a seemingly dirty manner. While some thought his tripping ways were behind him, he seemed to stick out a leg to try and knock Virginia's Kyle Guy off-balance during an ACC showdown, and also more or less butt-checked a North Carolina player during the ACC Tournament. Oh, and Allen also slapped away Guy's hand when both players took a tumble in the very same game where he tried to trip Guy. Whether any of the trips were intentional, they were wonderful fodder for the many Duke haters around the country.

 
9 of 50

NBA stars — they get hung over, just like us!

NBA stars — they get hung over, just like us!
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

The Warriors are two-time defending champs, and before they won their second straight title, they took time to celebrate superstar guard Stephen Curry's 30th birthday. Apparently, Golden State parties as well as they play, because the team canceled practice the following day. Perhaps the best part of the story is that head coach Steve Kerr was caught on video showing off some dance moves. Players living it up in the middle of the season? That's one thing. The head coach getting in on the action? That's an altogether different matter. 

 
10 of 50

Salvador Perez tears his MCL

Salvador Perez tears his MCL
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Baseball always seems to be the domain of strange injuries, and 2018 was no exception. Royals catcher Sal Perez was carrying a suitcase up the steps in his Kansas City home when he slipped and heard his knee pop. The torn MCL, which happened just before Opening Day, kept Perez out almost the entire month of April. Incredibly enough, given the litany of bizarre accidents that have befallen baseball players throughout history, Perez's seems downright tame by comparison.

 
11 of 50

Scott Foster delivers a spectacular "emergency" performance

Scott Foster delivers a spectacular "emergency" performance
Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Sometimes strange and bizarre sports stories are fun and happy, and that was the case with Foster, an accountant by trade. He was the Blackhawks' emergency goalie for a game against Winnipeg, and while the emergency goalie is never supposed to play, Foster was pressed into duty after Collin Delia, the only other goalie on the roster, was injured in the third period. Foster played the rest of the game, and he was tremendous, stopping all seven shots he faced from the high-flying Jets, and finishing off a 6-2 Chicago win that may well have been the emotional high point of their otherwise woeful season.

 
12 of 50

Anthony Davis is bad at April Fool's jokes

Anthony Davis is bad at April Fool's jokes
Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Davis, the Pelicans' all-world forward, pretended in a video to shave off what has become his trademark uni-brow. The effort was there, but there were precisely zero people convinced that he actually did what he was threatening to do. The whole thing was, dare I say, fairly awkward, extremely suspect, and little more than a fairly obvious marketing ploy for an energy drink company. The whole thing seemed forced and generally "corporate" enough to be weird. Memo to Davis: in the future, throw soup if you want to make headlines.

 
13 of 50

James Paxton gets attacked by a bald eagle

James Paxton gets attacked by a bald eagle
Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Paxton has quietly been one of baseball's better pitchers for the past few seasons now, but he's a Canadian-born athlete, and before an April 5th game against the Twins, a bald eagle--what else--apparently took exception to that fact, and landed on Paxton's shoulder. Oh, and he was the scheduled starting pitcher that day. If you've ever seen a bald eagle's claws up close, you know that they are nothing to be trifled with. Paxton, to his credit, kept his cool and didn't freak out. He did not, however, get the win, as the Twins won, 4-2.

 
14 of 50

Andre Ingram's odd, awesome NBA debut

Andre Ingram's odd, awesome NBA debut
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Sometimes the strangest stories can be the best ones, and there's nothing ordinary about a 32-year-old Andre Ingram making his NBA debut with the Lakers after nearly four hundred games in the NBA's D and G Leagues. Ingram spent time working as a math tutor while pursuing his hoop dream, and against the Rockets, he finally got his chance—and he made the most of it, knocking down four three-pointers en route to a 19-point effort. The Lakers lost, 105-99, but the story of the night was Ingram.

 
15 of 50

Alex Bregman notches two very unimpressive walk-offs

Alex Bregman notches two very unimpressive walk-offs
Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports

Alex Bregman had a huge year for Houston, but two of his walk-off winners were anything but impressive. First, in an April 7th game against the Padres, the Astros had the winning run at second with two outs in the tenth inning. Bregman hit a pop-up right in front of the pitcher's mound that somehow wasn't caught, giving Houston a win. On July 10th, he hit a two-out dribbler down the first base line that was bobbled by Oakland's Jonathan Lucroy, who then hit Bregman's helmet with a rushed throw, which allowed Kyle Tucker to score the winning run.

 
16 of 50

The Ball family takes Lithuania — sort of

The Ball family takes Lithuania — sort of
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

LaVar Ball has tried to market all of his sons as the next big thing in basketball, but the problem so far is that only Lonzo has had the talent to deliver, even to some degree, on the elder Ball's promises. The patriarch of the family decided to take his younger sons, LiAngelo and LaMelo, to Lithuania to have them play in a professional league there. Their stay was mostly viewed as a sideshow curiosity, and ended after a few months, with LiAngelo having acquitted himself well enough, but LaMelo having drawn less than rave reviews. LaVar Ball, for his part, cited a disagreement with the head coach, and nothing more, as the reason he took his sons back stateside. 

 
17 of 50

J.R. Smith gets himself in hot water, or more appropriately hot soup, with the Cavs

J.R. Smith gets himself in hot water, or more appropriately hot soup, with the Cavs
Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

Unfortunately for Smith, this wouldn't be the most embarrassing incident of 2018, as his NBA Finals gaffe would overshadow an incident with former Cavs player-turned coach Damon Jones. Smith earned a one-game suspension for throwing a bowl of soup at Jones, which seems like something that is at once a serious show of disrespect, an incident utterly worthy of a one game suspension, but also something completely believable, and very, very funny.

 
18 of 50

Jon Lester utilizes an interesting strategy for overcoming the yips

Jon Lester utilizes an interesting strategy for overcoming the yips
Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

It's very odd, right? A pitcher, a man paid to throw a ball very hard, and very accurately, against people trying to hit that ball even harder, should be able to make a simple toss to first base. Chicago ace Jon Lester simply couldn't do it. Pickoff throws were impossible for him, and base stealers were having a field day, as well as batters who decided to bunt to reach base, so Lester went extreme. He decided to bounce throws to first base--on purpose. And the strangest thing of all? For the most part, it worked.

 
19 of 50

Kawhi Leonard's injury saga

Kawhi Leonard's injury saga
Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

First, the Spurs announced that Leonard would miss the preseason with something called "right quadriceps tendinopathy," then, Leonard missed about two months of the season before finally coming back in December. He played nine games total. Leonard never plays another game for the Spurs, while teammate Tony Parker and head coach Gregg Popovich don't exactly bend over backwards to cover for the star forward. In the off-season, Leonard is traded to Toronto, where he immediately regains his all-world form. As of this writing, he has missed his last two games, however, so stay tuned.

 
20 of 50

Mitt Romney, rowdy fan

Mitt Romney, rowdy fan
Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images

When you think Mitt Romney what words come to mind? Stoic? Perhaps staid, calm, and reserved? Romney was none of those things during the Jazz's playoff series against the Thunder. The politician, who won a Senate seat in Utah in November, was campaigning early, and effectively, by taunting Russell Westbrook after the star guard picked up his fourth foul late in the second quarter of Game 4 of their first-round matchup. Not exactly the most dignified behavior for a senator, and certainly jarring to see, but it no doubt curried plenty of favor with Utah voters—and Jazz fans.

 
21 of 50

Out of jail and immediately to mid-court for Meek Mill

Out of jail and immediately to mid-court for Meek Mill
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia rapper had a beef with Drake, but then found himself in jail for probation violations, with his incarceration a cause celebre, especially in the NBA universe. On April 24, Mill was released from prison, and was flown to the Wells Fargo Center by Sixers owner Michael Rubin--by helicopter, no less--to the arena so that he could ring the team's mock Liberty Bell before their playoff game against the Heat. The story was a little strange, a little surreal, but if you were a fan of the SIxers or Mill's cause, indisputably cool.

 
22 of 50

Kendrick Perkins and Drake start a battle, because of course they do

Kendrick Perkins and Drake start a battle, because of course they do
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Does Kendrick Perkins look like the kind of guy you'd want to start trouble with? The answer, of course, is no. That didn't stop Drake, a huge Toronto Raptors fan, from talking trash to Perkins at halftime of a Raptors-Cavaliers playoff game. The two jawed back and forth, and eventually the NBA ended up issuing a warning to Drake to not engage in any more shenanigans. That was probably for the hip hop superstar's own good, too, because he's giving up approximately a foot and probably close to 100 pounds to Perkins, who also happens to be, you know, a professional athlete.

 
23 of 50

Brad Marchand, serial licker

Brad Marchand, serial licker
Rick Madonik/Toronto Star via Getty Images

Marchand has a reputation as arguably the NHL's most annoying pest. He's definitely its most talented, and in 2018 he took the crown as its weirdest. Marchand repeatedly stoked controversy by getting himself into scrums with opponents, and licking them in close quarters. One "victim" of this tactic was Toronto's Leo Komarov, who also received a kiss on the cheek from Marchand earlier in the season, and the other was Tampa Bay's Ryan Callahan. Things got weird enough that the NHL issued what amounted to a "cease and desist" order to Marchand ordering him to stop all licking or risk fines and a possible suspension. The preceding sentence was as odd to type as I'm assuming it was to read.

 
24 of 50

Timing is everything for the Raptors' social media team

Timing is everything for the Raptors' social media team
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Sending a tweet congratulating your team's coach for being a Coach of the Year finalist seems like a good idea, right? A layup for your social media team, you might say. It would be, unless that coach was the very same one that your team had just fired five days prior, after he was the victim of a conference finals sweep by the Cavaliers. That's what happened with the Raptors and Dwane Casey. Whoever runs Toronto's Twitter account sent out a very sincere-seeming, congratulatory tweet lauding Casey, which would have been fine except for the whole, "the team just fired him" thing. 

 
25 of 50

Bryan Colangelo's burner accounts

Bryan Colangelo's burner accounts
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Colangelo, at the time the president of basketball operations for the 76ers, was the subject of a "too weird to be fake" story on The Ringer, which theorized, with plenty of compelling evidence, that Colangelo operated several "burner" Twitter accounts, which he used to comment both on the Sixers and some of their players, as well as former Philly GM Sam Hinkie, and Toronto GM Masai Ujiri. Eventually, Colangelo's wife, Barbara Bottini, admitted to running the accounts, though many still believed Colangelo himself to be the source of her information. Barely a month after the story ran, Colangelo resigned his post.

 
26 of 50

J.R. Smith forgets the score, deflates the Cavs

J.R. Smith forgets the score, deflates the Cavs
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Game 1 of the NBA Finals was unexpectedly competitive thanks to a herculean effort from LeBron James. George Hill went to the line with the Cavs down one and four seconds left. He calmly made the first free throw to tie the game, then missed the second. J.R. Smith got the rebound, and was in position for a game winning putback attempt...but he thought the Cavs were winning, and tried to dribble out the clock instead. James looked like he wanted to throttle his teammate, Smith looked genuinely baffled, and of course, the Warriors won in overtime on their way to a series sweep.

 
27 of 50

Multiple NBA players are conspiracy theorists, or are really bad at making jokes

Multiple NBA players are conspiracy theorists, or are really bad at making jokes
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

First, it was Kyrie Irving. The Celtics guard, as far back as February 2017, claimed to believe that the earth was flat. He was, of course, pilloried for his comments, but didn't back away from them, until many months later, when he eventually, and sheepishly, relented. No one is still sure about whether he was kidding or not. Then, in December 2018, Stephen Curry suggested that the Moon landing had been faked. Curry was, not surprisingly, also ripped for his comments, but perhaps having learned from Irving's bad example, he quickly made it clear that he was just kidding. 

 
28 of 50

The Ottawa Senators melt down in every way imaginable

The Ottawa Senators melt down in every way imaginable
Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports

The Senators were one goal away from the Stanley Cup Final in 2017. In 2018, they were an unmitigated disaster. Things got so bad that owner Eugene Melnyk threatened to move the team the day before they played in a high-profile outdoor game. To make matters worse, that very same owner announced a plan to strip the team down to spare parts. The strangest and ugliest part of their 2018 came when one of the team's leading scorers had to be traded amidst allegations that his fiancee harassed Karlsson's wife after the death of their infant son. Oh, and Karlsson was traded not too long after the incident, for pennies on the dollar. All in all, very weird and very bad for Ottawa fans.

 
29 of 50

The Vegas Golden Knights take the NHL by storm

The Vegas Golden Knights take the NHL by storm
Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Expansion things are supposed to be a few things, but "bad" is always tops on the list. It just doesn't make sense for a team to come into existence and immediately start kicking butt all over the league, but that's exactly what the Vegas Golden Knights did. Their fast start was at first a mostly ignored curiosity, then a sort of surreal sustained story, and finally an acknowledged great season. The bizarre factor? How about William Karlsson exploding as a 40-goal scorer after never having topped nine in a single season prior to 2017-18? Or really, how about everything that happened with this team, up to and especially including them being three wins away from hoisting the Stanley Cup?

 
30 of 50

Steven Brault sings the national anthem for the Pirates--and acquits himself quite nicely

Steven Brault sings the national anthem for the Pirates--and acquits himself quite nicely
Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

Brault is a left-handed pitcher for the Bucs, and while he had a decent year, his contributions on the mound went mostly unnoticed. But where Fergie failed, Brault largely succeeded. He sang the national anthem before a Pirates game, and received mostly rave reviews for his performance. He was also remarkably analytical afterwards when talking about his approach to the song, seemingly suggesting that he had done a lot of prep work. If this pitching thing doesn't work out, it seems that Brault may have a second career lined up.

 
31 of 50

Larry Fedora states that football is "under attack"

Larry Fedora states that football is "under attack"
Nell Redmond-USA TODAY Sports

Fedora seemed to lament a focus on player safety when he suggested that the sport would be unrecognizable in ten years, and also suggested that there wasn't a definitive link between football and CTE. Oh, and he also linked "attacks" on football to the potential downfall of America. Somehow, these ACC Media Day comments did not represent the low point of Fedora's 2018, because his Tar Heels went 2-9, were one of the worst Power 5 teams in the country, and cost him his job. Fedora was fired shortly after the season ended.

 
32 of 50

Jimmy Garoppolo's dinner date makes headlines

Jimmy Garoppolo's dinner date makes headlines
Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

Garoppolo became one of the Bay Area's most eligible bachelors when he signed a mega-deal with the 49ers. With such status comes newfound fame, certainly unlike what he dealt with playing in Tom Brady's shadow. That's why his date with adult film star Kiara Mia, which would be a somewhat noteworthy, but otherwise unremarkable event, grabbed tons of headlines across every major sports web site. The good news for Garoppolo was that Mia termed him a perfect gentleman, and a wonderful companion for the evening. 

 
33 of 50

Steph Curry plays on the Web.com Tour and is remarkably good at it

Steph Curry plays on the Web.com Tour and is remarkably good at it
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Curry played in this year's Ellie Mae Classic, after having shot 74-74 in the event last year. The first round this year? A one-over 71, and a near hole-out at one point in the round. The courses on the Web.com Tour are not as tough as what PGA Tour pros play, and scores are always incredibly low, but Curry shooting 71 on a course hosting professionals is both exceptionally impressive and jarringly weird. Weird as in, "a pro athlete whose expertise is in another sport should not be this good at golf." Curry ballooned in his second round, but who cares? A 71 is a 71.

 
34 of 50

Jalen Ramsey riles up NHL stars

Jalen Ramsey riles up NHL stars
Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

Nothing angers up hockey fans like the suggestion that their sport is not a major attraction. Apparently, nothing riles up hockey players like the maybe-probably-but really who knows declaration by Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey that he could likely make it in the NHL if he was given six months to learn the sport. Predictably, while a few players took the comment for what it was, which was a fairly absurd but harmless statement, many felt Ramsey was directly attacking the sport. The real story here is that it would make for riveting theater if Ramsey actually tried to make good on what he said.

 
35 of 50

Christian Yelich tortures the Reds

Christian Yelich tortures the Reds
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

The Reds were awful for most of the year, and no one player tortured them more than National League MVP Christian Yelich of the Brewers. Yelich hit for the cycle not once, but twice against Cincinnati, and he did so in the span of three weeks. The first game, on August 29th, saw him go 6-for-6, and the second contest, on September 17th, was a 4-for-4 effort. If you're scoring at home, that's 10-for-10 with two doubles, two triples, two home runs and seven RBI in two games. Not bad.

 
36 of 50

Turnover paraphernalia takes over college football

Turnover paraphernalia takes over college football
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Turnover chains in Miami. Turnover beads for Tulane. Turnover everything for any team that was inclined to celebrate a sudden change of possession. If the 2017 Hurricanes squad originated the concept of a turnover totem, 2018 saw what seemed like every team in FBS take their idea and run with it. Memphis had a turnover robe, Boise State a turnover throne, and countless other teams had what looked like wrestling championship belts that were deemed "turnover" belts. It was silly, at times ridiculous, but generally all in good fun--something too often in short supply in college football.

 
37 of 50

Serena Williams and Carlos Ramos' battle upstages Naomi Osaka's big win

Serena Williams and Carlos Ramos' battle upstages Naomi Osaka's big win
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Williams' U.S. Open Final loss to Naomi Osaka should have been about Osaka's stunning upset win, but instead the major story was Williams' heated and repeated confrontations with chair umpire Carlos Ramos. Williams was issued three code violations, and after the match, she accused Ramos of sexism. The whole spectacle led to a surreal scene wherein Osaka, the winner of the match and the tournament, looked almost embarrassed and was visibly emotional, with Williams trying to comfort her all the while.

 
38 of 50

Baker Mayfield's thrilling debut means free beer for Browns fans

Baker Mayfield's thrilling debut means free beer for Browns fans
Nick Cammett/Diamond Images/Getty Images

As of Week 3 this season, the Browns hadn't won a game in well over a calendar year. In fact, their streak of futility was nearing two years. Their last win? Christmas Eve 2016. Things weren't much better this season. Sure, they had tied the Steelers in Week 1, and were a few missed field goals from beating the Saints in Week 2, but they were still winless, and the coolers of Bud Light that were set to unlock only when the Browns won a game sat unmolested. Then, Baker Mayfield took over. Coming on in relief of an injured Tyrod Taylor, Mayfield rallied the Browns past the Jets, earning them a thrilling 21-17 win, and finally, Cleveland fans could get their fill of free light beer.

 
39 of 50

Gritty

Gritty
Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

We could pick one particular Gritty-related incident, but the mere existence of the Flyers' new mascot is bizarre enough. The reaction to the reveal of Gritty as the team's new mascot was mixed, to say the least. The whole thing seemed bizarre enough that some wondered if Philly intentionally picked a strange, somewhat creepy creature just to get some viral social media reaction. If they did, it worked. Gritty has become a nonstop meme in a short time, with people photoshopping him into all sorts of pictures and situations, and even starting a push for him to host the Oscars. Gritty is here to stay, which means there will be plenty of awkward, weirdly endearing moments for years to come.

 
40 of 50

The NFL flags the Saints at a very awkward time

The NFL flags the Saints at a very awkward time
The Advertiser-USA TODAY NETWORK

Drew Brees set the NFL's all-time passing yardage record in an October win over the Redskins, and he did it in style, completing a long touchdown pass to Tre'Quan Smith to set the record. Befitting such a milestone accomplishment, the game was stopped, and Brees was feted by the fans, his teammates, and his family. Of course, the NFL flagged the Saints for excessive celebration, proving that while the league plays by the rules, they're tone-deaf when it comes to having basic common sense. 

 
41 of 50

Michael Thomas pays homage to Joe Horn—and gets flagged for it

Michael Thomas pays homage to Joe Horn—and gets flagged for it
Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Thomas has had a fantastic season, and after a 72-yard touchdown catch sealed a win over the Rams in what was the NFL's game of the year to that point, he produced a cell phone from under the goalpost in an homage to former New Orleans receiver Joe Horn's 2003 celebration. Thomas, of course, was flagged for the gesture, and took plenty of criticism, but the truly bizarre thing about his celebratory effort was that he managed to find a flip phone to really make things authentic. Horn, predictably, was thrilled by the gesture.

 
42 of 50

Le'Veon Bell comes back to Pittsburgh and plays...pick-up basketball

Le'Veon Bell comes back to Pittsburgh and plays...pick-up basketball
Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Le'Veon Bell's refusal to sign his franchise tag was arguably the biggest story in the NFL for the first few months of the 2018 season. Finally, with the deadline to sign the tag or forfeit the entire season nearly at hand, Bell tweeted that he was leaving Miami, and was spotted at a Pittsburgh-area gym playing pick-up basketball not long after. That was the most physical activity Bell would get in Pittsburgh, though, as he ended up, for one reason or another, not signing the tag, and leaving the city almost as quickly as he had arrived. It was the final chapter in a saga that was as unusual and rare as any in recent league history.

 
43 of 50

The NFL's Game of the Year gets moved because of...soccer?

The NFL's Game of the Year gets moved because of...soccer?
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

It was probably a dream come true for the NFL. Its two marquee teams this season, the Rams and Chiefs, meeting in a Monday night showdown for the ages. And better still, it was going to happen in front of a rabid crowd of nearly 90,000 people in Mexico City's Estadio Azteca. There was just one problem--the field itself. Estadio Azteca plays host to plenty of soccer, and the hybrid surface at the stadium suffered because of volume of play, as well as due to the sheer number of events the stadium hosts. Pictures of the playing surface went viral, and the choice to move the game to Los Angeles marked the rare time that the NFL and NFLPA agreed on an issue. Maybe that's the strangest things of all. Oh, and the game? Best of the NFL season.

 
44 of 50

Gronk on the goal line

Gronk on the goal line
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Bill Belichick is generally regarded as one of, if not the, greatest football coach of all-time. So it's fair to wonder what on earth he was thinking when he sent Rob Gronkowski out to patrol the goal line with the Dolphins in a Hail Mary situation in Week 14 of the NFL season. Miami was 75 yards away from the end zone at the time, and Ryan Tannehill, on his best day, likely couldn't have thrown the ball that far in the air, thus negating any advantage the 6'6" Gronkowski would have had in a jump ball. The Dolphins instead went for a hook and lateral, Kenyan Drake got free, and Gronk, the last line of defense, took a horrible angle, and Drake scored. It was a rare and truly surreal brain fart from Belichick.

 
45 of 50

Hugh Freeze's introductory presser at Liberty goes a bit crazy

Hugh Freeze's introductory presser at Liberty goes a bit crazy
Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

Freeze's time at Ole Miss ended in disgrace after payments to players were revealed, and after what school officials termed a "disturbing pattern" of calls to an escort service were discovered in his phone records. Freeze wasn't out of a job much more than a year before landing at Liberty University, a Christian school, in December. What did Freeze say, among other things, during a very bizarre introductory press conference? "Only God can handle my junk." Whatever you say, Hugh. 

 
46 of 50

Jim Boylen makes a bad first impression on the Bulls

Jim Boylen makes a bad first impression on the Bulls
Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports

Fred Hoiberg was fired, and Boylen took over as coach of the Bulls. Things have been rocky right from the start. First, Boylen subbed out all five players on the court not once, but twice in a bad loss to Boston, embarrassing most of the team, then he dialed up multiple lengthy, high-intensity practices full of wind sprints and push-ups that would be more appropriate for a high school team than a group of paid professionals. Things got so bad that Bulls players contacted the players' union, and reportedly considered boycotting a practice. The Bulls started 1-4 under Boylen, by the way.

 
47 of 50

An old x-ray machine is blamed when the Steelers lose to the Raiders

An old x-ray machine is blamed when the Steelers lose to the Raiders
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Losing to the Raiders is bad enough. Losing to them when you're the Steelers, and you have designs on an AFC North title is even worse. Pittsburgh did indeed fall to Oakland, and star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, after leading the team to a 14-10 halftime lead, did not play in the second half until the team trailed 17-14 late in the fourth quarter. He promptly led them to a go-ahead touchdown, but Derek Carr and the Raiders drove right back down the field for the winning score. Two days later, when asked why the quarterback missed so much time, both Roethlisberger and head coach Mike Tomlin faulted an old x-ray machine and a confusing Oakland Coliseum layout for the delay.

 
48 of 50

A disallowed goal, and one traumatized referee

A disallowed goal, and one traumatized referee
Scott Rovak/NHLI via Getty Images

The Blues and Panthers did battle on December 11th, and it appeared that Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo had tied the game at one apiece after he banked in a goal. The problem for Bortuzzo was that he banked it in off of referee Tim Peel, which means the goal was against the rules and was disallowed, and the problem for Peel was that Bortuzzo banked the puck off of, well, a sensitive area. The Blues did end up winning, but Peel was the night's big loser.

 
49 of 50

Jerry Dipoto makes a trade from a hospital bed

Jerry Dipoto makes a trade from a hospital bed
Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

When you want to make a trade, nothing will stand in your way. At least, that's the case if you're Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto, who swung a three-team trade with Cleveland and Tampa Bay from a hospital bed in Las Vegas. Dipoto's hospital stay wasn't for some small issue, either. After feeling ill, the Mariners' staff in Las Vegas took him for further treatment, and he was diagnosed with a blood clot in his lung. Memo to other general managers: you now have no excuses for not pulling off a big deal. 

 
50 of 50

Malik Monk gets smacked upside the head by his team's owner, who is Michael Jordan

Malik Monk gets smacked upside the head by his team's owner, who is Michael Jordan
Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Jeremy Lamb hit a long jumper to give the Hornets a two-point lead in their game against the Pistons. There was 0.3 left on the clock when the shot went through. Malik Monk and Bismack Biyombo ran onto the court to celebrate, which drew both a technical foul and the ire of Hornets owner Michael Jordan, who, you may have heard, had a pretty fair basketball career in his own right. Jordan gave Monk a small tap on the head for his mishap, and naturally, video of the incident went viral. In the end, it was no harm, no foul, because while the Pistons made the technical free throw, the Hornets stole the ensuing inbounds pass and won, 108-107.

Chris Mueller is the co-host of The PM Team with Poni & Mueller on Pittsburgh's 93.7 The Fan, Monday-Friday from 2-6 p.m. ET. Owner of a dog with a Napoleon complex, consumer of beer, cooker of chili, closet Cleveland Browns fan. On Twitter at @ChrisMuellerPGH – please laugh.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

+

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.