Whether by divine intervention or simple genetic determination, there is a select group of men and women who are physically talented enough to become world-class athletes.
Some use those gifts to secure a college education, while others turn them into millions of dollars at a professional level. But no matter what their skill level, they’re all more than capable of producing moments that will live on, not as examples of excellence, but of hilarious futility.
Forever remembered as the famous sports bloopers, where carelessness, common sense or physical prowess intersect with fate to create indelible incidents.
Of course, we as fans live for these weaknesses. After all, we who are not so gifted reveal it in the fact that our heroes sometimes carry feet of clay or heads of cement. We like to know that these sometimes arrogant billionaires can fail just like the rest of us, and on a much brighter stage.
Professional and amateur sports are riddled with unforgettable mistakes. Anyone who comes of age watching sports on television remembers the opening montage of ABC’s Wide World of Sports. While very few ever knew his name, the image of that ski jumper falling off the ramp, flipping through the air, and crashing to earth will forever be the benchmark of performance disaster.
However, famous sports mistakes can also gain wide recognition due to the popularity of the sport in question. The National Football League has huge fan support and thus a long history of blunders.
Miami Dolphins position kicker Garo Yepremian was one of the pioneers of the football-style kicking approach. But, he is just as notable for his inability to shoot the ball. During a game in the 1970s, a missed kick found Yepremian with the ball in his hands intending to shoot for a score. What followed was a failed attempt that ended with him waving the air with an empty hand.
Football also brought us Leon Lett of the Dallas Cowboys, who is as known for his mental misadventures as he is for his physical prowess. In one game, as he approached the end zone on a sure touchdown run, he slowed down to start an early celebration and Buffalo’s Don Beebe closed from behind to fumble the ball and nullify the score. In another game, after a blocked field goal attempt, Lett ran after what would have been a dead ball, skidded in the snow, touched the ball, and revived it. The opposition rallied and he eventually scored a touchdown.
Major League Baseball’s Jose Canseco is famous for his steroid use, but his failings on the field are almost as legendary. The list of famous sports mistakes of his is headed by the fly ball that he bounced off his head and went over the fence for a home run.
While these examples of comedy can’t erase many more of physical brilliance, they do make us appreciate the humanity of those who, on their best days, sometimes display superhuman abilities.