Embarrassing Sports Moments Athletes Wish You Would Forget
If something can go wrong, it will go wrong. These are the most embarrassing moments in sports seen live by thousands of sports fans around the world.
Fit, Famous and Embarrassed
It can be hard to relate to professional athletes. They are healthy, fit, famous, and often rich. They seem to have it all. But in reality, pro athletes are just as human as the rest of us. Only when they do something to totally embarrass themselves, there may be hundreds or thousands of people watching at the time.
Combat Sports Can Be Embarrassing Too
MMA fighters seem too tough and aggressive to ever do anything silly or embarrassing, right? Wrong. Even these extreme fighters have their moments. During one match a fighter in a leg lock became so relaxed, he accidentally pooped himself. In another, a fighter was caught on camera taunting his opponent with the silliest of faces. And it's been captured on film at least twice where fighters knocked each other out simultaneously and had to receive medical attention.
More Balls Means More Chance For Embarrassment
Soccer is a game of speed and skill, and the goalkeeper has one of the most important and highly skilled jobs on the field. They need to keep their eye on the ball and make sure it doesn't land in the goal they are protecting. But sometimes they just aren't prepared to do what they need to do. Goalkeepers have been caught freezing up and watching the ball pass them to score a point. Other times they've wandered off to get water and missed their cue to stop the ball. And still other times the goalkeepers have been caught celebrating what they assume is a missed shot, only to have the ball bounce back and score.
No Escaping A Bad Situation
Some embarrassing moments happen through no fault of the athlete. The suit of a bobsledder famously split right down the butt crack on international TV during the winter Olympics. The greatest runner in the world was once knocked down by an overly enthusiastic cameraman wanting a close-up. Medical attendants have dropped injured athletes off stretchers while removing them from fields. And an attendant once knocked down nearly half a dozen runners instead of holding up the end of the finish line ribbon.
Ball Will Hit Balls, Ouch!
Tennis seems like a relatively safe game. Notice we said relatively. While there isn't the full contact danger of sports such as football or rugby, there is a chance a ball could hit a player during a match. And as moments caught on camera have proven, oftentimes when a ball smacks into a male player it is right in the "business". The internet if full of clips of players getting hit in the genitals and nearly falling over from the surprise and pain. Baseball players are also often hit by balls, though usually they seem to get them in the head, side, or leg.
Athletes Trip Up All The Time
Accidents happen and mistakes are made. In the world of sports, these accidents and mistakes can mean the difference between winning or losing. There is footage of soccer games where players go to kick the ball and completely miss, and basketball games where players run up to make a shot and trip over their own feet. Runners have been caught tripping and falling because of other runners or because of themselves, and divers have performed belly flops instead of swan dives.
These Embarrassed Athletes Can't Catch A Break
If you watch enough sporting events, over time you'll see plenty of embarrassing moments we're sure athletes would love to forget. Like the time a boxer had trouble getting in and out of the ropes around the ring, or the time a martial arts judge lost his temper and started fighting with competitors. Speaking of judges, plenty of them have had cringe-worthy moments during MMA, boxing, and similar types of matches, when they've announced the winner and raised the hand of the wrong person.
Just Another Embarrassing Sports Accident
Not even race car drivers are immune to embarrassing accidents. They've been known to enter the pit at too high of speed and end up knocking down crew members as well as camera people. It can be dangerous on the sidelines of sports. Referees have been accidentally hit, kicked, or run over by celebrating athletes.
Let's Just Forget All This Ever Happened
So the next time you trip over your own feet in a hallway, or fall down in front of someone you are trying to impress, or spill coffee on yourself before a meeting, keep this in mind. Even professional athletes have moments they wish they could forget.