An earthquake, a fire, and a basketball player shattering the backboard: What do these things have in common? They are the craziest moments in sports history.
Some you may remember, some you may not remember. Here are some that were the most popular.
Darryl Dawkins broke the backboard not once, but twice in two separate games. Darryl Dawkins will be remembered as a great dunker in basketball. In 1979, Dawkins shattered the backboard in a game against the Kansas City Kings. Three weeks later, he wrecked the backboard again while hosting the San Antonio Spurs at the Spectrum. The game was delayed by an hour, and the Sixers won. Dawkins was given the nickname “Chocolate Thunder” by Grammy Award-winning singer Stevie Wonder.
Shaquille O’ Neal broke the backboards on two occasions in 1993. There was no glass shattered when Shaquille O’ Neal broke the backboards, but he definitely showed his aggressiveness during two road games when he played for the Orlando Magic. In 1993, against the Phoenix Suns, he brought down a backboard, showing his raw strength. On April 23, 1993, against the New Jersey Nets at the Meadowlands, O’Neal dunked so forcefully that the entire backboard structure broke off the hinge. The result led to a 30-minute delay and required a replacement. The Magic won the game, 119-116.
The Metrodome roof collapsed twice. The Metrodome was home to many teams, including the Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Vikings, and Minnesota Golden Gophers. It did, however, have structural problems that led to two collapses. In 1982, the roof collapsed after a snowstorm dumped about 17 inches of snow. In 2010, it happened yet again. A blizzard caused the roof to tear and deflate just before the Minnesota Vikings were supposed to play the New York Giants.
A plane crashes at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium: On December 19, 1976, the Baltimore Colts were playing the Pittsburgh Steelers during the AFC Divisional Game. The Steelers won the game, 40-14. A few minutes after the game, a small plane crashed into the upper deck of the stadium. Most of the fans left, but the pilot and three police officers were injured. The pilot, Donald Kroner, was arrested and charged with reckless flying.
“The Night The Barn Burned”: In 1996, the Auburn Tigers were playing the LSU Tigers. During the game, a fire occurred outside the stadium. The fire was caused by a tailgating grill that was left unattended. Flames were high in the air, as was seen on the ESPN broadcast. The game continued as the flames and smoke billowed. LSU won the game, 19-15. The arena was later destroyed and eventually replaced.
The World Series Earthquake: On October 17, 1989, Game 3 of the World Series got off to a shaky start, literally. Just before the game was about to start, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay Area. The earthquake happened at Candlestick Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. The event was broadcast live on ABC and marked the first earthquake witnessed during a major sporting event. Al Michaels, who was in the broadcasting booth with Tim McCarver, said, “That’s the greatest open in the history of television, far none.” The earthquake impacted the San Francisco Area and the World Series. The World Series resumed 11 days after the earthquake, with the Oakland Athletics winning the series. Candlestick Park did endure some damage, but seismic retrofitting helped prevent a major catastrophe.
When a fan set off an explosion during an NFL game: In 1979, the Seattle Seahawks were playing the New Orleans Saints. A fan deliberately threw an explosive device on the field, which caused a commotion and a police search. The incident was minor as the Seahawks beat the Saints, 38-24.
When a parachutist flew into a boxing match: On November 6, 1993, Evander Holyfield and Riddick Bowe were in a heavyweight title fight when, all of a sudden, a parachutist came down right into the side of the ring area during the seventh round of the fight. The parachutist circled Caesars Palace for about 10 minutes. The paraglider got tangled in the overhead lights after he landed on the top rope of the ring with his parachute still tangled in the lights. Fans and security flocked around him and began attacking him. He was taken into a detention center and was released on bail. The “Fan Man”, as the media called him, was James Miller, a professional parachutist and paraglider. After the 1993 incident, he became a recluse and lived in a dry cabin in Alaska. In 2002, Miller went missing, and a group of hunters found Miller’s decaying body in 2003. He took his own life after being diagnosed with coronary artery disease, which prevented him from paragliding and parachuting.
When a children’s television movie interrupted an NFL football game: On November 17, 1968, the New York Jets were winning against the Oakland Raiders, 32-29, in the final minute of the game. On the East Coast, NBC executives wanted to show the children’s television movie Heidi at exactly 7:00 P.M. Eastern. As 7 P.M. approached, the movie began, and many viewers did not see the Raiders score two late touchdowns in the final minute of the game. The Raiders won the game, 43-32. The president of NBC apologized for the incident. The game would become known as “The Heidi Game.”
“The Band Is On The Field!”On November 20, 1982, the Stanford Cardinal were playing the California Golden Bears when “The Play” happened. The Golden Bears used five lateral passes to score the winning touchdown in the game’s final seconds to win 25-20. The Stanford Band thought the game was over, as most of its members stormed the field. There is still disagreement about Cal’s backward pass, but the play counted, and it became one of the craziest plays in College Football history. The player responsible for scoring the touchdown was Kevin Moen. The broadcaster who gave us one of the most animated radio calls was Joe Starkey.
