Hi everyone, I thought about today’s list long and hard and was thinking of doing a PGA/NBA playoffs list. But you know what sounds even more fun? That’s right Animals, as we get into the summer months. Bears and Cougars and Bees and Deer and whatever other animals you can think of will start coming out of their slumber and around for the World can see. We found an awesome complication of various animals interrupting sporting events. As always this list is for banter and discussion so please feel free to comment and respond.
12. Cats in Jersey (Giants Stadium, Football)
This has become a popular video on youtube the Kevin Harlan’s call of a black cat in the Giants Cowboys game back in 2019. The cat hangs out by the endzone and once the furry feline sees security coming it bolts into the endzone as Kevin Harlan so eloquently puts is a TOUCHDOWN!!
11. What does the Fox Say (Jones AT&T Stadium, College Football)
Texas Tech ended up pulling off a mini upset 20-10 over TCU back in 2013. But not many were talking about the big win for the Red Raiders but about the furry creature that was gallivanting across the sideline early in the third quarter of that September evening.
10. Manu Ginobili is the new batman (ATT Center, Basketball)
On November 1st 2009 the Spurs defeated the Kings in an early regular season game. This was not what anyone was talking about but if Christian Bale was correct casting choice for Batman in the Dark Knight Trilogy. If we want to go into a dark place we could say that batman may have found his new villain in the likes of Manu Ginobili, bats everywhere beware.
9. Turtle’s love to belly flop (Players Championship, Golf)
K.J Choi went on to win the 2011 Players Championship in a playoff over David Toms. That is two players that were two of the best in the game only 10 short years ago who we were don’t hear much from at all these days with the likes of Spieth, Kopeka, Johnson and McIIroy dominating golf these days. What everyone wasn’t talking was K.J Choi’s big win but the belly flopping turtle by the 16th hole, this judge gives the turtle and 8.8 on this legendary flop.
8. Seagulls do steal golf balls (Players Championship, 1998)
Justin Leonard is known by many today as a really good golf commentator. But back in 1998 Justin Leonard was a pretty darn good golfer and won the 1998 Players Championship. But we aren’t talking about Justin Leonard today but a golf ball stealing wizard known by many as a seagull. Check out this little devil, this video is for you Tony!
7. Seagulls hit a walk off (Progessive Field, Baseball)
Animals usually don’t advertency factor into the outcome of a game. They usually are an adorable distraction from what is going in the art of competition. Well we found our rare exception in the Royals Indians game back in June of 2009. Check it out, those pesky seagulls!!!
6. Oh Dios Mio esa es una gran iguana (Puerto Rico Open)
I thought I could whip out some Spanish for this one to represent my Puerto Rican roots. This big lizard was hungry and Andrew Loupe’s Golf ball looked to be a delicious afternoon snack. Chesson Hadley was the winner of this event if anyone cared.
5. Midges was not part of the Joba rules (Progressive Field, baseball)
In a 2007 playoff game the Yankees were clinging to a 1-0 lead late when their flame throwing setup man Joba Chamberlin enter the game. What would ensue would look like something straight out of an horror movie. The Indians would tie the game in that inning and win the game in 11 innings. We would joke that the Yankees are cursed but they did win the World Series two years later so um yeah no.
4. Hey look it’s a 3 legged alligator (Zurich Classic, golf)
If anyone cares Billy Horschel would win the 2013 Zurich Championship. But no one did care or talk about the big win from the young man from Florida but they were talking about Tripod the 3 legged alligator galivanting across the fairway. You want to feel bad for the large reptile but watching how the beast majestically matriculates across the fairway is actually a thing of beauty.
3. First a Billy goat and now a cat (Shea Stadium, baseball)
The Cubs were a cursed baseball team as dubbed by many. The Cubs would break that curse with a Championship in 2016. But currently we are discussing the 1969 Cubs who would be lapped by the Mets in early September and collapse because of a black cat?? That’s what the legend would state and here is the video evidence to prove this theory correct.
2. Randy Johnson meets a bird (Kino Sports Complex)
We’ve heard of a rally squirrel (spoiler alert) but a rally bird (Dbacks would win it all that season). The video is maybe not for children (Parents can judge for themselves) but the Diamondbacks were playing the Giants in Tuscon Arizona in a spring training game in 2001. Randy Johnson reared back to throw one of his blazing fastballs. Before the pitch would get to home plate a dove would get in the path of the pitch. The result was something shocking, horrifying and crazy all in one, check it out if you dare.
1. Rally Squirrel (Busch Stadium, Baseball)
We had no choice but to put the Cardinals squirrel number one. Because we thought only Rocky the Squirrel was the only squirrel to have the powers to make awesome things happen. Well we were wrong as this squirrel would haunt the Phillies, Brewers and Rangers into folding over to give the Cardinals the 2011 World Series championship. Game 6 of the 2011 World Series is one of best five games of the 21st Century thus far (Indians Cubs game 7, Dbacks Yankees Game 7, Yankees Red Sox Game 4, Blue Jays Rangers Game 5 are my other four I’d Pick to fill out this list, another top 12?).