- 6/30/2025
From incredible comebacks to shocking controversies, sports history is filled with unforgettable moments that left fans speechless. Join us as we look back at the most outrageous incidents that changed the game forever, featuring legendary matches, unprecedented achievements, and unbelievable scandals that made headlines worldwide.
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00:00And he just jumped off the table, and the rest was history.
00:06Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the wildest things ever to
00:10happen in sports. We won't be including moments that involve serious injuries or deaths.
00:15The Bee Gees actually blamed me for killing Disco, which I felt was a victory for me.
00:20Number 20. The World Series Earthquake. As the Oakland A's and San Francisco Giants were
00:25warming up for Game 3 of the 1989 World Series at Candlestick Park, a massive earthquake struck
00:30the Bay Area. The TV broadcast had been replaying clips from Game 2 when the feed was lost and the
00:40voices of announcers Tim McCarver and Al Michaels cut out. Fortunately, there were no injuries inside
00:45the stadium, and both players and fans were able to evacuate safely. The disaster did cause numerous
00:50casualties, but it could have been much worse. Thousands of people who usually would have been
00:54out and about that Tuesday afternoon were instead home to watch the game.
00:58There was a lot going on in the Bay Area at that time.
01:01It was ultimately played 10 days later, the longest ever delay of a World Series game.
01:06Number 19. Scandal at the 1990 World Cup. During a qualifying round at MaracanĂ£ Stadium,
01:11Brazil was leading Chile 1-0 after 67 minutes of play. Suddenly, a flash of light zipped through
01:17the stadium and landed on the field. Chilean goalkeeper Roberto Rojas fell to the ground,
01:22blood streaming down his head. Witnesses said a flare had been shot from the stands and only one
01:27photographer and the entire stadium had caught the moment. The photos were rushed into development
01:31and they proved that the flare hadn't actually hit Rojas. He later admitted that the entire thing
01:35had been staged to get Brazil eliminated and that he had cut his own head with a razor hidden in his
01:40glove. He got a lifetime ban and Chile was barred from the 1994 tournament.
01:44Number 18. The Heidi Bowl. This 1968 game between the Raiders and the Jets saw Oakland score two
01:50touchdowns in the final minute to pull off a crazy comeback.
01:53The Oakland Raiders reversed their fate with a victory that was unforeseen and unseen by the
01:59TV audience. We knew that we won the game. The people in the stadium knew we won the game,
02:04but the people that were watching on television across the country thought that the Jets won
02:08and we lost. Unfortunately, the fans missed it. NBC's made-for-TV movie Heidi was scheduled
02:13to start at 7 p.m. As the game ran long, NBC execs soon realized it wouldn't end in time.
02:18At around 6.45, they decided to delay Heidi and let the game continue. At the same time,
02:23frantic football fans began calling in, demanding that the network not cut away
02:26and jamming the switchboards. The higher-ups couldn't get through to the technicians who
02:30switched over to Heidi on schedule. Fans missed one of the most exciting minutes in football history,
02:42and NBC had to eat a lot of crow.
02:4417. Tiger Woods' comeback at the Masters If you could only name one professional
02:49golfer, it's probably Tiger Woods, who shot to the top of the game starting in the late 90s.
03:03He soon became the only player ever to win the Open Championship, U.S. Open, PGA Championship,
03:09and the Masters in one season, a move now known as the Tiger Slam. However, starting in late 2009,
03:14Woods was involved in several major scandals including marital infidelity and a DUI arrest.
03:19He stepped away from the game and long-standing injuries led to him having four back surgeries
03:23between 2014 and 2017. After 11 years without a major tournament win, Woods made an incredible
03:29comeback by winning the 2019 Masters by one stroke.
03:31Many doubted we'd ever see it, but here it is. The return to glory!
03:39The moment will go down in golf history.
03:4616. The Immaculate Reception
03:48The 1972 NFL playoffs produced one of the most well-known plays in the sport. During the divisional
03:54round, the Raiders faced the Steelers in Pittsburgh just two days before Christmas.
03:58Situation like this, of course, is all to the advantage of the defense. Bradshaw must put it in
04:02the air. The Steelers were down 7-6 with only 22 seconds to go when quarterback Terry Bradshaw
04:07launched a pass downfield to running back John Fuqua. However, Fuqua missed the catch and the ball
04:12bounced off a defender's helmet. Steelers fullback Franco Harris reacted with lightning speed to snag the
04:17ball just inches above the ground and run it in for a touchdown. Pittsburgh fan Michael Ord coined the
04:22term Immaculate Reception, as he celebrated at a bar that evening and the name stuck.
04:27I climbed up on a table, and like you do at an old fire hall wedding, you know, I got a spoon and
04:32I banged on a glass. I would like to suggest that from this day on, we refer to this day as the
04:38Feast of the Immaculate Reception. And the place went bonkers.
04:4115. Mets fan parachutes into the World Series
04:45In 1986, the Red Sox were up three games to two against the Mets when they faced each other for game
04:50six. After just one out, players and fans alike were shocked when a man dropped out of the sky,
04:59carrying a huge banner that read Go Mets. He made an impressively smooth landing and was
05:03immediately escorted out by security. The intruder was musician and actor Mike Sergio,
05:07who at the time was best known for his small part in the slasher flick The House on Sorority Row.
05:12Now, of course, he's best known for this stunt. Sergio has had plenty of copycats,
05:16most notably when James Miller, aka Fan Man, parachuted into the 1993 heavyweight match
05:21between Riddick Bowe and Evander Holyfield.
05:2814. Zinedine Zidane's infamous headbutt
05:31This French footballer is considered to be one of the best to ever play the game,
05:34but his time on the pitch had an ugly ending.
05:36It wasn't supposed to end this way. One of the game's greatest ever players,
05:41playing his last game as a professional in the biggest fixture on the planet.
05:47During the 2006 World Cup Final against Italy as the players were walking across the field,
05:51Zidane suddenly headbutted Italian player Marco Materazzi. Zidane was issued a red card and ousted
05:58from the game, becoming only the second player ever to be expelled from two different World Cup tournaments.
06:02He had already announced his retirement prior to the match, meaning the incident marked the end of
06:06his time as a player. Materazzi later admitted that he'd made a nasty comment about Zidane's sister,
06:11which provoked Zidane to attack him. Italy would go on to win in a penalty shootout.
06:16Perhaps the most iconic image of the 2006 World Cup isn't of the winning captain,
06:22Fabio Cannavaro lifting the trophy, but of Zidane's lonely walk back past the trophy as he leaves the pitch.
06:32Number 13. The Helmet Catch We don't know which part of this
06:35play was more impressive. Eli Manning escaping a sack by three Patriots, or David Tyree's catch.
06:40G. Eli Manning stays on his feet, airs it out down the field, it is caught by Tyree.
06:52Inside the 25 and a timeout taken. When Super Bowl XLII rolled around,
06:58the Patriots were about to become the first team to have a perfect season in over 30 years.
07:02With just over one minute to go, the Pats were up 14-10 and the Giants had the ball at their own 43-yard
07:08line. Manning took the snap and the play immediately broke down as multiple defenders got their hands on
07:12him. Somehow he broke free and launched a beautiful 32-yard pass. Tyree secured it against his helmet in
07:18one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history.
07:20David Tyree's catch set a Plexico Burris' game-winning touchdown
07:24as the underdog Giants upset the previously perfect Patriots.
07:28Number 12. Simone Biles triple-double
07:31She's one of the most decorated athletes in the world, and she just keeps raising the bar,
07:35no pun intended. At the 2019 U.S. Gymnastics Championships, she performed two historic moves.
07:40Money! Just keep making history, Simone Biles.
07:45First, she nailed a double-twisting double dismount off the balance beam, a move never
07:49before seen in competition. Then came the crown jewel of her performance, a double-back
07:53somersault with three twists. She became the first woman and the first American to complete
07:57the skill successfully, joining a small handful of men from around the world. Biles now has five
08:03gymnastics skills named after her, not to mention the official title of GOAT.
08:07Simone's got enough gold medals at home, someone give this girl a crown!
08:13Number 11. 1972 Olympic Basketball Final
08:16The final three seconds of this game would go down in infamy. The Soviets were down against the U.S.
08:2150-49. For a few seconds, he was the most glorious Olympic basketball athlete in American history,
08:27and would have lived on as that, if not for the atrocities committed on that court.
08:31They inbounded the ball as their coach stormed over to the scorer's table,
08:34insisting he'd called a timeout that was never recognized. The officials blew the
08:38whistle with one second left and instructed the clock operator to reset to three seconds.
08:43This time, the Soviets inbounded, missed a shot, and the game appeared to be over.
08:46However, the clock operator hadn't reset the clock correctly, so the last three seconds were
08:50replayed again, the third time the USSR made the shot, giving them the gold and an incredibly
08:55controversial victory. The U.S. players never accepted their silver medals.
09:10Number 10. The Pine Tar Incident
09:12No one would remember this 1983 game if not for this strange incident. It was the top of the ninth,
09:17and the Kansas City Royals were down 4-3 against the Yankees.
09:25Royals player George Brett stepped up to the plate and hit a two-run homer to give his team the lead.
09:29However, the Yankees manager pointed out to the umpires that Brett's bat had more Pine Tar
09:33than the rules allowed. The officials sided with the Yankees and called Brett out. He was not happy.
09:37The Royals later protested the decision, and American League President Lee McPhail
09:50overturned the out and ordered the rest of the game be replayed. It was resumed 25 days later,
09:54and the Royals won 5-4.
09:56Number 9. Battle of the Sexes
09:58Female athletes have been fighting for respect and recognition, not to mention equal pay as long
10:02as sports have existed. Retired tennis star Bobby Riggs derided women players and bragged that he
10:12could beat any of them, even at age 55. He was wrong. When he faced off against Billie Jean King,
10:17who was then the top-ranked female player in the world, she beat him easily. The match garnered
10:21huge publicity, with 50 million Americans tuning in to the primetime broadcast. King felt it was her
10:26duty to beat Riggs, fearing that women's sports would be set back decades if she lost. Fortunately,
10:31she didn't.
10:43Number 8. Serena Williams wins the Australian Open while pregnant
10:46Women's tennis has come a long way since the Battle of the Sexes,
10:49thanks in part to athletes like Venus and Serena Williams.
10:51For a moment in history, it is Venus and Serena in a Grand Slam final, maybe for the final time
10:58tonight. In 2017, Serena beat her sister in the Australian Open, setting all kinds of records.
11:04The win marked her seventh Australian Open trophy, the most of any player, and her 23rd Grand Slam
11:09singles title, which put her ahead of Steffi Graf for the record.
11:11And like Michael Jordan, she's in rare air.
11:15The match was also the first time both players in a Grand Slam final were at least 35 years old.
11:20On top of all that, Serena later revealed that she had been two months pregnant when she competed.
11:25Now that is some incredible athleticism.
11:27Number 7. Punch-up in Piashtani
11:30Hockey can produce some pretty entertaining fights, but this one was a bridge too far.
11:33At the 1987 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Piashtani, Czechoslovakia,
11:38Canada faced off against the USSR.
11:40Canada is assured of a medal. The color will be determined by the outcome of this game.
11:46The two nations were already bitter rivals and the tension was palpable on the ice.
11:50With six minutes left in the second period, a Russian player collided with a Canadian leading
11:54to a fight. Meanwhile, a second fight broke out between two different players. Before the
11:58officials could react, the benches had been cleared and there was an all-out brawl going on on the ice.
12:02After 20 minutes, the officials shut off the lights, desperately hoping it would settle things down.
12:07They're trying to turn the lights off and they've turned them off. They have shut the lights out in order to control the play.
12:13Both teams were subsequently kicked out of the tournament.
12:16Number 6. The Hand of God
12:17This was simultaneously an incredible score and an incredible screw-up by the referees.
12:22During the second half of the 1986 World Cup match between Argentina and England,
12:26Diego Maradona and goalie Peter Shilton both went up for the ball at the same time.
12:31He gave Argentina the lead in the 51st minute by scoring with what he famously called the Hand of God.
12:39Maradona appeared to be trying for a header, but he actually punched the ball in with his fist.
12:43That's illegal, but the refs didn't see it and the goal counted. Just four minutes later,
12:46Maradona scored a brilliant and legal point dubbed the goal of the century,
12:50which was made famous partly thanks to the fantastic commentary from Uruguayan analyst Victor Hugo Morales.
13:01Number 5. The Bite Fight
13:07Today, Mike Tyson is known for his larger-than-life personality and his appearances in the Hangover franchise.
13:12But in 1997, he caught the world's attention for something a little less amusing.
13:16I expect a tough, clean fight. Protect yourself at all times.
13:21In equation from the challenger, Chief Second. In equation from the champion, Chief Second. Let's get it on!
13:29During the third round of the WBA World Heavyweight Championship fight against Evander Holyfield,
13:33Tyson bit a chunk out of Holyfield's right ear. The fight was stopped as Holyfield was attended to,
13:38and referee Mills Lane prepared to disqualify Tyson. However, Holyfield said he wanted to continue,
13:42so Lane penalized Tyson two points and let the opponents fight on. Just moments later,
13:47Tyson bit Holyfield again on the other ear. At that point, Lane did disqualify Tyson, who didn't take it well.
13:52There seems to be some kind of altercation going on. It looks like he could have been disqualified,
13:59the fight could be over. Tyson has since apologized. Number 4. Disco Demolition Night
14:04By the end of the 1970s, the tide had turned against disco music. In 1979, the Chicago White
14:09Sox, who weren't having a great season, advertised Disco Demolition Night, hoping to draw in rock fans
14:14and sell tickets. Between games, 24-year-old Steve Dahl, the popular disc jockey for Chicago Rock
14:20Station Loop 98, would take the field at the head of his so-called anti-disco army to blow up
14:27thousands of disco records. Anyone who brought a disco record to destroy would get into the double
14:32header for just 98 cents, and shock jock Steve Dahl would blow up the discs between the two games.
14:38Things did not go as planned. More than 50,000 people flooded into the stadium, filling it beyond
14:43capacity. The explosion was way bigger than anticipated and sparked a riot. Rowdy attendees
14:48rushed the field, flinging records like deadly frisbees. The field was so badly damaged that the
14:53Sox had to forfeit the second game. The White Sox were forced to forfeit. There were 39 reported arrests,
15:00but only minor injuries, among what some say was the largest ever White Sox crowd.
15:06Number 3. The play. The Stanford Cardinals and the California Golden Bears have always
15:10been major rival, but this 1982 edition of the big game took it to another level.
15:15With just 4 seconds to go, Stanford kicked a field goal to go up 20-19, and the game appeared to be
15:20over. But the Golden Bears weren't ready to give up, and the final play of the game was wild. The Bears
15:35recovered the kickoff and lateraled the ball five times, two of which might have been illegal. By
15:40that point, the Stanford Band had already rushed the field, and runner Kevin Moen had to fight his
15:44way through them to reach the end zone. The final score was California 25, Stanford 20.
16:03Number 2. Miracle on Ice. At the 1980 Winter Olympics, an American hockey team made up of college players
16:08faced off against a juggernaut, a Soviet team full of pros that hadn't lost an Olympic game since 1968.
16:14They were treating some of us not with respect, and I think in the world of sport,
16:19you have to respect all your opponents. So I just kept telling them,
16:23someone's gonna beat them, someone's gonna beat them, someone's gonna beat them.
16:26No one thought the US had a chance. The Soviets were up 3-2 going into the third period, and around
16:31nine minutes in, the Americans were able to take advantage of a power play to tie the game at three
16:35points each. Just a minute later, they scored again and they held on for the remainder of the
16:39period to win. The game was dubbed the Miracle on Ice, thanks to the legendary Al Michaels' amazing
16:44commentary. The US would go on to beat Finland and win the gold.
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17:08Number one. Malice at the Palace. This was not the NBA's proudest moment,
17:12or the city of Detroit's for that matter. During a 2004 game between the Pacers and Pistons,
17:17Ron Artest, aka Meta Sandiford Artest, fouled Detroit player Ben Wallace, who reacted by trying
17:23to pick a fight. Artest mostly kept his cool until a fan threw a drink at him. At that point,
17:34he and several other Pacers climbed into the stands and attacked the Pistons fans,
17:39setting off a huge brawl between players and spectators. The officials and team staff struggled
17:44to get the Pacers off the court and into the locker room as the crowd pelted them with food and
17:48drinks. Ultimately, nine players were suspended and five were charged with assault, along with five
17:53fans. It all started with a foul. Which of these wild moments would you like to have seen in person?
17:58Let us know in the comments. Once it was dubbed the Immaculate Reception,
18:04it kind of took on a life of its own, and you saw it everywhere.
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