The Craziest Rumors In Sports History

It's a point of curiosity what the athletes we watch on TV are like off the field: let’s take a look at the best sports rumors and urban legends.

craziest sports rumors doc ellis lsd
Getty

Image via Getty/Focus on Sport

craziest sports rumors doc ellis lsd

Just to be clear: Most of the stories on this list are totally unsubstantiated. Most of them probably aren’t even true. 

Although this may be the case, there’s always something fun about urban legends and conspiracy theories. Even when you know they probably aren’t true, they still make for fun stories to follow and think about—especially since most of them have just a dash or a pinch of plausibility to them.

In sports, there are plenty of such rumors—just as there are in every other field. Whether they deal with rumored trades, fixed boxing matches, a love triangle or… Wade Boggs drinking 107 beers in one day, there’s no shortage of enjoyable, mythical content there. The rise of the internet has only made these kinds of theories more prevalent, as the barriers of entry into media have come crumbling down. Some are totally absurd, like the idea that all professional sports are rigged.

The ones on this list, however, all have a little bit of a believable storyline to them. This isn’t to suggest that these stories should be taken as facts—they shouldn’t. But hey: Fiction can be fun too, and most of these stories are probably #FakeNews.

For fans who often watch athletes season after season through the prism of TV and the internet, it’s also a point of curiosity to wonder what these players are like when the cameras are turned off. Do they hang out at Illuminati meetings? Do they conspire to fix games? Is there some element of sports they don’t let the fans in on?

That’s where the urban legends come in. They often attempt to explain the unknown in a much more interesting and exciting manner than what is probably true. So with that said, let’s take a look at the 16 best sports rumors, conspiracies, and urban legends:

16. Golden Tate ended Russell Wilson’s first marriage

craziest sports rumors golden tate russell wilson marriage

15. Wade Boggs drank 107 beers in one day

craziest sports rumors wade boggs beer

Year: Unknown

Athletes involved: Wade Boggs

This rumor has seen a resurgence in interest after an episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia featured The Gang attempting to break Boggs’ drinking record. For years, it was rumored—and Boggs seemed to have confirmed—that he drank 64 beers on one flight from Boston to Los Angeles.

View this video on YouTube

youtube.com

But during the taping of the Always Sunny episode, Boggs told actor Charlie Day that he didn’t drink 64 beers. He had 107.

Day was under the impression that this story was true, so it looks like this legend will live on.

14. Curt Schilling’s “Bloody Sock” was a hoax

craziest sports rumors curt schilling bloody sock

13. Tony Parker cheated on Eva Longoria with Brent Barry’s wife

craziest sports rumors tony parker eva longoria

12. Dock Ellis pitches no-hitter while high on LSD

craziest sports rumors doc ellis lsd

11. Toni Braxton broke up the Mavericks

craziest sports rumors toni braxton mavericks

10. Michael Jordan’s first retirement was a secret suspension for gambling

craziest sports rumors michael jordan first retirement

9. Jordan actually had food poisoning

craziest sports rumors michael jordan flu

8. Mike Piazza is in a relationship with Sam Champion

craziest sports rumors mike piazza sam champion

7. "Macho Man" Randy Savage dated a teenage Stephanie McMahon

craziest sports rumors macho man randay savage mcmahon

6. Cal Ripken Jr. beat up Kevin Costner for sleeping with his wife

craziest sports rumors cal ripken jr kevin costner

5. Jimmy Hoffa is buried under Giants Stadium

craziest sports rumors jimmy hoffa giants stadium

4. Sonny Liston took a dive against Muhammad Ali

craziest sports rumors sonny liston dive ali

3. The NBA rigged the 1985 Draft Lottery to get Patrick Ewing on the Knicks

craziest sports rumors draft patrick ewing knicks

2. Delonte West had an affair with LeBron’s mom

craziest sports rumors delonte west lebron mom

1. Derek Jeter gives gift baskets to one-night stand partners

craziest sports rumors derek jeter gift baskets

Latest in Sports