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
15. Wade Boggs drank 107 beers in one day
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.
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.