Most Shocking Fan Moments in Sports

Fans are very important parts of all kinds of sports but from time to time they are behind incidents which are truly shocking. From interrupting games and running to the pitch, fans are truly capable of anything in order to gain the attention of their favorite athletes. Of course cameramen and TV producers are also loving them, let’s see the most shocking fan moments in sports. 

Surely everyone has seen at least one incident during a football game when someone ran into the pitch either just for fun or advertising a company. But these kinds of interruptions have happened in other sports events as well from an ice hockey game to a boxing match. Not sure how much these fans were really interested in the sporting event. Some of them are only looking to get into the spotlight while others can have some unclear reason. 

7. Fan catching the ball in a baseball game

In the US, fans like to interact during the games, they often dance and cheer their teams with special moves. But some of them can forget that the game is not about them, like it happened with a Chicago Cubs fan in 2003. The guy called Steve Bartman tried to catch the ball which was coming his way, disrupting Cubs player Moises Alou who was pursuing the ball. Bartman cost his team an out on that play. The team also lost the game 8-3 at the end and a shot at the World Series. Though the MLB season has been postponed you can still make bets on egames. 

6. Malice at the Palace 

We have already mentioned a famous incident but just to recap. It happened during an NBA game between Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers in 2004. First the players started to fight. Then a fan simply threw his beer at Pacers player Ron Artest when he was lying on the scorer’s table. Certainly the player wasn’t happy and chased after the fan, causing another mass brawl between players and fans. Some of the fans even entered the court and kept fighting. The referees ended the game, and the players were escorted from the court. Fans only left the arena when police finally arrived.  9 players were suspended after the game and five fans were banned from attending the games for life. 

5. Fan running into the field during an NFL game

Running into a football/baseball/American football field has happened a few times in the last few decades. But you must be very brave (or simply stupid) to interrupt an NFL game and run into these giant players. Well, that’s exactly what a fan did dressed in a red latex suit at a Philadelphia Phillies vs Atlanta Braves NFL game in 2010. The guy managed to avoid the security guards when he was running on the field. But he didn’t expect that Atlanta left fielder Matt Diaz would tackle him. Diaz helped out the guards who could at last grab the fan and led him out as online sportsbook news in the US were reporting. 

4. Kid running into the basketball court

One of the cutest interruptions of a sporting event happened at a college basketball game between Baylor Bears and Oklahoma Sooners in 2013. A small child just appeared on the court during the game, which was stopped immediately when the referees noticed him. The boy’s dad ran after him and took him down from the court. It was a surprising but lovely moment, which will be remembered by everyone who has witnessed it. Baylor Bears are in the favorites to win the NCAA 2020/21 season, according to Bovada, by online gambling sites in the US. 

3. Mark Roberts performance on ice almost naked 

There are notorious streakers, who try to steal the show on different sports events. One of them is Mark Roberts.  Since 1993 the father of three from Liverpool has been appearing on the biggest events. Including the Champions League final and Wimbledon. This time he took to the ice in the 2018 Winter Olympic Games after the 1000m speed skating event’s medal ceremony. Roberts was wearing only a pink tutu and a monkey pouch. And the words Peace and Love written on his chest. His performance was quite short after falling down on the ice. But he managed to add another event to his 519 naked caps. 

2. Holyfield/Bowe fight, man landing on the ring Fan Man

One of the most shocking fan moments in sports has been the appearance of James Miller during the fight between Riddick Bowe and Evander Holyfield. Miller aka Fan Man was a parachutist who flew into the arena of the Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. His parachute stuck in the lights so he landed on the top rope of the ring. Fans and security guards attacked the poor guy, and he ended up in hospital. They also charged with dangerous flying and had to pay $200 for his bail. It wasn’t his only flying action, but became the most famous one. 

1. Jimmy Jump, World Cup 

Probably Catalan Jaume Marquet i Cot or as more known Jimmy Jump is the most famous streaker. He also appeared during the Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix in 2004. And in the Men’s finals at the 2009 Roland Garros. But his most famous acts can be linked to the biggest football events. In the 2004 European Championship final between Greece and Portugal he threw a Barcelona flag at Luis Figo. The reason could be that the Portuguese captain left the Catalans to join Real Madrid in 2000 after one of the most shocking fan moments in sports.

In the 2006/07 Champions League final in Athens between AC Milan and Juventus, he ran to the field with a Greek flag. He also tried to place a bar-retina, a traditional Catalan cap on the trophy  in the 2010 World Cup final but his attempt was prevented by the security guards. His list goes on, we shall see if he is planning anything on the next big event, the Euro 2020 next year, according to Bovada Sportsbook.  

You can discover more about Bovada Sportsbook here.