Weirdest Sports Records To Ever Be Held
Some sports records come to mind easily: Tiger Woods and his mastery of the golf world, Michael Jordan and his repeat three-peat with the Bulls, and Wayne Gretzky's unbeatable goals record are all top of mind.
But what about some of the more obscure, weird, or even embarrassing records? These records are just as improbable, and possibly even more unbreakable, than some of the all-time marks. They're just a whole lot weirder.
Claude and Brendan Lemieux: Only father-son duo to be suspended for biting
Claude Lemieux was an unbelievably effective agitator during his NHL career, and his antics often crossed the line and got him into trouble. Among his various punishments, he was once suspended for biting an opposing player.
Lemieux's son Brendan followed in his footsteps, becoming an NHL pest just like his dad. Brendan also did what his dad did and picked up a suspension for biting Ottawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk. They're the only father-son duo to be suspended for biting opponents.
Sir Purr: Only mascot with a touchback
The 1996 Carolina Panthers were in their second season when they made history for a weird reason. Their mascot, Sir Purr (who was wearing a seasonally-appropriate Santa outfit at the time) got onto the official scoresheet when he was credited with a touchback.
Sir Purr accomplished this feat — which went down as a zero-yard punt return — when he interfered with a live all in the end zone. Mascots set out to be noticed, and Sir Purr certainly accomplished this.
Anthony Young: Longest time between wins
Mets reliever Anthony Young was a capable enough pitcher during his big league career, which was split between the Mets, Cubs, and Astros. But during an unfortunate stretch between May 6, 1992 and July 24, 1993 — more than a calendar year — Young just couldn't win.
Plenty of pitchers have gone a long time between wins, but what made Young's record so unbelievable is the fact that during this time, he racked up 27 consecutive losses. That broke the previous record of 23, which was set more than 80 years earlier.
Doug Flutie: Only successful drop kick in living memory
Doug Flutie had a lengthy career between his collegiate, CFL, and NFL stints. At the tail end of his career, Flutie was backing up Tom Brady for the New England Patriots when he did something that hadn't been seen since the 1940s.
In a 2006 game against the Dolphins, the 43-year-old Flutie executed a successful drop kick — bouncing the ball off the ground before punting it through the upright. It was just one more accolade in his remarkable career.
C.J. Watson: The "One" Game
C.J. Watson was a decidedly average player during his NBA career, spending most of his time as a backup point guard for five teams. But in one game during his Brooklyn tenure, his stat line was unmatched.
During this game, Watson had one point, one rebound, one assist, one steal, one block, one turnover, and an overall minus-one rating for the night. He also wore jersey number one. It was known as his "one game" for a reason.
Bartolo Colón outweighed (almost) everybody
During Bartolo Colón's MLB career, he was a four-time all-star and also won the 2005 AL Cy Young Award. He maintained a rotund physique of 5'11" and 285 pounds for most of his long career.
During this career, Colón matched up with hitters more than 12,000 times. In this time, there were only 29 showdowns against a hitter who weighed more than him. Each one of these 29 plate appearances came against the same man, Dmitri Young.
Detroit Lions: Winless in Washington
Here's a fun stat: The first time the Detroit Lions ever beat Washington, in Washington, was during the 2013 season. This might seem strange, considering the fact that neither franchise is a newcomer to the NFL.
In fact, it is strange. Washington first got an NFL team all the way back in 1937, and they played their first game against Detroit in 1939. That means it took Detroit more than 70 years to win a game in DC.
Michael Jordan: Playoff dominance
Michael Jordan's accomplishments speak for themselves, and he set enough records to fill a book. One of his most impressive, but little-known accomplishments might be related to his playoff scoring.
MJ, of course, was legendary for his clutch playoff performances. In his playoff career, he had more games in which he scored 50 points, with eight, than games in which he scored fewer than 20 points (six). It's no surprise that he was a perfect six for six in the NBA Finals.
Randy Holt: 67 penalty minutes in one period
Randy Holt was a rugged defenceman who had a decade-long career in the NHL. On March 11, 1979 — while playing for the Los Angeles Kings — Holt racked up 67 penalty minutes in a single-game record. Incredibly, he accrued more penalty minutes than there are minutes in a game during the first period alone.
His tally: Two for holding, five for fighting, a ten-minute stay for misconduct, another five for fighting, a final five for fighting, a second misconduct penalty, and three game misconducts.
Joel Youngblood: Two hits, two teams, two cities, one day
Joel Youngblood was a capable MLB outfielder, but he'll always be best remembered for an unlikely feat that he achieved on August 4, 1982. Playing for the Mets in a day game against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, Youngblood picked up a single.
The next inning, Youngblood was informed that he'd been traded to the Montreal Expos. Youngblood said his goodbyes, got on a plane to Philadelphia to join the Expos, and picked up another hit in that night's game — making him the only player to get two hits, for two teams, in two cities, on the same day.
Andre Drummond: Most missed free throws in a single game
Basketball fans are familiar with the "Hack-a-Shaq" strategy, in which a player who's bad at free throws gets continually fouled, forcing them to the line to do something they're not good at.
Center Andre Drummond, then with the Pistons, was endlessly fouled in a game against Houston in 2016. Drummond went to the line for 36 attempts and sunk just 13 of them. His 23 missed free throws set a new NBA record.
MLB: Average no-hitter thrower has fewer than two hands
For decades, every MLB pitcher to throw a no-hitter (more than 300 in all), had exactly two hands. This isn't particularly surprising, of course — but this all changed on September 4, 1993.
Yankees pitcher Jim Abbott, who was born without his right hand, pitched a no-hitter that day against Cleveland. This means that the average pitcher who throws a no-hitter has almost two hands — but not quite two exactly.
Eddie Gaedel: Shortest player ever
St. Louis Browns owner Bill Veeck was known for his outlandish stunts, and he took things to another level when he used Eddie Gaedel — a man with no baseball experience who was three feet, seven inches tall — as a pinch hitter during a 1951 game.
Gaedel, who wore the jersey number 1/8, drew a walk and was removed from the game. American League president Will Harridge was so mad that he banned Gaedel from baseball. Unsurprisingly, he's the shortest player — by far — in MLB history.
Chester Marcol: Scoring every which way
The Polish-born placekicker had a steady NFL career, mostly spent with the Green Bay Packers. During the 1980 season, Marcol did something that nobody else has accomplished in modern NFL history.
In 1980, Marcol scored an extra point, a field goal, and a touchdown, in the same season. The TD was scored on a blocked field goal attempt, which Marcol recovered and ran into the endzone. Just for good measure, he added punting duties to his tally.
Ron Guidry: Exclusively lost to guys named Mike
Yankees ace Ron Guidry was at his absolute peak in 1978, when the 27-year-old won 25 games for the Bronx Bombers. He had a scintillating 1.74 earned run average, en route to a near-unanimous selection as the AL Cy Young winner.
The only blemishes on Guidry's record that season came against opposing pitchers named Mike. Guidry lost games against Mike Caldwell, Mike Flanagan, and Mike Willis. He did not lose any other games to pitchers with different names.
Shjon Podein: Most time spent in full equipment
When the Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2001, winger Shjon Podein was happy. So happy, in fact, that he likely set the all-time record for most time spent in equipment following a championship win.
Podein wore number 25, so he decided to spend a full 25 hours in his full hockey gear — soaked with sweat, beer, and goodness knows what else. Yes, this means he slept in his equipment and uniform.
Babe Ruth: Highest winning percentage against the Yankees
Babe Ruth is generally thought of as a dominant slugger and a New York Yankee — so much so that it's easy to forget that he was an ace pitcher for the Boston Red Sox early on in his career.
During his Bosox days, the Babe was dominant against his future team. In fact, of all pitchers who've recorded 20 wins or more against the Yankees, Babe Ruth holds the highest winning percentage against the Bronx Bombers.
Shaun Gayle: Shortest punt return for a touchdown
Shaun Gayle — playing for the stacked 1985 Chicago Bears — set a unique record during that season's playoffs. He returned a punt for a touchdown, which isn't rare. What is rare, though, is the length of that return: Just five yards.
The Giants — punting from deep in their territory — completely whiffed on the punt, allowing Gayle to scoop up the ball and make a short trot into the end zone. The mark has stood for decades now.
Matt Stafford: Most passing yards without a TD
Matthew Stafford finally found career success when he joined the Los Angeles Rams and promptly won a Super Bowl. But before this, the talented pivot spent more than a decade playing for the woeful Detroit Lions.
During his time wearing the blue and silver, Stafford set an improbable record when he racked up 443 passing yards in a game. This is an impressive figure on its own, but Stafford did so without finding the end zone. It's the all-time record for single-game passing yards with no touchdown.
Ron Hextall: Most penalty minutes for a goalie
Most goalies pick up one or two penalties a season, tops. But Flyers legend Ron Hextall was a different breed, one who never hesitated to get involved physically.
In his '80s heyday, Hextall had three consecutive seasons in which he logged more than a hundred penalty minutes, topping out at 113 penalty minutes in the 1988-89 season. In all, he had 569 penalty minutes in his career, good enough for a first all-time. The active leader has just 84.
Minnie Miñoso: Oldest MLB player in modern era
The Cuban-born Miñoso began his MLB playing career in 1949, and became a fan favorite during various stints with the White Sox. He retired (for the first time) after the 1964 season, when he was 40 years old.
Then, twelve years later, Miñoso came out of retirement to play three more games for the White Sox. Finally, in 1980, the 54-year-old came back for one final swan song. Incredibly, this only makes him the fourth-oldest MLB player ever, and the first since 1965.
Cy Young: Finished almost every game he started
While it's true that Cy Young pitched in a very different era, his statistics are still incredible to behold. The namesake of baseball's top pitching award owns the record for complete games with 749 in his career (Justin Verlander is the active leader with 26, which shows just how different the game is today).
Even more incredibly, Young started 815 games in his career. That means that if he started a game, there was a 92 percent chance that he'd also finish it.
Ken Daneyko: Most games between goals
New Jersey Devils defenceman Ken Daneyko was never known for his offensive prowess. This is pretty typical among stay-at-home defencemen — but typically, even these defensive stalwarts notch up a few goals here and there.
Daneyko, though, set an NHL record by going 255 games between goals. That equals more than three full seasons, in which Daneyko was playing most games, in which he failed to put the puck in the net.
LaDainian Tomlinson: More points than a whole team
Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson had himself a season to remember in 2006, with 1,815 rushing yards and 31 total touchdowns — numbers we haven't seen since — en route to a well-deserved MVP award.
What makes this even more incredible is that in that 2006 season, the total points Tomlinson put on the scoreboard were more than the entire Oakland Raiders team scored all season. Tomlinson had 186 points, while Oakland had 168.
Connie Madigan: Oldest rookie in NHL history
Cornelius Dennis "Mad Dog" Madigan — known mostly as "Connie" — played pro hockey between 1955 and 1976. Most of this time was spent in the minor leagues, but he did eventually make it to the big time — at the advanced age of 38.
Madigan played his first NHL game for the 1972-73 St. Louis Blues, finishing that year with 20 NHL games played. He then returned to the minor leagues for a couple of seasons and then retired. He's the oldest non-emergency goaltender to play in his first NHL game.
Joe Nuxhall: Youngest MLB player ever
During World War II, baseball was in a weird place with many players enlisted to fight. Things reached an apex in 1944 when the Cincinnati Reds — desperate for anyone who could pitch — used 15-year-old high school student Joe Nuxhall in a game.
Eight years later, Nuxhall returned and had an impressive career, followed by a long stint in TV and radio. He's a Reds legend, and will always be remembered as the youngest player to ever play a Major League Baseball game.
Nathan Horton: Scored in a game he didn't play in
Boston Bruins forward Nathan Horton scored a goal against the Dallas Stars in a game that was postponed after the Stars' Rich Peverley collapsed on the bench with a medical emergency. The game was resumed at a later date, but because Horton was injured in the interim, he wasn't able to take part.
This means that he was credited with a goal in a game that he officially didn't even play in. Because his injury ended his career, he technically scored his final goal after his final game.
Wilt Chamberlain: More 70-point games than everyone else combined
Wilt Chamberlain was in a league of his own. He's still the only player in NBA history to ever score 100 points in a game, and he also holds the record for most 70-point games with a total of six in his career.
This is impressive enough, but becomes almost unbelievable when you consider that in the entire history of the NBA, there have only been five other 70-point individual performances. This means that Chamberlain is responsible for more than half of the 70-point games in NBA history.
Tom Brady: 211 yards lost due to kneeling
Tom Brady is the NFL's GOAT, and as such, owns a ton of records. One of the weirder ones is the fact that his kneel-downs cost him 211 yards over the course of his career.
Of course, QBs take a knee at the end of the half, or the end of the game if they're winning. Usually this costs them a yard or two. It's incredible to think that Tom Brady lined up in the victory formation so often that he racked up more than 200 lost yards just due to kneeling.
Jamie McLennan: Endless suspension
Flames goalie Jamie McLennan earned a suspension in a 2007 NHL playoff game after he viciously slashed Red Wings forward Johan Franzen. McLennan was suspended for five games for his actions.
Because the Flames were quickly eliminated from the playoffs, and because McLennan never played another NHL game, this means that he still hasn't served his full suspension. If he decided to make an improbable comeback, he'd need to sit out a few games first.
Draymond Green: Triple-double that doesn't include points
Basketball fans know that a triple-double occurs when a player puts up double-digit totals in three categories between points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The most common type of triple-double, by far, incorporates double-digit points, rebounds, and assists.
Draymond Green made history in 2017 when he became the first NBA player to ever pick up a triple-double that didn't rely on points. He had four points, but his 12 rebounds, 10 assists, and 10 steals were enough for a triple-double on their own.
Seals/Barons: Cornering the market on goalies named Gary
The California Golden Seals (also known as the Oakland Seals) franchise entered the NHL in 1967, moved to Cleveland in 1976, and folded in 1978. Despite the fact that the franchise barely lasted a full decade, they managed to accumulate a lot of goalies named Gary.
In fact, of all the goaltending Garys in NHL history, more than half of them played for this team. Gary "Suitcase" Smith, Gary Kurt, Gary Simmons, and Gary Edwards all played for the Seals/Barons. Gary Bromley, Gary Laskoski, and Gary Inness are the only goalies named Gary who didn't play for them.
Rogério Ceni: Most goals from a keeper
In soccer, goalkeepers pick up the occasional goal, generally when they're selected for a free kick or penalty. Understandably enough, it's still quite rare. For São Paulo's Rogério Ceni, though, it became almost commonplace.
During his long career with São Paulo, Ceni notched an incredible 103 goals — unheard of for a keeper. He picked up 21 goals in the 2005 season alone, which makes for better numbers than most outfield players.
Jerry Rice: Only wide receiver to catch a TD pass after age 40
The wide receiver position is a tough one to play, which makes Jerry Rice's longevity all the more incredible. To date, he's the only NFL wide receiver to catch a touchdown pass after his 40th birthday.
This is kind of a tricky one, as he's the third player overall to catch a touchdown pass in his 40s. The other two, though, were quarterbacks — Tom Brady and Brett Favre — who caught TDs as part of a trick play.
Brent and Wayne Gretzky: Most points by a pair of brothers
Wayne Gretzky is a household name, while his brother Brent had a less heralded NHL career. Together, the Gretzky brothers hold the record for most combined points by two brothers, with Wayne picking up 2,857 and Brent picking up just four.
They don't hold the record for most points by more than two brothers, though. That record is 2,934 points, held by the Sutter brothers. This makes sense, considering six different Sutter brothers played in the NHL.
Hank and Tommie Aaron: Most home runs by brothers
Hank Aaron hit 755 home runs during his career, good enough for a second all-time (first all-time for those who don't consider Barry Bonds' record legitimate). When you add in the modest 13 home runs hit by his younger brother Tommie, the 768 combined home runs is the top mark for home runs hit by any number of MLB brothers.
Second place in this category is the DiMaggio brothers — Joe, Vince, and Dom — who hit a combined 573 home runs in the big leagues.
Dennis Rodman: 28 rebounds, 0 points
NBA legend Dennis Rodman was a tenacious player valued for his defensive work on the glass. While he wasn't known as a scorer, his stat line in a December 1993 game was still kind of mind-blowing: 28 rebounds and zero points.
Rodman was going to pick up far more rebounds than points on any given night, but it's absolutely wild to see such a dominant defensive night paired with zero points. Rodman wasn't even playing for the offensive juggernaut Bulls yet.
Mario Lemieux: Five goals, five ways
It isn't surprising that Mario Lemieux holds a few records, as he's one of the top hockey players of all time. What might be surprising is how many ways he found to put the puck in the net.
Mario the Magnificent is the only NHLer to score a goal every possible way in the same game. He scored one at even strength, one shorthanded, one on the power play, one on a penalty shot, and added his fifth goal as an empty netter.
Fernando Tatis: Two grand slams in one inning
Fernando Tatis Jr. is one of the best players in baseball, but his dad — Fernando Tatis Sr. — did something that will be difficult to replicate. In a 1999 game against the Dodgers, Tatis Sr. hit two grand slams in the same inning.
It's rare enough to see one player hit two home runs in the same inning, but it's almost commonplace compared to this achievement. It was a memorable game (really just a memorable inning) for the elder Tatis.
Baltimore Ravens: Most post-SB signees named Elvis
The Baltimore Ravens have been a model NFL franchise for most of their history, winning two Super Bowls during their tenure in the Charm City. After these victories, they did something that no other team accomplished.
The Baltimore Ravens are, to date, the only team in NFL history to sign a free agent with the first name 'Elvis' after every Super Bowl they've ever won. They signed Elvis Grbac in 2001, and Elvis Dumervil in 2013.