Top 10 Best Sports Urban Legends

September 17, 2021 By Sourav

We all know folklore, which sometimes we believe and sometimes we just see it as an urban legend. Throughout history, it has been a common occurrence that we see news about our favorite celebrities, which was unusual. And we stuck to absorb the myth. So, we analyzed the data thoroughly and gathered the sports urban legends which shocked the world.

Sports are like a thrilling and entertaining nudge that keeps you engaged, and that you remember for a long time. Thousands of sports stories and memories have been told throughout history, but few have been elevated to urban legend.

The media often exaggerates what people are saying, or adds extra material so it can go viral and appeal more to people. This is not the case here. Our team has conducted deep research to bring you the best urban legends in sports that will shock you. Here we go!

Best Sports Urban Legends | All-Time Updates

10. Kevin Mitchell: Cat Killer
9. The Oklahoma Football Team
8. Dock Ellis' No-No Trip
7. Wade Boggs Pounds Brew
6. Sports Illustrated Cover Jinx
5. Cal Ripken And Kevin Costner
4. Madden Curse In NFL
3. Josh Gibson: The Folklore
2. Jimmy Hoffa's Body
1. Wilt Chamberlain and His Women

Don’t Miss

• Sports Urban Legends | Infographics
• FAQs Regarding Sports Urban Legends

We have recently published the unbreakable records in sports and also the most absurd fines in sports history. However, to continue to the list of the unknown sports facts, we have now researched all the sports urban legends to find the most interesting among those. So, here they are!

10. Kevin Mitchell: Cat Killer

Kevin Darnell Mitchell is an American former Major League Baseball left fielder. A two-time All-Star and the 1989 NL MVP, he became widely known for his occasional brilliance on the field.

He is still considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time. The football player went to his former teammate's house to pay a visit to Mitchell, who appeared to be in a fit of rage.

According to the story, Mitchell reacted to his girlfriend by threatening and screaming profanities at her. Afterward, Mitchell snatched his girlfriend's cat from her grasp and killed it with a single shot.

As a result, the incident caused a lot of controversy and attention. The consequences of this were detrimental to his career and fan base. It was the biggest urban legend in the history of sports.

9. The Oklahoma Football Team Was Contaminated

The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Sooners was the best team in college football history.

American football has become one of the most popular college sports with the help of these teams. Notre Dame ended Oklahoma's 47-game winning streak 7-0 when they visited Owen Field and defeated Bud Wilkinson's team 7-0.

There is a legend that the Sooners, who were unstoppable once the season started, suffered from food poisoning caused by their opponent.

Throughout the remainder of 1957, Oklahoma won all of its games, which only added to the feeling that something fishy had happened. After a few years, this story went viral and became an urban legend in sports.

8. Dock Ellis' No-No Trip

An American professional baseball player, Dock Phillip Ellis Jr. was one of the best athletes in history. Besides, he is known as one of the fittest male athletes of his time. In Major League Baseball, he pitched right-handed from 1968 to 1979.

Throughout his 11-year career, the eccentric pitcher had as many antics as baseball skills, so someone was bound to make a movie about him. It is still considered one of the best sports-themed movies of all time.

Director Jeffrey Radice has done that with No No, his new documentary about the man behind self-medication. "No-No" focuses mainly on Ellis' prolific drug use, which is its main draw. During every game, Ellis reportedly took 17 "greenies" (amphetamines).

That is the equivalent of twenty cups of coffee. This was a huge myth that affected his career negatively and made it the oddest sports urban legend.

7. Wade Boggs Pounds Brew

Wade Anthony Boggs is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He spent 18 seasons in Major League Baseball, primarily with the Boston Red Sox.

One of the weirdest urban legends in sports was his habit of drinking beer all the time. As one of his friends said- "I’ve never seen anyone drink as much beer as [Boggs] did in my life."

Nelson said in a radio interview, "I’d say, on a typical road trip, east coast to west coast, say a road game to Seattle...Wade would drink anywhere between 50 and 60 beers...I know how crazy that sounds, and I wouldn’t believe it myself unless I saw him do it...numerous times. And he drank nothing but Miller Lite."

The testimony of a teammate has demonstrated the validity of the story even though Boggs denied it at the time. However, he still remained as one of the best third basemen in MLB of all time.

6. Sports Illustrated Cover Jinx

On number 6 we've Sports Illustrated Cover Jinx out of the top 10 Best Sports Urban Legends. There was a widespread belief at the time that if a player appeared on this magazine photo, they would be misfortune and have some bad times in their careers.

People weren't just saying that, it actually happened occasionally. However, several of the hottest SI Swimsuit models continued photoshoots even after this rumor.

There are several examples of this, including the pictured SI cover from November, three months before Peyton Manning threw the Super Bowl-winning interception against the New Orleans Saints.

Among other examples is The New Yorker's "Favre on Fire" cover, published two weeks before the Vikings' NFC Championship Game loss to the Saints. And became the greatest urban legends in sports and earned a ranking on 6th spot out of the top 10 best sports urban legends.

5. Cal Ripken And Kevin Costner

On number 5 we've ranked Cal Ripken and Kevin Costner out of the top 10 best sports urban legends. Calvin Edwin Ripken Jr is an American former baseball shortstop and third baseman.

He played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Baltimore Orioles. Even after his retirement, he is still dubbed as one of the best MLB shortstops the world has ever seen. And Kevin Michael Costner is an American actor and filmmaker.

One night, Ripken had injured himself by punching actor Kevin Costner. This urban legend was one of the most popular at that time.

The Orioles withdrew the game claiming a light malfunction because Ripken couldn't make it to the ballpark. This urban legend was more talked about than Dock Ellis' No-No Trip.

4. Madden Curse

There is a theory that an NFL player who appears on the cover of Madden NFL will experience injury or poor performance during the upcoming season.

The "Madden Curse" has affected a number of high-profile athletes, including Michael Vick and Daunte Culpepper. Several of the most followed NFL players also fall prey to this legend.

Vick, who is on the 2004 edition cover, broke his leg in a preseason game, just one day after the game was released. Despite going 9-6-1 the year before, the Falcons did not make the playoffs. Probably one of the strangest urban legends in the world.

The most bizarre thing that has ever happened in sports history. Madden Curse got 4th spot out of the top 10 best sports urban legends.

3. Josh Gibson

Joshua Gibson was an American baseball catcher who played mostly in the Negro leagues. Gibson is regarded as one of the greatest MLB power hitters and catchers in baseball history by baseball historians.

The Negro Leagues didn't expose him to a broader audience or gain him recognition throughout his career. Several historians have noted that it would have cemented his position as an all-time great.

Gibson's achievements are somewhat ambiguous due to the lack of statistical analysis in the Negro Leagues. During his career, he hit almost 800 home runs, including 600-footers.

Due to Gibson's sudden death in 1947, it is impossible to gain a more accurate picture of his career. Consequently, much of it remains as folklore in the annals of baseball history.

2. Jimmy Hoffa's Body

On number 2 we have ranked Jimmy Hoffa's Body out of the top 10 best sports urban legends. It is widely regarded as the strangest thing that has ever happened in sports history.

James Riddle Hoffa was an American labor union leader who served as the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters from 1957 until 1971.

He was disappeared in 1975 in what was thought to be a mob hit. In both sports and Americana, Jimmy Hoffa's body location was a popular legend.

Later, it became an urban legend that Hoffa was buried under the goal line at Giants Stadium. It was the hot news that kept spreading across countries and the world was in mourning for him.

1. Wilt Chamberlain and His Women

In 1st place, we have ranked Wilt Chamberlain and His Women out of the top 10 best sports urban legends. Wilton Norman Chamberlain was an American professional basketball player who played as a center and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the sport's history.

One of the highest point scorers in the NBA, Chamberlain, was pretty (in)famous for his extravagant relationships. It has been reported that Wilt slept with over 20,000 different women during his lifetime.

A media firestorm erupted when irate journalists attacked Wilt from every direction. The AIDS epidemic was at its peak. Prostitutes criticized Wilt for his promiscuity during this time.

His promotion of black racial stereotypes also brought him criticism in African-American circles. His blatant sexism was resented by feminists who complained about how he used women.

Conclusion

That's all folks! As we discussed above, strange things do not only occur in sports. The world is full of urban legacies. The following ten urban legends are the most shocking and popular in the world. These stories have been around for years, but they're still as popular as ever. When the opportunity arises, people still talk about them and share what they know about them.

We hope you liked reading the article. If you have any questions regarding our ranking make sure to connect with us. Or if you have any suggestions about our rankings or queries, feel free to let us know in the comment box.

Sports Urban Legends | Infographics

FAQs Regarding Sports Urban Legends

Q. What is the meaning of urban legends?

An urban legend is a type of modern folklore in which stories told are thought to be true but may be untrue or exaggerated. Almost this happens everywhere in the world. We are all familiar with it.

Q. Which is the most popular sports urban legend?

There was a widespread belief at the time that if a player appeared on this magazine photo, they would be misfortune and have some bad times in their careers. People weren't just saying that, it actually happened occasionally. This is the most popular sports urban legend.

Q. Which are the most interesting legends about sports?

There is a theory that an NFL player who appears on the cover of Madden NFL will experience injury or poor performance during the upcoming season. The "Madden Curse" has affected a number of high-profile athletes, including Michael Vick and Daunte Culpepper.

Q. Which are the craziest urban legends in the sports world?

It has been reported that Wilt Chamberlain slept with over 20,000 different women during his lifetime. A media firestorm erupted when irate journalists attacked Wilt from every direction. The AIDS epidemic was at its peak. Prostitutes criticized Wilt for his promiscuity during this time.