Athletes That Caused Rule Changes In Their Sport

Ed Walsh

Ed Walsh’s seemingly impossible 1.82 career ERA is the lowest ever, and his dominance was partly because he was a master at the spitball and made it popular. In the 1910s, usage of the spitball became rampant, which led to other pitches like using Vaseline or using an emery board to doctor the baseball. This made the ball more difficult to hit due to its erratic movements, and the discoloration made the ball very difficult to spot in low-light situations. Sadly, this led to a death, when a spitball struck Ray Chapman in the head after he couldn’t see the ball during a dark game. In 1920, these practices got banned but those which were grandfathered in were exceptions and were allowed to be used.

Ed Walsh

Shaquille O’Neal

Shaq is considered one of the all-time most dominant centers, and his strength damaged a lot of hoops during his long and highly successful career. The ferocity of his dunks shattered backboards and on one occasion, he broke the supports that keep the goal up and also broke another goal’s hydraulics. Because of this, there were very lengthy delays as the arena crew had to wheel one goal to the back to re-weld things in the middle of the game. This resulted in goals being made sturdier and the league adding a rule in the books that the opposing team would get free throws in case it occurred once more. Now, there is a rule that states any player who makes the ring unplayable or damages the backboard after making contact with it will be penalized and will be assessed as a non-unsportsmanlike conduct technical foul.

Shaquille O’Neal

Tom Dempsey

For 43 years, kicker Tom Dempsey’s 63-yard field goal had been the longest in history until Matt Prater made a 64 yarder. This in and of itself isn’t problematic, but some teams questioned whether Dempsey gained an unfair advantage because of his special footgear. Since he was born without toes on his right foot, he wore a shoe specially shaped for playing. It was basically a half-shoe that came with a hardened, flattened surface to allow him to kick with, but there was never any conclusive evidence supporting the claim that it gave him a definite advantage. Nevertheless, the league introduced a rule which states that kickers wearing prosthetics are required to have the prosthesis shaped like a normal foot, but Dempsey was grandfathered in.

Tom Dempsey

Martin Brodeur

In the NHL, goalies stay mainly in front of the goal, though that wasn’t the case with Martin Brodeur. He had exceptional stickhandling skills and the league theorized that allowing him to play the puck from behind the net gave him an unfair advantage. He was great at neutralizing the dump and chase, which is a strategy involving sending the puck to the corners and going after it in order to set up plays. When other teams tried it against him, they would end up with the play suddenly going the other way, since he could go after the puck and have the skills to counterattack with pinpoint accuracy. The “Martin Brodeur Rule,” as it is unofficially known, states that a goalie cannot handle the puck if they are behind the net, except if they are standing in a trapezoid that is behind the net.

Martin Brodeur

Roger Neilson

Coach Neilson changed how goaltenders are used in hockey, and several rules have been introduced to the game because of how he would replace the goalie in certain situations. On penalty shots, he would have a defenseman on the ice in place of a goaltender and instructed him to charge directly at the opposing player because the coach realized that the other player would find it a lot harder to score this way. To prevent players from doing this, the NHL mandated that during penalty shots, a goalie has to be used on defense and he can only leave the crease once the puck has been touched. There’s also another rule which was created because Coach Neilson would pull the goaltender in last-minute situations and replace him with another player on offense, but told him to leave his stick in front of the net in order to block shots. The very next season, a rule was instituted to make the practice illegal.

Roger Neilson

Pat Venditte

The modern-day pitcher Pat Venditte had a rule made specifically for him because he could pitch with either hand. Pitchers generally have a definite advantage if they pitch to a batter that bats with the same hand, so Venditte always positioned himself optimally. However, it became a problem when he pitched to a switch hitter, a batter who has the ability to bat from either side since it resulted in a never-ending cat-and-mouse game where both players kept changing sides. The referee had to intervene to stop this from going on forever, and it was interestingly ruled then and there that the batter needed to declare first. Nevertheless, a few weeks later, the official rules reversed it and introduced the Venditte Rule, which states that the pitcher has to declare which hand he will be using to pitch with and continue using the same hand for the whole at-bat.

Pat Venditte

Sean Avery

Screening a goaltender in hockey is not new and the tactic has been used for a long time, though Sean Avery took it to the next level, forcing a rules change. He abandoned all attempts to play the game and just positioned himself right in front of Martin Brodeur, where he waved his stick and gloves in the air to block Brodeur’s view. Avery never actually faced the play nor did he know where the puck was, and just dedicated himself to be as annoying as possible. At the time, the tactic was legal but everyone agreed it was really unsportsmanlike. After the game finished, the league took action and ruled that a player who waves his arms or stick in a goaltender’s face will be considered engaging in unsportsmanlike conduct and will draw a two-minute penalty.

Sean Avery

Eddie Stanky

Similarly, it is now a rule in the MLB that waving your hands in the air in order to distract a batter is illegal. Eddie Stanky once played second base, so he was always in the line of sight of opposing batters. He thought of using this to his advantage and started doing jumping jacks and waving his arms in the air to distract the player who was at-bat, during every pitch. Since no official rule was against this, they allowed him to continue, but his antics perturbed an opposing player so much it caused a dugout-clearing brawl. The fracas was eventually broken up by the NYPD, and the league later banned the tactic people now call “The Stanky Maneuver.”

Eddie Stanky

Kareem-Abdul Jabbar

During his college days prior to fully converting to Islam, Jabbar was extremely dominant because he could dunk the ball with ease. However, the NCAA subsequently ruled that the dunk was illegal, which led him and many other people to believe that the rule was made with the sole purpose of slowing him down. It was called the “Lew Alcindor” rule, Jabbar’s name prior to converting to Islam. The rule was in effect between 1967 and 1976, but it incidentally made the future Lakers star an even better player. Because he was not allowed to shoot the ball down through the rim, he was able to develop his hook shot, one of the moves which made him an unstoppable force in the NBA.

Kareem-Abdul Jabbar

Paul Westphal

Nowadays, it seems preposterous to think that a slam dunk was illegal in basketball, but it is still not as crazy as the idea of a team having as many timeouts as they want. In the 70s, if you called for a timeout which you didn’t have, the opposing team got a free throw but you still got the timeout and retained possession of the ball. Westphal’s team was down by one and the clock had almost run out, so he called for a timeout intentionally despite knowing his team didn’t have any left, which awarded a free throw to the opposing team. The Celtics were subsequently up by two, though the Suns still got the timeout and came up with the play which ended up sending the game into triple overtime. This meant that a team could call an infinite number of timeouts, possibly dragging out games to great lengths, so the league decided to do something about this – nowadays, the opposing team gets two free throws and also gains possession of the ball.

Paul Westphal

Wilt Chamberlain

Did you know that Shaq’s humorous attempt at dunking a free throw at an All-Star game wasn’t the first time a player tried the stunt? Apparently, Wilt Chamberlain mastered the technique without others knowing before he unloaded it on the world in an exhibition match. Opposing coaches immediately deemed the tactic of cheating and considered it unfair, and they complained to the Coaches Rule Recommendations Committee. Shortly afterward, the NCAA made rules against foul-shot dunks, though it was narrow in scope since not many players could even accomplish this feat. It was pretty obvious to observers that Wilt solely triggered this and what made the situation worse was that this happened before the internet. It was not easy to verify the claims that a 100% free throw percentage is something he could easily attain, but the committee was still quick to believe coach Tex Winter’s tall tales.

Wilt Chamberlain

Pedro Ferrandiz

Coach Pedro Ferrandiz of Real Madrid called for a play that was not only wild but also previously un-thought of – he instructed his players to make a basket for the opposing team. This may seem crazy, but his reasoning was very sound. The teams were tied at 80-80 and appeared to be going into overtime, but his top three players were already sitting on the bench because of fouling out. He reasoned that losing by two now was better than dragging on the game and possibly losing by a lot more since the total series score was what determined whether a team could advance or not. FIBA reacted by banning the tactic outright, citing the move unsportsmanlike and saying it would disqualify any team which was found to have deliberately scored baskets for the opposition.

Pedro Ferrandiz

Wayne Gretzsky

Gretzsky and the teams that he played for were really dominant when they found themselves in 4-on-4 situations, so they would greatly benefit if both squads were down a man after getting penalized. These situations nearly always led to the legendary forward scoring at least one goal, and the NHL decided they had to stop this from occurring. In 1985, they ruled that that kind of double fouls would lead to offsetting penalties, which means no one would leave the ice, the game would continue, and each side would have a full complement of players. This rule was unpopular with players and fans alike, and the legend himself lambasted the league in public for the decision. Within less than a decade, before the 1992-93 season started, the NHL ended up reversing the rule and they decided to remove it for good.

Wayne Gretzsky

Rob Ray

Dedicated to improving his brawling skills, Rob used to wear loose-fitting clothing and reportedly sewed his pads to his clothes to make it easy for him to take them off. When he got into fights, which was quite frequent, he would take off his shirt and his opponents could not secure him by jersey-grabbing. As a result, he gained a big advantage in fisticuffs, with his range of movement getting freed up, and he could swing wildly at his opponents. The NHL later created new rules which punished players for not having their sweater secured to their body or for losing it, and almost everybody in the league thought it was the league’s response to Ray’s tactics. Nevertheless, he still kept on fighting, albeit with his clothes on.

Rob Ray

Stan Mikita

During one of their practices, Black Hawks forward Stan Mikita bent his stick by accident in the rink’s doorway. He subsequently found his shots were unpredictable and wild, which made it harder for goalies to block his shots, so he began bending his stick on purpose and so did his teammate Bobby Hull. Their modified “banana blades” allowed them to do slap shots from a very far spot since the erratic movement could cause the puck to zoom past goaltenders. This was really dangerous as the use of helmets wasn’t widespread at the time, and ironically, Mikita was among the first to begin wearing one full-time. Afterward, more experimentation occurred and deeper curves were added to their equipment, so the NHL decided in 1970 to put a limit on the curvature (half an inch) to prevent things from getting way out of hand.

Stan Mikita

Ron Meyer

It seems like common sense to limit the kind of equipment which can be used in sports to have a level playing field, but Patriots coach Ron Meyer had something else in mind when he decided to use a snowplow to gain an advantage over the opposing team, the Miami Dolphins. The night before the game, the field froze over, so the snowplow was on hand. A scoreless affair due to the frosty and abysmal conditions on the field, no one thought it was strange when the snowplow returned to the field once more, but rather than clearing off the markers, the vehicle just plowed the part of the field where Meyer’s team were going to kick a field goal. The turf was suddenly playable, and John Smith took advantage of the moment and scored the game’s only points. Understandably livid, Dolphins head coach Don Schula complained to the league commissioner, so the NFL later introduced a specific rule stating snowplows cannot be used during a game.

Ron Meyer

Roy Williams

Standing at just six feet, Roy Williams was pretty undersized compared to other NFL safeties, and he had to use all the advantages available to him. He was known for several techniques, one of them being the horse-collar tackle, which involved yanking the back of another player’s collar to make their legs sweep out from under them. The move became extremely problematic since the victim did not have any control over how he got taken to the ground, and in just one season, four players suffered injuries from Williams alone. After that year, the move was subsequently banned by the NFL during the off-season in 2005. The “Roy Williams Rule,” as it is commonly known, has been expanded, and now the yanking of the jersey from the back and the shoulder pads of the opposing player are also banned.

Roy Williams

Lester Hayes

Another NFL defender who caused a rules to change, Lester Hayes had a special technique of “getting extremely sticky” and it was the reason for the change. Up to that point, players could use the adhesive Stickum on their hands to allow them to catch balls easier on offense and defense, but he took the usage of the product to a different level. He would smother his hands and himself with it, and he was able to set a record because of this – the most interceptions in one season. If he didn’t nab a catch for himself, he got stuck to wide receivers since the stuff was all over him. The NFL decided enough was enough, so they banned the use of the product with what is now known as “the Lester Hayes Rule.”

Lester Hayes

Michael Joseph Kelly

This is probably the ultimate “It isn’t in the rulebook” moment, and Michael Joseph “King” Kelly was the reason why the MLB created a rule that explicitly states there can be no substitution made during a play. At the time, he was player-manager and was sitting on the bench when a foul ball went to his direction. He quickly jumped up and yelled he was substituting in for his teammate Charlie Ganzell prior to catching the ball for the out. At the time, you only needed to call it out to make a substitution, and he argued what he did was totally legal and within the game’s constraints. That following off-season, it was added in the rules that substitution can only happen “at the end of any completed inning by either club.”

Michael Joseph Kelly

Jimmy Graham

Similar to Shaq’s rim-breaking dunks inspiring the rule against damaging equipment, Jimmy Graham caused the NFL to ban dunking the ball. At the peak of his career with the New Orleans Saints, he celebrated touchdowns by “dunking” the ball over the crossbar. While he wasn’t the first player who did this, he was the first one to have caused a delay of the game since he bent the whole post to the side by accident. The stadium crew needed to adjust it back to a playable shape. This specific event resulted in the league deciding to call the move unsportsmanlike conduct and to add a penalty of 15 yards on the following play.

Jimmy Graham

Shaquille O’Neal

Speaking of Shaq, this is the second time he’s made the list, but it is not because of what he did in a game. He was dominant on the court but had the very poor foul-shot ability, so teams often fouled Shaq when they could and the strategy became known as “Hack-a-Shaq.” Games slowed to a grinding halt, which caused fans and even the teams who used the tactic to get displeased with what was happening. For each intentional foul, as many as 4 minutes can be added to a game’s total length, so the NBA thought of combatting situations like this by making it an undesirable strategy. They decided to award the victimized team with the free throw and retention of possession of the ball.

Shaquille O’Neal

Leroy Edwards

Leroy Edwards was an imposing force back in the ’30s. He proposed all types of problems and his persistent behavior led to the implementation of the three-second rule by the NBA in 1936. This rule says that a player cannot stay inside the restricted area for more than three seconds unless he is guarding a nearby player.

Leroy Edwards

Darryl Dawkins

You may know him as “Chocolate Thunder, ” but either way Darryl Dawkins’ stunt in the 1979 season led to the most unbelievable rule changes. This came about when he shattered the backboard after one of his powerful dunks. Two weeks later he did this once again, and the NBA responded by creating a ban. They went as far as to say that a player who did shatter the glass would be subject to a fine and suspension. Basically the NBA was telling Dunkin to stop dunking so hard and replaced the rims with “breakaway rims” to avoid any possibility for an indecent like this one.

Darryl Dawkins

Bill Russell

While studying at the University Of San Francisco, Bill Russel accumulated 20.7 PPG and 20.3 RPG. A huge reason he was able to do this was that he was allowed to stay within 10 feet of the paint and utilize his overbearing 6 ft 9 frame. In 1955 after Russell won his second consecutive championship, The NCAA decided to enact a rule that the free-throw line would be expanded to 12 feet so that ballers like Russell would not dominate the field forever. Also, his success led to the creation of the key, because he would often wait there until his teammates would pass to him so that he could easily dunk the ball.

Bill Russell

Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods a golfing legend, dominated the course to the extent that the Master’s committee at famed August National had to enact serious changes to their iconic golf course. These changes were known as “Tiger Proofing” and included planting trees, narrowing fairways, and allowing the rough to become overgrown. Players on the PGA Tour say that these changes have made the course tougher for everyone.

Tiger Woods

Bob Gibson

Back in 1968, Bob Gibson won a 15 straight game reaching a 23-9 overall record for the year. He was recording a 1.12 ERA with 268 strikeouts and 13 shutouts. The national League ERA was 2.99, but they felt obligated to make it more of a struggle for pitchers to succeed, thus they lowered the height of the mound to 10 inches. Gibson managed to keep up his skill, but he definitely wasn’t the same pitcher and ended with a 2.18 ERA and 20-13 overall record for the following year.

Bob Gibson

Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini

After the battle between Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini and Duk Koo Kim in 1982, boxing was changed forever. After 13 brutal rounds, Kim looked like he reached the end but instead continued fighting. He should have stopped there because in the 14th round Mancini gave one last hit that caused Kim’s neck to snap back. The referee called quits and Kim eventually collapsed into a coma and died four days later from brain injuries. His mother subsequently killed herself and Ray fell into a deep depression after being labeled a murderer. The WBC was forced to shorten its rounds from 15 to 12 and introduced the eight-count. Since then. boxers are also required to take a set of medical tests pre-fight.

Ray Mancini

Buster Posey

Baseball interceptions have been around since the beginning, but taking a look at history we can see it’s not so smart to keep them around. This hits home for the San Francisco Giants as they lost their main catcher Buster Posey due to an injury in 2011. After this, the league decided to modify the rules about collisions at the plate. Catchers were no longer allowed to block a runner’s path to the plate, and runners could no longer tackle a catcher to knock a ball from his glove. The rule was not enacted until years after the collision with Posey, however, it will always be associated with his major injury.

Buster Posey

Calvin Johnson

During a game against the Chicago Bears, Calvin Johnson the receiver on the Detroit Lions jumped up in the air and caught a would-be touchdown pass in the end zone, landed with both feet in bounds, took a couple of steps backward, and slid on the ground with his left hip before sliding out of the back of the end zone. It was clear to most that possession was established, well not everyone because officials said otherwise. They claimed that he lost possession after he let go of the ball to celebrate his touchdown. Plays like this are now commonly referred to as the Calvin Johnson Rule, stating that a player must keep possession during the full process.

Calvin Johnson

Deion Sanders

Deion Sanders was a college athlete at the time studying at Florida State University when the NCAA realized he was not attending his classes. This was against the student-athlete regulation policy, which states students participating in sports must keep up a certain GPA and attend all classes. After this, the NCAA made sure to implement stricter eligibility criteria.

Deion Sanders

Candy Cummings

Candy Cummings is credited for his mastery of pitch and is most commonly associated with his invention of the curveball. It was never seen before and batters had difficulty hitting a pitch they had never seen. This gave Cummings a solid advantage. In response, the pitch was actually outlawed for being “dishonest.” But this ban only lasted for a short period and was eventually lifted.

Candy Cummings

Trent Tucker

With  00:00.1 seconds left on the game clock, the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls were tied at 106. Tucker wanted to surprise the Bulls with a less than obvious play. Thus he ran to the three-point line, secured the in-bound pass, and took a winning shot. The officials running the clocks were a bit suspicious of how he did this given the small time frame. Although they said the clocks were working correctly the night before, the replay showed there was a malfunction. After this, the Trent Tucker Rule” went into action, stating that if the game clock shows anything less than 00:00.3 remaining, no shot will be counted since there is clearly not enough time to carry out the play.

Trent Tucker

Dwayne Wade

Dwayne Wade is known as the player to intentionally exploit fouls. He would regularly initiate contact with defender’s just to draw more fouls and subsequent free throws. After fans complained this was slowing down the game. the league decided it was time to put an end to this type of behavior.

Dwayne Wade

Tom Brady

There a strong consensus that Tom Brady is one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. During the 2008 season, he suffered a blow to his ACL and MCL and the league immediately responded by creating “The Tom Brady Rule.” It says that defensive players can no longer make an intentional lunge at a quarterback’s back legs to try to tackle him to the ground. The league refused to see this happen to another valuable player.

Tom Brady

Charles Barkley

Charles Barkley was one of the most fearsome players who ever lived. 6 ft 6 and 260 pounds, he was extremely pesky and crafty during his time. His behavior made the league even create a rule after him, named The Booty Rule. Barkley would frequently use his butt to block defenders for 20 seconds before shotting. The league stated that no player below the free-throw line could do this for longer than 5 seconds.

Charles Barkley

Deion Sanders

Sanders reappears on this list for his second rule that occurred, this one was having to with the NFL signing large bonuses. In 1955 Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made it so they didn’t have to pay Sanders a large amount for the first three years of his contract, and also gave him a $12.99 million bonus to avoid a huge cap hit. The NFL was forced to enact a rule stating that portions of large signing bonuses would be incorporated into salary sums for the year. This way teams could not find loopholes in the system for their benefit.

Deion Sanders,

Allen Iverson

The NBA spent years trying tp uphold a squeaky clean image until Allen Iverson came along and ruined that completely. We remember him for many great things, like being the shortest MVP ever. But what he is really known for is how he changed the NBA culture. With his cornrows, tattoos, and jewelry, he became a style icon for other players to imitate. However, the NBA wasn’t too fond of this and started a dress code in 2005 that said all players needed to dress in business casual before and after all games.

Allen Iverson

Reggie Miller

Miller is by far the greatest player in Pacers’ history and is known for his trademark – kicking his legs out when he shot his deadly jump shots. Although this rule was instated after Miller was retired, it was still inspired by him. It stated that players who blatantly kicked out their legs to injure another player while taking a jump shot would be given an immediate foul and called for an offensive violation.

Reggie Miller

Bob Kurland

Kurland was one of the game’s first 7-footers and led the former Oklahoma A&M to NCAA championships in 1945 and 1946. He was known for a signature steal, where he would leap above the rim to grab other opponents’ shots. After this recurrence, the NCAA decided to ban defensive goaltending.

Bob Kurland

Bruce Bowen

One of the best defensive players all around, Bruce Bowen made eight all-defensive teams and won three championships with the San Antonio Spurs. However, he took his defensive tactics too far and some were even named dangerous. One behavior of his that the NBA wanted to eliminate was when Bowen would frequently contest a jump shot and place his foot in the spot that players would land, to injure his opponent’s ankles. The NBA was fed up with the damage Bowen caused and made a rule that allows players to have a safe place to land.

Bruce Bowen

Caron Butler

If you’ve followed the NBA then you are well acquainted with Caron Butler’s fetish for chewing plastic straws during games. In 2007 he even said that “his favorite straws are from McDonald’s and Burger King,” and he goes through an insane amount of wait for it…. 12 straws per game! But the NBA was not too thrilled about this and outlawed straw chewing during the game as its a safety issue. He was allowed to chew as many straws as he wanted on the bench, but during the game was out of the question!

Caron Butler

Dikembe Mutombo

One of the greatest shot-blockers the NBA has ever seen, Mutombo is known for his signature finger-wag.  The NBA created a rule that yielded a technical foul for finger-wagging at an opponent as it was considered taunting. This trademark is so famous that it even outshines any other impressive things Mutomba achieved on the court.

Dikembe Mutombo

Derek Fisher

Back in 2004 during game 5 of the  2004 Western Conference Semifinals between the Lakers and the defending champion San Antonio Spurs, the game was getting close and the series was tied at 2. After three consecutive time-outs, the game resumed and Pauton got the ball to Fisher who caught, turned, and shot the winning basket all in 4 seconds. Fisher wasn’t quite sure he beat the buzzer and sprinted off the court as fast as he could. Afterward, the Spurs filed a dispute. Unfortunately for them, the referees concluded that the ball left Fisher’s hand before the clock expired and the Lakers won the game. After this, an amendment was made to the Trent Tucker Rule, and the league declared .4 seconds was necessary to accept a shot.

Derek Fisher

Rajon Rondo

In 2010 the NBA instituted a rule that prohibited players from wearing headbands with the logo upside-down. Fans knew Rondo as the headband-wearing player, but after this, he ditched the headband altogether. It is still unknown why he chose to wear his headbands upside down.

Rajon Rondo

Larry Bird

Since the 1980’s the Larry Bird exception was enacted that teams are forbidden from exceeding the salary cap to resign one of their players. This was because of the Boston Celtics who tried to do exactly that with Larry Bird. Free agents who qualify for this exception came to be known as “Bird Free Agents.”

Larry Bird

Kevin Durant

The “Rip Through” has been seen too many times with all NBA players. It is when an offensive player intentionally swings his arms into his defender and carries out the ball towards the basket in the hopes of getting a foul. The biggest exploiter of the Rip Through is Kevin Durrant himself as he turned an infrequent incident to a problem the league had to address. Other players have integrated the technique into their offensive repertoires, but it is Durrant’s trademark. Since the 2011-2012 season, the NBA declared that they would not call shooting fouls on so-called “rip-throughs.”

Kevin Durant

Derek Harper

Harper is known to be a good post defender, rather than the perimeter. He was best known for hand-checking, a technique where the defensive player places their hand on the offensive player. They did it to navigate where the offensive player would go next. Derek did this on MJ and many other players and was very successful. He was able to use his strength to be a strong perimeter player. Unfortunately for this athlete, hand-checking was banned in the early 2000s.

Derek Harper

Denis Rodman

Dennis Rodman is a feisty one, and this cameraman got on his bad side when he collided with him during one of his games. The man was too close to the court and Rodman got a little out of control and retaliated by kicking him. This led to his 11 game suspension and assault charges, which were eventually dropped. Years later the NBA posted a rule after several more cameraman collisions. It gave players more room to reduce baseline photography and TV positions from 24 to 20. Also, each baseline can have six photo spots on one side of the basket and four on the other.

Denis Rodman

Allen Iverson

Not just controversial fashion sense, but many were suspicious of Iverson’s cross and it’s possible it was even illegal. As critics began to analyze his technique specifically in an instance with Michael Jordan, they noticed it wasn’t his speed that made him successful, it was his sneaky cross-over. What made it so controversial was that Iverson was carrying the ball before the final dribble, thus violating the discontinued dribble statute. It became clear he was “palming the ball” and was eventually banned by the NBA.

Allen Iverson

Mark Jackson

Mark Jackon was regarded as one of the nation’s most elite point guards and ranks 13th on the NBA’s all-time games list. Jackson was most known for notorious for backing down opposing point guards in the post for 15 seconds or even more, the league insisted that they establish a five-second rule. This rule prohibits an offensive player from dribbling with his back to the basket for more than 5 seconds when he is below the free-throw line.

Mark Jackson

Allan Houston

Allan Houston was leading the New York Nicks to victory when he suffered knee injuries that ended his career. However, he remained with the team in spirit, and more importantly on the salary cap. Although he was out for the entire 2006-2007 seasons, he was still the league’s second-highest player. The NBA decided to create a new regulation; all teams were granted a one-time amnesty, allowing one contract to not be counted towards luxury tax.

Allan Houston

For hundreds of years, sports have been a massive part of people’s lives, and naturally with that comes incredible athletes. Of course, the sporting world has many ups and downs but a lot of the time, there are moments that definitely need to go down in sporting history. Luckily we have the technology that allows so many of these greatest moments to be captured so that people can reminisce years down the line. Let’s take a closer at some vintage photos of the greatest moments in sporting history.

Vintage Photos Of The Greatest Moments In Sports History

Willie Mays’ Catch

The Willie Mays’ catch is one of the most incredible catches in all MLB history. Fans often call his over-the-shoulder basket catch “The Catch”. During the 1954 World Series, the New York Giants were competing against the Cleveland Indians. It was the first game in the 8th inning and the score was tied 2-2 when Mays made the catch, robbing Vic Wertz of a base hit. Besides the fact that Willie made the catch, he also hurled the ball into the infield, which prevented the runners from stealing any bases. The Giants went on to win the game in extra innings, and the World Series altogether.

Willie Mays’ Catch

Pete Rose’s Dive

Pete Rose, who is also known as “Charlie Hustle”, was one of the best players on the Cincinnati Reds. You can thank Pete Rose for the outstanding slide that many (if not all) players use actually today. Pete was also famous for being quite careless on the field, regularly crashing into walls and other players. During the 1970 All-Star Game, Indians catcher Ray Fosse suffered a career-altering injury because of one of Pete’s infamous dives. Pete Rose is the MLB’s all-time hits leader, a three-time World Series Champion, and a 17-time All-Star. In addition, to be being one of the greatest, Pete is also one of the most controversial players in baseball history. Did you know that he was involved in betting on baseball, and in 1989 Rose was consequently banned from further gambling?

Pete Rose’s Dive

Terry Bradshaw Flexing

This tremendous photograph was taken right at the moment that Terry Bradshaw was preparing for Super Bowl XIII against the Dallas Cowboys. Terry’s confidence must have been one of the reasons that helped him win with his team in both 1975 and 1976. Of course, not everyone had something nice to say about Terry and Cowboys linebacker Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson prior to the game. This is what Thomas had to say, “Bradshaw couldn’t spell “cat” if he spotted the C and the A”. Instead of engaging with Thomas, Terry decided to leave it all on the field. He ended up passing for four touchdowns, the first time this ever happened in Super Bowl history. The Steelers finished with a 35-31 victory, defeating the Rams in Super Bowl XIV, and went on to become the first four-time champions in league history.

Terry Bradshaw Flexing

Bobby Orr Flying

Bobby Orr is a Boston Bruins Hall of Fame defenseman, and he is the reason behind this iconic photo. During the 1970 NHL Stanley Cup Finals, it was over time in Game 4 when Bobby Orr delivered the game-winning goal for the Bruins. The opposing team’s defense-man accidentally tripped Bobby seconds after the goal. This was the result and the photo instantly became one of the most famous images in NHL history and also was very symbolic to Orr’s career.

Bobby Orr Flying

Vince Lombardi Rides Off Into Victory

Vince Lombardi was the Green Bay Packers Head Coach who was responsible for earning the team’s nickname “Titletown”. During the 1960s, he successfully led the Green Bay Packers to 5 NFL championships, including the first two Super Bowls ever, in the years 1966 and 1967. Following the win of the Super Bowl II in Miami, Coach Lombardi was carried off of the field by his players, including lineman Jerry Kramer. However, after this remarkable game, Vince stepped down as Head Coach, later joining the Redskins organization. Unfortunately, he passed away due to cancer in the early 1970s, but his name and impact are, and will always be truly legendary. Following his death, the Super Bowl trophy was named the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Vince Lombardi Rides Off Into Victory

Bill Russell’s Block

Bill Russell was one of the NBA’s leading defensive players of all time. Not only was he an 11-time champion and a five-time MVP, he ended his career with 21,620 rebounds, second in NBA history. Russell was remarkably talented at blocking shots and grabbing rebounds, and he had tremendous skill in doing so, rather than using just force. Unlike many players who swat the ball as hard as they can into the crowd, Bill would change a shot or pass just enough for his teammates to grab the loose ball. Bill Russell’s blocks changed the way basketball was played forever.

Bill Russell’s Block

Super Bowl I

Super Bowl I, the first in NFL history, took place on January 15, 1967, between the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs.  The Packers ended up stealing the title, winning it 35-10. Rather than being called The Super Bowl, as it is today, it was called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. Head Coach Vince Lombardi’s most unstoppable running play was donned the “power sweep”, a very simple yet effective play. This photo below shows Running back Jim Taylor leading the play,  in this case, he ran 56 yards and scored a touchdown. At the moment, the Packers have 11 NFL Championships, 2 AFL-NFL Super Bowls, and two modern-day Super Bowls under their belt.

Super Bowl I

Namath’s Super Bowl

Joe Namath was an NFL quarterback, mostly known for his drunken public display of affection on a Live ESPN segment. However, he is also remembered for his bold statement prior to Super Bowl III. Back then, he was the Jets’ Quarterback and he told the media, “we’re going to win the game. I guarantee it.” Needless to say, in one of the biggest Super Bowl upsets ever, the Jets defeated the Indianapolis Colts. Joe was crowned MVP of the game. The Jets have yet to win a Super Bowl since.

Namath’s Super Bowl

Schwarzenegger

Not only is he California’s Governor, but Arnold Schwarzenegger was also a professional bodybuilder. Schwarzenegger is considered to be one of the most important figures in the bodybuilding world and presently owns many gyms and fitness magazines across the world. In 1965, at the age of 19, he won Junior, Mr. Europe. This was ultimately the start of his highly successful career. Following that, Schwarzenegger would go on to win 5 Mr. Universe titles and 7 Mr. Olympia titles. Below is a picture of Arnie with one of the most famous stars of the ’70s…the beautiful Raquel Welch.

Schwarzenegger

Phil Mickelson

Arizona State University’s premier amateur golfer, Phil Mickelson lead his team o the NCAA Championship back in 1990. He also individually won 3 NCAA championships, and was named first-team All-American four years in a row. The photo below is of a young Phil, and a young Dr. J. After completing college, Phil went on to compete professionally, mastering the game of golf. To date, he has 5 Major Championships and a world record of 6 runner-up finishes at the U.S. Open. During the early 2000s, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods became the biggest names in golf.

Phil Mickelson

Larry And Magic

Just like in every sport, there are always rivalries, between athletes and teams. They always competing to be the best of the best. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson played basketball in college as well as professionally at the same time, so it was only natural to be pinned up against one another. During their NBA careers, both played for two of the NBA’s biggest teams, the Lakers and the Celtics. The two teams, and two friends, came head-to-head in the NBA finals on three different occasions. This rivalry began when the two were in College, Larry at Indiana, and Magic at Michigan State. The two teams battled it out at the 1979 NCAA Championships, Michigan taking the title with a final score of 75-64. This game is a very precise representation of the two teams today, as Michigan State is one of the NCAA’s most dominant programs and as Indiana State has sadly faded into a losing team.

Larry And Magic

“Havlicek Stole The Ball”

It makes sense to say that the audio of this game during the 1965 Eastern Conference Finals may be more a lot more famous than the photo itself. Some of you may remember the announcer screaming, “Havlicek stole the ball! It’s all over!”? The Celtics were leading the 76ers by one point in Game 7 with only a few seconds left in the game. The 76ers in-bounded the ball and could have easily upset the defending champs, but John Havlicek had a different idea. He effortlessly stole the ball and held it while the clock ran out. He and the Celtics advanced to the NBA finals where they won their 7th straight title.

“Havlicek Stole The Ball”

Bill Mazeroski’s Walk-Off

During Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, Bill Mazeroski who was playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates had a walk-off home run. In case you never got to watch this for yourself, let us remind you that this is the first and only of its kind. Bill and his team advanced to Game 7, giving the favored NY Yankees a run for their money. It was the bottom of the 9th and the score was tied at 9-9, Bill was up at bat and on the second pitch, he sent the ball over the outfield wall, ending the game in a win for the Pirates. Bearing in mind that Bill was famous for his skills on the field, and not at-bat, makes this play that more renowned. The 1960 World Series is also quite unforgettable for being the only time the MVP award was given to a player on the losing team. Impressive, right?

Bill Mazeroski’s Walk Off

Deion Sanders

In addition to being a super talented football player, Deion Sanders also impressed the world on the baseball field and in the world of fashion. In 1989, Deion was drafted out of Florida State as the 5th overall draft pick. Deion was distinguished as one of the most athletic players in the league, and was used for offense, defense and special teams. He played in the MLB, leading the National League in triples in 1992, and the NFL, becoming a two-time Super Bowl champion and a Pro Football Hall of Famer. Nowadays, it’s not common to come across an athlete like Sanders.

Deion Sanders

Hank Aaron Is Crowned King

Hank Aaron is well-known as the home run king in Major League Baseball. Without cheating or using drugs, he was able to pass Babe Ruth’s outstanding record of 715 home runs. He set this record on April 8th, 1974, in the bottom of the fourth inning. Following this, two fans excited fans stormed the field greeting the new King as he rounded the bases. When Hank reached home plate, a huge celebration took place as his teammates carried him onto their shoulders.

Hank Aaron Is Crowned King

Wayne Gretzky Hoists The Cup

Wayne Gretzky has been titled as one of the best hockey players of all time and is esteemed as a ‘God’ by many millions of hockey fans. During his first 9 seasons in the NHL, Wayne won the Stanley Cup 4 times. He started his career with a team that later became one of the NHL’s most iconic dynasties. However, after winning the Stanley Cup in 1988, he sadly never won it again. Gretzky did try to secure another win for the next 11 years but was not successful. His number has been retired by the NHL as a whole.

Wayne Gretzky Hoists The Cup

Shaquille O’Neal And Monica Seles

Shaquille O’Neal and tennis star Monica Seles shared a moment together when she decided to join his business venture and become the first female investor in the multi-million dollar sports restaurant in Times Square. This photo was actually taken at a press conference in New York. There were many other famous athletes that invested in the chain too, they included, Joe Montana and Wayne Gretzky. While we all know the name Shaquille O’Neal and the mark he left on the NBA, Monica isn’t too bad herself with 9 Grand Slam singles titles, 8 of which are from when she was just a teenager. Sadly, The Official All-Star Cafe, was forced to closed down  in 2007.

Shaquille O’Neal And Monica Seles

Jim Brown

Jim Brown was nothing more than a powerhouse on the field. His atheletism can truly be seen in the below photo, thesehardcore NY Giants defenders are having quite a tough time bringing Jim down. Jim Brown is not only seen as one of the greatest Cleveland Browns players of all time, but he is also highly regarded as the best running back in NFL history. Even though we need to admit that he didnt really have much competition with the lacking roster the Browns seem to have every year.

Jim Brown

Wilt Chamberlain

Wilt Chamberlain earned himself the nickname “The Stilt” for his colossal frame and for his impressive athletic ability. Wilt holds the record for the most rebounds in an NBA career with a tremendous 23,924. He is also the only NBA player to ever score 100 points in a game, just too bad there’s no video footage to show it. In spite of all of his achievements, Wilt has surprisingly only won 2 NBA championships.

Wilt Chamberlain