The NFL is definitely the dominant sport in America and it is one of the most exciting products on television. Still, there are times when what happens out on the field is a little bit laughable. Let’s look over 16 of the funniest moments in NLF history!
Rush Limbaugh the Analyst
Whether you love Limbaugh’s brand of fire and brimstone radio or not, you have to admit that his run as an NFL analyst was less than well thought out. Limbaugh was fired over racially divisive comments regarding then Eagles QB, Donovan McNabb. Not his proudest moment.
Rush Limbaugh The Analyst
Jeff Triplette’s Flag Throw
Referees tend to get a bad rep from NFL players because of their rightful job: policing the game and keeping it on track. However, in 1999 referee Jeff Triplette rightfully drew the ire of Orlando Brown. Triplette had been trying to flag another player and ended up hitting Brown in the face, blinding him, with the flag weighed down by BBs. Brown’s career was ended over the incident. You don’t need a couple of college loans to know that this wouldn’t end well.
Jeff Triplette’s Flag Throw
Butt Fumble
If you were driving when you heard about the infamous Butt Fumble play, you probably have high auto insurance now. Butt Fumble, of course, happened between the Jets and Patriots in 2012. Mark Sanchez, QB for the Jets, ran directly into the backside of his guard Brandon Moore — fumbling the ball and allowing it to be returned for a touchdown.
Butt Fumble
Stephen Tulloch Mocks Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers is a pretty divisive player, right? Well, not really. But somehow Rodgers made an enemy out of Stephen Tulloch — a defensive player for the Lions. Tulloch had sacked Rodgers’ during a game and then mocked Rodgers by doing the Packer QB’s trademark dance. Tulloch would tear his ACL in the process. Karma in all its glory.
Stephen Tulloch Mocks Aaron Rodgers
2008 Detroit Lions
When you talk about NFL failures how can you avoid talking about the ’08 Lions? You would need a graduate student loan to talk about all that went wrong with the franchise. The Lions went 0 – 16 and became just the second team to ever go winless, right alongside the ’76 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
2008 Detroit Lions
River City Relay
The New Orleans Saints used multiple laterals in order to score what should have been a game winning touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, the Saints sent out kicker John Carney and ended up managing to lose. Carney swerved the extra point and the Saints would lose after a miraculous play.
River City Relay
Art Modell Relocates the Browns
Cleveland hasn’t been the pinnacle of NFL pride in a long time and Art Modell certainly has played a role. Modell would move the franchise away from Cleveland and into Baltimore where the Browns would go on to become the Ravens. Cleveland really hasn’t recovered.
Art Modell Relocates the Browns
Tony Romo’s Botched Hold
Tony Romo gets a lot of undeserved hate around the general NFL fanbase because he is a genuinely good player and good guy. However, in 2007 the Dallas Cowboys were playing the Seattle Seahawks in the playoffs. The Cowboys needed an easy field goal and Romo was sent out to hold. Romo would botch the hold and the Cowboys would lose.
Tony Romo’s Botched Hold
Jim Everett and Jim Rome
Things can get pretty heated when you talk football and that even goes for analysts on television. At the time of the interview between Jim Rome and Jim Everett, Rome was still trying to establish himself. Rome had been prodding the NFL player by calling him Chris for years. Jim would flip out on the show, sending Rome into the next level of sports broadcasting history. Whether you love Jim Rome or hate him you can’t deny that he has made a name for himself.
Jim Everett And Jim Rome
Jim Marshall’s Fumble Run
Now that’s a name that we haven’t heard in awhile! Jim Marshall probably can lay claim to the worst play in NFL history when he recovered a fumble against the 49ers in 1964. Marshall grabbed the fumble and ran 66 yards to the house — going the wrong direction. Marshall threw the ball through the end zone, thus resulting in a safety — against himself and the Minnesota Vikings.
Jim Marshalls Fumble Run
JaMarcus Russell’s Draft Spot
The NFL draft is filled with risk but you are never supposed to miss on the #1 overall pick. Russell went from playing a season at LSU to being drafted #1 overall by the Oakland Raiders in 2007. Russell would go on to play just 31 total games before busting out of the NFL due to drug and weight problems. His draft selection set the Raiders back at least a couple of years.
JaMarcus Russell’s Draft Spot
Janet Jackson’s Moment
The Super Bowl Halftime Show had always been a moment for fans to take in the glitz and glamour of what pop culture had to offer. At Super Bowl XXXVIII Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake were tearing up the stage when this infamous moment occurred. Of course, we are talking about Timberlake tearing Jackson’s top off and thus revealing her nakedness to the world. The FCC would take the moment to clamp down on live broadcasts.
Janet Jacksons Moment
Replacement Referees
With CBA issues on the rise the NFL was forced to roll out replacement refs to begin the 2012 regular season. Referees came from all over the place, including the Lingerie Football League. Fans, coaches, and players were all furious as there new refs consistently blew routine calls. The poor officiating culminated in what would soon be called the ‘Fail Mary’ between the Seahawks and the Detroit Lions during primetime football. We can’t fully explain the Fail Mary in this limited amount of time. Pull it up on YouTube.
Replacement Referees
Bounty Scandal
We went from ‘fails’ to ‘dangerous’ in an instant. The Bounty Scandal quickly rose to prominence when the New Orleans Saints were found to be targeting players with monetary awards. One such instance was Jonathan Vilma paying $10,000 to knock out Brett Favre. This, of course, was obviously dangerous and it brought a whole new level of scrutiny to the NFL culture. Since the Saints came under the spotlight for their ‘Bounties’, the NFL is more alert than ever for repeat offenders.
Bounty Scandal
Deflategate
Tom Brady, Coach Belichick, and the New England Patriots have pretty much always been under the brightest spotlight in the NFL — sometimes for good reason. However, when Roger Goodell went on his crusade in order to crucify Tom Brady for the ‘Deflategate’ non-scandal, things started to get ugly. Goodell would eventually get Brady suspended, after two years of effort, but it would throw in sharp relief how little sense the commissioner makes. When you get suspended longer for deflating a football than beating your wife — well, things don’t quite all add up.
Super Bowl Football
Brett Favre’s Final Season
Brett Favre went from NFL Iron Man to borderline team joke by his final season. Favre played 20 years in the NFL, 16 with Green Bay, before closing things out with the Minnesota Vikings. Favre was abysmal in his final season but it was his off the field issues that were most notable. Favre got into a sexting scandal with Jen Sterger and the whole NFL world started to look at the Hall of Fame QB in a different light. Should Favre have ended his career a year or two earlier? Of course.
Brett Favres Final Season
