Top Sports Hoaxes
Midcourt Rejection
A video of a woman turning down a marriage proposal at an NBA game created lots of buzz this past week. It's clear though that it was all staged, as were similar scenes at NBA games. They did inspire us, however, to count down the top sports hoaxes.
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Top Sports Hoaxes
9. Weird Science
Daniela Hantuchova (left) and Maria Sharapova are among a slew of skilled and sexy tennis stars to emerge since the 1990s. Seizing on the trend in 2002, Sports Illustrated profiled phenom Simonya Popova. Turns out, she was just a computer sim.
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8. Public Offering
A 1990 issue of Golf magazine reported that Augusta National, the home of The Masters and a private course, would allow access to the general public. The April Fools joke failed miserably, as the story ran in the May issue.
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7. Hola, Comrade
A Soviet newspaper reported in 1988 that Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona might join the Moscow Spartaks. The newspaper admitted later that the story was an April Fools' Day joke, but only after the stunning "news" spread around the globe.
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6. Fake Fisticuffs
Football star Michael Strahan appeared on the Best Damn Sports Show and got into a fight with host Tom Arnold that would make Jerry Springer proud. They later admitted to staging the April Fools' Day fight.
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Top Sports Hoaxes
5. That's the Ticket
High schooler Kevin Hart announced where he'd play college football next season, but neither of his choices, Cal nor Oregon, had recruited him. He then claimed a recruiter had duped him before finally admitting he made it all up.
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4. Great Tater Caper
Minor league catcher Dave Bresnahan lost his job in 1987 after he lured a runner on third into trying for home. After catching a pitch, he threw a potato over third and tagged the advancing runner out with the ball, which he had kept in his glove.
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3. The Imposter
A man named Barry Breman (not pictured) has created a name for himself as an event crasher. He's tried to umpire a World Series game, shoot hoops at an NBA All-Star game, referee an NFL game and even managed to play a round of golf at the U.S. Open.
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2. False Start
Rosie Ruiz won the 1980 Boston Marathon in record time. Officials determined later though that she had not run the entire 26.2-mile course, but had jumped in from the crowd near the finish. Her title was stripped, but she still has her medal.
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1. 168-MPH Fastball
The April 1, 1985, issue of Sports Illustrated featured unknown Mets pitcher Sidd Finch. George Plimpton told the story of the enigma who could throw a baseball at incredible speeds, but who was happy just playing his French horn. April Fools.
