There are some aspects of photography that can be boring, like sports photography, but sometimes a historical moment is captured. We’ve put together some photos that show some of the most memorable sports moments, some of them even destroyed careers.
On August 18, 1923, Yankees batter, Babe Ruth, was on his way to an exhibition game and stopped by Syracuse, NY. There was a boys baseball game going on at Burnet Park, so Babe Ruth stopped by and umpired a few innings. As Babe Ruth began to leave, children rushed up to him and began tugging at his coat, but Babe Ruth just smiled. Running a marathon is hard, but imagine doing it barefoot!
Due to the unbearable heat in Rome, the 1960 Olympics had to hold their marathon at night. Abebe Bikila, from Ethiopia, not only set a world record, but he was also the first black African Olympic champion, and he did it barefoot. Successfully defending his title, and breaking his own world record, Bikila ran again in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. This next picture might make you a bit dizzy.
During the 1960 World Series, a dramatic battle ensued between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Yankees, held at the University of Pittsburgh. The Pirates took the title, putting an end to their 20-year losing streak. Pirates fans, who were watching the game on top of the University’s Cathedral of Learning, became overwhelmed with excitement by the victory. No one says that you can’t have style if you’re an athlete.
The Texas Track Club was one of the greatest all-girl track teams in Texas during the 1960s, but something else brought them fame. The girls’ coach, Margaret “Flamin’ Mamie” Ellison, required the girls to wear lots of makeup, have out-of-this-world hairdos, and sport spectacular uniforms. The attention they received helped pave the way for women’s track in America. It’s unlikely that you’ll catch a quarterback doing this today.
January 15, 1967, was the day that the first ever Super Bowl was played. The Kansas City Chiefs were defeated by the Green Bay Packer, with a score of 35-10. The quarterback of the Chiefs, Len Dawson, seemed to be very relaxed since he spent the game smoking cigarettes and drinking Fresca. He would lead the Chiefs to a Super Bowl victory and three AFL Championships! How often do you get to see two legends together?
Boxer, Wilt Chamberlain, challenged Muhammad Ali to a boxing match for his heavyweight title in 1967. It was to be held at the Madison Square Garden. Chamberlain and Ali were invited by ABC to announce their fight during a special sports segment. As it turns out, even though they had already recorded the segment, Ali’s manager passed on the deal and the fight never happened. There aren’t any athletes as elegant and humble as the next one.
During the 60s and 70s, Walt “Clyde” Frazier was one of the star players for the New York Knicks. Not only did he lead them to two championships, he led them to their most recent. Frazier was also known for being extremely well-dressed. Here you can see him riding on the subway wearing a black suit, white tie, and the infamous ‘Clyde’ hat. It’s awesome to see pictures of people before they became famous.
The Indiana University Hoosiers gave Larry Bird a scholarship in 1974. This picture is of Larry Bird when he accepted the Eastman Award for being the Distinguished Player of the Year in 1979. That was the year he became part of the Boston Celtics. Bird later went on to become MVP three consecutive times and a 12-time NBA All-Star. Imagine a diving board that was so high you could see the tops of cathedrals?
In 2013, the World Aquatics Championships were held in Barcelona, Spain. Originally, Dubai was supposed to host the competition, but they withdrew in 2010 and Barcelona won the new bid. The high diving portion of the Championships was held in Port Vell, with a stunning backdrop that included several gothic churches and the Torre Glories. This image shows Korean diver Jiho Park in action. Do you remember this exhilarating fight?
After successfully transitioning from Judo Olympian to UFC fighter, Ronda Rousey went through 12 Championship fights completely undefeated. In November 2015, Rousey defended her title for the seventh time against veteran boxer Holly Holm. Rousey was knocked out by a strong kick to the head in the second round, and Holm became the new champion. You’re gonna love this photograph if you’re a Terminator fan.
In 2013 a Reddit user posted this picture and told the story behind it. Apparently, Andre the Giant, who was known for paying for people’s meals, caught Arnold Schwarzenegger trying to pay for his own meal on the set of Conan The Barbarian. Arnold confirmed the story! He even said that Wilt Chamberlain acted like he was going to pay and helped Andre bring him outside. It’s pretty rare to see boxers and baseball players on the same field.
When Mike Tyson was 20 years old, he was on his way to becoming a star in the boxing world. In 1986, Tyson was invited to Shea Stadium to meet the New York Mets. Pitcher Dwight ‘Doc’ Gooden and right fielder Darryl Strawberry were sent to greet Tyson. Here you can see Tyson pretending to punch Gooden in the face. You’ve probably seen this picture before, if you’re a fan of sports photography.
The Summer Olympics in 1992 were held in Barcelona, Spain. This is a picture of the 4×100 relay race. Carl Lewis, a member of the U.S. team, ran the fastest 100 meters ever at the time. The silver and bronze medals were taken by Nigeria’s Davidson Ezinwa and Jorge Aguilera from Cuba. If you’re short, you might appreciate the next phot.
Standing at 6’2″ tall, Arnold Schwarzenegger is taller than average, and he sure did have some impressive muscles at one point. But you can’t see that at all when he’s standing next to the 7’1″ tall basketball star, Shaquille O’Neal. You can see the admiration on Arnold’s face as he looks up to Shaq. This next photo will make you think twice before lifting weights.
Austrian weightlifter, Matthias Steiner, gained German citizenship so he could compete for Germany. Steiner won the gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. In 2012, Steiner tried lifting 432 pounds to defend his title at the London Olympics. But Steiner lost control of his balance and the barbell hit him in the neck. Unfortunately, due to the injury, he was forced to quit the competition and he ended up retiring from the sport a year later.