# Flukey sports plays **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [October 13, 2024, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flukey-sports-plays/1008730 "2024-10-13T21:31:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2024, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flukey-sports-plays/1008730/1 "2024-10-13T21:31:41Z")
There was an extremely flukey play yesterday in the Riders-Lions game in the CFL, with one of the oddest pick-sixes you can imagine. See the embedded video in this story (link goes to a Canadian sports news page, “3 Down Nation”, covering the CFL). [https://3downnation.com/2024/10/12/the-good-the-bad-and-the-dumb-of-the-riders-home-playoff-clinching-win-over-b-c/](https://3downnation.com/2024/10/12/the-good-the-bad-and-the-dumb-of-the-riders-home-playoff-clinching-win-over-b-c/) TLDR: fumbled ball bounces off the receiver’s heel, then his bum, then two Riders who try to catch it, before a third Rider finally lands it and runs it in for a TD. Not aware of any thread devoted to weird plays like this, so thought I would start one. Anyone got another? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2024, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flukey-sports-plays/1008730/2 "2024-10-13T21:49:07Z")
The first one that comes to mind was Antonio Freeman’s “He did WHAT?” catch, during overtime, in a Packers-Vikings _Monday Night Football_ game in 2000. The pass was nearly intercepted by Vikings defensive back Cris Dishman; as Dishman bobbled the ball, Freeman fell down. The ball then bounced off Freeman’s back and shoulder, and as Freeman rolled over, he was able to bat the ball with his hand before it hit the ground, before finally gathering it in. Dishman thought it was incomplete, and so, he didn’t bother to touch (and down) Freeman, who then got to his feet, and ran it in for the game-winning touchdown. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/0ie467tdFG0/maxresdefault.jpg ""HE DID WHAT" Antonio Freeman (2000)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ie467tdFG0) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2024, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flukey-sports-plays/1008730/3 "2024-10-13T21:55:18Z")
Piscotty hit three times in one inning. > **[CHC@STL: Piscotty hit three times in the 5th inning](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_hR8nkhNa0%2F)** > > Stephen Piscotty is hit by a pitch, gets hit on the elbow while stealing second and is hit on the head when scoring all in the 5th inningCheck out http://MLB... Bat stands on end after swing. > **[Atlanta Braves Prado's Standing Bat](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUSFLZ32dr4%2F)** > > In the 9th inning of the September 12, 2007, game against the New York Mets, Prado hit a ball in play and, upon dropping his bat to head towards first base, ... ---
**Author:** ![SwissMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@SwissMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwissMan)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2024, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flukey-sports-plays/1008730/4 "2024-10-13T21:59:36Z")
The [Prayer at Jordan-Hare](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N06hP0LelFM) is a famous one. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2024, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flukey-sports-plays/1008730/5 "2024-10-13T23:07:11Z")
I posted this in an earlier thread a few weeks ago, but it bears repeating. [A’s fan catches three foul balls in one inning (mlb.com)](https://www.mlb.com/news/a-s-fan-catches-three-foul-balls-in-one-inning?msockid=02d089b252456a721049991d53b96b9a) ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2024, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flukey-sports-plays/1008730/6 "2024-10-13T23:11:07Z")
And the Auburn 109-yard return of a missed FG by Bama with one second on the clock. [Kick Six: Chris Davis Return for TD - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GKmkD1pUG0&t=1s) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2024, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flukey-sports-plays/1008730/7 "2024-10-13T23:26:41Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > I posted this in an earlier thread a few weeks ago, but it bears repeating. > > [A’s fan catches three foul balls in one inning (mlb.com)](https://www.mlb.com/news/a-s-fan-catches-three-foul-balls-in-one-inning?msockid=02d089b252456a721049991d53b96b9a) - One fan catches two foul balls on consecutive pitches. > **[One fan, two foul balls caught … ON CONSECUTIVE PITCHES! 🤯](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dor2sOZup3U%2F)** > > This Seattle Mariners fan catches not one but two foul balls during Josh Rojas' at-bat!Don't forget to subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/mlbFollow us elsewh... Hulse fouls four pitches into the Angels dugout. To the same spot. > **[TEX@CAL: Hulse fouls four into Angels' dugout](https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=-V3G8WMn2Xo%2F)** > > 10/3/92: David Hulce fouls four consecutive balls into the Angels' dugout, forcing players, trainers and a cop to the other end of the benchCheck out http://... ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2024, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flukey-sports-plays/1008730/8 "2024-10-13T23:31:38Z")
Another Packer one, which I’ve just recalled – I should have remembered it earlier, as I was actually in attendance at that game! In 1980, the Packers were pretty awful, as they had been for most of the previous decade. On opening weekend, they hosted the Bears, and managed to stymie the Chicago offense; the game was tied 6-6 at the end of regulation, and went to overtime. The Packers had a chance to win it in overtime, with a field goal by their kicker, Chester Marcol. Marcol had been a Pro Bowl kicker earlier in his career, but had struggled for several years, due to both injuries and addictions to alcohol and cocaine. Marcol kicked the ball low, and it was blocked by Bears defensive lineman Alan Page (it actually hit Page in the helmet). The ball bounced directly back to Marcol, who had emigrated to the U.S. from Poland as a teenager, and had never previously touched a football in play with anything other than his right foot. Marcol ran untouched around left end, and into the end zone, for the game-winning touchdown. A month later, the Packers cut him, likely due to his drug use; years later, Marcol acknowledged that he was high on cocaine during the second half of that game. This is the original CBS game broadcast footage of that play. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/KA2fHoUkG2g/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGFIgZSg7MA8=&rs=AOn4CLA5QgZFmHxD8mprkbNJRNxpjBaw3Q "Chester Marcol Touchdown Packers Bears September 7, 1980") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA2fHoUkG2g) ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2024, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flukey-sports-plays/1008730/9 "2024-10-13T23:51:44Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > A month later, the Packers cut him, likely due to his drug use; years later, Marcol acknowledged that he was high on cocaine during the second half of that game. Only during the second half? I think the only way he could have managed that was if he was snorting the coke during halftime. If that’s the case, the team couldn’t have been all the surprised by his drug use. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2024, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flukey-sports-plays/1008730/10 "2024-10-13T23:57:22Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I think the only way he could have managed that was if he was snorting the coke during halftime. According to this biographical write-up of Marcol, by team historian Cliff Christl: > [@](#): > > Marcol later admitted that by then he also was abusing cocaine and had even snorted it in the bathroom of the locker room at halftime that day. I would not be surprised if at least some of his teammates knew about it; when coach/GM Bart Starr (who was a very straight arrow) cut him five weeks later, that blocked field goal was Marcol’s only miss of the season to that date, so I suspect that Starr finally found out about Marcol’s drug use at about that time, as there was no apparent performance-based reason to cut him. Late in that same season, the Packers hosted the Houston Oilers (I attended that game, as well; my family had, and still has, season tickets). Late in the week, after the Oilers had already traveled to Wisconsin for the game, their kicker, Toni Fritsch, developed an injury, and was going to be unable to play. Marcol was still living in Green Bay, so the Oilers quickly signed him, and suited him up. I suspect that Marcol hadn’t been practicing much, and/or was high again, as he missed two extra points in that game, which turned out to be his final NFL game. [https://www.packers.com/history/hof/chester-marcol](https://www.packers.com/history/hof/chester-marcol) ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2024, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flukey-sports-plays/1008730/11 "2024-10-14T00:14:03Z")
David Tyree’s helmet catch: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/OlyBEJ60Duc/maxresdefault.jpg "The Helmet Catch") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlyBEJ60Duc) ---
**Author:** ![merrick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58956e/32.png) [@merrick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/merrick)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2024, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flukey-sports-plays/1008730/12 "2024-10-14T17:38:06Z")
2019 Cricket World Cup final. England, needing 9 runs off 3 balls, are approaching “needing miracles” territory. They get [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6WupnbUhNw). The throw from the outfield hits the runner’s bat as he dives for his ground and ricochets to the boundary for 4 bonus runs. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2024, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flukey-sports-plays/1008730/13 "2024-10-14T17:51:30Z")
In football(proper football) scoring from your own half most flukey of all is scoring from a goal kick: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/KTQYJH86nxw/hqdefault.jpg "Goalkeeper scores direct from goal kick in Chile!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTQYJH86nxw) ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2024, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flukey-sports-plays/1008730/14 "2024-10-14T18:23:58Z")
This kinda, sorta goes here: > ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2024, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flukey-sports-plays/1008730/15 "2024-10-14T19:01:18Z")
Kickoff goes through the uprights: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/nmEGdwet_d4/maxresdefault.jpg "This kickoff went through the uprights for a field goal! #football #cfl") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmEGdwet_d4) ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2024, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flukey-sports-plays/1008730/16 "2024-10-14T20:57:16Z")
Soccer penalty kick hits the crossbar, goalie celebrates…just a bit prematurely… Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMQ-lwTi7WU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMQ-lwTi7WU) ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2024, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flukey-sports-plays/1008730/17 "2024-10-14T22:28:52Z")
Many years ago in a Gray Cup game (CFL championship), team A was set up to kick the winning field goal with time about to expire. The kick missed and went to nearly the end of the 25 yd end zone (now 20yds) and a player from team B, afraid to be tackled for a one point score that would end the game, punted. The ball was caught by a player from team A, who didn’t want to get caught that would put the game into overtime, punted. The ball was caught in the end zone by a player from team B, who punted. When a player from team A caught the ball, no yards penalty was called and the 5 yd penalty was assessed from that spot. Team A then kicked a field goal and won. But who can forget The Play: [The Play (American football) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Play_(American_football)) ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2024, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flukey-sports-plays/1008730/18 "2024-10-15T02:01:08Z")
I was watching this one live when it happened. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/LeTDeRp_ZvI/maxresdefault.jpg "The Penalty Kick that Defied Physics") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeTDeRp_ZvI&t=338) Possibly the most incredible thing I have ever seen on a soccer field.