Sports Fun Facts
★ Miscellaneous Sports Fun Facts
Winner of the Greatest Loser Award
Philadelphia Phillies were the first American sports team to lose their 10,000th game. In 2007, Ryan Howard struck out and ended the game marking the team’s 10,000th loss—Philadelphia fans cheered in celebration of this historical moment.
Most Dangerous High School and College Sport
There are more head and spinal injuries from cheerleading than from all other high school and college sports combined (New York Times).
According to abcnews.go.com, there are about 16,000 serious injuries from cheerleaders performing stunts and tumbles. Even though most common injuries are strains and sprains (52% of injuries), cheerleading injuries extend beyond sprains to include concussions, fractures, and more.
According to Pediatrics, the number of cheerleaders between the ages of 5 and 18 visiting emergency rooms increased 110% in a twelve-year period (from 1990 to 2002).
Historic Photo Below: University of Wyoming cheerleaders, Colorado Historical Society, photo by Harry M. Rhoads, around 1915.
★ Bizarre Sports Stories
Tooth in Head
Australian rugby player Ben Czislowski felt the need to get medical help when his four-month headache was not going away. The doctor found an opponent’s tooth in Ben’s forehead.
Dead for a Goal
On March 16, 2009, in Hilla, about 60 miles south of Baghdad, two local teams in Iraq were playing a heated game of soccer. Toward the end of the game, a fan shot dead a player of the opposing team who was about to score a goal (boston.com/Reuters).
Hawaiian Hazing
In 1999, at Kalaheo High School, in Kalaheo, Hawaii, the girl’s soccer team made the new freshmen members run around the football field in their undergarments. The school suspended two coaches for the season (espn.go.com).
★ Sports and Money
The following sports and money facts are from the Forbes.com
.Top-Earning Male Athletes
Tiger Woods: the top-earning athlete in the world!
The top 10 earners among male athletes during the period of June 1, 2007 to June 1, 2008, are as follows:
| Name | Sport | Amount Earned |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tiger Woods | Golf | $115 million |
| 2. David Beckham | Soccer | $50 million |
| 3. Michael Jordan | Basketball | $45 million |
| 4. Phil Mickelson | Golf | $45 million |
| 5. Kimi Raikkonen | Auto Racing | $44 million |
| 6. Kobe Bryant | Basketball | $39 million |
| 7. LeBron James | Basketball | $38 milloion |
| 8. Ronaldinho | Soccer | $37 million |
| 9. Valentino Rossi | Auto Racing | $35 million |
| 10. Roger Federer | Tennis | $35 million |
Top-Earning Female Athletes
Danica Patrick: The IndyCar Most Popular Driver Award (2005-07)!
The top 10 earners among female athletes during the period of June 1, 2007 to June 1, 2008, are as follows:
| Name | Sport | Amount Earned |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Maria Sharapova | Tennis | $26 million |
| 2. Serena Williams | Tennis | $14 million |
| 3. Venus Williams | Tennis | $13 million |
| 4. Justine Henin | Tennis | $12.5 million |
| 5. Michelle Wie | Golf | $12 million |
| 6. Annika Sorenstam | Golf | $11 million |
| 7. Lorena Ochoa | Golf | $10 milloion |
| 8. Danica Patrick | Auto Racing | $7 million |
| 9. Ana Ivanovic | Tennis | $6.5 million |
| 10. Paula Creamer | Golf | $6 million |
Action Sports
The top 10 earners in action sports (snowboarding, skateboarding, surfing, BMX, etc.) during 2008 are as follows:
| Name | Action Sport | Amount Earned in 2008 |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tony Hawk | Skateboarding | $12 million |
| 2. Shaun White | Skateboarding / Snowboarding | $9 million |
| 3. Ryan Sheckler | Skateboarding | $5 million |
| 4. Travis Pastrana | Freestyle Motocross/Rally | $3 million |
| 5. Kelly Slater | Surfing | $3 million |
| 6. Laird Hamilton | Surfing | $2.5 million |
| 7. Paul Rodriguez | Skateboarding | $2 milloion |
| 8. Danny Kass | Snowboarding | $1 million |
| 9. Dave Mirra | BMX | $1 million |
| 10. Travis Rice | Snowboarding | $1 million |
NFL Teams and Their Worth
The following are the NFL teams that are worth more than $1 billion. As of 2009, there are 19 football teams worth more than $1 billion.
| NFL Team | Worth |
|---|---|
| 1. Dallas Cowboys | $1.6 billion |
| 2. Washington Redskins | $1.5 billion |
| 3. New England Patriots | $1.3 billion |
| 4. New York Giants | $1.2 billion |
| 5. New York Jets | $1.2 billion |
| 6. Houston Texans | $1.1 billion |
| 7. Philadelphia Eagles | $1.1 billion |
| 8. Indianapolis Colts | $1.1 billion |
| 9. Chicago Bears | $1.1 billion |
| 10. Baltimore Ravens | $1.1 billion |
| 11. Denver Broncos | $1.1 billion |
| 12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers | $1.1 billion |
| 13. Miami Dolphins | $1 billion |
| 14. Carolina Panthers | $1 billion |
| 15. Cleveland Browns | $1 billion |
| 16. Green Bay Packers | $1 billion |
| 17. Kansas City Chiefs | $1 billion |
| 18. Pittsburgh Steelers | $1 billion |
| 19. Seattle Seahawks | $1 billion |
The World's Most Expensive Team
Manchester United, England's soccer team, is the sport's team that is worth the most in the world today. The team's value is $1.8 billion.