Bowling was such a popular sport during the 1960s-1970s, top earning pros made twice as much money as NFL stars and other athletes. Today, even the very best bowlers usually have second jobs.
sports
Nadia Comăneci became the first gymnast…
Nadia Comăneci became the first gymnast to receive a perfect score at the Olympics, at 14 years old in ’76. The song “Cotton’s Dream” was used often by Roger Riger to playback Nadia’s performances. The song became a hit in ’76 & the composers changed the song’s title to “Nadia’s Theme”.
F1 driver Kimi “Iceman” Räikkönen…
F1 driver Kimi “Iceman” Räikkönen once had his car break down during the Monaco Grand Prix. After this, live TV showed him walking along the sidewalks with helmet still on, straight to the harbour, where he climbed aboard his yacht.
In the 1938 World Cup, Brazil were so…
In the 1938 World Cup, Brazil were so sure of winning the semi-final against Italy that they requisitioned the only plane to Paris on the day after the match. After losing to Italy, they refused to sell them the tickets, and the Italian team had to travel from Marseilles to Paris by train.
Gustaf Håkansson – the ‘steel grandpa’
In 1951 a 66 year old man wasn’t allowed to enter a 1800km (1118 miles) long bicykle race due to being to old. He showed up anyways and won the race by biking for days without sleep. He got the nickname ”Grandpa Steel”.
Rosie Ruiz won the Boston Marathon…
Rosie Ruiz won the Boston Marathon in 1980. It turns out, she cheated and simply hopped in a cab and only pretended to run the race. She hopped out 1/2 of a mile away and jogged to her trophy(which was subsequently taken away 8 days later).
In 1957 at an MLB game a woman was…
In 1957 at an MLB game a woman was hit by a foul ball. It broke her nose. The game was paused as medics came to tend to her. As they carried her away on a stretcher, play resumed and a foul ball then struck her as she was being carried off by the medics. The second ball broke a bone in her knee.
A top-level Dutch football club signed…
A top-level Dutch football club signed up an 18-month old for a ten year contract, after his father posted a video of the boy kicking a ball into his toy chest 3 times in a row. After scribbling his signature for the club, the toddler celebrated with a glass of orange juice
Andre Agassi, one of the greatest ever…
Andre Agassi, one of the greatest ever male tennis players (and husband of Steffi Graf, one of the greatest ever female tennis players), wrote in his autobiography that “I hate tennis, hate it with a dark and secret passion, and always have”.
In 1912, Jim Thorpe, has his shoes…
In 1912, Jim Thorpe, has his shoes stolen on the morning of his olympic track and filed events. He simply put on two other shoes that someone had tossed in a trash can. They were different sizes, though, so he had to wear extra socks on one foot to even them out. He went on to win two Gold medal. He was the first to win gold for the US.
The optimal recovery position post…
The optimal recovery position post exercise is hands on knees, rather than hands on head – the results of a study indicated that the hands on knee posture significantly improved heart rate recovery, tidal volume, and carbon dioxide elimination in comparison with the hands on head posture.
The Disgrace of Gijón, a football…
The Disgrace of Gijón, a football (soccer) match between West Germany and Austria, was so bad, that the German TV Commentator refused to comment the game at one point, the Austrian TV commentator asked people to change the channel, and Spain’s newspaper printed the match in their crimes section.