Welcome to Epic Sport Stories, where we take you through sports history’s wildest stories, share current standout sports stories, and a quiz that tests your sports knowledge - all in one newsletter.
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WEIRD
Australia’s Accidental Hero
He was lagging badly. Then every single person in front of him wiped out—leaving Australia’s “accidental hero” to skate to gold.
Steven Bradbury had been around the block: four Olympics, injuries, near-misses. Going into Salt Lake City 2002, he wasn’t the fastest guy on the ice—in fact, he couldn’t outrun the favourites. So he played it safe, lurked at the back, avoided risky moves, waited. In the quarter-finals and semi-finals, crashes and disqualifications cleared paths for him. Then came the final—all eyes on the leaders. On the last corner, they collided, tumbled, scrambled for balance. And Bradbury? He was still upright. He glided past chaos and crossed the finish line alone, gold medal in hand. Australia’s first winter Olympic gold was theirs—because everyone else fell.
He didn’t have the speed—but he had the luck, timing, and nerves to “do a Bradbury” on the biggest stage.
FAN CHAOS
Anchovies, Anger, and a Cup Clash
When “fish” enters the game, you know things have gone deep into chaos. PAOK fans once lobbed anchovies at Olympiakos’ bench, turning Greek Cup tension into a marine spectacle.
April 2014, Toumba Stadium, Thessaloniki. PAOK and Olympiakos clash in a Greek Cup semifinal—ancient rivalry, fire in the stands. Fans decked in black and white, tensions sky-high. The match was delayed over an hour before kickoff: flares creating smog, smoke, red-white chaos. Then, someone got creative. Fresh fish dumped across the Olympiakos bench—an insult rooted in Olympiakos’ nickname “Gavros,” or anchovy. The referee halted things, demanding the fish be cleaned off before the match could begin. When play finally resumed, the stakes stayed fierce. PAOK edged it 1-0, securing their place in the final. Amid all the passion and vitriol, this odd prank pierced deeper than any chant.
They didn’t win with a perfect game—they won after a shower of fish. Sometimes the weirdest bait gets the bite.
WEIRD
The Seagull That Paused the Big Bash
When a boundary-drive collides with more than just grass, a seagull gets in the way of the game, and every eye in the stadium stops.
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Big Bash League, January 2025. The Sixers are chasing, tension high, crowd roaring every shot. James Vince steps up and sends a thunderous drive streaking downfield off Joel Paris. But just as the ball soars toward the boundary, chaos above: a seagull drifts into the trajectory. Impact. Feathers fly. The crowd gasps. Fielders freeze. For a moment, the sport and nature collide — literally. Play halts, not for rain or injury, but because a bird is struck. The seagull, stunned and motionless, is helped off by ground staff. Miraculously, it stirs and survives, though the atmosphere remains heavy. Cricket was meant to be a battle of bat vs ball; today, an airborne wildcard wrote its own line.
He didn’t win via six or stumping—just by staying out of the line of flight. Sometimes the greatest drama flies in from the skies.
FIFA WC 26 STARING AT ITS FIRST BOYCOTT
MONDO BREAKS HIS OWN RECORD 14TH TIME
