25 Sports Memes That Will Remind You Why You Love Them

25 Sports Memes That Will Remind You Why You Love Them

I don’t know about you, but I can’t go one day without seeing a flurry of hilarious, relatable, and/or factual sports memes – whether it be on the internet or a text message from a friend. Sports memes are everywhere as they bring together (and pull apart) fans around the world. 

Before the 2000s, most people had no idea what a meme was – they barely existed. What might surprise a lot of people is that the term ‘meme’ was coined by Richard Dawkins in his 1976 book titled The Selfish Gene. Dawkins was a heavy critic of creationism and intelligent design. 

In coining the term, Dawkins theorized that “ideas and thoughts were as self-replicating and adapting as the genes found within all forms as DNA.” Looking at the way we use memes and the role they play in today’s society, you can see why memes today are called, well, memes. 

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Sports Memes You Won’t Want to Miss

25 Sports Memes That Will Remind You Why You Love Them
Twin Design / Shutterstock

Over the past two decades, memes have evolved greatly and with the creation tools we have today, anyone can make a meme. It didn’t take long for the sports world to take notice and before you knew it, sports memes were all the rage among fans, players, and even coaches. 

Sports memes are a form of communication. They give us an opportunity to joke about current events happening in the sports community. Bad officiating, horrible decisions, terrible plays, relatable moments, and interesting press conferences usually receive the short end of the stick. 

Let’s be honest, we all have opinions on what’s going on in the sports world today and we all want to share those opinions. Sports memes allow us to do just that and it’s a large reason why sports memes aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Let’s take a look at some of the greatest!

25. What a Knicks Thing to Do

The New York Knicks are one of the most storied franchises in all of basketball, but they’ve been the laughing stock of the NBA for quite some time – though they’re much better now than in recent years. Enes Kanter played 115 games with the Knicks between 2017 and 2018, but no one will forget the moment he kissed the logo before the game and then air balled his first shot. 

24. NBA 2K Players Wouldn’t Have It

Nearly two million people play NBA 2K every single day and if there’s one thing these players hate most, it’s when a player has a tough shot to time correctly. Timing is everything when shooting in 2K, so let’s hope Jovan Novak never makes it to the NBA. If so, he might have one of the most unique, yet annoying shots to get right in 2K. He shoots everything off of one foot. 

23. Do You Have a Shoe Problem?

Ja Morant is one of the most explosive basketball players in the league right now. He can throw it down as well as anyone and doesn’t back down from the big moment. When he soars for a dunk, he doesn’t care who or what is in his way – sort of like how I am when there’s a shoe I really want. If I don’t have the money or the room in my closet, I will always find a way. 

22. That’s a Tough Day for a High Schooler

LeBron James attended St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. At the time, he was one of the most-hyped high school players we’ve seen in a while and while he was playing against high schoolers, he easily could’ve gone toe-to-toe with NBA players. He proved that when he entered the league straight out of high school and immediately showcased his worth. 

21. How Unstoppable Was This Team? Do You Know?

Speaking of LeBron James, let’s not forget the expectations the Los Angeles Lakers had when he assembled what many believed was a super team. Alongside James was Anthony Davis, Rajon Rondo, Carmelo Anthony, Russell Westbrook, and Dwight Howard. They were expected to be championship contenders, but missed the playoffs and had a 33-49 record. 

20. Baseball Be Like That Sometimes

On April 23, 2022, the Chicago Cubs defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates with an incredible and unbelievable score of 21-0 – both teams were 7-8 on the season. The next day, the two teams played against each other again and the Cubs lost to the Pirates 4-3 – giving Pittsburgh the better record on the year. It shows you just about everything you need to know about baseball. 

19. We’ve All Been There

Taron Johnson was a fourth round draft pick by the Buffalo Bills in the 2018 NFL Draft, but he might’ve been drafted a little higher if he didn’t have this gaffe during the NFL Combine. He started off so well, but was looking the wrong way when the QB threw him the ball – it hit him straight in the head. Don’t worry, he’s one of the best nickel cornerbacks in the NFL today. 

18. Aaron Rodgers & His Prize Receiver

Aaron Rodgers knew what he was doing when he signed a three-year, $150.815 million contract this offseason. Sure, it was giving him the money he wanted, but he was putting his team in a tough position because cap space isn’t limited. In fact, it led to the Packers trading their No. 1 receiver because he wanted a big contract too, but the Packers were unable to pay him. 

17. Kevin Durant Isn’t That Skinny, But Still

We all know Kevin Durant is skinny and while this photo is photoshopped, it’s still too funny not to laugh at. Let’s not forget that many NBA analysts were telling him he’ll need to bulk up if he wants to make it in the NBA. Well, I’d say he’s doing pretty well for himself. In 939 career games played, he is averaging 27.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game. 

16. The Signs Were There All Along

In three years at Central Michigan, Antonio Brown recorded 305 receptions, 3,199 receiving yards, and 22 receiving touchdowns – as well as 531 rushing yards and 4 rushing touchdowns. In the NFL, he has 928 catches, 12,291 yards, and 83 touchdowns through 146 games. He’s one of the best receivers of all-time, but he’s also one of the most dramatic and annoying players of all-time. 

15. Why Is This So True? 

How many of you had a Nerf football growing up? How many of you have a Nerf football today? If you aren’t raising your hand, are you really a football fan? Not only that, but for some reason all Nerf footballs eventually end up with a gigantic chunk missing out of it. Sometimes the dog gets to it, but sometimes we get bored and start picking it apart. Either way, it’s inevitable. 

14. Tom Brady Retires, Then Unretires

On February 1st, 2022, Tom Brady announced his retirement from the NFL after 22 seasons – he retired as the greatest player of all-time. His reason for retiring was to spend more time with his family. 40 days later, he unretired and announced he’ll be returning to the Buccaneers for at least one more year. Let’s be honest, he spent 40 days with his family and needed a way out. 

13. There’s So Much to Unravel Here

You never really know what you’re going to see in the NBA and this box score explains just that. The minutes each starter played, the terrible shooting (especially from James Harden and Russell Westbrook), the 21 rebounds from Clint Capela, the triple-double by Westbrook (despite shooting 7-30), and the 50 points from Harden (despite shooting 11-37). It was a wild game. 

12. Jermaine Johnson II Falls in the NFL Draft

Jermaine Johnson II spent two years at Georgia and last season with Florida State. In 28 college games, he recorded 106 tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss, 18.0 sacks, and one touchdown. He was one of the most dominant defensive ends last season and was expected to be taken in the top-10 of this year’s NFL Draft. He ended up dropping to the New York Jets at No. 26. 

11. Caught Red-Handed

We’ve talked about NBA 2K, but now let’s talk about some Madden. Players that are worthy will have what’s called an X-Factor ability, giving them added skill in the game. After what happened to Calvin Ridley this offseason, his X-Factor ability makes sense. He was suspended the entire 2022-23 season for gambling on games – which is against the rules if you’re an NFL player. 

10. You’re Not Fooling Anyone, KAT

Karl-Anthony Towns is one of the most dominant big men in the league today. Standing 6’11’’ and weighing 248 pounds, most people expect him to have a super low voice – like Shaq has. Surprisingly, that’s not the case – his voice is actually quite high-pitched. That’s what makes this video so funny. He started out talking in his normal voice, but quickly changed to a lower tone. 

9. There’s Two Sides to Every Story

Look at the guy on the left – that’s kicker Rodrigo Blankenship. Now look at the guy on the right – that’s wide receiver D.K. Metcalf. At first glance, you might think they play two different sports. In reality, they’re both professional football players and good ones at that. Blankenship has hit 43 of his 51 field goals over the past two seasons, while Metcalf has 216 catches, 3,170 yards, and 29 touchdowns over the past two seasons

8. Gas Prices Aren’t That High, Are They?

Ever since Russia began their unprovoked invasion of Ukraine nearly two months ago, gas prices have continued to rise with many people complaining they’re too high. Still, are they as high as Josh Gordon? For those that don’t get it, Gordon has been suspended on-and-off over the past nine years for his continued failed drug tests – usually for marijuana use. 

7. Do ACLs Do Anything Good?

It doesn’t matter what sport you play or how good you are, ACL injuries are far too common in the world of sports. They happen every year and usually to some of the best players in their respective sport. In fact, it’s not even just sports – over 250,000 people suffer an ACL injury in the United States every single year. You might be asking yourself, does the ACL do anything good?

6. Ice Trae Has 2 Home Courts

Trae Young just completed his fourth season in the NBA. During the 2020-21 season, he led the Atlanta Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals, eventually losing to the Milwaukee Bucks. During those playoffs, he averaged 28.8 points per game in 16 games – including a monster first round series that saw him take over the New York Knicks on their home court. Unfortunately, he didn’t have that same success against the Miami Heat this season. 

5. Everything Brady Touches Turns to Gold

Tom Brady is one of the greatest football players of all-time – this we already know. During his 22 seasons in the league, he won seven Super Bowls and to put that in perspective, no other player has more than five. In fact, no other franchise has more than six – keep in mind the Patriots have six because of Brady. Even more crazy, his daughter has held the Super Bowl trophy more times than most players. 

4. Say Bye-Bye to Your WR1

We already made fun of Aaron Rodgers losing his No. 1 wide receiver (Davante Adams) this offseason, but he’s not the only one. His fellow State Farm commercial actor, Patrick Mahomes, also saw his No. 1 receiver (Tyreek Hill) leave this offseason. It’s just two of the trades that sent the NFL world scrambling to make sense of this offseason, which has been more wild than normal. 

3. We Thought It Would Never End

Between 2014 and 2018, the NBA Finals was about as predictable as a coin flip – it was either going to be the Golden State Warriors or the Cleveland Cavaliers. LeBron James and Stephen Curry, along with several other superstars, had their team in the running every single year. During that time, LeBron won one championship and Curry won three rings – incredible. 

2. Just A Quick Short Joke For Ya

Kyler Murray is one of the shortest quarterbacks in the league, so he usually falls victim to a lot of short jokes – like this one. Obviously, Murray hadn’t made it to the podium yet, but that didn’t stop NFL fans from joking about how he needs a stool – because we couldn’t see him yet. Don’t worry, he’s also one of the best young quarterbacks in the league, though he still needs to prove himself. 

1. The Browns’ Search for a Quarterback

The Cleveland Browns have been the laughing stock of the NFL for far too long. Their search for a quarterback gives me anxiety, and I’m not even a Browns’ fan. They thought they finally figured it out with Baker Mayfield, but he didn’t pan out. Now, they have Deshaun Watson, but we’ll see if things work out. If history is any indication, the Browns might screw that up too!

Sports Memes Make the World Go ‘Round

Did you laugh as much as I did when going through these hilarious and memorable sports memes? If so, then you join millions of other sports fans that can’t seem to get enough of sports memes today. If not, well, then maybe sports memes just aren’t your cup of tea – which is okay!

I don’t know about you, but sports memes are something I look forward to on a daily basis. And it’s a good thing we have the creation tools we have today because sports memes are being created by the hour – sometimes by the minute. Everyone wants in on the fun and excitement.

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Here’s my challenge to you – keep track of all your favorite sports memes from this day forward. Save them to your phone, retweet them on social media, share them with your friends, and spread the joy these sports memes bring. And if you’re up to it, try making your own!

20 Greatest Baseball Memes

If baseball is America’s favorite and most popular pastime, then baseball memes have quickly become America’s favorite present-time. Anyone who spends any amount of time on social media these days will find themselves laughing hysterically at creative baseball memes. 

Baseball’s history dates back much further than most people realize. While many people believe the game was invented by a man named Abner Doubleday in 1839, that story has been proven wrong on several occasions. In reality, baseball’s roots date back as far as the 18th century. 

Historians believe the most direct roots of baseball come from Britain, Ireland, and other European countries. It was derived from cricket, stoolball, and rounders – three English games that were brought to the United States by early colonists. From there, the game evolved. 

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Ranking the Best Baseball Memes of All-Time

20 Greatest Baseball Memes
Piotr Swat / Shutterstock

Today, baseball is one of the most popular sports with millions of viewers tuning in to watch their favorite Major League Baseball (MLB) team on a daily basis. Not only that, but fans also have the Little League World Series and College World Series to look forward to every single year. 

With that said, following the sport has changed dramatically since the 1880s. For example, people used to show up at opera houses and watch along as workers displayed pitch-by-pitch updates on the stage. Of course, this was before the invention of the radio and television. 

The first televised MLB game occurred in 1939, which gave fans an entirely new way to follow the game. The internet, which was invented in the early-1980s, continued that evolution and eventually brought us social media – which is where baseball memes started to come into play.

Speaking of baseball memes, let’s take a look at some of our favorite baseball memes over the years!

20. Oh, Pete… You Never Change

Pete Rose is a former MLB player that spent 24 years in the league – mostly with the Cincinnati Reds. He’s the all-time career leader in games played, plate appearances, at-bats, and hits. He’s a former MVP, three-time World Series champion, and even won three batting titles. 

While he’s widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all-time, his legacy was tarnished when the MLB added him to the permanent ineligibility from baseball list for betting on games. Since then, he has been blackballed by the MLB and is featured on a ton of baseball memes.

19. Lucky Bat for a Happy Fan

Baseball is widely regarded as a non-contact sport, but that doesn’t mean baseball doesn’t have its dangerous moments. In fact, one of those dangerous moments was captured in this funny, yet scary meme. You get a good look at all the different facial expressions made by the fans. 

Every now and then, a batter will swing hard and the bat will leave his hand as it goes flying. Sometimes it goes into the infield, while other times it goes into the stands. In this particular instance, there’s one guy in particular that got the short end of the stick – I mean bat. 

18. David vs. Goliath

Baseball players come in all different shapes and sizes. Some have a nice ‘beer belly,’ while others are as skinny as a stick. Some are under six feet tall, while others are 6’6’’ and taller. This baseball meme captures this at its finest, but there’s a little catch that adds to the hilariousness.

In the meme, you would think Jose Altuve (Astros) is extremely tall and Aaron Judge (Yankees) is extremely small. In reality, Altuve is just 5’6’’ (the shortest player in the MLB) and Judge is listed at 6’7’’ (one of the taller players in the league). It’s a true David vs. Goliath moment. 

17. How Could You Be Bored?

Alright, let’s address the one big elephant in the room – baseball games might seem extremely long and drawn-out. In reality, the average baseball game is a little over three hours long, which is strikingly similar to how long games take in other sports – including football and basketball. 

What’s different about baseball is how slow the game moves. It’s a big reason why some people get so bored with baseball. You also have to factor in the extra innings, which can go on forever. Still, baseball games aren’t that much longer than other sports – so just sit there and enjoy it. 

16. That’s My Problem

Vladimir Guerrero Sr. is a former MLB player and current Hall of Famer. He spent 16 years in the league, mostly with the Los Angeles Angels and Montreal Expos. He finished his career with 449 home runs, 1,496 RBIs, and 1,328 runs. He was a one-time MVP and nine-time All-Star. 

Guerrero Sr. is one of the best power hitters the game has ever seen and while he was known for chasing bad pitches outside of the zone, he often made the most of them and hit them deep. It didn’t matter where the pitcher threw the ball, Guerrero Sr. was going to find it and hit it. 

15. Yogi Never Said That

Yogi Berra is one of the greatest and most recognizable names in all of baseball. He’s a Hall of Fame catcher that spent 19 seasons in the league – 18 of which were spent with the New York Yankees. He holds the record for most World Series championships as a player with 10. 

Outside of his baseball talent, Berra was widely known for his sayings – also known as ‘yogi-isms.’ One of the most popular was ‘It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.’ Unfortunately, he later admitted that he never said that quote and there are plenty others he never stated. 

14. Where Did Baseball Go?

When the COVID-19 pandemic started taking over the world, sports were brought to a standstill. The 2020 baseball season, which was supposed to start on March 26th, didn’t begin until July 23rd. The season ended on September 27th after just 60 games – opposed to the normal 162.

It was a disappointing time for baseball fans, who were eager to get their MLB fix just to receive a shortened season. Unfortunately, this emotion resurfaced this offseason as the MLBPA and MLB owners negotiated a new CBA. The season was delayed, but it won’t be shortened. 

13. No Strikes, Two Balls

Professional athletes are asked to perform on some of the biggest stages in the world and this is definitely true for MLB players. While that comes with a lot of praise, sometimes that attention can come at the wrong time – especially when there are cameras on you all game long.

That’s what happened in this picture. The pitcher was likely rearranging his underwear in-between pitches. To most people, this is a normal thing that happens often. Of course, most people aren’t caught doing it on national television. Let’s just hope he threw some strikes after!

12. Jose vs. Donald

On November 1, 2017, the Houston Astros defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 of the 2017 World Series, taking the series 4-3. While it was their first ever World Series title, they were involved in a cheating scandal for stealing signs. They weren’t forced to vacate the title. 

A couple of months after winning the title, the Astros were invited to the White House to visit Donald J. Trump, as champions often do. Jose Altuve, who we already mentioned as the smallest player in the MLB, was the subject of a short joke by Trump. This was Jose’s face.

11. You’re Not a Giants’ Fan Are You?

The San Francisco Giants have quite the rivalry with the Oakland Athletics, a rivalry often known as the ‘Battle of the Bays’ (both being located in the Bay Area). With that said, it’s no surprise that Oakland fans don’t really like San Francisco fans – and vice versa, of course. 

One Athletics’ fan suggested that the ‘SF’ in the Giants’ logo doesn’t actually stand for ‘San Francisco.’ Instead, the two letters stand for ‘Stupid Fans,’ which is how most Oakland fans feel about Giants’ fans. Let’s be honest, rivalries are one of the greatest things to happen to baseball.

10. Grab the Pitching Wedge

We already touched base on the fact that professional athletes have cameras on them at all times, much like most celebrities. We saw the pitcher fixing his private area during a game, but now we have a pitcher going around the back to fix a wedgie – something we’re all familiar with.

What makes this meme even better is the golf analogy. It’s a pitcher with a wedgie, which calls for a – you guessed it – pitching wedge. I think we can all agree that he felt extremely relieved after fixing his wedgie. It’s a feeling we all know too well – though this was on national television.

9. Barry Bonds’ Legacy

Barry Bonds is one of the game’s greatest players of all-time – certainly the greatest power hitter. Unfortunately, his legacy came under scrutiny when he was involved in a steroids scandal. It ultimately led to him not making the Hall of Fame in his 10 years of eligibility. 

To some people, Bonds’ use of steroids is enough to tarnish his legacy in the sport. To others, they simply can’t overlook his incredible stats over his 22-year career. He has the most home runs (762) in MLB history, as well as the most walks (2,558) and intentional walks (688). 

8. Dingers! Dingers!

In what might be one of The Simpsons’ funniest episodes, Bart Simpson starts taking a behavior drug at the recommendation of his principal, who was tired of Bart’s pranks and even threatened to expel him. Bart starts taking the medication and he finally starts focusing more on school. 

The more he takes it, though, the more paranoid he becomes. He believes in a conspiracy theory that the MLB is spying on his home town. He steals a tank, shoots down the MLB satellite, and asks Mark McGwire to explain himself. Instead, McGwire distracts them by hitting home runs before running off with the evidence.

7. The Astros Are Always Stealing Signs

We’ve already talked about the Houston Astros and their cheating scandal, but let’s talk about it again because it was so devastating to the integrity of the game. For those that don’t remember, the Astros were using hidden cameras to steal signs in hopes of hitting and pitching better. 

The scandal has stuck with the Houston Astros ever since. The entire MLB – including other players, coaches, front office members, and fans – lost respect for the team and those that were involved. To be honest, it’s something that Houston will have to live with forever. 

6. Is Practice Canceled? No….

Have you ever played baseball in Little League, middle school, or high school? What about college or even the big leagues? If you have, then you understand this meme to the fullest because most coaches don’t care how much rain there is – the team is going to practice. 

There’s no such thing as a rain delay or day off due to rain when you’re a baseball coach, at least not for practices. Coaches view every opportunity as an opportunity to improve, even if the entire field is flooded. They might think differently if they had to play in those weather conditions. 

5. Where Did Jason Bay’s Power Go?

Jason Bay made his MLB debut in 2003 for the San Diego Padres, but only played three games before being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. After hitting four home runs that season, he began his rookie year in 2004 and hit 26 home runs for Pittsburgh. He won NL Rookie of the Year. 

Over the next five seasons, Bay hit a total of 155 home runs for the Pirates and Boston Red Sox as he established himself as one of the best outfielders in the league. He signed a massive contract with the Mets in 2010, but only hit 37 home runs as he lost his power over the next four years. 

4. Bryceless!

Speaking of massive contracts, Bryce Harper made history in the 2018-19 offseason when he signed the richest contract in MLB history (which has since been passed by Mike Trout). Harper signed with the Phillies in hopes of winning a title, something he didn’t do with the Nationals. 

During the 2019 season, Harper hit 35 home runs. Unfortunately, the Phillies finished the year 81-81 and failed to make the postseason. Meanwhile, Harper’s former team (Nationals) finished the year 93-69. They made the playoffs as a wild card and went on to win their first World Series. 

3. She’s Too Old for You, Bro!

The Chicago Cubs adopted their current name in 1903 after five seasons as the Chicago Orphans. By 1906, they appeared in their first World Series since the name change. In 1907 and 1908, they won their first two World Series championships, doing so in back-to-back seasons. 

Between 1908 and 2015, they made seven World Series appearances, but lost all of them. At the time this meme was created, it was true – she’s too old for you if she was around in 1908. Of course, the Cubs won the World Series in 2016, so this meme should say ‘too young’ now.

2. But I Gave Them Baseball!

Since the late 1880s, the world has been blessed with the wonderful sport of baseball. It brings joy and entertainment to millions of people around the world – especially in the United States, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela. Those three countries make up nearly 90% of all players. 

It doesn’t matter how popular baseball gets, it’ll likely never surpass the most popular sport in the world – soccer. The two sports are often compared because of their low-scoring affairs and slow tempo throughout the game. But let’s be honest here, baseball is far better than soccer. 

1. Upton Here, Upton Here

When I think of baseball memes, this is easily the first one that comes to mind because it’s often the funniest and most random. First, let’s take it back to 1999 when DMX released his popular song ‘Party Up,’ where he says – “Y’all gonna make me lose my mind, up in here, up in here.”

Now let’s take it to the 2013 season when brothers Justin Upton and B.J. Upton joined forces with the Atlanta Braves. They played together on the Braves for two seasons, and then on the Padres for one season. There’s just something about this meme that makes me smile everytime.

Expect Plenty More Baseball Memes This Season!

There was a shadow of doubt surrounding the 2022 MLB season as the MLBPA and the owners negotiated a new collective bargaining agreement. The commissioner originally canceled the first two series of the regular season, but the two sides eventually came to an agreement. 

While the season has been delayed, the MLB is all set for a full, 162-game season. This is exciting for several reasons. First, we didn’t know if there would be a full season to begin with. Second, the season was only delayed for a couple of weeks and we still get Spring Training.

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Of course, that also means we get to laugh at all the hilarious baseball memes that come as a result of the season. With 162 games, there are plenty of moments and incidents that will warrant the creation of a meme. Once created, they’ll be shared and enjoyed by millions.

About At The Buzzer

At The Buzzer, or ATB is the place for those who love sports, life, family, community, and so much more. We are far from the run-of-the-mill 24/7 sports news websites. We not only bring you what’s happening in the world of sports in terms of trades and breaking news, but we also bring you the news that goes on behind the scenes, like big life moments, and so much more. So take a minute and read one of our articles, we promise you won't regret it.