Pop culture is often up for interpretation, but one thing that’s clear is how deeply entertainment and sports are intertwined. From halftime shows to reality series that show the lives of athletes, there’s a strong connection between the two. So can sports be considered a part of pop culture? They definitely share key elements such as passionate fan bases – I mean, take the Bills Mafia, for example – and unforgettable moments that become engraved in history. It’s these shared experiences that highlight how both are a part of our everyday lives when pop culture and sports blend together seamlessly. These are the top 10 moments where both were present in the same room!
Madonna being carried by the New York Rangers
Courtesy of AP
Quite literally carried like a queen, Madonna made her big entrance to the David Letterman Show with the help of the New York Rangers – including the king of New York, goalie Henrik Lundqvist. Following her divorce from Guy Ritchie, the material girl had huge sunglasses on her face as she enjoyed the ride. Though the Rangers didn’t get to lift the Stanley Cup that year, carrying the queen of pop was a great second-best.
Minnesota Vikings Celebrations
Courtesy of Minnesota Vikings/Andi Kenutis
One of the best decisions the NFL has made so far is lifting their strict rules on players’ celebrations, and the Minnesota Vikings took full advantage of that: from recreating the dance sequence from White Chicks, the handshake in The Parent Trap, the march from Camp Rock, and the High School Musical Dance to doing the Australian breakdancer Raygun’s moves on the ground. It truly made their games more entertaining to watch, as they finished their season with a good record of 14-3, unfortunately being eliminated in the Wild Card round.
Shaq the Actor
Courtesy of Happy Madison Productions/Sony
Shaquille O’Neal has never been a serious guy, which is only cemented by his role as a sports analyst in the Emmy-winning TV program “Inside the NBA.” But getting to play yourself in movies like Good Burger (1997), The Lego Movie (2014) and The House Bunny (2004), apart from having a role in Grown Ups 2 (2013), is an acting career that most actors aspire for. There is not just one moment where Shaq is intertwined with pop culture; he is pop culture. Beyond that, his Wikipedia is about the size of a dictionary – what a life!
Caitlin Clark on SNL
Courtesy of Will Heath/NBC
When athletes step into the world of comedy, it’s often pure gold. There’s just something so entertaining about watching them step outside of their comfort zones and show off their personality outside of the competitive area. Over the years, more than 30 athletes have hosted Saturday Night Live since its debut in the 70s. One particular appearance that cemented that for me was Caitlin Clark’s SNL moment last year. Her dry humor and comedic timing were phenomenal as she roasted Che before giving props to her fellow women in sports.
Catching Kelce
Courtesy of E!
Before the worldwide phenomenon of pop star Taylor Swift and tight end Travis Kelce’s romance, Kelce got to play bachelor in his own reality TV show, Catching Kelce, in 2016. “It was kind of like the Bachelor, except instead of roses, I handed out footballs, and instead of watching, people did not,” Kelce stated while hosting Saturday Night Live. The show, which flew under the radar at the time, wasn’t even available for streaming until his relationship with Swift made headlines. But his career in entertainment doesn’t end there, as he was cast in his first major acting role in Ryan Murphy’s horror series Grotesquerie, which premiered last year. Now, he’s taking his talents to the small screen once again, hosting a reboot for the game show Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? Taylor Swift certainly had it right when she said, “Karma is the guy on the screen, coming straight home to me.”
Ken Jeong at College GameDay
Courtesy of ESPN
College GameDay is already such an event nationwide, but when you bring in celebrities, it goes to a whole new level. Ken Jeong was definitely one of the most memorable celebrities to attend a game at Duke University. The actor from The Hangover (2009) brought the spirits up, giving his wife a shout out – “I love you Ho!” before clarifying that yes, that’s her last name, as he stated. What a lot of people don’t know is that he went to Duke University himself, studying medicine, but decided to pursue comedy instead. Excellent choice.
The Drake Curse
Courtesy of GettyImages/NME
Having a website dedicated to him to keep up with the curses he puts on teams with his bets, singer Drake is dreaded every time he voices his opinion. According to thedrakecurse.com, he’s won only 27 out of 73 bets. His biggest sports bet loss – over a million dollars – was incorrectly predicting that Israel Adesanya would beat Alex Pereira at UFC 281 in November 2022. Rough, right? Though he lucked out on the Superbowl last year as he “bet on the Swifties,” he said, with the Kansas City Chiefs winning.
The IT Couple
Courtesy of Mark Thompson/Getty Images
Though plenty of pairings in sports make your heart skip faster, this one really took the cake for the time it was going on. F1 Driver Lewis Hamilton and Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger met at an MTV Awards ceremony and dated on and off for seven years, and every time Nicole showed up to his races, it was a party. She was passionate about the sport and it showed - Lewis even dedicated his Hungary win to her.
Terry Bradshaw as Matthew McConaughey’s Dad
Courtesy of Ralph Nelson
From making football exciting to making movies like Father Figures (2017) and Failure to Launch (2006), Terry Bradshaw has had an insane run since his football career ended in 1983. However, his performance in Failure to Launch, where he plays the dad of Matthew McConaughey, a stay-at-home son at the age of 35. In an interview with Rodeo Time, Bradshaw stated he was actually naked in one of the scenes from the movie, which made Matthew break his character.
Taylor Swift… That’s It
Courtesy of Nick Wass/AP
Hate her or love her, you can’t really talk about pop culture and sports in the same sentence without mentioning Taylor Swift. From being the ultimate support to Chiefs Tight End Travis Kelce to being buddies with Indiana Fever Guard Caitlin Clark, she’s really on it. But what some don’t know is that much like the rest of her life, Taylor predicted her NFL screen time in 2009 – what a year. For the opening of the Country Music Television Awards, Taylor made a skit where she stated she wanted to be in the NFL. She then laughed, before scrambling with a player from the Tennessee Titans. Not so laughable now is it?
Edited by Reese Dlabach
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