10 Most Ridiculous Championship Parade Moments in Sports History

On Monday, the Toronto Raptors celebrate their first NBA title in franchise history with a parade around The Six. Championship parades are one of the most enjoyable experiences in all of sports. They provide a great opportunity for athletes and fans to come together and honor a momentous occasion as one. It’s also a huge party that’s bolstered some ridiculous yet memorable moments over the years.

With this in mind, let’s take a look at some of these moments.

After defeating arch-nemesis Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final, Real Madrid celebrated with thousands of fans in the Nation’s capital. All was going well until Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos dropped the Copa del Rey trophy from the top of the bus. To make matters worse, the bus driver did not see the fallen trophy and continued to creep forward, ultimately running over the trophy.

Ramos promptly became known as “The Trophy Killer,” in one of the funniest and unbelievable moments in championship parade history. The mangled 2011 Copa del Rey trophy has been on display at the Spanish Football Federation Museum in Las Rozas (Madrid) ever since.

Winning your first championship in franchise history and ending a city-wide 52-year championship drought warrants some wild behavior. With that in mind, there’s no explanation for what you’re about to see.

VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

Fans were so excited that they did not know how to contain themselves. Especially the fan in the video above, who was so amped up that he decided to eat horse poop on the streets of Cleveland, much to the disgust and amusement of the fans around him.

After coming back from a 3-1 series deficit to defeat the Golden State Warriors, the Cleveland Cavaliers were finally on top of the world. Their long-awaited 2016 championship parade brought in over 1 million people, making it the then-largest championship celebration in NBA history.

While one Cavs fan was eating poop off the streets, JR Smith was soaking up the 2016 Cavaliers championship parade by high-fiving fans and celebrating the moment without a shirt on.

This was just the start of a shirtless run for Smith, who was seen celebrating the championship at various locations in the coming weeks, all without a shirt on.

No shoes, no shirt, and he stills gets service. That’s the J.R. Smith experience for you.

All rise for Court Jester Kelce.

After winning their first title in franchise history, Philadelphia Eagles offensive guard Jason Kelce honored the occasion unlike anyone before. Dawning a ridiculous court jester-style outfit, Kelce delivered a powerful speech to thousands of fans at the bottom steps of the iconic Philadelphia Art Museum. Kelce’s speech, or rant, called out all of the haters who doubted the members of the championship-winning Eagles.

Although many aspects of Kelce’s speech and the demeanor in which he presented it were ridiculous, he provided a quote for the ages.

"“An underdog is a hungry dog!”"

The Los Angeles Lakers’ 2002 championship team might have been carried by Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant on the court, but off the court, it was Mike Madsen who captivated the audience.

With Shaq rapping in the background, Lakers’ bench player Mike Madsen provided one of the most awkward displays of dancing in the history of existence. What made it funnier was the plain outfit that Madsen was wearing, a championship white t-shirt and jeans. You do you, Mike.

After winning a title in his rookie season, Warriors’ forward Jordan Bell was having the time of his life during the 2018 Championship parade. While honoring JR Smith with the no shirt look and holding a bottle of empty Hennessey, he got off the bus and went into the crowd to take a swig from another fan’s bottle.

It was yet another great fan-athlete interaction, which is what championship parades are all about.

It’s not a party until Rob Gronkowski arrives. Known for being the life of the party and complete goofball, Gronkowski enjoyed his final championship parade as a member of the Patriots by going wild.

Gronk was slugging beers and dancing shirtless with his teammates, much to the amusement of the fans around him. This was not the first time Gronk enjoyed such shenanigans at a Patriots parade, but it was the last. An entertainer both on and off the field, he’s truly one of a kind.

The Philadelphia Phillies’ star second baseman couldn’t contain his excitement during their 2008 Championship Parade. It had been the Phillies’ first title since 1980, which also marked the most recent time a Philadelphia professional sports team won a championship up until that point. Snapping an almost 30-year city-wide title drought, Utley started off his speech with a nice expletive.

The response: a standing ovation from the Phillies’ faithful. Naturally.

After upsetting the Miami Heat’s Big Three in the 2011 NBA Finals, the Dallas Mavericks celebrated their first NBA title in franchise history. With thousands of fans in attendance, beloved star Dirk Nowitzki ended his brief speech by leading the crowd into singing the legendary Queen song, “We Are the Champions.”

It was the signature moment of their championship parade, and only fitting that it came from the best and most beloved player in franchise history.

After defeating the Arizona Cardinals, 27-23, in the 2008 Super Bowl, the Pittsburgh Steelers hit the streets of the Steel City to celebrate with the fans. After high demand from the fans, Steelers safety Troy Polamalu dove into the fans for a signature crowd surf.

It’s pretty impressive that the fans weren’t intimidated by Polamalu jumping into them. Especially since he was one of the hardest hitting and powerful safeties the league has ever seen, at the height of his powers. But that’s Pittsburgh Tough for you.