There’s something satisfying about seeing your favorite athlete in a movie setting. It’s kind of vindicating to know that they can do something other than just sports, and it can be very entertaining. The Farrelly brothers are well known for adding pro athlete cameos to their movies. They don’t always get to play themselves, but they are easily recognized by fans. While sports stars have been popping up in movies for a long time it’s been a practice of the Farrelly brothers to use at least one or more pro athletes, former or present, to spice up their movies just a little bit.
Here are a few clips showing former athletes that should still be recognizable.
5. Roger Clemens – Kingpin
Ishmael doesn’t know much about the outside world but he’s learning fairly quickly, and not always in the best way either. In this instance he has to learn quickly and painfully as Roger Clemens and his posse confront him over dancing with a woman he should have never touched. Unfortunately Roy doesn’t make the situation any better when he slugs Ishmael and then insults him.
4. Cam Neely – Dumb and Dumber
As soon as that salt shaker went flying most viewers closed their eyes and went “oh no”. Little did anyone know that Cam Neely, former hockey player and certified tough guy, would be the one to stand up. When you’re looking up, and up, and up at a man like Neely it’s pretty normal to find yourself either at a loss for words or unable to think of anything clever to say.
3. Johnny Damon – Fever Pitch
You’ve got to expect pro ball players to appear in a movie that features baseball as one of its prime plot points. Damon wasn’t the only player to cameo but this clip was among the funniest that could be found. Baseball fans are not always the most subtle or even the most sane. In fact I’d be willing to say they’re just about on par with NFL fans as far as their level of crazy goes.
2. Lawyer Milloy – Stuck On You
I couldn’t find him in the trailer, couldn’t find a clip about him, but he is in the movie. The Farrelly brothers do bring in a lot of athletes but sometimes they give them the smallest parts. They’re there, and then they’re gone. Lawyer Milloy is in this film, guaranteed, but his part is fairly small.
1. Brett Favre – There’s Something About Mary
So we got to hear about the ex, Brett, before we saw him. No one was expecting the legendary Brett Favre to come through the door though. The only thing that kind of made the scene a little hinky, besides the fact that many people thought Mary should go with Brett and not Ted, is her explanation of why she didn’t choose Brett. She’s a, blah, Niners fan. For those of you that are 49ers fans, I’m sorry. Really I am.
The Farrelly brothers definitely like to use athletes for comedic purposes and the best thing is that it works more often than not.
