Top 10 Funniest Athletes

Who says that sports all-stars can’t also be comedy all-stars? Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’re counting down our picks for the "Top 10 Funniest Athletes."

For this list, we’ll be focusing on athletes with witty personalities—those who are known to goof off and make jokes, and those who generally just enjoy entertaining people with their humorous behavior.

Throughout his career, Roenick was a constant fan favorite for his ability to speak his mind, which more often than not, ended up being pretty hilarious. Roenick was known for poking fun at anyone, from the media, to the commissioner, to his fellow superstar players. Roenick even famously got into a verbal spar with Patrick Roy during the 1996 playoffs. After a chance for Roenick to score was disqualified, Roy said he would have saved the goal anyway. This caused Roenick to wonder why Roy hadn’t stopped him in the previous game, putting forward the theory that Roy was busy “trying to get his jock out of the rafters.” Of course Roenick isn’t afraid to make fun of himself either.

A master of delivering subtle deadpan lines with a look of steely determination, Brian Wilson’s brand of humor is totally unique. Many of his funniest moments come from his off the wall answers to interviewers’ questions and his faux intensity. Not really one to do anything by conventional means, Wilson at one point rocked some bright orange cleats that he sadly had to cover up after being fined for, as he put it, “having too much awesome on my feet.” Wilson’s random and bizarre shenanigans during media appearances are also consistently hilarious and haphazard: like, have you met his supposed neighbor, “The Machine,” or seen his appearance on a late night talk show as an old timey sea captain? Random.

Every group has its “class clown.” You know, the confident kid who spends a lot of time goofing off, doing impressions, and talking about how handsome he is. Without a doubt, the NHL’s class clown is none other than P.K. Subban. Not afraid to dance around on the ice or joke around with his teammates, you’d be hard-pressed to find Subban not having a great time. While he loves to make others laugh, whether he’s scoping out his competition at the Toronto Zoo, or messing with some friends during some friendly competition, PK is always a great sport.

Even among athletes, who are known for their arrogance, Ibrahimović is an egomaniac. But listening to his self-indulgent rants is nothing short of hysterical. He’s been at the center of controversy several times, both for his rough style of play and his attitude. While a number of players aren’t amused by his antics, those who aren’t on the field or in the locker room with him tend to find them pretty amusing. With his boisterous attitude, incredible skill, and tendency to talk in the third person, he’s almost a cartoon character. Over the years, he’s spouted some ridiculously self-important quotes, saying that a World Cup without him is not worth watching and suggesting that a statue of him replace the Eiffel Tower.

First ballot Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre seemed to really enjoy himself every time he stepped foot on the field. And Favre’s fun-loving attitude and jovial personality, mixed with his southern charm, always caused hilarity. Unlike many of the other athletes on our list, most of Favre’s funny moments came not from interviews or press conferences, but from him joking around with his teammates and coaches, on the field and off. Favre felt a lot like a big kid having a great time playing the game he loves, and the goofy attitude he brought entertained and made us laugh for two decades. It didn’t matter if he was celebrating after a touchdown or meeting Mr. Miyagi; Favre consistently provided comic gold.

Novak’s easygoing personality and tendency to joke around on the court has earned him the nickname “the Djoker.” Despite his intense focus on his sport and serious diet, Djokovic’s attitude is consistently lighthearted, and his ability to come up with a witty line rivals his terrific backhand. His post-game interviews and press conferences are usually filled with a big smile and a few well-timed jokes, whether he’s won or lost. Since he’s the world number one though, it’s usually a win. Djokovic most notably does spot-on impressions of his fellow tennis players, so it’s not unusual to see Djokovic entertaining the crowd by perfectly duplicating the mannerisms of his contemporaries and the greats of the past.

Barkley famously said that athletes should not be role models, and this devil-may-care attitude made him popular with basketball fans. He often seemingly trolls the media, who gave him the regal nickname “Sir Charles,” as well as “the round mound of rebound.” Ironically enough, Barkley became even funnier when he became a member of the media by bringing his unique voice to Inside the NBA. His undeniable chemistry with his fellow announcers, general goofiness, and fun personality has helped make it one of the best sports related programs on TV. Oh, and there is pretty much nothing funnier than seeing Barkley try to play golf.

It’s difficult to tell whether Peyton Manning is more famous for becoming the first starting quarterback to win Super Bowl rings with 2 teams, or for the astounding amount of commercials he appears in. His comedic tone and timing are what make him such a perfect spokesman for a number of products, bringing some hilarity to the worlds of pizza and insurance. Of course Peyton’s shining funny moments come from his multiple appearances on Saturday Night Live, and he even appeared prominently in SNL’s 40th Anniversary Special. Particularly noteworthy was his sketch parodying the NFL in which he mocked his own intense determination.

No one has ever mastered trash talk quite like Muhammad Ali, whose best lines are still cultural touchstones. His braggadocio attitude about himself was always humorous and entertaining, but what really left us in stitches were his verbal jabs at his opponents before and after matches. In his signature style, many of Ali’s putdowns actually rhymed. However, he was also able to come up with cutting and witty insults on the cuff, cutting into his opponent’s insecurities and weaknesses to hilarious effect. As he once reportedly put it, “My way of joking is to tell the truth. That’s the funniest joke in the world.”

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

• Yogi Berra
• Steve Nash
• Roberto Luongo

Shaq, the Big Aristotle, the Diesel, Superman, whatever you call him, there is no denying he’s hilarious. In the past few years, Shaq’s most famous humorous antics have come from Inside the NBA, where he plays off the aforementioned Charles Barkley. His humorous antics started back at the beginning of his career however. Known for a personality as big as his stature, Shaq’s interviews were always worth watching, as he often threw out quips and insults. He’s also made a number of memorable media appearances in movies and TV shows. And, who could forget the time he joined up with the dance crew Jabbawockeez during the 2009 All-Star Game? All of this has made him as entertaining off the court as he was on it.