Let's Look Back At Some Of The Late, Great Ozzy Osbourne's Best Sports Moments

I don't know about you, but I spent a good part of my Tuesday pretty bummed out about the news that Ozzy Osbourne had passed away.

He was nothing short of a pioneer and icon, and if you've enjoyed hard rock and heavy metal in any capacity over the last half century, you've got Ozzy to thank in some capacity.

But what hadn't occurred to me was that Ozzy was more than a music icon; he was a pop-cultural icon, something that became clear to me as I saw post after post paying tribute to the Prince of Darkness from people who, as far as I know, are the furthest thing from metal heads.

So that got me thinking about all the different parts of our culture that Ozzy was associated with, and I realized that he had some pretty memorable moments in the world of sports, too. 

So, I figured we'd look back at some of his greatest sports-related moments over the years.

Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" in the Seventh Inning at Wrigley Field. (Photo by Jon Soohoo/WireImage)

Ozzy Sings ‘Take Me Out To The Ballgame’ At Wrigley Field

Back in 2003, The Osbournes reality show was all the rage — as it should've been; it was great — so that led to all kinds of appearances, including one at Wrigley Field where Ozzy and Sharon were given the great honor of singing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" during the seventh inning stretch at a Cubs game.

That's like being knighted.

But here's the thing: while most of us could sing that song in our sleep, Ozzy didn't grow up around baseball, and at times needed a teleprompter to sing some of his songs.

So, the lyrics to "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" didn't exactly come naturally.

I lose it when he sings, "I can't remember what I have to do," to the melody of the song.

A musical genius, but a comedic genius as well.

Ozzy's F1 Interview: "They're At Home S--tting"

That same year, Ozzy was north of the border in Montreal for the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix.

The Prince of Darkness was on the grid before the race and was approached by ex-F1 driver and current broadcaster Martin Brundle for his signature grid walk, in which he interviews drivers, team personnel, and celebrities before the race.

Brundle then asked a question about Sharon getting "good news," at which point Ozzy gave a fantastically Ozzy response.

"Yeah, I'm currently writing a musical about the life and times of Rasputin, the mad monk," he said, before expressing hopes that it would find a home on Broadway.

Brundle, caught off guard, had a hilarious response.

"Alright, I'll try to think of a question to that answer," he said.

He then asked Ozzy if the family's dogs, who were frequently featured on the show, had made the trip to the race.

"No, they're at home s--tting," Ozzy said.

Ozzy's Blues Shirt Mugshot

The Prince of Darkness had a few run-ins with the law, and one incident in 1984 led to a strange connection to the NHL's St. Louis Blues.

According to the NHL, Ozzy had picked up a Blues t-shirt while on tour in St. Louis, but just a few weeks later, he was arrested for public intoxication in Memphis.

In his mugshot, Ozzy is wearing the Blues shirt with the team's logo perfectly visible.

Ozzy Osbourne's 1984 mugshot after being arrested for public intoxication in Memphis became famous for his St. Louis Blues shirt. (Photo courtesy Bureau of Prisons/Getty Images)

Ozzy wasn't in custody long, but the mugshot became famous. 

It was embraced once again in 2019 as the Blues made an improbable run to a Stanley Cup victory, and Ozzy himself shared a photo of himself in a Blues sweater with a Stanley Cup Final patch ahead of Game 7 between the Blues and Boston Bruins.

On Tuesday, the team shared its condolences after the death of one of the team's most unlikely supporters.

Ozzy Plays The Patriots Onto The Field

The biggest song of Ozzy's career — whether that's from his solo work or with Black Sabbath — is "Crazy Train" off of his debut solo album, Blizzard of Ozz.

For decades now, the New England Patriots have run onto the field at home games — and more than a few Super Bowls — with the iconic Ozzy song blasting through the stadium.

Back in 2005, the Patriots were coming off a win over Andy Reid, Donovan McNabb, Terrell Owens, and the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX (I was in third grade at the time and was so bummed out over that game).

As is the norm, the Patriots opened the NFL season the following September against the Oakland Raiders and, as per usual, Tom Brady and co. ran out to "Crazy Train."

Only this time, the man himself was there to play them out.

Man, how cool is that?

Even if you hated the Patriots back then — and I think everyone who wasn't a Patriots fan at the time did — that was a cool moment.

WWE Hall of Famer Ozzy Osbourne

Ozzy was a juggernaut in entertainment, and, as I've just shown you, he had his share of sports moments, but he was also a big part of sports-entertainment.

Ozzy's connection to the WWE started with WrestleMania 2, during which he managed the British Bulldogs alongside Captain Lou Albano for a match in which they became World Tag Team Champions.

Ozzy made some other WWE appearances over the years, including in 2009, when he and Sharon guest-hosted an episode of WWE Monday Night RAW in Worcester, Massachusetts.

These appearances led to Ozzy being a 2021 WWE Hall of Fame inductee alongside the likes of Kane, Rob Van Dam, Molly Holly, The Great Khali, Eric Bischoff, and Rich Hering; however, COVID protocol prevented him from attending in person.

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From music to TV to sports and beyond, what a career the Prince of Darkness had.

God bless Ozzy Osbourne.