The Most Memorable Social Media Moments That Athletes Gave Us In 2015

Social media has become an integral part of athlete branding over the years, and it seems like with each passing year sports fans get a better and better glimpse at the personal lives and characteristics of well-known athletes around the world. Like it or not, sports figures now routinely make headlines through their actions on social media alone, whether they be positive or negative.

With 2015 just about in the books, it’s a good time to look back at some of the most memorable moments from athletes over the past year.

Ronda Rousey and the Marine Ball

Before being knocked out by Holly Holm in November, it was a good year for Ronda Rousey. The UFC fighter was the most dominant force in MMA and seemed pretty much invincible, but she also had quite a lot going for her outside of the octagon. She made a few big screen appearances with roles in Furious 7 and Entourage, and also scored the lead in the upcoming Road House remake.

But her biggest social-media splash came when a U.S. Marine asked Rousey to attend the Marine Corps Ball with him. The fighter accepted the invitation and, after a bit of will-she-or-won’t-she drama, followed through on her promise and accompanied him to the event, even though she was still clearly bummed in the wake of her loss to Holm.

DeAndre Jordan and ‘The Indecision’

Not only was DeAndre Jordan’s flip-flop in free agency one of the weirdest stories of the NBA offseason, it also sparked a whole bunch of silly reactions on social media. After Jordan had second-thoughts about his agreement to join the Dallas Mavericks, Chandler Parsons managed to accidentally start a whole string of excessive emoji-ing as representatives from both the Clippers and Mavs scrambled to try and persuade Jordan to sign.

https://twitter.com/JJRedick/status/618844949413433344

Jaromir Jagr and the Blackmailing Model

Over the summer, Jaromir Jagr encountered one of the dangers of social media when you’re a professional athlete looking to have a good time away from your sport. An 18-year-old model snapped a photo of a sleeping Jagr in bed after spending the night with him. She attempted to blackmail the 43-year-old Florida Panthers winger, telling him she would post the photo online if he didn’t give her $2,000.

Unfortunately for the would-be extortionist, Jagr told the girl “I don’t care,” which makes sense because he’s single. The girl went ahead and published the photo anyway, which doesn’t make a ton of sense because she’s reportedly dating Czech hockey prospect Domink Rudl, who calls Jagr his idol. Awkward.

Anyway, the photo ended up becoming a short-lived meme with some pretty fantastic results.

https://instagram.com/p/7xEKvvqxKc/?tagged=jagrselfie

https://instagram.com/p/75GjBnxGaW/?tagged=jagrselfie

https://instagram.com/p/72ntzFGKyb/?tagged=jagrselfie

https://instagram.com/p/702uO3SW6a/?tagged=jagrselfie

https://instagram.com/p/7xQMJDs1ow/?tagged=jagrselfie

https://instagram.com/p/7172xJRKTp/?taken-by=michaela.243

The Edmonton Oilers and ‘SpiderMable’

In September, the Edmonton Oilers — led by defenseman Andrew Ference — helped make a dream come true for 6-year-old Mable Tooke, who has leukemia. A staged kidnapping allowed Tooke to become a superhero for a day, similar to the BatKid of San Fransisco in 2013. Dressed like Spider-Man, Tooke became ‘SpiderMable’ and took to the streets of Edmonton to rescue Ference while the rest of the world followed along on social media.

https://twitter.com/Ferknuckle/status/648622762894868480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Tom Brady and His MVP Dance Moves

It was a bit of a roller coaster year for Tom Brady. The Patriots quarterback started off 2015 by winning his fifth Super Bowl with a thriller against the Seahawks, but then found himself at the center of the endless DeflateGate drama that dominated offseason headlines.

All the while, though, Brady (or whoever runs his social accounts) ruled Facebook with hilarious updates and Photoshops. His best share might have been this one, which pokes fun at Brady’s awkward dance moves during the team’s Super Bowl ring reception. He stole those moves from your dad, by the way.

Pablo Sandoval and The Instagram Suspension

After signing a rich deal in free agency last year, Pablo Sandoval’s first year with the Boston Red Sox was a disappointing one overall. The third baseman struggled at the plate and the Sox had yet another last place finish in the AL East. To make matters worse, Sandoval was caught using Instagram during the middle of a game thanks to Barstool Sports blogger Jared Carrabis, who tweeted out a screenshot of Sandoval liking a a woman’s photos.

With frustrations running high in Boston, the media ran with the story and the Red Sox were eventually forced to suspend Sandoval for a game as a result.

Steph Curry and The Curry Family

It’s possible that not one single athlete had a better 2015 than Steph Curry. The Warriors guard was the NBA’s MVP, won the NBA Championship, and then got off to a historic start to this season. It was also a pretty big year for his family, as Curry’s adorable young daughter Riley became an internet sensation thanks to her antics during a postgame press conference.

After that, there was really no turning back.

Steph and his wife, Ayesha, also welcomed a second daughter into their family.

But as adorable as the Curry children are, Steph and Ayesha still give them a run for their money.

If you don’t want to be a part of this family, I don’t want to know you.

Cardale Jones and the Twitter Burn

https://twitter.com/FOXSportsLive/status/621861698790526976

Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones had himself a great start to 2015, leading the Buckeyes to a national championship as the team’s third-string QB. Soon afterward, he established himself as a great Twitter follow thanks to his humor, especially when he attempted to pick up Ronda Rousey at the ESPY Awards.

But, in addition to being funny, Jones can also dish out some burns to Twitter trolls as well. After being criticized for voicing his opinion on a social issue, a Twitter basically told Jones to stick to football and stop being concerned about other things, to which Jones had a very great response.

Dan later deleted his account.

Torrey Smith and His Dancin’ Baby

It’s hard to argue that 2015 was the Year of the Sports Baby. Riley Curry may have dominated headlines, but Torrey Smith’s young son also won the hearts of so many people. The 49ers wide receiver shared videos of 2-year-old TJ unleashing some top-notch dance moves, and the world became a better place for it.

The Rock and, Well, Everything

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is just about the most indomitable social-media athlete on the planet right now, so it’s nearly impossible to pick just one specific highlight from this year, but this list would be irrelevant if it didn’t include something about The Rock. So…

There’s the time he saved a puppy from drowning.

There’s the time he accidentally sideswiped a car and turned it into a great story.

There’s the time he helped a little girl pull an airplane.

There’s the time he trolled everybody with a gross (but fake) broken finger.

There’s the time he made a random family’s Christmas wish come true.

There’s the time he welcomed a newborn daughter into his family.

You get the point, right? The Rock is awesome.