On Sunday evening, “Saturday Night time Reside” is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary with an alum-filled particular. The present has featured quite a lot of sports activities tie-ins because it debuted in 1975, with such greats as Invoice Russell, Deion Sanders, Derek Jeter and Tom Brady internet hosting.
The primary athlete to host the present was then-Minnesota Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton, who was the visitor star on the thirteenth episode of the second season. He was joined by English singer-songwriter Leo Sayer because the musical visitor.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has hosted the present 5 occasions, greater than every other athlete. His first flip got here in 2000 with musical visitor AC/DC.
25 years in the past, @TheRock made historical past by turning into the primary @WWE Famous person to host SNL… and @PaulWight, Mick Foley, and I introduced angle to the monologue!
Congrats to all of the solid, crew, and executives of @nbcsnl who’ve created a worldwide leisure franchise for 50 years. pic.twitter.com/AsF8ELhWit
— Triple H (@TripleH) February 16, 2025
Forward of SNL’s fiftieth anniversary particular, we have a look at some notable sketches from sports activities figures who’ve appeared on the present.
John Madden | Sept. 7, 1982
Lengthy earlier than the Madden Cruiser ferried the famously aerophobic Madden between video games, he traveled by practice. Search for what number of occasions the late, nice broadcaster tries to inform the story about leaving a participant behind after a sport.
Marvin Hagler | Could 17, 1986
Simply two months after defending his middleweight title with a win over John Mugabi, Hagler co-hosted the present with journalist Jimmy Breslin. On this sketch, Hagler, who gained 52 fights by knockout in his profession, offers viewers recommendation on the way to get knocked out.
Wayne Gretzky | Could 13, 1989
The hockey legend hosted the present recent off his first season with the Los Angeles Kings, following “The Commerce” the offseason prior. Amongst different skits, Gretzky performed himself because the visitor host of a call-in present — fielding quite a lot of questions that had no relation to hockey.
Chris Evert | Nov. 11, 1989
The 18-time Grand Slam winner was the primary feminine athlete to host the present. She was joined by musical visitor the Eurythmics. That is Evert’s historic monologue:
Michael Jordan | Sept. 28, 1991
Simply months after successful his first NBA title, Jordan hosted the premier episode of SNL’s seventeenth season. The GOAT gave an all-time displaying in “Day by day Affirmations with Stuart Smalley.” Jordan, who was on the present with Public Enemy, has but to host once more.
Charles Barkley | Sept. 25, 1993
After successful NBA MVP and reaching the NBA Finals, Barkley hosted the Season 19 premier. Barkley has hosted three different occasions since then. He did his personal “Day by day Affirmation” in his first episode. Nevertheless, the most effective moments was unintended and got here from a promo shoot with Nirvana, that episode’s musical visitor.
Nirvana and Charles Barkley’s SNL promo rehearsal, 1993 pic.twitter.com/IPIkWmM2oj
— Pigeons & Planes (@PigsAndPlans) January 29, 2021
Deion Sanders | Feb. 18, 1995
Simply weeks after successful his first Tremendous Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers, Prime Time took over Studio 8H. He had one notable NSFW sketch that confirmed just a little an excessive amount of of Chris Farley and, in a peak-Nineteen Nineties second, Sanders joined Tim Meadows and Adam Sandler as a rap trio quick on bars.
“Peace, we outta right here.”
Derek Jeter | Dec. 1, 2001
The New York Yankees captain went from the Bronx to midtown Manhattan for his efficiency with musical company Bubba Sparxxx and Shakira. On “Weekend Replace,” Jeter debated famous Boston Pink Sox fan Seth Meyers.
Tom Brady | April 16, 2005
4 Tremendous Bowl wins, three NFL MVPs and two retirements in the past, Brady, then only a three-time champion, took on internet hosting duties. He got here close to a funnel cake on this sketch with Maya Rudolph, Rachel Dratch and Rob Riggle. These desserts most likely aren’t allowed within the TB12 food plan, however that did not exist in 2005.
Peyton Manning | March 24, 2007
Manning hosted on his birthday, and his mother and father and brothers have been in attendance. Manning, who had simply gained his first Tremendous Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts in February of 2007, turned in an all-time nice efficiency, highlighted by his spoof of NFL United Manner commercials.
Manning has but to host the present once more, however he did return in Jan. of 2022 for a passionate breakdown of the Netflix sequence “Emily in Paris” on Weekend Replace.
Ronda Rousey | Jan. 23, 2016
Rousey hosted simply two months after shedding her bantamweight title to Holly Holm in UFC 193. Rousey grew to become the primary feminine fight athlete to host the present and simply the third feminine athlete ever to tackle internet hosting duties.
Travis Kelce | March 4, 2023
From the rousing success of his and brother Jason’s New Heights podcast to internet hosting SNL, the star Kansas Metropolis Chiefs tight finish has displayed fairly a penchant for media off the gridiron. He’d additionally make a visitor look later in 2023 in a skit referencing his extremely publicized relationship with Taylor Swift.
