A Glorious Pictorial History Of Streakers At Professional Sporting Events

File under "Crazy Stuff Straight Guys Do"
From: NewNowNext

 Rules change, uniforms change, names change, but there’s one thing you can always count on in professional sports: People determined to run on the field naked.

We’ve been investigating the phenomenon of streaking, which dates back to the 1800s, and have come to a few conclusions: First of all, it tends to happen in England or former British colonies. (Australians are crazy about streaking, apparently.)

 And secondly it seems to be a mostly heterosexual male pastime (though there have been streakers at Dolce and Gabbana and Prabal Gurung runway shows.)

Whatever the case, streaking is fun.

And fun to watch—unless you’re an athlete on the field or the poor security guard who has to tackle the streaker. But even they sometimes enjoy the situation.

 In 1977, Aussie cricketer Greg Chappell spanked a streaker with his cricket bat until the police arrived on the scene.

Below, a visual salute to the great art of streaking.

 It’s all there in black and white, in this streaking moment captured in 1970.

 What’s the card say?

 So that’s why British policemen wear those hats. 

(At the 1974 Five Nations Championship between England and Wales)

 Is there shrinkage on the ice?

 Look, mum—I’m on telly!

 Good thing he doesn’t have any identifiable tattoos.

 We had no idea cricket could get so steamy.

(At the Cricket World Cup on February 23, 2015 in Christchurch, England.)

 Wheee, I’m an airplane!

 The day Parliament was slated to vote on whether to raise tuition, one student decided calling his MP wasn’t enough. 

(At a soccer match between Oxford and Cambridge on December 9, 2010.)

 We’re Number One!

 Chris Hala’ufia was not having it.

They’ve even had streakers at the Olympics!

 Ouch—unnecessary roughness!

Sometimes streaking isn’t just a prank—this woman was trying to raise awareness about kangaroo leather being used in Adidas sneakers.

(A practice that’s since stopped.)

And this guy was saying goodbye to retiring cricket player Adam Gilchrist in his own special way.

 Here’s New Zealand’s naked rugby team tackling a clothed streaker.

This one is pretty self-explanatory.

 more classic moments in streaking.