Many times, when people try to define professional athletes, the focus is always on what they do on the field. The talks are all about the goals they scored, the records they set, the trophies, and their exciting contracts. Only a few usually remember to mention what these elite stars do off the stadium when there are no longer television cameras on them. Like other humans, these individuals also have hobbies they engage in away from the sports they dominated.
And when it comes to hobbies, what appeals to one person might not be attractive to another. As a context, people living in countries like Canada can decide to take on a great number of activities. To some, what works might be ice skating or hiking, while for others it might be cooking, skiing, scuba diving, photography or watching films. Some other people may even prefer online gaming activities such as playing casino games.
In the end, all of these pastimes can be great for relaxation in Canada or elsewhere. However, for individuals considering online casino games as a hobby, the key is understanding how the games work and choosing the right platforms. When selecting a platform, experts recommend checking gambling guides before committing. For example, if a Canadian player is considering signing up with AllySpin Casino, reading an independent allyspin casino review and expert opinions can help make the right decision.
5 Athletes With Very Strange Hobbies
As basketball legend Michael Jordan once said, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.”
That intelligence often shows up in unexpected ways – sometimes through hobbies no one saw coming. Many of these athletes have pursued hobbies so unexpected of a sports star. These strange pastimes reveal a different side of sporting icons; aspects of their lives many still find bizarre.
Behind the discipline and physical training, the following athletes found balance in pursuits that surprised fans and teammates alike.
1. Waite Hoyt: Mortician
Waite Hoyt, a Hall of Fame pitcher who played for the New York Yankees during their early dynasty years, had a side job that sounds like fiction. Hoyt worked as a licensed mortician and was known to transport cadavers in his car, even on days when he had games to pitch.
This unusual occupation earned him the nickname “The Merry Mortician.” While it shocked teammates, Hoyt reportedly found the work grounding. It’s a reminder that athletes from earlier eras often lived far more ordinary, and sometimes strange lives away from sport.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo: Bingo
Cristiano Ronaldo is synonymous with elite fitness, luxury, and relentless ambition. Bingo does not exactly fit that image. Yet Ronaldo has openly shared that he played bingo during his early years in England, partly as a way to relax and partly to improve his English.
One alluring thing about this hobby is that it is exceptionally simple. Bingo is not only slow, but also social, and comes as the opposite of the high pressure that comes with football.
As Ronaldo himself once said, “Talent without working hard is nothing.”
Bingo, in his case, became a quiet mental break that helped him adapt to a new country.
3. Tiger Woods: Spearfishing
Hardly anyone will talk about golf history and what professional golf has become today without mentioning Tiger Woods. He left a huge impact in that space, winning 15 major championships. He has the most wins in history after Jack Nicklaus.
However, off the course, Woods enjoys something far removed from manicured greens: spearfishing. Spearfishing requires free-diving, breath control, patience, and precision. Woods has spoken about how the sport helped him mentally reset during intense stretches of his career.
This admission aligns with what iGaming specialist Gerda Grinova opined about hobbies. In Grinova’s opinion, any hobby you engage in should contribute to your growth in other aspects of life.
4. Randy Moss: Racing
Randy Moss built his NFL legacy on speed and explosiveness, finishing his career with 156 touchdown receptions, one of the highest totals in league history. Away from football, Moss channelled that love of speed into motorsports.
In 2008, he launched Randy Moss Motorsports, a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team. While Moss never raced himself, team ownership became a serious passion. Many fans were skeptical but his commitment surprised critics. The team shut down in 2012, yet it remains one of the more unusual crossovers in sports.
5. Daniel Agger: Tattooing
Former Liverpool defender Daniel Agger didn’t just collect tattoos; he mastered the craft. Agger became a qualified tattoo artist, even inking teammates during his playing career.
His body became a canvas of personal expression, and tattooing gave him creative control outside football. For Agger, the hobby offered calm and individuality in a sport that often strips players of both.
Final Thoughts
Even if they look strange, these hobbies point to the fact that elite athletes are not defined solely by competition. They are also looking for balance and curiosity. And they sometimes seek meaning in ways that often surprise the public.
As Ernest Hemingway once wrote, “There is no friend as loyal as a book.”
For athletes, that “book” can take many forms – art, dance, fishing, or even funeral work. And for fans, these glimpses beyond the spotlight make sports stories richer, stranger, and far more interesting.