Sports played a big role on Seinfield throughout the show's run. The most obvious example was George working for the Yankees for several seasons, which gave us Larry David's memorable George Steinbrenner. And, of course, Keith Hernandez had one of the most legendary guest-starring roles in TV history (as himself!).
But it was more than just baseball. In fact, Seinfeld ran the gamut of different sports. Sometimes they were central to the main plot, sometimes they were the B- or even C-stories. You could always count on Seinfeld for delivering a few very funny sports-related storylines each season.
Football: Jerry had Super Bowl tickets and gave them to Tim Whattley, only to get them back...and end up going to the game with Newman. In another episode, Elaine wants her boyfriend (who shares his name with a serial killer) to change his name, and he finally realizes it when he has to go to will call at a Giants game so he can give Kramer their extra ticket.
Basketball: This was actually the first-ever sports-themed storyline on Seinfield. Jerry wants to "break up" with Joel Hornick but can't bring himself to do it, so he ends up inviting him to a Knicks game, only to find a way out of it and Kramer goes instead. Then there's "The Limo," where Jerry and George steal a limo that's headed to Madison Square Garden, where they think they're headed to the Knicks-Bulls game. Only, the limo is going to a neo-Nazi rally where the guy who the limo was supposed to be for is the keynote speaker.
Hockey: "You've gotta support the team." Puddy's a big Devils fan. So he paints his face to show his support...and promptly scares this little old priest into thinking he's seen the actual devil! When Elaine tells him to stop, he paints his chest instead. "As you can see, this is not my face."
Golf: Kramer's love of golf is a constant throughout the series. And it gives us some of the most memorable episodes. There's George's monologue at the end of "The Marine Biologist," when he saves the whale by pulling the golf ball out of its blow hole. And, of course, his career on the senior tour was ruined when he crashed his car in "The Caddy," only to also blow his lawsuit by having Sue Ellen Mischke try on a bra at trial against Jackie Chiles' advice.
Frolf: Frisbee golf. "Golf with a frisbee!" George was so excited to learn how to play when he took the summer off after getting fired by the Yankees. Only to have his fledgling frolf career derailed by a fall down the stairs when he tripped over a bunch of party invitations.
Tennis: Where do I start with the great episode "The Lip Reader?" Marlee Matlin is a deaf lineswoman that Jerry wants to date, Kramer wants to be the first ball man, and George's girlfriend breaks up with him because he was caught on camera with ice cream all over his face. Then there was the episode where Elaine lends someone Mr. Pitt's racket and can't get it back, even though he has his big match with Ethel Kennedy coming up.
Gymnastics: In "The Gymnast," Jerry dates an Olympic gymnast from Romania, only to be disappointed that their sex life is just ordinary. And, when they're discussing ideas for the show to pitch to NBC, George comes up with the terrible idea of Jerry being a gymnastics coach who's pressuring his son to get into gymnastics.
Boxing: George and Mike Moffitt fight over a parking spot while everybody's trying to get to Jerry's in time to watch the big fight. Another big fight was the cockfight between Kramer's rooster and the ringer brought in by Marcelino in "The Little Jerry" (and, yes, I do realize it's a stretch to categorize that as boxing).
Track & Field: "I choose not to run!" Until he had to when Jerry ran into his old rival, who had always believed Jerry had gotten a head start when they raced in high school and demanded a rematch. Then there's John Paul Jonpaul, the Trinidadian marathon runner who overslept at the Barcelona Olympics and was making his comeback at the New York City Marathon, only to oversleep again, then pour Kramer's scalding hot coffee on his face while leading at the end of the race. That's a different New York City Marathon than the one they all went to watch at the apartment Jerry and Elaine both wanted. (And who can forget that lady who told the runners "You're all winners" as they passed by?)
It's pretty clear what sport is Jerry Seinfeld's favorite, though. There are so many baseball-related storylines beyond Keith Hernandez and (the only-seen-from-behind) George Steinbrenner. So many, in fact, that I've got to break it down by character:
Kramer punched Mickey Mantle at Yankees Fantasy Camp, saw Joe DiMaggio in Dinky Donuts and led police on a low-speed chase while taking fugitive Steve Gendison to see his fish after murdering the dry cleaner. Elaine got kicked out of Yankee Stadium for refusing to take her Orioles hat off while sitting in the owner's box.
George, of course, worked for the Yankees and lent advice to real-life Yankees Danny Tartabull, Paul O'Neill, Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams, as well as manager Buck Showalter. He also once thought he could be a color analyst and tried to get fired so he could work for the Mets. As well as his many, many, many storylines that involved Steinbrenner. Jerry, meanwhile, had to miss a big softball game for his aunt's funeral, and it was at another softball game where Bette Midler got hurt (after she was run over by George) and Jerry's girlfriend had to take over her role on Broadway.
Seinfeld ran for nine years and 180 episodes, and, as you can see, sports played a big role in many different episodes throughout that time. I'm sure I missed some, too. Further proof that the "show about nothing" was actually about everything.
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