The Best Sports-Related Episodes of ‘Seinfeld’
Seinfeld is the standout show of the 1990’s, becoming famous for its plot being about, well, nothing. However, while ‘nothing’ became a calling card for the program, we all know it was actually about numerous things.
Dating, friendship, communication, business, comedy — the list can literally go on forever.
One subject that became a main component of the show was sports, with George Costanza eventually becoming a full-time employee of the New York Yankees. This story arc led to a large chunk of Seinfeld episodes becoming sports related — some even featuring Yankees’ players themselves.
As time went on, Seinfeld-and-sports garnered more direct links — even after the show stopped production. For example, did you know that Elaine’s real-life son is a current member of the Northwestern Wildcats basketball team? Or that a New York Mets’ farm team once wore ‘Puffy Shirts’ for batting practice?
The two will forever go hand in hand, and today, we’ll sift through the dozens of sports-centric episodes to weed out the funniest and most intriguing 30-minute blocks.
“The Face Painter” (Episode №109)
With hockey in full swing, “The Face Painter” is the first episode listed. New Jersey sports (and hockey in general) don’t get much love on the screen, but in this episode that all changed — at least for 30 minutes.
Elaine’s numskull boyfriend, David Puddy, went full-on New Jersey Devils’ super fan for the episode — complete with a #30 Martin Brodeur jersey and a face covered in red and black paint.
One of the best scenes from the 109th Seinfeld production was when Puddy — still Devil’d out — confronted a priest and started screaming like a lunatic. Check it out:
“The Hot Tub” (Episode №115)
Easily in my top-five Seinfeld episodes ever, “The Hot Tub” is littered with sports-related scenes. For instance, Jerry becomes obsessed with getting Elaine’s friend — marathon runner Jean-Paul — to the New York City Marathon on time, this coming after Jean-Paul had overslept for a race at the Olympics.
Plus, in a time before interleague baseball games, George is enlisted to show members of the Houston Astros front office around the city, leading to some of the most classic dialogue from the show’s nine seasons.
“The Abstinence” (Episode №143)
If you’re a fan of Seinfeld, you know that sex and relationships are a huge component of the show. In “The Abstinence”, George is forced to refrain from sex for a month with his girlfriend, making him an intellectual mastermind.
As a member of the New York Yankees’ staff, George explains the physics of hitting to a few very young-looking Yankees’ players — Bernie Williams and Derek Jeter.
“The Boyfriend” (Episode №17/18)
Probably the most famous Seinfeld episode ever, “The Boyfriend” was a two-part episode that featured New York Mets’ great Keith Hernandez.
The episode, which came out around the same time JFK hit theaters, follows a similar story arc to the Kevin Costner-led movie. However, instead of the “magic bullet” theory from JFK, this hour-long special features a “magic loogie” theory — where the gang tries to figure out who spit on Kramer at a past Mets game. Was it Keith Hernandez? Or was their a “second-spitter”?
Honorable Mentions: