Virality is short lived and often comes when people least expect it. It can hardly ever be planned, isn’t forced, and its effects are fleeting.
But for those who do go viral, for whatever reason, it sticks with them and memorable stories come out from those moments.
Such is the case with the various sudden stars that social media latched onto in the world of sport in 2024.
In 2024, a variety of individuals garnered global attention, from enthusiastic sports fans celebrating victories or losses, to individuals romantically involved with celebrities, to ordinary employees diligently performing their tasks.
All told, stories on these viral subjects captured millions of eyeballs across the world and highlighted a year full of surprises.
Here is DailyMail.com’s look back at the most unsuspecting and suddenly viral stars of sport in the year 2024.
After throwing out the first pitch at the game above, the fortunes of Grimace blessed the Mets
Grimace
On June 12, a significant moment unfolded as the New York Mets embarked on a fresh start to their season. Prior to this date, the team had struggled with a disappointing record of 28-37, finding themselves at the bottom of the National League standings with little hope for improvement.
However, everything changed on that fateful day when an unexpected figure took the spotlight at Citi Field by throwing the ceremonial first pitch: Grimace, the iconic McDonald’s mascot with a history dating back to 1971.
Grimace quite literally marked the turning point of the Mets season – as the orange and blue side of New York proceeded to go 61-36 the rest of the way, with the purple monster often given credit for the sudden good fortune.
That included four streaks of five games or more – including a seven game streak in June and a nine game streak from late August to early September – which led to the Mets clinching a Wild Card spot.
In the postseason, the Mets beat the Milwaukee Brewers in the Wild Card and then knocked out the rival Philadelphia Phillies in a Gentleman’s Sweep to reach their first National League Championship Series since 2015. Unfortunately, the magic ran out and they were eliminated in six games to the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Amazin’s turned their season around and made an improbable run to the NLCS in October
Kait, a fan of the Edmonton Oilers
It was just a moment of jubilation for an Alberta-based oil worker named Kait. Like many Canadians, she’s a hockey fan and went to Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals – which featured her favorite team, the Edmonton Oilers.
To celebrate the win, in what she described as something purely in the heat of the moment, Kait lifted up her Oilers sweater exposing her bare chest as someone next to her recorded the act. Instantly, she became an internet celebrity – with the Barstool Sports podcast Spittin’ Chiclets dubbing her the ‘most mysterious woman in hockey’ and offers to shoot pornography started rolling in.
Eventually, she came out of hiding and appeared on the show to explain what happened and the reaction that she received (while also admitting that her breasts were ‘not real’).
Kait even went on to cash in on her 15 minutes of fame, signing a deal with Playboy to model for them.Â
Unfortunately for her, not even the power of the female form were enough to break Canada’s Stanley Cup curse as the Oilers lost to the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals to win a championship.
An Edmonton Oilers fan named Kait captured the hearts of hockey fans for this viral moment
She went on to leverage her 15 minutes of fame into a deal with Playboy for a photo shoot
Sydney Thomas
After being hyped up for months, the sporting spectacle that was the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight turned out to be a colossal disappointment for boxing fans.
But even though the fighting in the ring left a lot to be desired, it was someone on the outside of the ring that gained even more attention.
Sydney Thomas, a model and a senior undergraduate student at the University of Alabama, was one of the ring girls at the bout and instantly shot to fame.
Social media went wild as users fawned over the attractive 21-year-old – who has since gone on to see her social media following grow by the millions.
Ring girl Sydney Thomas stole the show at the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul bout in November
The Alabama senior and model has only seen her following grow since that appearance
Grant Walther
Late in a ill-fortuned contest for the University of Texas Longhorns football team, one fan in particular was picked out among the crowd with a frown on his face.
It wasn’t the best of days for 20-year-old Grant Walther as his Longhorns were in the midst of their first defeat at the hands of the University of Georgia Bulldogs this college football season – but Walther’s dour expression went viral.
He drew comparisons to country music star Conway Twitty, but also to 1990’s countercultural cartoon Butthead.
In October, Walther sat down with MailSport’s Dan Matthews and offered to shave his hair off for charity.
‘Giving has always been a pretty essential part of who I am,’ Walther told MailSport. ‘When you’re given an opportunity like this, the best thing you can do is pass that forward to others.’
Texas fan Grant Walther’s upset look amid a loss to Georgia went viral this past October
Walther told DailyMail.com that he had been considering shaving off his hair for charity
Mamiko Tanaka
Just months after signing what was at the time the largest contract in the history of professional sports, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder and pitcher Shohei Ohtani had another surprise up his sleeve: he was married.
The news came as a surprise to everyone – from his fans to the Dodgers themselves, with manager Dave Roberts saying he wasn’t aware until Ohtani’s announcement.
Moreover, Ohtani wouldn’t reveal the identity of his bride – other than just saying that she was a ‘normal Japanese woman’.
Turns out, she was anything but that. In March, Ohtani posted a picture of himself and his wife, Mamiko Tanaka – a former professional basketball player who competed for Japan in multiple international competitions. She played professionally from 2019-2023.
After all the secrecy, Tanaka and Ohtani have been spotted out and about Los Angeles from time to time – including at the MLB All-Star Game.
Shohei Ohtani initially kept his wife’s name a secret before revealing her to be Mamiko Tanaka
Tanaka is a former professional basketball player who represented Japan on the world stage
Jolie Sharpe
MailSport can take credit for this viral moment – with one English football fan’s reaction at the 2024 Euros taking social media by storm.
The Three Lions grabbed the tournament by the throat this summer, making it out of Group C on top before beating Slovakia, Switzerland, and the Netherlands to reach the final for the second Euros in a row.
After that semifinal match against the Dutch, MailSport’s Aadam Patel spoke to sports presenter Jolie Sharpe – whose enthusiastic manner and charming looks led to the video garnering tens of millions of views.
Sharpe’s words of support for now-resigned England manager Gareth Southgate swept the nation – giving England some belief that they might win their first major tournament since the World Cup in 1966.
Unfortunately, it just wasn’t meant to be as a Spain team led by starlet Lamine Yamal went on to win the tournament and break English hearts.Â
England fan Jolie Sharpe became a social media darling after her interview at the Euros
Sharpe remained confident in the team until the end, when they sadly lost in the Euro FinalÂ
Jordon Hudson
Quite possibly the most shocking and surprising sports social media star of the year, the name Jordon Hudson may not have meant much to those outside of the New England cheerleading and pageant scenes before this summer.
Hudson, a graduate of Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts, once boarded a flight to Florida when a chance encounter with a man on her flight changed her future forever.
That man was New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. Within years of that flight, the two went from a regular correspondence to dating in the summer of 2024 despite their age gap of nearly 50 years.
The biggest surprise of 2024 might be Bill Belichick dating a woman nearly 50 years his junior
The two were seen out and about on Nantucket all summer and continue going strong
Pictures of Hudson and Belichick out on the waters off the coast of Nantucket or biking around the island went viral as more and more about their relationship came out of the woodwork.
The couple have stayed strong through Belichick’s two career changes – first from unemployed to a media career, now to becoming the head football coach at the University of North Carolina.
Time will only tell how long the relationship will last, but it will certainly be one of the stories to watch as we enter 2025.Â
