On Feb. 15 at 8 p.m. ET, "Saturday Night Live" will celebrate its 40th anniversary with a live, three-hour special featuring current and former cast members, memorable hosts and superstar musical guests. There's even a red-carpet special set to air immediately before the show, hosted by the "Today" show anchors.
Viewers can expect to see cast members and stars from different generations in sketches together, some outrageous cameos and the long-awaited return of Eddie Murphy, who has been absent from the show for 30 years.
From the O.J. Simpson trial to "Deflategate," SNL has always had a take on the biggest sports stars and stories. And an impressive array of athletes have taken the stage at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. So, in honor of the show's incredible run, here are the 10 best sports sketches from its last 39 seasons.
10. Stink And Twinkle Take Us Into The Gutter
Few sketches provide more "I can't believe they said that" guffaws than the Stink And Twinkle sportscasts.
9. The Fidelity Four Loko Life Begins At Conception Bowl
The absurdity of the college football bowl season gets the "SNL" treatment.
8. I Know What He Wants: The Perfect Cheer!
Will Ferrell and Cheri Oteri take their cheerleading hijinks to new lows at a chess tournament.
7. The Donuts of Champions
John Belushi makes for one unlikely Olympic hero.
6. But I Thought God Didn't Care About Football?
Tim Tebow's magical run in 2010 was tailor-made for "SNL."
5. "Would You Eat The Moon If It Were Made Of Ribs?"
Before Ron Burgandy, Ricky Bobby and Mugatu, Ferrell was Harry Caray.
4. B.Y.O.B. -- Bring Your Own Booyah
This Stuart Scott-inspired "SNL" sketch is further proof of the massive influence Scott had on not just the sports world, but the entertainment world as well.
3. Peyton'll Kill A Snitch
Peyton Manning's squeaky-clean image takes a hit -- and so do the backs of a bunch of kids' heads.
2. Da Super Fans Meet 'Da Air...Man'
Hurricane Ditka, Todd's 13th grabber and the G.O.A.T. You can't beat the best fans of all time hanging with the greatest player of all time.
1. 31 Years Later, The Synchronized Swimmers Still Take The Gold
Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer and Martin Short team up for this gem of a "mockumentary."
Honorable Mention
In the wake of the Rutgers/Mike Rice coaching scandal, "SNL" gave us Melissa McCarthy as "unconventional" Middle Delaware State coach Sheila Kelly.