BroBible
Perhaps the first sports figure to get caught on camera giving someone the middle finger is Charles “Old Hoss” Radbourn, who holds the record for the most wins (59) in a single Major League Baseball season. As seen in the photo above, Radbourn apparently wasn’t in the mood for photos on Opening Day, 1886. Radbourn would follow that gesture up with another bird flip that appeared on his 1887 Old Judge Tobacco baseball card.
On the other end of the timeline, the most recent sports figure to give the middle finger and get caught doing so is Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. The cantankerous NFL team owner flipped the bird at New York Jets fans at MetLife Stadium on Sunday as his team was finishing up their 37-22 win.
Quit playing with Mr. Jerry Jones
Go cowboys pic.twitter.com/RPkk8WkGxN
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) October 6, 2025
That leaves 138 years in between Radbourn and Jones’ middle finger salutes. Plenty of time for several other sports figures to drop obscene gestures at fans, opponents, and anyone else they felt deserved it.
August 1972: Dolphins running backs Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. In the photo, Csonka is seated on his helmet with his middle finger extended down on his sock by his ankle.
August 1981: St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Garry Templeton flipped off some fans after getting booed for loafing down to first base after a dropped third strike.
July 1995: New York Yankees pitcher Jack McDowell “saluted” his hometown fans as he was walking off the field to boos after giving up 9 runs, 13 hits, 2 walks, and 3 home runs in less than 5 innings of work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJUZC3_UZsE&pp=ygUbSmFjayBNY0Rvd2VsbCBtaWRkbGUgZmluZ2Vy
September 2000: Cleveland Browns punter Chris Gardocki flipped the middle finger twice at Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher after his linebacker Joey Porter smoked him with a late hit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTyxhQjEKrw
October 2003: Boston Red Sox reliever Byung-Hyun Kim gave the middle finger to his own fans who were booing when he was introduced before a playoff game against the Oakland A’s.
December 2004: Denver Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer flipped off the stands after throwing a first-quarter interception in a game against the Miami Dolphins (that he ended up winning).
November 2006: Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick flashed the middle finger to his own fans as they heckled following the team’s fourth straight loss.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlXxj7Pzaw4
October 2007: San Francisco 49ers kicker Joe Nedney gave the middle finger to his own fans during a game against New Orleans after getting heat from some fans for kick the ball out of bounds on a kickoff.
March 2007: Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Pat Burrell flipped the bird at his former manager Terry Francona after taking Daisuke Matsuzaka deep in his MLB debut for the Boston Red Sox....
