There was a time when MTV liked to crank everything up to eleven. This is why when they decided to have celebrity softball, and basketball, games, it wasn’t going to be enough to just have celebs playing sports. To make things interesting, MTV mixed together celebs and professional athletes, made some unique rule changes, and created Rock N’ Jock.
Rock N’ Jock’s softball, and basketball, games were an annual event for the better part of a decade, and whether you remember a jump shot that was worth five times as much as a normal shot, or the time Ken Griffey Jr. and his teammates in the outfield were lounging on reclining beach chairs for an inning, there is no doubt the mere mention of Rock N’ Jock evokes memories.
Here are 10 reasons why we miss this ‘90s staple.
Teaming of People You’d Never See Together Otherwise
Outside of Rock N’ Jock it’s highly unlikely you’d see members of Boyz II Men and Body Count, cast members of Home Improvement and Baywatch, and the founder of No Limit Records breaking bread together.
The same goes for Ozzie Smith, Warren G, Kenny Lofton and George Clooney.
Awkward Celebrity Matchups
My good friend Lee once jokingly told me the only reason he got into music was because he wanted to play basketball against Frankie Muniz. The above photo shows a similar matchup, as Flea works for position against teen heartthrob Jonathan Taylor Thomas.
The 10 Point Shot
While NBA commentators continue to debate the merits of the three point shot, Rock N’ Jock had specific spots on the court where, if you were to make a shot, it counted for 10 points (fast-forward 40 sec into the video). This made comebacks a lot easier.
The 25 Point and 50 Point Baskets
In addition to the 10 point shot, late in the game a hoop would appear that was 25 feet in the air, and making a shot in it would count for 25 points. In later games, a 50 point basket was added that was even higher than the 25 point hoop (fast-forward to 7 min 18 sec into the video).
If the NBA had these, and the 10 points spots on the court, the Warriors would have averaged 850 points per game last season.
Derek Jeter & A-Rod … and Carmen Electra
Before they were teammates on the Yankees, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez were foes both in MLB, and in Rock N’ Jock.
There’s no word on if Carmen Electra ever received one of Jeter’s infamous gift baskets, or saw the painting A-Rod reportedly has of himself as a centaur.
Bobby Bonilla was Traded for Salt & Pepa
Maybe this one’s more of a personal reason, but as a lifelong Mets fan, I can’t help but wish that Dan Cortese had been our GM, as instead of giving Bonilla a contract that pays him a million dollars per year for 25 years, he’d have shipped him off for a couple legendary hip-hop artists.
Saved by the Big Men
Only in Rock N’ Jock do you get this image of Kelly Kapowski (Tiffani-Amber Thiessen) being given a boost by Rick Mahorn and Vlade Divac.
Fun Fact: Vlade Divac was the player the Lakers traded to Charlotte for the draft rights to Kobe Bryant. Personally, I think Charlotte should have held out until Thiessen was included in the deal.
Chris Mullin vs. Shawn Kemp
Rock N’ Jock was the only sporting event in the world that could begin with a mock fight between Chris Mullin and Shawn Kemp. A fight that would result in a “brawl” that also involved Marky Mark and Joey Lawrence.
Albert Belle & Roger Clemens on the Same Team
Albert Belle and Roger Clemens were two of baseball’s biggest hotheads.
Belle once gave a forearm shiver to Fernando Vina while running to second (actually, while stopping in-between first and second to commit assault and battery and Vina).
Clemens had a reputation for intentionally throwing at players — just ask Derek Jeter, and Mike Piazza — and once threw a severed part of a bat at Piazza.
For Rock N’ Jock, they were on the same team … with Pamela Anderson.
A Glimpse Into the Future
The above picture is of Cecil Fielder and his son, Prince, at the fifth annual Rock N’ Jock softball game. Both men would finish their MLB careers with 319 homers. Only the elder Fielder, however, played for a season in Japan, where he had the nickname “Wild Bear,” and once reportedly stopped an impending brawl simply by walking up the steps of the dugout and making his presence known.
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