The unexpected viral sports stars of 2024: From mascots and models to mystery WAGs… and THAT Oilers fan

Virality is short-lived and often comes when people least expect it. It can almost never be planned, it is not forced and the effects are transient.

But for those who go viral for whatever reason, it stays with them and memorable stories emerge from those moments.

Such is the case with the several sudden stars that social media latched onto in the sports world in 2024.

From fans celebrating their team’s victory (or defeat), to those dating stars, to those just doing their job, 2024 produced a number of people who, for better or worse, captured the world’s attention.

Taken together, the stories on these viral topics captured millions of attention around the world and highlighted a year full of surprises.

Here’s DailyMail.com’s look back at the most unsuspecting and suddenly viral sports stars in the year 2024.

Grimace

June 12 was the day the New York Mets season restarted. Before that day, the Amazins had started the campaign 28-37 and were languishing in the depths of the National League with no end to their suffering in sight.

That was until that day – when an unlikely character took the mound at Citi Field to throw out the first pitch: it was Grimace, the McDonald’s mascot that had been around since 1971.

Grimace literally marked the turning point of the Mets season – as New York’s orange and blue side went on to lead 61-36 the rest of the way, with the purple monster often taking 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 defeated the Milwaukee Brewers in the Wild Card and then eliminated 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.

Kait, an Edmonton Oilers fan

It was just a moment of joy for Kait, an oil worker from Alberta. Like many Canadians, she is 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 her Oilers jersey, exposing her bare chest as someone next to her recorded the act. She became an instant Internet celebrity — with the Barstool Sports podcast Spittin’ Chiclets calling her the “most mysterious woman in hockey” and offers to shoot pornography poured in.

She eventually came out of hiding and appeared on the show to explain what happened and the reaction she got (while also admitting that her breasts were “not real”).

Kait even cashed in on her 15 minutes of fame by signing a deal with Playboy to model for them.

Unfortunately for her, even the power of the female form wasn’t 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.

Sydney Thomas

After months of hype, the sporting spectacle that was the fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul turned out to be a huge 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 who attracted even more attention.

Sydney Thomas, a model and a senior student at the University of Alabama, was one of the ring girls at the fight and became instantly famous.

Social media went wild as users gawked at the attractive 21-year-old – who has since seen her social media following grow by the millions.

Grant Walther

Late in an unfortunate game for the University of Texas Longhorns football team, one fan in particular was singled out from the crowd with a frown on his face.

These weren’t the best of days for 20-year-old Grant Walther, as his Longhorns were in the midst of their first loss to the University of Georgia Bulldogs this college football season — but Walther’s stern expression went viral.

He drew comparisons to country star Conway Twitty, as well as the countercultural 1990s cartoon Butthead.

In October, Walther spoke to MailSport’s Dan Matthews and offered to shave off his hair for charity.

“Giving has always been quite an essential part of who I am,” Walther told MailSport. “If you get an opportunity like this, it’s best to pass it on to others.”

Mamiko Tanaka

Just months after signing what was then the largest contract in the history of professional sports, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder and pitcher Shohei Ohtani had another surprise in store: 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 of it until Ohtani announced.

Furthermore, Ohtani would not reveal his bride’s identity – other than to say she was a “normal Japanese woman.”

It turns out she was anything but that. In March, Ohtani posted a photo 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 in Los Angeles from time to time, including during the MLB All-Star Game.

Jolie Sharpe

MailSport can take credit for this viral moment – with an England football fan’s reaction to the 2024 European Championship taking social media by storm.

The Three Lions grabbed the tournament by the throat this summer, coming out on top of Group C before beating Slovakia, Switzerland and the Netherlands to reach the final for the second time in a row.

After that semi-final against the Dutch, MailSport’s Aadam Patel spoke to sports presenter Jolie Sharpe – whose enthusiastic demeanor and charming appearance helped the video rack up tens of millions of views.

Sharpe’s messages of support for now-resigned England manager Gareth Southgate went viral across the country, giving England some belief that they could win their first major tournament since the 1966 World Cup.

Unfortunately, a Spanish team led by star Lamine Yamal was not meant to win the tournament and break English hearts.

Jordan Hudson

Perhaps the most shocking and surprising sports social media star of the year, the name Jordon Hudson may not have meant much to those outside the cheerleading and pageant scenes in New England 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 Bill Belichick, head coach of the New England Patriots. Within a few years of that flight, the two went from regular correspondence to dating in the summer of 2024, despite their nearly 50-year age difference.

Photos of Hudson and Belichick on the water 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 has remained strong through Belichick’s two career changes — first from unemployed to a media career, now to head football coach at the University of North Carolina.

Time will only tell how long the relationship will last, but it will definitely be one of the stories to watch as we head into 2025.