With more than 30 seasons since its inception in '89, "The Simpsons" is a binge watching HOFerFox
In a special installment of “Binge Watching,” THE DAILY takes a deep dive into the 15-episode “THE SIMPSONS SPORTS" collection on Disney+ to create this viewing guide. The Fox series has parodied just about every aspect of modern culture in its 30-plus seasons, with sports (and sometimes, sports business) a frequent target for satire.
SPORTS BUSINESS TOPICS: While some episodes featured only athlete cameos or youth sports themes, others delved into issues highly relevant to the industry. In “Lisa the Greek,” the prevalence of sports wagering is on display. “Homer and Ned’s Hail Mary Pass” satirizes highlight-driven content and presents a fictitious NFL owners meeting, while "MoneyBart” is a great take on the rise of analytics in baseball, as Lisa’s data-driven managerial style conflicts with the gutsy, instinctual approach embodied by Bart. Meanwhile, “Love Is A Many Strangled Thing” goes in on the modern stadium experience, with sushi bars, a Museum of Tolerance and a day spa staffed by former NFLers. The collection is not all-inclusive, as there are many sports-themed episodes not included.
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THE SIMPSONS SPORTS COLLECTION
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EPISODE (AIR DATE)
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SYNOPSIS
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SPORTS GUESTS
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| S3:E4 Homer Defined (Oct. 17, 1991) |
"Pulling a Homer" becomes a phrase so well-known that Magic Johnson uses it on the court. |
Magic Johnson |
| S3:E13 Lisa the Greek (Jan. 23, 1992) |
Lisa bonds with Homer watching football, then helps him pick NFL point-spread winners. |
none |
| S3:E16 Homer at Bat (Feb. 20, 1992) |
Mr. Burns brings in some MLB ringers for the power plant's softball team, to Homer's chagrin. |
Wade Boggs, Jose Canseco, Roger Clemens, Ken Griffey Jr., Don Mattingly, Steve Sax, Mike Scioscia, Ozzie Smith, Darryl Strawberry |
| S6:E8 Lisa On Ice (Nov. 13, 1994) |
Lisa joins a youth hockey team and, as star goalie, leads her team to a showdown with Bart’s team. |
none |
| S9:E7 Bart Star (Nov. 9, 1997) |
Homer takes over as pee-wee football coach, but his favoratism of Bart leads to conflict. |
Roy Firestone, Joe Namath |
| S10:E12 Sunday, Cruddy Sunday (Jan. 31, 1999) |
Post-Super Bowl episode: Homer meets a travel agent who offers him a free bus ride to the game. |
Troy Aikman, Rosey Grier, John Madden, Dan Marino, Rupert Murdoch, Pat Summerall |
| S11:E2 Brother’s Little Helper (Oct. 3, 1999) |
Bart is prescribed an ADHD drug called Focusyn and is convinced MLB is spying on Springfield. |
Mark McGwire |
| S12:E12 Tennis The Menace (Feb. 11, 2001) |
The Simpsons build a tennis court in their backyard, but Homer and Marge quickly turn into rivals. |
Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Venus and Serena Williams |
| S16:E8 Homer & Ned’s Hail Mary Pass (Feb. 6, 2005) |
Post-Super Bowl episode: Homer teaches athletes celebrations, then must direct Super Bowl halftime. |
Tom Brady, LeBron James, Michelle Kwan, Yao Ming, Warren Sapp |
| S18:E18 The Boys Of Bummer (April 29, 2007) |
Bart drops a fly ball in Little League, and the town turns on him. But later, he gets a do-over. |
none |
| S21:E8 Oh Brother, Where Bart Thou? (Dec. 13, 2009) |
Bart longs for a brotherly connection, like what the Manning siblings share. |
Peyton, Eli and Cooper Manning |
| S22:E3 MoneyBart (Oct. 10, 2010) |
Lisa runs the Little League team with advanced analytics, but Bart has other ideas. |
Mike Scioscia, Bill James |
| S22:E17 Love Is A Many Strangled Thing (March 27, 2011) |
Homer embarrasses Bart in front of a full crowd at a state-of-the-art pro football stadium. |
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar |
| S28:E6 There Will Be Buds (Nov. 6, 2016) |
Homer and Milhouse's dad, Kirk, coach the youth lacrosse team after football is deemed unsafe. |
none |
| S28:E10 The Nightmare After Krustmas (Dec. 11, 2016) |
In a sidebar to a Christmas episode, "The Great One" meets Maggie at the North Pole in a dream. |
Wayne Gretzky |
Want to share your binge-worthy favorites with the industry? Contact Andrew Levin at alevin@sportsbusinessdaily.com.
