“I got off the field and did a couple of things, and then I got back on the field.”

From NJ.com

There’s something about the thrill of athletic competition that makes athletes want to poop. Or pee! And I’ve already talked about peeing and pooping athletes here and here. So what else is there to say? Lots!

In the New York Times, Mike Tanier shares some tidbits on this topic. For example, in 1990, Duke basketball player Bobby Hurley called a timeout during the NCAA basketball tournament and then ran to the restroom. He must have had to REALLY go to do that!

By Mark Selders

I would give a gold star to Penn State football coach Joe Paterno. In 2006, Paterno had to leave the field TWICE during a game against Ohio State. But he ran off with his head up and a sense of purpose, so fans assumed he had a call from the White House or something.

Afterwards, Paterno said:

“I got off the field and did a couple of things, and then I got back on the field.”

Now THAT’S a real man!

From SI

Bicyclists riding on the Tour de France have two peeing problems: If you stop to pee, everyone can see you AND the riders behind you will catch up! To solve this, the bikers pee together in groups. That way, they can rejoin the race all at once. But the key is to find a deserted spot in the road to pee by. If you pee where people can see you, you can get fined for it! (This happened to 10 riders in the 2007 Tour de France.)

From here.

In 2005, Manny Ramirez (then of the Boston Red Sox) was in the outfield when he felt Nature call . . . LOUDLY. So he set his cap and glove down on the grass and ducked behind the Fenway Field wall known as the Green Monster to bust a grumpy.

Of course, Ramirez didn’t do this while the ball was in play. He waited until there was a meeting on the mound between the pitcher, a coach, and the catcher. 

I like that idea. You go to the bathroom and take care of a couple of things, and when you come out, someone yells, “Play ball!”