Teams
- The only teams that exist in any North American sports league are based in New York, Los Angeles, Washington, San Francisco, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Denver, Boston, Atlanta, Miami, Houston, Dallas, St. Louis, Seattle, the Twin Cities, Philadelphia, and Green Bay. Teams in places like Milwaukee, Kansas City, Nashville, or any of the Canadian NHL teams (except Toronto and Montreal) don't exist.
- Even with the NHL, a lot of people recognize the Montreal Canadiens' logo as having something to do with hockey, but have no idea what specifically.note If an American source is aware of that team at all, they will often misspell their name "Canadians" (i.e. assume the English, rather than the French, spelling applies). With the exception of the NHL teams (and it's not like hockey is a real sport, anyways), this is somewhat Truth in Television, at least as far as the championships go.
- No U.S. city south of Washington, D.C. or west of St. Louis has an NHL team, with the possible exception of LA (especially when Gretzky played for them), Las Vegas and Seattle.
- Any English football (soccer) game will be played between Team X and Manchester United, with Team X being either Chelsea or Liverpool, or maybe Arsenal or Manchester City if you're lucky.
- New Yorkers going to a hockey game will only ever see the New York Rangers, even if attending an Islanders game on Long Island or a Devils game in New Jersey would be more convenient or accessible.
- Real Madrid and FC Barcelona are the only Spanish La Liga teams, period. Fortunately, this has been defied in later years with other teams rising to prominence and posing a challenge to the two mentioned, despite the enormous disparity in income and fandom size.
- Outside of Germany, the only Bundesliga teams seem to be Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, and the only 2. Bundesliga team is FC St. Pauli.
- Outside of Italy, the only Serie A teams are Juventus and the two Milan sides (AC Milan and Inter). AS Roma, Lazio and Napoli may get a mention as well.
- Outside of France, the only Ligue 1 teams are Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais. AS Monaco may get a mention as well.
- It's a little-known fact that Celtic and Rangers are the only two teams in the Scottish Premiership - and continued despite the latter's absence in the mid-2010s.
- It's even worse for the rest of the British Isles: good luck finding anybody who can name a team from either Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland, or can name somebody other than Wrexham in Wales (despite the presence of four clubs in the English Football League, which Wrexham had been outside of from 2008–2023note ).
- The only Saudi football clubs are Al Nassr and Al-Ittihad.
- Outside of Brazil, the only football clubs from the country are Flamengo and Corinthians.
Sportspeople
- Only three kinds of sportspeople become famous: champions, cheaters, and people who also have an acting or political career at one point.
- The only hockey player to have ever existed since the 80's is Wayne Gretzky. But then, he was the "Great One" (a nickname most people have forgotten originally belonged to Jackie Gleason).
- Outside the U.S.A., Babe Ruth will be the only baseball player some people might have heard of. Or Jackie Robinson, because he was the first African American in the major leagues. If reference should be made to a very bad baseball player it will be Ty Cobb (bad as in "racist and aggressive'', though much of his reputation was actually a Historical Villain Upgrade), or the 1919 Back Sox ("bad" as in "the biggest confirmed case of Throwing The Game in the history of sports"). Joe DiMaggio has also become famous, but more because his marriage to Marilyn Monroe, being mentioned in the song "Mrs. Robinson" by Simon & Garfunkel, and his later Mr. Coffee commercials.
- Worldwide, Pelé and Diego Maradona are the most well known soccer players. In more recent times, David Beckham will be the name even non-sport fans have heard about. And Ronaldo (as in Cristiano, not the Brazilian player) and Lionel Messi.
- Female soccer players? Oh, you mean Mia Hamm, don't you? Today's generation (at least in North America) are probably more familiar with Hope Solo, Abby Wambach, Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan, and Megan Rapinoe. Notably, all the well-known women's soccer players (except for Brazil's Marta, Canada's Christine Sinclair, and perhaps Australia's Sam Kerr) are American, while the male American soccer players aren't nearly as well known.
- However, since the mid-Tens, with the center of women's soccer steadily moving to Europe, many of the top European players of the modern era (both native Europeans and non-Europeans playing for European clubs) are virtually unknown in North America. Names such as Aitana Bonmatí, Lucy Bronze, Linda Calcedo, Mary Earps, Jenni Hermoso, Lieke Mertens, and Alexia Putellas are increasingly familiar in Europe but virtually unknown in the US or Canada.
- Zinedine Zidane is the only French player, and, despite being a champion with a long career, most non-soccer fans across the world only known him for headbutting another soccer player during his final match.
- In the Nordic world, it's Zlatan Ibrahimović for Sweden, and Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard for Norway.
- If a boxer has to be named it will be Muhammad Ali or Mike Tyson. In the 1900s Jack Johnson was the name to reference. In the 1920s Jack Dempsey. In the 1930s and 1940s Joe Louis. In the Fifties, Rocky Marciano. From the 1960s until the 1980s Ali has remained the most famous, with only George Foreman, Joe Frazier, and Sonny Liston as close seconds. In the 1980s and 1990s Mike Tyson became famous, but also for his run-ins with the law and bad behavior in the boxing ring. If a boxer isn't American, they'll be drawn from a pool of about two from a given country. Nowadays, the best known boxers are the now-retired Floyd Mayweather Jr. (American) and Manny Pacquiao (Filipino), the also retired Oscar De La Hoya (Mexican-American), the unretired Tyson Fury (British), and Canelo Álvarez (Mexican).
- Only one boxing promoter is notable and recognizable enough to be known by non-boxing fans: Don King, though both Mayweather and De La Hoya also promote fights.
- If a cyclist has to be named, it will be Eddy Merckx. Or in the U.S.A., Lance Armstrong. Although since Armstrong's doping antics his fame is more or less infamy. Unless you're British, where you'll be able to name more, due to their domination of cycling in the Olympics since 2008 and the Tour de France in the mid-2010s.
- Chess players? Gary Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov, Bobby Fischer, and Magnus Carlsen.
- Athletes? Jesse Owens or, in more recent times, Usain Bolt. The British might namedrop Roger Bannister, or in more recent times Mo Farah.
- Tennis players will usually be the ultimate champions like Suzanne Lenglen, Björn Borg, Andre Agassi, Martina Navratilova or Venus and Serena Williams. In the 1970s and 1980s, John McEnroe will be referenced a lot as well, due to his bad temper on the court. In the early 2000s, Anna Kournikova was well known, but mostly for her looks. (As for that "other" Anna Kournikova, you're thinking of Maria Sharapovanote .)
- In the UK, they will be considered ultimate failures if they never won Wimbledon — no matter how many other Slams they won (unless your name is Tim Henman). Conversely, someone like Pat Cash (who won the title in 1985 with a one-off inspired performance) can make a second career as a BBC pundit forever on the basis of that one Slam.
- Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are often the only male tennis players non-tennis fans can name off the top of their head in The New '10s, to the point where a fair number of them express shock when they're told that Federer is now retired and the current No. 1 player isn't Nadal (Novak Djokovic is the current No. 1 in early 2024, with he and Carlos Alcaraz trading that spot for most of 2023). Djokovic did eventually become a household name as well. Another recent addition to the list of household names is British star Andy Murray.
- Naomi Osaka has largely become the face of women's tennis recently ever since her upset of Serena Williams in 2018. Except in Australia, where Ash Barty ruled the roost until her unexpected retirement in 2022. As with the men, a fair number of non-tennis fans would be shocked that the current No. 1 isn't Osaka, but rather Iga Świątek.
- In the early 20th century, Johnny Weissmuller will be the most famous swimmer (because he was Tarzan) and Esther Williams, again for her movie career. In the late 20th century, that title is reserved to Mark Spitz (because of his mustache and '70s Hair). In the early 21st century, it will be Michael Phelps or Ryan Lochte, but most especially the former due to his insanely high Olympic medal count (the highest ever in history at 18 gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze) — especially after the Rio Olympics where the latter became more known for vandalizing a gas station and lying about it. One particularly infamous swimmer, in the U.S., anyway, is former Stanford swimmer and convicted rapist Brock Turner.
- Divers? Greg Louganis and no one else. Tom Daley might pop up more recently.
- Motor car racing will be an excuse to namedrop Juan Manuel Fangio (in the 1950s), Michael Schumacher (in the 1990s), Lewis Hamilton (in the 2010s), or Max Verstappen (in the 2020s). NASCAR names will be Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty, or more recently Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. Formula One will be Ayrton Senna first and foremost, and women in the sport will always bring up the image of Danica Patrick. Jackie Stewart also counts to a degree as a recognized racing veteran of the 1970s turned TV race commentator you could easily recognize with that Scottish accent of his. Belgian driver Jacky Ickx, most famous for his feats in sports car racing, is also a legend in many parts of Europe. In terms of rallying, it's either Sébastien Loeb, Sébastien Ogier, or for those who have spent time on a PlayStation, Colin McRae; Travis Pastrana may get a mention as well if you acknowledge his rallying career too. For off-road racing, its Robby Gordon and Ivan "Ironman" Stewart.
- Motocross racers? Travis Pastrana and no one else.
- Ask someone to mention a golfer and you'll get either 1) Tiger Woods (because he has dark skin), 2) Jack Nicklaus (unless people confuse him with Jack Nicholson), 3) Arnold Palmer (probably the oldest golfer anyone can remember and only for his cocktail), 4) Lee Trevino (because he was in some commercials for salsa dip), 5) Phil Mickelson (mostly because he plays left-handed) or Happy Gilmore (who isn't even real). Somebody might mention Fuzzy Zoeller just because he had a funny name.
- The only skateboarder is Tony Hawk.
- If someone didn't know anything about basketball, they'd assume it's a one-on-one sport with all matches being between Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar might be referenced as well, due to his acting roles in films like Airplane!. Very old works' references may be made to Pistol Pete (Maravich) or Wilt Chamberlain. Dennis Rodman may get acknowledged for his eccentric behavior and appearance and being the easiest one to recognize, and Magic Johnson is also very famous, but more as an AIDS activist today. If a modern player is needed (given that Jordan and Shaq are both retired), Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Dončić are are go-to names (though Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash in 2020). Tim Duncan might be referenced as well if the creators wants to show that they're a "true fan", and Yao Ming may get a mention as well. Jeremy Lin might get a mention if the work was made around the time of the "Linsanity" fad.
- When bodybuilding is discussed, expect a reference to Arnold Schwarzenegger at one point.
- Cricketers? In the 19th and early 20th century W.G. Grace. The greatest champion of all time, Donald Bradman, might also get a mention. And it's apparently only played in England, Australia and India, not any other countries.
- Rugby players? Apparently no world famous names have been created by this sport, with the possible exception of the late lamented Jonah Lomu, the Trope Codifier for the massive wingers often seen today.
- American football players? O. J. Simpson might get referenced, but outside the USA most people known him more for his acting in The Naked Gun series and the crime scandal in the 1990s. Otherwise, we'll have to settle for quarterbacks: Joe Montana, Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady come to mind.
- Figure skating? Sonja Henie, because she also acted in a lot of Hollywood films. The only American figure skaters are, on one side, Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan (known for their scandal more than their accomplishments), and on the other, Michelle Kwan and Tara Lipinski. The best known figure skaters in modern times are probably Kim Yu-Na, Adam Rippon, Gracie Gold, Ashley Wagner and Kimmie Meissner. For a famous duo, you can look at Charlie White and Meryl Davis. Or, in the '80s, Torvill and Dean.
- Horse racing? It says a lot that individual horses such as Seabiscuit and Secretariat are more famous than the people who rode them.note
- Curling? Ask a Canadian, because the rest of the world has no clue.
- Professional wrestling? In the USA, André the Giant. Outside and inside the USA, Hulk Hogan. British people may bring up Big Daddy, while Japanese are bound to bring up Antonio Inoki.
- Sumo wrestling? Only in Asia might some famous sportspeople be known. They're all fat Japanese (or in more recent decades, Mongolian) people in loincloths.
- Gymnastics? The two ultimate champions: Olga Korbut and Nadia Comăneci. American ones will likely be Mary Lou Retton, the Atlanta Magnificent Seven, Carly Patterson, Shawn Johnson, and Nastia Liukin. Contemporary works will mention Simone Biles and Gabby Douglas (McKayla Maroney may get a mention in works made around the time the "not impressed" meme was popular).
- Sailing? In the US, Ted Turner and maybe Dennis Conner for those who can remember The '70s and The '80s.
- Snooker? Huge in the UK in the 1980s, but most people's knowledge is confined entirely to that decade. Beyond 1989, there's only Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan — and Hendry retired in 2012, leaving O'Sullivan as the only current player most people know. (Unless of course you're Chinese, in which case Ding Junhui is the go-to guy.)
- Darts? Phil "The Power" Taylor, thanks to the killer combination of huge success and a highly memetic nickname.
Martial arts
- Anyone who has never taken a martial arts class always assumes that if it's done by Asian people, it's karate. Occasionally, they may call what they're seeing taekwondo or kung fu, the two other widely taught martial arts (even though there are many, many kinds of kung fu).
- Many people don't even realize that Tai Chi is a martial art and not just a hippy exercise routine (hippies included!).
- The popularity of mixed martial arts has exposed more people to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai, but not much beyond that.
- All martial arts are Chinese or Japanese. Except capoeira.
- Krav maga has been getting mentioned more often. The fact that it's an Israeli martial art? Not so much. Only little. Prior to the 1960s, the only East Asian martial art most Westerners had ever heard of was judo (since judo was the only martial art practiced by Westerners at the time).
- Before MMA came along in the 2000s, the list of famous martial artists was a pretty short one: Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Chow Yun-fat, Steven Seagal, Jet Li, Chuck Norris, Sonny Chiba, and a few others. Very few people know who Cynthia Rothrock is, even though the character of Sonya Blade in Mortal Kombat was directly based on her. Or Benny "The Jet" Urquidez, even though he helped to popularize karate in the West and is still the go-to guy in Hollywood when it comes to coordinating martial arts sequences in movies.
- The only MMA fighters most non-fans have likely heard of are Randy Couture, Ronda Rousey, Conor McGregor and Gina Carano (aside from maybe Brock Lesnar, but he's better known as a professional wrestler than as a fighter).
