3. Sam Malone was originally a football player.
In the early scripts of the show, Sam Malone was an ex-football player.
Which makes sense considering a top contender for the role was former NFL defensive end, Fred Dryer.
[dx_custom_adunit mobile_id=”RTK_ZIkz”]
In the end though, the chemistry between Ted Danson and Shelley Long led to them getting the parts.
[dx_custom_adunit mobile_id=”RTK_qw1q”]
After that, the creators changed from football to baseball as they thought it suited Ted better.
[dx_custom_adunit mobile_id=”RTK_qQCt”]