Ozzy Osbourne’s connections to the sports world are being remembered after the rock icon’s death this week at the age of 76.
Osbourne, the legendary singer who fronted Black Sabbath before embarking on a successful solo career, died on Tuesday after spending the last several years in failing health. The Osbourne family announced the sad news in a post to social media.
It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love.
— Ozzy Osbourne (@OzzyOsbourne) July 22, 2025
We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.
Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and… pic.twitter.com/WLJhOrMsDF
Tributes immediately flooded in for the “Iron Man” hitmaker. Osbourne even received tributes from a number of different sports teams and organizations that he had been affiliated with over the course of his life.
The English soccer club Aston Villa, whom Osbourne was a well-known fan of having grown up in the Aston area of Birmingham, led the charge. The NFL’s New England Patriots (who used Osbourne’s “Crazy Train” as their intro song at Gillette Stadium for decades), the NHL’s St. Louis Blues (who developed a connection with Osbourne after he famously wore their jersey in a 1984 mugshot), and the WWE (for whom Osbourne made multiple appearances on their programming and was even inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame) had tributes too.
Aston Villa Football Club is saddened to learn that world-renowned rockstar and Villan, Ozzy Osbourne has passed away.
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) July 22, 2025
Growing up in Aston, not far from Villa Park, Ozzy always held a special connection to the club and the community he came from.
The thoughts of everyone at… pic.twitter.com/lcyBomOdxq
The New England Patriots are saddened to learn of the passing of music legend Ozzy Osbourne, who provided the iconic intro for Patriots games for over 20 years. Condolences to his family and all who mourn his loss. pic.twitter.com/n21dmLvBzj
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) July 22, 2025
St. Louis loves you, Ozzy. RIP https://t.co/W7XNYb4EFv
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) July 22, 2025
My favorite piece of Ozzy lore is him getting arrested in a St. Louis Blues jersey, in Memphis TN, for public intoxication on Beale St., and then running it back 40 years later when the Blues were in the Stanley Cup. RIP GOAT pic.twitter.com/8xneaTULuS
— Chris OIIey (@chrisoIIey) July 22, 2025
WWE is saddened to learn that music icon and WWE Hall of Famer Ozzy Osbourne has passed away.
— WWE (@WWE) July 22, 2025
WWE extends its condolences to Osbourne’s family, friends, and fans.https://t.co/wiIqS3BfbP pic.twitter.com/0YSWQzICgj
Some on social media provided reminders of Osbourne’s other memorable sports-related moments, including helping the Los Angeles Rams open their 2022 season at SoFi Stadium and providing an unforgettable (for one reason or another) rendition of “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” for the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in 2003.
Ozzy Osbourne, the Prince of Darkness and lead singer of Black Sabbath, has died at 76.
— 5 GOATs (@5GOATs_) July 22, 2025
Just two years ago, he got the Los Angeles Rams' season started at SoFi with "Crazy Train." RIP.pic.twitter.com/wCxhuZUkvY
There was no one like Ozzy Osborne. As in, no one would ever mistake him for anyone else. In August 2003, he sang “Take Me Out To The Ballgame,” got fewer than 10% of the song right, and it was perfect. pic.twitter.com/kVLSBucO1X
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) July 22, 2025
Osbourne, who remained in the public eye into the 21st century thanks in part to the MTV reality TV show “The Osbournes,” had just performed his final concert (dubbed “Back To The Beginning”) in England earlier this month, reuniting with his former Black Sabbath bandmates for the show. Nicknamed “Prince of Darkness,” Osbourne had been battling advanced Parkinson’s disease and other various health issues before his death.
