Ozzy Osbourne's legacy in sports From Aston Villa and WWE to the reason why he is loved by St. Louis Blues fans

The world of sports also mourned the passing of Ozzy Osbourne. The frontman and founder of the Black Sabbath passed away on Tuesday, July 22, at the age of 76. A native of Birmingham, Osbourne never hid his support for Aston Villa, even becoming the face of the launch campaign for the Villains' 2024/25 Home jersey. That video not only showcased the new kit but also officially marked the reunion of Black Sabbath for one final show—a concert held on July 5 at Villa Park featuring major bands like Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Pantera, and Alice in Chains. A final performance, in his home stadium, which remains the last iconic image of the godfather of heavy metal for millions of fans.

Ozzy Osbourne’s legacy in sports goes beyond football and into the NFL. For example, Crazy Train, his first solo hit after leaving Black Sabbath, was used by the New England Patriots as their entrance song for over 20 years. The riffs and solos by Randy Rhoads served as the soundtrack for the triumphs of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. The peak of this collaboration came in 2005 when Ozzy Osbourne performed live at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough for the Patriots' home opener.

Another special connection is with the NHL's St. Louis Blues. In this case, the relationship wasn’t born out of a love for hockey or because one of his songs became an anthem. Quite simply, on May 15, 1984—the day the Prince of Darkness was arrested in Memphis for public intoxication—he was wearing a Blues jersey. A blue note in the center of a light blue jersey with white and yellow accents made his mugshot from that night iconic, eventually becoming a piece of merch. That day marked the beginning of the bond between the Blues and Osbourne, which continued all the way to 2019, when he congratulated the Blues on social media for winning the Stanley Cup.

A musical icon capable of uniting diverse fanbases, it was only natural that someone like Osbourne would catch the attention of Vince McMahon. With his larger-than-life persona, he was made for wrestling. One of his earliest appearances came at WrestleMania 2 in 1986. In November 2009, alongside his wife Sharon, he was the Guest Host of a special edition of Monday Night Raw held in London. More broadly, the brutal riffs of Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler’s bass lines, and Bill Ward’s cannon-like drumming, combined with Osbourne’s melodic voice, made Black Sabbath a constant soundtrack for WWE. The last major occasion came in 2022, when the company renamed one of its pay-per-views to Survivor Series: WarGames, reviving a special match type and using War Pigs as the soundtrack for its promo video. Put all these pieces together, and you get a bigger picture that explains WWE’s decision to induct Osbourne into the Hall of Fame in 2021. Rockstar. Icon. Legend.