Image via Complex Original
One of these years, they're going to learn, right?
This trash year offered up even more examples of how athletes and social media frequently make for a volatile mix. Too often we all get to witness the evisceration of reputations unfold in real-time. Usually, the posts that get these athletes into hot water and a million memes end up deleted, but fortunately Al Gore invented the screenshot and the interwebs so we're able to forever preserve every glorious dumpster fire post. Like the time the MVP's wife claimed the NBA Finals were rigged. Or that said MVP's teammates sent out a dick pic.
So for the second straight year we're excited to bring you some of our favorite—and exceedingly embarrassing—social media moments from the past 12 months. Social media is so closely intertwined with how we watch, interpret, and react to sports that many of these things feel every bit as relevant as wins and losses. And honestly, if you were some of these people, you would've gladly taken a real-life loss than the internet-generated L of getting rejected in DMs by a porn star or losing millions because your Twitter got hacked on the biggest day of your life. Be thankful you're not famous.
D'Angelo Russell "snitches" on Swaggy P.
Date: March 24
Individuals: D’Angelo Russell & Nick Young
Incident: You would think Young would be the bad guy here after admitting that he cheated on his fiancée, Iggy Azalea, but social media made then Lakers' rookie Russell the true villain here. After secretly recording the conversation in which Swaggy P was revealed to be a cheater, the video somehow made it's way across every social media platform imaginable. Russell was painted as a snitch who ruined a relationship and the trust of his teammates, which he's slowly worked to repair. But bottom line, if you're about to say something profound or incriminating around Russell, best to pat him down before you spill your guts.
Draymond Green's D makes an appearance on Snapchat.
Date: July 31
Individual: Draymond Green
Incident: Not the best year for Green. Despite having the most wins in regular season history, the Golden State Warriors blew a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals. Draymond was lambasted for his unnatural kicks onto opposing players. And to top it off, he accidentally posted a picture of his penis on snapchat in July. So if you don't know, now you know.
During the NFL Draft, Laremy Tunsil's Twitter posts video of him smoking weed.
Date: April 29 Individual: Laremy Tunsil Incident: Regarded as the best offensive lineman in his draft class, Tunsil was expected to be a top 10 selection in the 2016 NFL Draft. His talent was so great a lot of mock drafts had him going first overall. Then a picture posted to Twitter of Tunsil wearing a gas mask and smoking marijuana dropped just before the draft kicked off. Even though he claimed he was hacked, the incident scared away teams that were previously interested in the Ole Miss lineman and Tunsil dropped all the way to No. 13 where the Dolphins selected him, costing the rookie millions in potential earnings.
Ayesha Curry tells the world the NBA is rigged.
Date: June 17
Individual: Ayesha Curry
Incident: Just like any supportive wife, Curry was pissed watching her husband and his squad blow a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals (you heard about that one, right?). But she took it a bit far after suggesting that the Finals were rigged against the Warriors. Fans were quick to call her out and even photoshopped images of Kyrie Irving over Steph Curry’s face in a family portrait. Ayesha incurred the wrath of sports Twitter that night and regretted it immediately.
Image via Twitter
Aldon Smith allegedly smokes weed on Periscope, says his name while doing so.
Date: July 25
Individual: Aldon Smith
Incident: The Raiders pass rusher has had issues with substance abuse in the past and earned the wrath of the NFL—the Shield handed down a year long suspension last November. So it wasn't a good look over the summer when Smith was allegedly seen on Periscope bragging about giving no fucks and rolling something for a "fire up session." He clearly did not learn from Russell and Swaggy P.
Kurt Rambis likes great asses, daily.
Date: Feb. 21
Individual: Kurt Rambis
Incident: Who knew Kurt Rambis was an ass man? The Knicks interim coach caught a ton of heat for liking a picture on Twitter that depicted female masturbation. Predictably, and pathetically, the Knicks put out a statement saying Rambis’s account had been hacked. But even after the image was scrubbed from his TL, Rambis was still following @GreatAssDaily (NSFW) in the wake of the controversy so he could apparently get his regular fix of grade A butts. And you thought NBA groupies were the thirsty ones.
The San Francisco Giants tweet like the alt-right.
Date: Sept. 19
Team: San Francisco Giants
Incident: No one’s going to accuse the Giants of being an alt-right organization, but the team's Twitter should have known better than to throw up to up three K’s in a row in an official tweet.
Image via Twitter
Chad Kelly gets exposed for his DMs at Mia Khalifa.
Date: Sept. 6
Individual: Chad Kelly
Incident: Athletes have this amazing relationship/obsessions with porn stars. They just can’t get enough of them. The Ole Miss QB and nephew of Hall of Fame Bills signal caller Jim Kelly couldn't keep himself from messaging Mia Khalifa on Twitter until she burned him by publicly sharing those messages. So much for being the BMOC.
Chris Collinsworth hits Bill Simmons with a Twitter knockout.
Date: Nov. 14
Individuals: Bill Simmons & Chris Collinsworth
Incident: When attempting to roast a broadcaster for their on-air performance, it helps to not be someone whose own show has been cancelled. Bill Simmons forgot this basic rule when he went after the longtime NFL commentator—who responded with the quickness and accuracy befitting a guy who was originally recruited to Florida as a quarterback. Hit him right in the (terrible) numbers.
Image via Twitter
Matt Hasselbeck takes a bad stance on sitting.
Date: Aug. 27
Individual: Matt Hasselbeck
Incident: The ESPN NFL analyst tried to clap at Colin Kaepernick for his protest against the national anthem, implying that his act wouldn’t fly when Kaepernick lined up under center on Sept. 11 The biggest problem with his tweet was the fact that the Niners opened the season on Hasselbeck’s network not on the 11th, but Monday, Sept. 12.
Marcus Vick tweets about LeSean McCoy and STIs.
Date: July 23
Individual: Marcus Vick
Incident: Who knew Michael Vick’s little brother had no chill when he flamed LeSean McCoy, accusing him of infecting his baby mama with herpes. We do know that Vick still has a great burst.
Image via Twitter
The NFL tells us Roger Goodell is dead.
Date: June 7
Individual: Roger Goodell
Incident: Some hacker managed to crack the NFL’s top-notch security and kidnap the Shield’s Twitter account one afternoon to send off a tweet that shook the sports world. For a few fleeting seconds, you may have thought the greatest commissioner ever to walk the planet, the man making more money to create more controversy than any other invidiual in sports—Roger Goodell—had met an untimely demise. And for a few fleeting seconds, a bunch of NFL players probably rejoiced.
Image via Twitter
Isiah Crowell shows his frustration with a dumb and graphic tweet.
Date: July 11
Individual: Isaiah Crowell
Incident: In the wake of the separate shootings of Alton Sterling and PhilandoCastille, Crowell was angry. Like a lot of Americans. But the Browns running back went about showing his frustration the wrong way when he posted an illustration of a police officer getting his throat slashed. Crowell quickly took it down and issued an apology on Twitter.
Sportscenter catches heat for Castro baseball tweet.
Date: March 20
Organization: SportsCenter
Incident: The Worldwide Leader’s flagship show sent out a shortsighted tweet that low-key praised the now deceased Cuban revolutionary for his love of sports while conveniently forgetting to mention his track record of brutally oppressing his people and committing untold human rights violations while he ruled the island nation like a medieval king. But, you know, it’s tough to fit that in 140 characters or less.
Image via Twitter