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Composure is one of the most important things a coach or athlete can have out on the field. Without it, little problems can snowball into big ones, and seemingly harmless situations can become unmitigated disasters. Given the innate pressure of being a professional athlete, it’s kind of amazing that players and coaches don’t crack more often.
Thanks to television, radio, and the Internet, when someone does lose their cool, we all get to witness it. Whether it’s a coach like Jim Mora or Dennis Green or an athlete like John McEnroe or Roger Clemens, sports figures nowadays have had all their worst moments captured on film. But who is the worst of the worst? We’ve taken a look across all sports and eras and found the 50 Most Epic Meltdowns in Sports History.
RELATED: The 50 Most Unsportsmanlike Acts in Sports History
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50. I'm a Soldier
Date: 11/8/2003
The disappointing career of Kellen Winslow, Jr. really began with one of the most off-base rants of all time. Unhappy about the tone of the questions he was receiving regarding a block he had made in the game, Winslow began to refer to himself as a "fucking soldier" in a "war" whom his opponents were trying to "kill." Um, right. It's not a shock that Winslow's pro career has been littered with moments of incredible immaturity and bad decision making, and this past season he was suspended four games for using performance-enhancing drugs.
49. Dennis Scott Loves the Kids
Date: July 1997
Contract negotiations can be very stressful. During the 1997 offseason Dennis Scott was in the the midst of a heated dispute over the $3 million he was due to make the following season. Scott decided to take out his frustrations at his summer basketball camp. He rambled on about his life and contract dispute with the Magic while bumpin' kid-friendly classics like Ready to Die. The camp was canceled and parents were refunded the $200 fee. Classic quote: "Don't ask me for my autograph, ask me to explain the rage that's inside of me!" The bowels of the Internets win again. Scott was traded to the Dallas Mavericks a couple months later.
48. Who Says Single-A Baseball Isn't Fun?
Date: 6/26/2007
The managerial career of Wally Backman has been colorful, to say the least. It looked like he had finally hit the big time when he was named manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2004, but in a few short days a number of features were published exposing a lot of lies and deceit in the story Backman had spun in his interview. After being fired without managing a game, he began his comeback with the South Georgia Peanuts of the South Coast League. In one of those games, the ejection of one of his players caused Backman to completely lose his mind, punctuating his epic tirade by hurling a comical amount of debris onto the field.
47. He Was Just Talking Really Close!
Date: 3/16/1996
Everyone knows Dennis Rodman is crazy. I mean, the guy is friends with one of the most psychotic dictators in the entire world. But even the most unstable of NBA players knows that making contact with an official is a big no-no. We're talking ejections, fines, suspensions, the works. But when it does happen, usually it isn't vicious or forceful; it tends to barely qualify as a "bump." Rodman's case is a rare exception, where he got so heated over a call that he decided to deliver a head butt to referee Ted Bernhardt. This move cost him a six games and $20,000, a relatively light suspension given the offense.
46. Especially for Soccer, a Bit Much
Date: 11/5/2009
Enough time has passed that former University of New Mexico women's soccer player Elizabeth Lambert has slipped from most people's memory. But if you rewind back to 2009, you may recall that few acts on a field spurred more blowhard outrage than the boorish tactics of Lambert, who assaulted the poor Mormon ladies of BYU all over the field during their Mountain West Conference tournament game. Lambert served her suspension, and fortunately for her has faded into relative obscurity after graduating from school.
45. Gandhi Would Be Proud
Date: 8/24/2003
Jon Drummond is not a famous track star, but he certainly is someone unafraid to stand up for what he believes in. In the 100 meter quarterfinals at the 2003 World Championships, he was disqualified for an alleged false start. Feeling that he was falsely accused, Drummond refused to accept that he was out of the competition. After his verbal protests went unheard, he decided to simply lay down on the track in the kind of non-violent protest Gandhi would've admired. While he ultimately didn't get what he wanted, he still managed to create a lasting memory for all those watching.
44. This is What Happens When You Taunt the Wrong Guy
Date: 1/25/1995
Eric Cantona may be one of the greats of football, but we don't think too highly of his karate skills. After being shown a red card in an away match at Crystal Palace, the Manchester United legend reacted unfavorably to the taunts of a fan and launched a flying kick into the crowd. He was arrested on the spot and was ultimately sentenced to 120 hours of community service and led to an eight month ban from competitive football. He also left the world utterly confused with the following quote from his post-arrest press conference: "When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea." Scholars, have at it.
43. Answer My Question!
Date: 11/4/1984
When John McEnroe asks, you better respond. That is the lesson we all learned at the 1984 Stockholm Open, where McEnroe took exception to the line judge's refusal to explain a controversial call. The temperamental star was fined yet again, and with this one was forced to serve a 21-day suspension due to the "McEnroe Rule" which demanded such action any time a player exceeded $7,500 in fines for one season. McEnroe had the last laugh, though, because even though his question never got answered he still managed to win the tournament.
42. The Ultimate Ejection
Date: 9/17/1980
It is impossible not to laugh at Earl Weaver's on-field tirade against umpire Bill Haller, who happened to be wearing a microphone for a documentary being filmed on the life of an MLB umpire. The two already had a history, and after a borderline balk was called Weaver erupted into a string of profanity that cemented his status as one of the all-time great umpire bashers. And he proved to be correct about his prediction that he'd be in the Hall of Fame, as he was voted in by the Veterans' Committee in 1996.
41. Mike Tyson is a Cannibal?
Date: 6/24/2000
The return of Mike Tyson after his latest stint in prison was one of the most anticipated boxing events of all time, as the former champion fought three different times in 2000 in an attempt to get a fight against champion Lennox Lewis. After he beat the living hell out of Lou Savarese in just 38 seconds, Tyson responded to Jim Gray's question about whether it was his shortest fight ever with a borderline-nonsensical rant that immediately brought to mind the cannibalistic tendencies he showed in the Holyfield fight. While he did eventually get his date with Lewis, Tyson neither ate his children nor stood much of a chance in the ring as he got knocked out in the eighth round.
40. It's Probably Not a Good Idea to Punch Players...
Date: 12/29/1978
Ohio State's Woody Hayes is one of the most legendary coaches in the history of college football, a man whose 205 wins make him the 14th-winningest coach in history. Despite all the success, though, one of the most lasting memories of Hayes' career will be the way in which it ended. He always had a temper, but had managed to keep it in check at least enough that he didn't outright assault any players.
That streak ended during the 1978 Gator Bowl, when Hayes punched Clemson's Charlie Bauman in the throat after Bauman returned an interception and was tackled by the Ohio State bench. Hayes was fired the next morning, and never coached again.
39. 'Roid Rage Personified
Date: 10/22/2000
Talk about rage blackouts. There's practically no other explanation for what drove Roger Clemens to ignore the fact that he: 1. Was on national TV for the World Series and 2. Had a very public feud with the Mets' Mike Piazza going into the game. Why else would be decide that it would be a good idea to whip a broken bat shard at him? Clemens' seeming obliviousness to what was going on only further confused matters, and really deprived fans of what could have been a really enjoyable fight. Piazza certainly agrees, and to that we say: There's still time!
38. Just a Casual Murder Threat
Date: 2/13/1994
It didn't take much for legendary Temple Owls coach John Chaney to come unhinged, and in the mid-1990s his teams engaged in several memorable battles with John Calipari's UMass Minutemen. After one such game in which Chaney felt Calipari had been working the referees to his advantage all night, he stormed into the UMass coach's press conference and almost immediately charged at the bewildered Calipari. While security managed to restrain the 62-year-old Chaney, they could do nothing about the Owls coach's repeated threats that he was "going to kill" his rival. Fortunately, he never made good on his promise.
37. Is That Chris or Jim Everett?
Date: 4/6/1994
Jim Everett had a solid 12 years as an NFL quarterback, but his feud with an up-and-coming TV show host named Jim Rome is what he is now most remembered for. Rome mercilessly criticized Everett for his lack of willingness to take hits on the field, and had taken to calling him "Chris" (as in female tennis player, Chris Evert) on his show. Everett warned Rome to stop, but that did not seem to do the trick. Rome clearly has more guts than brains; Everett is 6'5" and in his playing days was a solid 200-plus pounds, whereas Rome is not even 6'0". The tale of the tape says that an NFL player wins that one every time.
36. I'm a Man! I'm 40!
Date: 9/22/2007
Any adult male that likes sports and has turned 40 in the last six years cannot help but think of Mike Gundy on their birthday. That's because Gundy, now regarded as one of the premier college football coaches in the nation, made quite a spectacle of himself in his very first season at the helm of Oklahoma State as he rushed to defend demoted quarterback Bobby Reid as he was being skewered in the local newspapers. Of course, the media rushed to judge Gundy and immediately began calling for his ouster. Cooler heads prevailed, though, and you can bet the Cowboys sure are glad they decided to keep him.
35. You Cannot Be Serious
Date: 6/22/1981
Tennis is a sport that prides itself on dignity and decorum on the court. As a "country club" game, carrying yourself with a great deal of solemnity and professionalism is viewed as an item of paramount importance. It's what made John McEnroe one of the most controversial athletes of all time, considering the age in which he played. The "bad boy of tennis" loved to yell, scream, and generally irritate the tennis establishment. The first time he bellowed "you cannot be serious!", he earned himself a $1,500 fine and was nearly ejected from the tournament, behavior that nowadays would quickly be dismissed as "passion" or "competitiveness."
34. NEXT!
Date: 11/18/1999
Mike Ditka's tenure with the Saints did not quite go how he had anticipated. After mortgaging the team's future to draft Ricky Williams, the Saints continued to stink, and after a 2-7 start to his third season it's no wonder he was in a foul mood. You probably would be too if your quarterbacks were Danny Wuerffel, Billy Joe Hobert, Billy Joe Tolliver, and rookie Jake Delhomme. Seriously...two guys named Billy Joe? No wonder a question about which QB he'd play made him snap. Still, though, it had to be at least a little fun for him to keep abrasively yelling "Next!", right?
33. You're a Real Man
Date: 10/14/1992
Deion Sanders was a huge deal back in the mid-1990s, as he was somehow able to juggle being one of the best defensive backs in the NFL with also being a solid outfielder for the Atlanta Braves. Participating as a part-time player in the 1992 NLCS while also playing his regular NFL schedule with the Falcons, Sanders went 0-for-5 in the series, yet the Braves still managed to win in seven games. Broadcaster Tim McCarver had loudly criticized Sanders' splitting his time, and in the celebration Deion sought his revenge. While the four cold water baths he doused McCarver with in the locker room were undoubtedly a bit sophomoric, they did at least give us the immortal quote "you're a real man, Deion!"
32. Impressive Karate Kick
Date: 7/3/2001
There was a brief time where Izzy Alcantara was considered a top prospect in the Red Sox organization due to his excellent power at the plate. While that was generally thought to be in reference to his upper body strength, it actually could have been in reference to his legs as well; Alcantara's karate kick to the face of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons catcher Jeremy Salazar touched off a massive brawl, but also effectively ended would little chance he had of making an impact in the MLB. After a poor September showing that year with the Sox and an equally uninspired run with the Brewers the next year, Alcantara was out of the Major Leagues for good.
31. What's So Funny?
Date: 11/29/2010
Save for one good season with the Browns, Derek Anderson's career as an NFL quarterback will not be remembered with any great fondness. Trying to help rescue a season that was rapidly spiraling down (a 3-2 start had given way to six consecutive losses), Anderson was spotted on the sidelines of a blowout Monday Night Football loss to the 49ers laughing at something with one of his teammates. While Anderson insisted his team's misfortune was "not funny," his stat line since then kind of is; he has thrown for a combined 151 yards since then, starting just one solitary game.
30. Chasing Down the Ref
Date: 5/6/1988
While fans, players, and coaches all understand on a cognitive level that referees are people too, emotions can sometimes get in the way. New Jersey Devils coach Jim Schoenfeld can certainly relate. After his team got waxed by the Bruins 6-1 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Schoenfeld took out his frustrations on referee Don Koharski, whom he may or may not have shoved in addition to verbally abusing in the tunnel. When the Devils got a court order to fight Schoenfeld's suspension for Game 4, the referees refused to work the game.
After replacement refs handled the on-ice duties, Schoenfeld was suspended for Game 5 so that the officials would come back, restoring order but not saving the Devils' season as the Jersey squad would ultimately lose in seven games.
29. Running Out of Patience
Date: 4/26/1993
Hal McRae enjoyed a long, productive career as a player before getting into managing. His stints there were less successful, and are more remembered for this particular incident than anything else. Following a tough 5-3 loss, McRae got sick of the reporters asking the same "stupid ass fucking questions" and decided to hurl anything he could find around his office. Unfortunately, the phone he tossed hit one of the reporters in the face and left him with a nasty gash under his eye. Fortunately for McRae, the Internet didn't exist yet and thus nobody really even knew what happened; he continued to manage the team both that season and the next one as well.
28. I Immediately Regret This Decision
Date: 4/26/2006
After winning Baseball America's Minor League Player of the Year award in 2005, Delmon Young was expected to make it to the big leagues early on in 2006. In this April incident, though, all he showed was that he might have a future in some sort of club tossing. After being ejected for calling a third strike, Young walked towards the dugout before turning and executing a flawless underhand, end-over-end toss of the bat that hit the umpire square in his chest protector. That little stunt earned the Rays' prized prospect a 50-game suspension, but he was called up to the MLB squad later that season anyway.
27. Offensive Rebounding is Very Important
Date: 2/28/2008
Just because they don't get the same ratings as their male counterparts doesn't mean that women's college basketball doesn't have its fair share of meltdowns. Michigan coach Kevin Borseth was clearly disgusted by what he saw on the court in his team's loss to Wisconsin, and there was nobody safe from his rage: the officials, the players, and even the podium were all targeted at one time or another during this postgame freak out. There's no denying, though, that all this crazy got results; Michigan improved from 10–20 the previous year to 19–14, earning the program's first postseason berth in six years.
26. Who Was Sitting on That Thing, Anyway?
Date: 1/29/2000
Robbie Ftorek has had a relatively unremarkable hockey coaching career, save for one particularly memorable incident. His 2000 New Jersey Devils squad was locked in a battle with the Detroit Red Wings, and during a scrum in the Red Wings zone the Devils' Jay Pandolfo got his face smashed into the boards, drawing blood and clearly leaving him injured. Rather than halting play, though, the refs allowed the game to go on, and the Red Wings used their numbers advantage to go down and score on the other end. An enraged Ftorek turned into the Incredible Hulk, screaming at the refs and hurling a wooden bench onto the ice. He was somehow only suspended for one game.
25. Can't Play With 'Em...
Date: 10/26/2008
The 2008 San Francisco 49ers had started off the season 2-5, and had fired coach Mike Nolan as a result. They were flat and uninspired on the field, and newly promoted coach Mike Singletary was trying to change the entire culture surrounding the team. In his very first game at the helm, Singletary showed tight end Vernon Davis just how serious he was, benching the young player after Davis committed an ill-advised personal foul penalty. "Benching" actually might not be strong enough; he sent Davis to the locker room, then scolded him publicly immediately after the game. Davis actually now credits this incident with helping turn his career around, so all's well that ends well.
24. That Escalated Quickly
Date: 10/3/2000
With only two healthy pitchers, the St. Louis Cardinals elected to send rookie phenom Rick Ankiel to the mound for Game 1 of the 2000 National League Division Series. That turned out to be a big mistake. After going 11-7 with a 3.50 ERA and finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting during the regular season, Ankiel cruised through the first two innings before uncorking five wild pitches in the third. He was removed from the game, and after more wildness in his next start it was clear that something had gone horribly wrong. While he would only make 11 more career pitching appearances after the 2000 playoffs, Ankiel has salvaged his career after reinventing himself as a solid backup outfielder.
23. Not So "Sweet" Lou
Date: 6/2/2007
While he is one of the winningest managers in baseball history with 1,835 career wins (14th all-time), Lou Pinella will likely be most remembered for his insane outbursts umpires. On this June day with his Cubs team trailing by one run in the eighth inning, Pinella objected to umpire Mark Wegner's call that Angel Pagan was out trying to steal third. The subsequent fireworks became the stuff of legend, and Lou was alleged to have even given the umpire a nice kick in the shin during this ferocious tirade.
22. Andrew Bynum's WWE Clothesline
Date: 5/8/2011
This game was a pretty tough way for Phil Jackson to go out. Already getting run out of the gym as his Lakers team laid an absolute egg trying to defend their NBA title, Jackson had to watch on in horror as Andrew Bynum delivered a forearm shiver to the diminutive J.J. Barea, earning an ejection and instant infamy. Really soaking in the hate, Bynum decided to defiantly rip his jersey off as he walked off the court, looking very much like the guy who now is reportedly reconsidering whether he even wants to play.
21. Batting Practice
Date: 8/14/2007
We think it's safe to say that messing with Jose Offerman is not a good idea. This guy brings the term "wild card" to a whole new level. Anyone who is willing to eschew the typical procedure in baseball "brawls" and instead brings a bat to the mound is someone who should not be trifled with, and definitely is a guy you want on your side if things get too crazy. It should come as no surprise that Offerman was arrested and charged with second degree assault immediately after being ejected, and a few years later was again in hot water after he punched an umpire.
20. Fire in the Hole!
Date: 6/1/2007
There is pretty much no doubt that Phillip Wellman knew exactly what he was doing during this preposterous freak out. Sure, we buy that he was really mad about the call (his pitcher had been ejected for using a foreign substance on the ball). We even will buy the first part where he kicks dirt all over home plate. But everything else seems like a show meant to get him on SportsCenter and get his name out there, and the three-game suspension he was handed seemed a pretty reasonable price to pay for a shot at fame. While it hasn't translated into any big league opportunities, everybody now will at least have something to remember his career by.
19. Larry Holmes Goes Street Fighter
Date: 4/7/1991
Larry Holmes was already feeling pretty good about his fighting skills after defeating Tim "Doc" Anderson via first round TKO, and he obviously wanted to keep the fighting going afterwards. He got his wish after getting into an argument with Trevor Berbick-whom Holmes had defeated in a WBC heavyweight title bout some 10 years earlier-outside of a club in Florida where Holmes had gone after the fight to celebrate his victory. After the initial fisticuffs between the two was broken up by police, a still-enraged Holmes ran on top of two parked cars and attempted a flying ninja-style kick aimed at Berbick. Somehow, no arrests were made and Holmes was free to move on to his victory party.
18. The Rarely-Seen Steal of First Base
Date: 6/26/2001
Stealing bases is commonplace on a baseball field, but Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon took things a bit literally during this 2001 incident. After Jason Kendall was called out on a close play at first, McClendon stormed onto the field to argue the call and was ejected; naturally, he responded by taking his base and going home. Afraid to ask the frothing manager for the base back, the grounds crew had to dig up another one and install it before the game could resume. He even inspired his team, as the Pirates rallied to win in extra innings.
17. The Chair Toss
Date: 2/23/1985
The elder statesman of the all-meltdown team, Bobby Knight's career was so full of amazing incidents that it almost seems unfair to pick just one. The "chair toss" is probably his signature performance, an act that if it were to happen today would probably cause Skip Bayless' head to explode and internet to break into a billion pieces. The self-righteous columns that would emerge calling for Knight's firing would be too numerous to count. We love this incident because it also personified what a simpler time the 1980s was; instead of being fired or receiving a national skewering, Knight was only ejected and suspended for just one game.
16. Lee Elia Loses It
Date: 4/29/1983
Baseball managers are not known for their eloquence or particularly refined diction, and former manager Lee Elia's epic rant against Chicago Cubs fans personifies that entire idea. After a tough one-run loss at home to the Dodgers during which Elia felt the Cubs' fans were heckling their own players, the manager decided that he had had enough of the Wrigley faithful. Not surprisingly, the marriage between Elia and the Cubs was doomed to fail; after a 73-89 finish during his first season and with the Cubs' record sitting at 54-69 in late August of his second year, he was fired.
15. Batman
Date: 8/22/1965
The Giants and the Dodgers had a heated rivalry that has lasted since the two squads were based out of New York. During the 1965 National League pennant race, the two teams matched up at San Francisco's Candlestick Park. After Giants' pitcher Juan Marichal hit two Dodgers, pitcher Sandy Koufax retaliated by throwing over Willie Mays' head. But when Marichal came to bat, Koufax did nothing. However, he did feel like Dodger's catcher Johnny Roseboro's throws back to Koufax were a little too close for comfort and one actually nicked Juan's ear.
The Giants' pitcher then proceeded to hit Roseboro on the head with his bat and all hell broke loose. In the video you can see Marichal wielding the bat like a madman until one of his teammates talks some sense into him. He was fined 1,750 and was suspended for nine days.
14. Serena's Got Balls
Date: 9/12/2009
Serena Williams is one of the most physically imposing athletes in sports history. Male or female, there are few athletes out there whose bad side we'd want to be on less than Serena. We actually have to give a ton of credit to this lineswoman, whom Serena wanted to physically assault after a foot fault ended up costing her the semifinal match at the 2009 US Open. It takes a lot of guts to stand up to the intimidating Williams, and despite being threatened with having a ball shoved down her throat the brave lineswoman stood her ground. Well done.
13. The Worst of the Worm
Date: 1/15/1997
The bizarre behavior of Dennis Rodman was really a career-long phenomenon, and involved everything from taking off his shoes while on the bench to carrying on an affair with Madonna. But the one thing "the Worm" was seemingly unable to do was keep his emotions in check on the court, and this would often rear its ugly head in bad ways. The poor cameraman was just trying to do his job, and as Rodman tumbled out of bounds while chasing a rebound it seemed like nothing would come of the minor stumble. Rodman of course saw it differently, delivering a punishing kick straight to the groin and costing himself $25,000 and getting suspended for 11 games.
12. Iron Mike Goes Off the Deep End
Date: 1/22/2002
Mike Tyson is easily one of the most polarizing figures in sports history. His achievements in the ring like becoming the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history and infamous rants like this made him arguably the most well-known boxer of all time. In this New York press conference to promote his 2002 bout with Lennox Lewis, Tyson flipped out on a person in the crown who yelled "put him in a straight-jacket." What followed was one of the most vile threats ever publicly made by an athlete. Tyson would go on to lose the fight against Lewis via eighth-round KO.
11. Self-Mutilation on the Tennis Court
Date: 4/1/2008
If you've ever played an individual sport like golf or tennis, you can probably relate to Mikhail Youzhny on some level. It can be really frustrating when you make simple mistakes, and yet you have nobody to blame but yourself. We're hoping that you haven't quite had your frustration boil over like this, though, where you actually began dabbling in self-mutilation as a means of punishment. Don't worry about whether this actually affects his game, though; not only did he win the match after getting cleaned up, but he has stayed on top of his game and is currently ranked 15th in the world.
10. It's Hard Out Here For a Bust
Date: 9/21/1998
If you're a professional athlete, you never know when a camera is on you. Even if a reporter asks a dumb question or gets into your personal space, it probably isn't wise to freak out as if they just murdered your entire family. Ryan Leaf was never quite the model of stability, though, so him bugging out did not exactly come as a shock to anyone who had watched the early weeks of his career. It was a harbinger of things to come for the temperamental quarterback, who would ultimately go down as one of the biggest busts in NFL Draft history.
9. Crown 'Em!
Date: 10/16/2006
In defense of the absolutely frothing anger of former Arizona Cardinals coach Dennis Green, it is truly remarkable that his team managed to lose this game. They had held the Bears to nine first downs all night, given up no offensive touchdowns, forced six turnovers, and late in the third quarter held a 20 point lead. Just as quickly as the lead came, though, it completely evaporated on the heels of a field goal, two fumbles returned for a touchdown, and a Devin Hester punt return TD. If someone asked you for your reaction after something like that happened to your team, we're guessing you'd meltdown too.
8. One Expensive Loogie
Date: 9/27/1996
Roberto Alomar may be a Hall of Famer and one of the best second basemen ever to play baseball, but this ugly incident has certainly left a stain on his career. It wasn't just that Alomar unnecessarily flipped out after a questionable called third strike that made this such a bad showing on his part; it was the aftermath. Following the game, Alomar refused to take responsibility for his actions and instead laid the blame on umpire, John Hirschbeck, whom Alomar claimed had both uttered a racial slur and become "real bitter" since the death of his son. Alomar was only suspended five games, the same penalty pitchers now get for intentionally plunking hitters. Hm.
7. Practice?
Date: 5/10/2002
The 2001-02 Philadelphia 76ers went into the season as huge favorites to win the Eastern Conference, but were instead ravaged by injuries en route to a 43-39 finish and a first round playoff defeat at the hands of the Boston Celtics. Frustrated by Allen Iverson's infrequent appearances at practice throughout the season, coach Larry Brown publicly criticized his star player after the Sixers had been eliminated; Iverson's reaction afterwards became one of the most legendary responses ever given to a coach's criticism, and gave new meaning to the word "practice."
6. The Heabutt Heard Round the World
Date: 7/9/2006
It's no secret that, especially when you're a star player, you're going to be the target of some pretty mean, personal insults from opponents in an attempt to get you off your game. So it really came as no surprise when Italian midfielder Marco Materazzi went after France captain Zinedine Zidane's sister during the 2006 World Cup Finals. What was shocking was that Zidane-an experienced player who was participating in his final game-would take the bait, headbutting Materazzi in the chest and drawing a red card as a result. France was able to get to penalty kicks despite being a man down, but without their star player fell to Italy in the shootout.
5. Malice at MSG?
Date: 12/23/1979
Before there was the "Malice in the Palace," there was the Boston Bruins vs. New York Rangers fans. The incident began during a post-game skirmish, in which a fan managed to reach over the boards and hit a Bruins player in the face, drawing blood. Terry O'Reilly-nicknamed the "Tasmanian Devil"-immediately scaled the glass and sought retribution for his injured teammate. Numerous Bruins followed him up into the Madison Square Garden stands, and the subsequent brawl is actually far worse than what went on in Detroit. Amazingly, O'Reilly was only suspended eight games for his attack and is today one of the most beloved Bruins of all-time.
4. The Bartman Incident
Date: 10/14/2003
It may not make us a ton of friends in the greater Chicago area, but we feel really badly for Steve Bartman. Left fielder Moises Alou was no great shakes in the field, and there's no guarantee he would have been able to snare that eighth inning foul popup even if Bartman had simply let it drop. And Bartman certainly didn't cough up a 3-0 lead in Game 6 of the ALCS immediately afterwards, nor did he lose Game 7. But nevertheless, there may be no bigger scapegoat in recent sports history than he, and Bartman has basically completely vanished from society.
3. Giving Holyfield an Earful
Date: 6/28/1997
Sometimes, when it's late at night and you're really hungry, you'll grab just about anything for a snack. If you're Mike Tyson, this means you'll even go cannibal. One of the amazing facts about Tyson's meltdown is that the bite that took off a piece of Evander Holyfield's ear didn't get him disqualified; indeed, referee Mills Lane actually allowed the fight to go on even after Tyson had literally spit a piece of ear onto the middle of the mat. It was only when Tyson went for Holyfield's other ear that Lane stopped the fight and disqualified the hungry former champion. Given all the buildup and anticipation surrounding the fight, this was one of the all-time most bizarre endings to a boxing match in history.
2. The Pine Tar Incident
Date: 7/24/1983
We've never seen what someone about to go on a rampage looks like, but the image of George Brett charging towards umpire Tim McClelland gives us a pretty good idea. In his defense, Brett had a legitimate reason to be that mad; he had just given his team the lead with two outs in the ninth inning against the Yankees thanks to a perfectly stroked two-run home run. The only reason he was called out was because of an obscure rule about the amount of pine tar on his bat, and when McClelland called Brett out it took the homer off the board and gave the win to New York. The Royals protested the game and the decision was ultimately reversed, so at least Brett ultimately did get the last laugh.
1. The Malice at the Palace
Date: 11/19/2004
It really doesn't get much worse than the "Malice at the Palace." While it's hard to identify a chief instigator of this infamous event, Ron Artest seems like a fair place to start. The former Pacer was, after all, the one who got into the scrap with Ben Wallace, the one who laid down on the scorer's table, and the one who took off into the stands when he was hit with a beer. Artest (now ironically named Metta World Peace) has never shied away from conflict throughout his career, but this incident will likely never be topped.