Top 10 Athletes Who LOST IT on Live TV
#10: Derek Anderson
2010 Late in the 2010 NFL season when the Arizona Cardinals were taking a beating from the San Francisco 49ers, quarterback Derek Anderson was seen on camera laughing with teammate Deuce Lutui during a timeout. When a reporter asked the quarterback about the incident, he bizarrely erupted and claimed he wasn’t laughing. Then, he descended into a curse-word-filled rant at the poor reporter. Anderson progressively got angrier as the journalist mentioned the footage. After the dire interview, Anderson claimed he was getting abuse from a fan behind him at the game, and Lutui made a joke about it, causing him to laugh.
#9: Tyson Fury
2018 Having been out of the boxing world for three years, Tyson Fury made plans to return to the ring in 2018. So, the UK’s ITV News spoke to the multi-title winner. And. It. Went. Bad. Straight away, the reporter quizzed Fury on the problematic things he’d previously said. The boxer began responding with a barrage of “no comments,” as well as telling the journalist to stick to the boxing as he swayed from side to side in discomfort. It came to a head when asked about his battle with the UK Anti-Doping agency, which began in 2016 after Fury tested positive for banned substances. Suddenly, the boxer roared “terminated” with a dramatic hand gesture before walking away.
#8: Mitch Austin
2017 In 2017, then-Melbourne Victory footballer Mitch Austin sat down to chat with ABC sports presenter Georgie Tunny on “News Breakfast.” The reporter kicked it off with a question about how the team could improve their fortunes after the disappointment from the previous season. Quickly, Austin began to struggle with the pressure of a live talk. He soon apologized and walked off the set, briefly walking past the anchors’ camera as they addressed the situation. The anchors and Tunny later explained that Austin had a panic attack, but he was doing okay.
#7: Bart Scott
2011 During the 2010 AFC Divisional Game, the New York Jets took on the New England Patriots. And they pulled off a shock win! Obviously, this caused elation among their fans. But none appeared more delighted than the Jets’ inside linebacker, Bart Scott. He celebrated by pretending to be an airplane on the pitch in front of the cameras. He then landed, ready for an interview with ESPN. But before Sal Paolantonio could get a word in, Scott declared the performance was [SB “to all the non-believers.”] A fired-up Scott took shots at the Jets' detractors throughout. But one of the best lines is when he claimed the Patriots couldn’t stop a nosebleed. Amazing.
#6: Per Mertesacker
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2014 At the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Germany took on Algeria in the round of 16. While the Europeans were expected to win, and they did, the African nation made it difficult as they needed extra time to secure victory. And during a post-match interview, Germany defender Per Mertesacker was not a happy bunny. Especially when the reporter criticized his team several times. Not letting that go, a tired and annoyed Mertesacker spoke his mind, taking shots at the reporter on the way. In 2022, Mertesacker found the funny side of that tense chat. He claimed, at the time, he never wanted to do interviews again.
#5: Floyd Mayweather Jr.
2009 After announcing his comeback in 2009, the boxing icon Floyd Mayweather Jr. chatted to ESPN’s Brian Kenny. And, boy, was it intense. Straight away, Mayweather took offense when Kenny called him the SB [“former number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world.”] As the interview became more hostile, Mayweather laid down a wonderful burn by calling the reporter SB [“a man of many traits, a master of nothing.”] (Xref) This wouldn’t be the last time Floyd lost his cool on live TV. In 2011, Mayweather didn’t look too great when talking to the legendary Larry Merchant after his controversial win against Victor Ortiz. When the analyst criticized Mayweather’s dodgy tactics, he ranted that Merchant should be fired. Merchant responded in kind.
#4: Nate Diaz
2015 All MMA fans know that Nate Diaz, and his brother Nick, have never been afraid to speak their mind. This moment encapsulates this. Fresh off his win against Michal Johnson at “UFC on Fox: dos Anjos vs. Cowboy 2”, UFC commentator Joe Rogan entered the octagon to interview the victorious younger Diaz brother. But rather than discuss his performance, Diaz instead used the opportunity to make an unforgettable call out. Unfortunately, Rogan had to take the microphone away, but ultimately Diaz got his wish, stepping in for the injured Rafael Dos Anjos at UFC 196 and not only giving fans an unforgettable fight, but taking part in one of the greatest rivalries in UFC history.
#3: Ryan Leaf
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1998 With all the pressure that comes with expectations of being an athlete, some, unfortunately, collapse under it. And that was seemingly the case for NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf in 1998. Drafted by the San Diego Chargers, this player lost his composure after his team lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. After reportedly clashing with a camera operator, Leaf was later recorded screaming obscenities at reporter Jay Posner in the locker room. Leaf’s teammates stepped in to defuse the situation. Later that day, he – reluctantly – issued an on-camera apology to Posner for his behavior.
#2: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
2009 In 2009, former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson was interviewed by Heather Nichols for CagePotato. After mentioning his acting aspirations, Nichols claimed she had an idea about a rom-com film with Jackson. For some reason, this made him begin to act very creepy as he inappropriately touched her and gyrated against her for a really long time. Grim. But this wouldn’t be his only bizarre mishap with a female reporter. In 2011, he chatted with MMA Heat's Karyn Bryant after his win at UFC 130. Near the end of the interview, Jackson uttered he wanted to motorboat the journalist and proceeded to mime it while mentioning his iffy past with reporters…double yikes.
#1: Jim Everett
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1994 In 1994, quarterback Jim Everett was traded from the Los Angeles Rams to the New Orleans Saints. Instead of focusing on that, Jim Rome liked to mock Everett for not being able to take a hit. So, when the NFL player appeared on his “Talk2” show, he called him “Chris Everett” as a sexist reference to legendary women’s tennis player Chris Evert. Everett dared the host to say it one more time. He did, and the NFL star exploded. He threw the table aside before pushing Rome to the floor. Quickly, production staff arrived to separate the two. Both men apologized for what transpired, but neither seemed sincere.
