Top 10 Athletes Who Ruined Their Careers With One Play
#10: Mark Sanchez
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During a 2012 Thanksgiving game, the New York Jets trailed 14-0 against the New England Patriots in the second quarter. Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez seemed to be confused with what play they were running and, in desperation, ran straight into the butt of fellow teammate Brandon Moore, fumbling the ball. The Patriots would not only recover the ball, but score in the process. A quarterback who was once meant to herald in a new era and bring an end to the Jets’ misery, the butt fumble spelled the beginning of the end for Mark Sanchez’s career.
#9: Luis Suárez
During Uruguay’s final group stage match against Italy at the 2014 World Cup, Uruguayan striker Suárez decided to bite down on Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini (key-el-LEENY). This isn’t Suárez’s first time sinking his teeth into opponents. In fact, he’s done it twice before. Although he wasn’t reprimanded during the game, FIFA later banned him from 9 international games, as well as all football for 4 months and fined him a total of 100,000 Swiss francs. Interestingly enough, before the tournament, Suárez insisted he’d sworn off those antics and didn’t deserve his bad boy image. Well, this incident would not only prove that he does deserve it, but has earned it for life, in turn casting a dark shadow over his career.
#8: Nick Anderson
In Game 1 of the 1995 NBA Finals against the Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic’s Nick Anderson needed to make one shot after being fouled with 10.5 seconds left to give Orlando the series lead. After missing both of his free throw attempts, he got another chance to make things right after the Rockets were charged with yet another foul. Instead, it was just another wasted opportunity. This mental break would prove costly as Houston would send the game to overtime and eventually sweep the Magic en route to becoming repeat champions. Looking back, Anderson stated that “I tried not to let it affect me, but my confidence wavered.” Having since been labelled as “Nick the Brick” and “Brick Anderson,” his scoring and free throw percentage plummeted, and he was never the same player.
#7: Zinedine Zidane (zinna-DEEN zih-DAN)
This was probably the last way anybody expected the French team captain Zinedine Zidane to end his career. During the 2006 World Cup final match, Zizou (ZEE-zoo) was constantly jawing with Italian player Marco Materazzi (mah-tare-RAWT-see). Eventually, the trash talking came to a head, literally. After an exchange of words, Zidane proceeds to headbutt Materazzi’s chest, knocking him to the ground. Zidane was subsequently handed a red card and sent off. Italy would go on to win the game after outscoring France during the penalty shoot-out, where Zidane’s presence and scoring ability was clearly missed. Although Zizou still had an illustrious career, it’s this very incident that will forever be etched in our memories.
#6: Chris Webber
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In the final seconds of the championship game of the 1993 NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Tournament, Chris Webber of the Michigan Wolverines suffered a couple of mental mistakes. After grabbing a rebound from a missed UNC free throw, Webber travels, runs up the court into a double team where he calls time out. Michigan had none left, however, and a technical foul was called, giving UNC two free throws and possession of the ball. This lapse in judgement put the game out of reach. This lapse in judgement put the game out of reach. While the blunder is still brought up, it didn’t have a lasting impact on Webber’s NBA career, as he would declare for the 1993 draft a few weeks later, where he was picked first overall and played nearly 15 seasons.
#5: J.R. Smith
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When you’re facing one of the most dominant NBA teams of the decade, make sure you know the score. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case for J.R. Smith in Game 1 of the 2018 NBA finals against the Golden Warriors. After grabbing the rebound from a missed free throw, J.R. gave the Cavs a chance to win. Instead, Smith ran out the clock, much to the chagrin of a visibly frustrated LeBron James, before realizing the game was still tied. The Warriors would later not only beat the Cavaliers in overtime, but went on to sweep the entire series. To this day, many consider his blunder as one of the worst gaffes in NBA history. Don’t feel too bad though, Smith did win a championship with the Cavs back in 2016 and is also fresh off another with the Los Angeles Lakers.
#4: Bill Buckner
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If you ever hear anyone say you Buckner’d it, it’s not a compliment. With the game tied during the 1986 World Series, the Red Sox were one out away from ending the 10th inning. Mets batter Mookie Wilson hit the ball straight up the first base line and it rolled past Buckner’s glove, resulting in a Boston loss. This forced a game 7, which the Mets would go on to win. Although it was no guarantee the Sox would have won the World Series had Buckner not misplayed the ball, the iconic moment added to the Curse of the Bambino and extended Boston’s championship drought another 18 years until 2004. Fans at the time went so far as to send Buckner death threats believing he cost them the title.
#3: Roberto Baggio (bah-jee-oh)
It’s no easy feat making a penalty kick, but when you’re premier Italian soccer player Roberto Baggio, you have to find the back of the net. The 1994 FIFA tournament final came down to a shootout and it was up to Baggio to keep Italy’s hopes alive against Brazil; all he had to do was make one shot. There was no reason to believe Baggio couldn’t do it, considering his ability to pull through in the clutch and the fact that he contributed to much of Italy’s success during the world cup, having scored 5 goals in their last 3 games. However, when it came time to shoot the ball, he sliced it way over the net and with the miss, Brazil claimed their fourth championship. Arguably the best player of the tournament, it’s this moment that would define his career. Looking back at the mishap, he stated that; “It felt exactly as you would expect.”
#2: Marty McSorley
It’s something you never want to see in hockey, or any sport. In the closing seconds of a game between the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks, Bruins enforcer Marty McSorley slashed Vancouver’s Donald Brashear in the head. The brutal attack left Brashear unconscious on the ice with a grade 3 concussion. McSorley, for his part, claimed he was trying to tap Brashear on the shoulder to start a fight. A British Columbia judge found him guilty of assault with a weapon and he was sentenced to 18 months on probation. The NHL suspended him for an entire year and, during that time, his contract lapsed. He never played another NHL game. On the other hand, Brashear returned to action a few months later and continued his NHL career for another 9 seasons. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Mitch Williams The Toronto Blue Jays Win the World Series after “Wild Thing” Williams Gave up This Walk-off Home Run Joe Pisarcik (piz-SAR-chick) This Quarterback is Best Remembered For This Infamous Fumble in the Final Moments of “The Miracle At The Meadowlands” Leon Lett The Lesson Here: Don’t Start Celebrating Until You Know You’ve Scored Tony Romo The Infamous Mishandled Snap Patrik Stefan (patrick steffin) What Better Way to Show that You’re A Draft Bust than By Missing an Empty Net?
#1: Todd Bertuzzi
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Tensions were high when the Vancouver Canucks faced off against the Colorado Avalanche on March 8, 2004. The Canucks targeted Avs player Steve Moore for a questionable hit on their captain Markus Naslund that went unpenalized. In the third period, Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi sucker punched Moore and pushed him to the ice and a bench clearing brawl erupted. Moore was left seriously injured with three fractured vertebrae and a concussion. The injuries were so severe that Moore would never play again. Although Bertuzzi would return to the game after multiple court hearings, suspensions and fines, any attempt at a comeback was simply out of reach. His production decreased, he bounced around different teams and was constantly booed and heckled by opposing team’s fans. Things were never the same for Bertuzzi after this ugly incident.
