Top 30 Disrespectful Moments In Sports History

Top 30 Disrespectful Moments In Sports History

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at scandalous times in sports history where athletes showed no respect by either breaking the rules or severely bending them.

#30: Vince Carter's Dunk of Death
September 25, 2000
Vince Carter is one of the best dunkers in basketball history, with many of his feats living long in fans’ minds. Yet one in particular showcased his talent and some disrespect. In 2000, Carter was part of the US Olympic basketball team as they took on France in the Preliminary Round. In the second quarter, France was defending and tried to counterattack. However, Carter intercepted and dribbled to the hoop. With plenty of aggression, Carter jumped over the 7-foot-2-inch Frédéric Weis, slamming the ball into the net as the bewildered Frenchman processed what happened. The “Dunk of Death” has remained legendary, and the US went on to secure the gold medal, with France taking silver.

#29: Dennis Wideman Taking Down Official
January 27, 2016
After over a decade in the NHL and in the twilight of his career, Calgary Flames’s defenseman Dennis Wideman had an altercation that smudged his reputation. And it wasn’t with another player, but an official! In 2016, Wideman was body-checked by Nashville Predators’ Miikka Salomaki into the boards. As he returned to the bench, Wideman cross-checked official Don Henderson, who suffered a concussion and had to leave the game. Later, the NHL stated Wideman, who claimed he didn’t see Henderson, was also concussed from the knock by Salomaki. Wideman was suspended for 20 games, later reduced to 10. Henderson sued Wideman, only for the judge to tell him to pay the Flames’ and Wideman’s legal fees and go through the league’s arbitration.

#28: Pedro Martínez Throws Don Zimmer
October 11, 2003
In 2003, the Boston Red Sox took on the New York Yankees in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series. Things got heated when Sox’s Pedro Martínez struck Karim García with a pitch. Then an ill-advised gesture by the pitcher was interpreted by the Yankees’ bench as a threat for a beanball. When tensions got high once more, causing both sides to brawl on the diamond, 72-year-old Yankees coach and baseball legend Don Zimmer went straight for Martínez. Like a judo expert, Martínez side-stepped Zimmer, grabbed his head, and threw him to the ground. In recent years, when asked about the incident, Martínez has spoken of this being the one regret in his glittering career.

#27: Jack Tatum’s Preseason Game Hit on Darryl Stingley
August 12, 1978
In 1978, the New England Patriots faced the Oakland Raiders in a preseason game. The Patriots’s wide receiver, Darryl Stingley, was one of the best around and set to have a long, successful football career. However, that all vanished in an instant. As Stingley tried to reach a wayward pass, Raiders’ safety Jack Tatum collided with him, resulting in two broken vertebrae and a compressed spinal cord for Stingley. He spent the rest of his life a quadriplegic. Today, Tatum’s reckless tackle would be a rule violation. Even then, the Raider wasn't able to shake off the consequences of his act of violence.

#26: Dennis Rodman Kicks a Cameraman
January 15, 1997
Dennis Rodman is one of the best but most controversial players in NBA history. On and off the court, he’s created many scandals, and one of the most egregious was in 1997. Playing for the Chicago Bulls against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Rodman went to retrieve the ball after it went out of bounds. However, he tripped over cameraman Eugene Amos. Instead of moving on from it, Rodman kicked Amos, seemingly in the groin area. The punt was apparently bad enough for Amos to be stretchered away, all while Rodman shook his head. Afterward, the iconic player settled with Amos for $200,000. Rodman was also suspended by the NBA for 11 games, costing him a whopping $1 million.

#25: Chris Simon’s Bladed Step on Jarkko Ruutu
December 15, 2007
At the time of writing, Chris Simon is still the infamous holder of the Guinness World Record for the “longest suspension in NHL history for an infraction during a game.” And it all began in 2007. At the time, the hotheaded winger was playing for the New York Islanders against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Late in the game, Simon tripped Jarkko Ruutu, then stepped on the Finland national’s leg with his blade. Immediately, the stomper was ejected from the game. After first getting a three-game ban, Simon was later suspended for 30 matches by the NHL. After fulfilling the majority of the ban, he left the league when his contract expired.

#24: Balotelli's Bad Backheel
July 24, 2011
Friendly football matches are usually more relaxed events where players are getting back into match fitness. But in 2011, Manchester City’s Mario Balotelli took the relaxed nature so far that it became massively disrespectful. With his side in the US to face LA Galaxy, the City striker put his side one-nil up. Later, Balotelli found himself one-on-one with the ‘keeper. But instead of slotting it away, he spun and tried to backheel the ball in and missed, causing fans to boo him. Not only was teammate Edin Džeko livid, but so was Balotelli’s manager Roberto Mancini. Within minutes, he subbed off the Italian for James Milner. To top off the awkwardness, Mancini and Balotelli then argued on the touchline.

#23: The Costly Charity Sucker-Punch
November 23, 2001
In 2001, after the horror of September 11, a boxing bout was put together to raise money for the Twin Towers Fund. James “Harlem Hammer” Butler battled Richard "The Alien" Grant in a rematch for Grant’s win in 1997. At the end of the bout, Grant won via unanimous decision. With their gloves off, Grant went to hug Butler. However, Butler sucker-punched him across the face instead. Grant suffered a dislocated jaw and a tongue wound that needed 26 stitches. Butler was convicted of assault and spent 4 months in jail. In 2006, Butler was sentenced to 29 years and 4 months imprisonment for arson and the manslaughter of sports writer Sam Kellerman.

#22: Metta Sandiford-Artest Elbows James Harden
April 22, 2012
Metta Sandiford-Artest, formerly known as Ron Artest, has had several infamous incidents of scandal and disrespect in his NBA career. One of the worst happened in 2012. On this fateful day, the Los Angeles Lakers faced the Oklahoma City Thunder. In the second quarter, Lakers’ Sandiford-Artest fired in a dunk to keep his side in the match. Yet as he celebrated, Thunder’s James Harden was nearby and took a Sandiford-Artest elbow on the head, giving the ten-time All-Star a concussion. While Sandiford-Artest later claimed it was unintentional and apologized, he was immediately ejected from the game. Afterward, he was handed a 7-game ban, ruling him out for the rest of the season and some of the playoffs.

#21: Frank Rijkaard’s Wet Attack on Rudi Völler
June 24, 1990
At the most prestigious footballing event in the world, Frank Rijkaard showed everyone a shocking level of disrespect. In the Round of 16 at the 1990 FIFA World Cup, the Netherlands took on West Germany. Rijkaard was gunning for Germany’s forward, Rudi Völler. After fouling him and getting booked, Rijkaard spat in Völler’s hair, which was unseen by the referee. When Völler complained, he, too, saw yellow. Harsh. From the resulting free-kick, Völler handled the ball and seemingly dived to get a penalty. Rijkaard responded by twisting his ear and stamping on him. Unsurprisingly, both players were sent off. But Rijkaard wasn’t done. He spat on Völler’s mane again as the two left the pitch. Gross.

#20: Dale Hunter Blindsides Pierre Turgeon
April 28, 1993
Today, Dale Hunter has a fantastic reputation as a professional hockey coach in the Ontario Hockey League. But back in 1993, he proved himself to be just another testosterone-fueled athlete in the Patrick Division Semifinals of the NHL Playoffs. In Game Six against the New York Islanders, Hunter lost the puck to Pierre Turgeon. Not only did Turgeon capitalize on the opportunity by scoring, he also celebrated – as hockey players often do. Hunter then proceeded to hunt down Turgeon and delivered a hard-hitting check. As a result, he would miss the first 21 games of the following season.

#19: Floyd Mayweather Jr. Punches Victor Ortiz
September 17, 2011
A few years ago, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. destroyed the hopes of casual boxing fans. The pound-for-pound champ crushed the jaw of an opponent that maybe – just maybe – could’ve handed Money his first professional loss. Nobody expected Victor Ortiz to out-box the champ on that June evening, but then again, nobody expected Floyd to get his boxing shorts in a knot and cheap shot a defenseless Ortiz. If you’re a die-hard Mayweather fan, then you probably have a tough-guy take on the incident. But any boxing purist will tell you this, Mojoholics: THAT was a punk move.

#18: Shaq Dunks on Chris Dudley
March 28, 1999
Over the course of his eight-year tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers, Shaquille O’Neal posted some huge numbers. During one particularly sweaty game against the New York Knicks in 1999, he posted his hefty figure all up on Chris Dudley before “complementing” the move with a classic shove. Dudley, being a grown man and all, didn’t quite appreciate this questionable display of sportsmanship. So, he naturally launched the ball at Shaq – as if that could erase this nasty bit of human posterizing from his memory.

#17: Eden Hazard Kicks Ball Boy
January 23, 2013
If you’re familiar with European football, you know that both players and fans alike will basically do anything in the spirit of gamesmanship. So, when a Swansea ball boy attempted to bamboozle the Chelsea club during their 2013 Capital One Cup semifinal game, Eden Hazard wreaked some serious havoc and launched a swift gut bomb to the poor kid’s mid-section. Sure, we don’t exactly condone the ball boy’s behavior. But, in a time when all sporting events are captured on film, we have to wonder: what exactly was Hazard thinking? We’ll say this: Eden earned that Red Card.

#16: Barry Hall Punches Brent Staker
April 12, 2008
If you Google the Australian footballer named Barry Hall, you’ll discover that he’s been involved in a few “incidents” during his AFL career. In a 2008 match against the West Coast Eagles, the veteran tough guy put a left hook on Brent Staker’s chin – because, you know, he’s “competitive”… or perhaps a few cards short of a full deck. All joking aside, the cheap shot took Staker out of the game, and Hall was later suspended for seven games while securing a permanent place on the YouTube wall of shame for unsportsmanlike moments.

#15: Trevor Chappell’s Pansy Bowl
February 1, 1981
When it comes to the rules and regulations of cricket, there’s nothing that says one can’t bowl underarm. But in the spirit of competition, it’s simply a no-no. So, imagine the outrage when an already contentious 1981 match between Australia and New Zealand took a troubling turn when Australia’s Trevor Chappell effectively mailed it in to secure a final victory. The New Zealanders actually needed six runs to tie it up, but in perhaps the most bone-headed decision of Australian cricket, Greg Chappell asked his brother to embrace his inner cowardice, because sports are just that damn important. Briefly a champ, forever a BUM.

#14: Albert Haynesworth Stomps Andre Gurode
October 1, 2006
Early on in the 2006 NFL season, the Tennessee Titans were hosting “America’s Team,” the Dallas Cowboys. However, defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth nearly ended the American Dream of Andre Gurode for no apparent reason other than malicious intent. After a play, Haynesworth strolled on over to a pile of opponents and proceeded to kick and stomp Gurode while he was still on the ground. But while most mature players can keep their emotions and thoughts in check, Haynesworth just went ahead anyway like it was no big deal, which led to 30 stitches for Gurode.

#13: The Shoe Incident
December 23, 1979
Fights are pretty commonplace in hockey. But even for the rock 'em, sock'em playing style of the ‘70s, this brawl involving a Boston Bruins defenseman and New York Rangers fan was really out of the norm. To catch a spectator who’d assaulted a player, the Bruins team leapt into the stands to confront the culprit. However, what was most shocking was when Mike Milbury hit the offender with his own shoe. The incident led to multiple player suspensions and fines.

#12: Roberto Alomar and the Spitting Incident
September 27, 1996
He may be one of baseball’s most talented second basemen, but that doesn’t mean he always kept himself in line. During a 1996 game against the Blue Jays, Roberto Alomar objected to John Hirschbeck’s call by spitting in the umpire’s face. Though the Baltimore Orioles player claimed the umpire had made racist comments, Alomar was suspended for five games. The two eventually reconciled.

#11: Boston Marathon Cheater
April 21, 1980
Though Rosie Ruiz maintained that she ran the Boston Marathon in its entirety, it’s generally accepted the Cuban American cheated her way to the finish line. The fact that Ruiz barely broke a sweat and wasn’t familiar with common runners’ terms was just the starting point for people’s suspicions. For while there wasn’t any video surveillance, witness reports that she took the subway and official investigations ultimately revealed the truth.

#10: Kermit Washington Punches Rudy Tomjanovich
December 9, 1977
When you’re one of seven players to average 20 points and 20 rebounds over your entire college career, it takes something pretty despicable for that to be overshadowed. And there’s really nothing to justify the 1977 roundhouse punch that Kermit Washington dropped on Rudy Tomjanovich, who was simply trying to break up an in-game brawl between the L.A. Lakers and Houston Rockets. The punch nearly killed Tomjanovich, and considering the graphic descriptions of those who witnessed it first-hand, it’s kind of a miracle that he went on to have a successful coaching career – considering he tasted his own spinal fluid on that fateful day.

#9: Eric Cantona Kung Fu Kick
January 25, 1995
Football and martial arts: these two sports don’t often appear in the same sentence, but a French athlete known as King Eric brought the two together during an outrageous moment in 1995. Playing away to Crystal Palace, Eric Cantona overheard a Palace fan’s hateful boasting. Did he just shrug it off? Nah, he instead greeted him with a Bruce Lee-style Kung Fu kick, followed by a series of Floyd Mayweather-like jabs. When all was said and done, Cantona earned himself an eight-month ban. In perhaps the strangest press conference ever, the player referenced… “seagulls.” Wow.

#8: Marty McSorley Hits Donald Brashear with Stick
February 21, 2000
In the world of hockey – a sport in which players are allowed to fight during games – there’s nothing that typically surprises fans, or players for that matter. Unless, of course, it’s a blindside cheap shot. In 2000, with less than five seconds left in a game against the Vancouver Canucks, the Boston Bruins’ Marty McSorley inexplicably whacked Donald Brashear in the face from behind. This led Brashear to not only take a nasty backwards fall, but also to suffer from a severe concussion. When there are so many ways to confront your opponent in hockey, this particular display of unsportsmanlike conduct unsurprisingly caught the attention of the British Columbia authorities. McSorley would end up being sentenced to 18 months’ probation. He never played in the NHL again.

#7: Luis Suárez Biting Incidents
Various
We could probably make a whole list about this player’s numerous misdeeds, but for this video, we’re going to go with what striker Luis Suárez is most commonly known for: biting opposing players. Yes, playerS. The first incident occurred in 2010, when he bit attacking midfielder Otman Bakkal on the shoulder. In 2013, he went for Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic. Then, a year later, he bit the back shoulder of Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini during a World Cup match. While widely considered a skilled and talented player, his actions with his teeth along with other controversies have surely cast a shadow over his career.

#6: Black Sox Scandal
(1919)
This scandal caused so much damage to baseball that officials banned the players involved for life. Referring to the conspiracy between eight White Sox players and pro gamblers to deliberately lose the 1919 World Series games, this fixing of the MLB championship also achieved notoriety for the alleged participation of legendary athletes like Eddie Cicotte and Shoeless Joe Jackson.

#5: Zinedine Zidane Headbutts Marco Materazzi
July 9, 2006
It was during France’s return to the 2006 World Cup Finals when, seemingly out of nowhere, Zinedine Zidane used his noggin’ to hit Marco Materazzi’s chest. Zidane was sent off the pitch, and Italy won the game in the shootout. It was later revealed the Italian player had taunted and insulted him. Zidane has publicly said that he wouldn’t have been able to live with himself if he wasn’t sent off. We’re not sure that France would say the same thing.

#4: Todd Bertuzzi Punches Steve Moore
March 8, 2004
It's one thing to stand up for a team mate, but this was just way out of line. In retaliation for a hit on captain Markus Näslund by Colorado avalanche forward Steve Moore in a previous game, Vancouver Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi attempted to provoke Moore into fighting him. But when Moore would not respond, Bertuzzi proceeded to grab his jersey and punch him on the side of his face. Moore would subsequently land face first on the ice. Out cold, he was carried out in a stretcher. Although Bertuzzi apologized for his actions, the league would suspend him for the remainder of the season and the incident remains one of the NHL’s darkest moments.

#3: Attack on Nancy Kerrigan
January 6, 1994
While the Olympics are competitive, this went beyond anything we'd come to expect from figure skating. To increase her chances at the Olympics, Tonya Harding conspired to have rival Nancy Kerrigan taken out of the picture. Kerrigan was then unable to participate in the U.S. Figure Skating Championship, clearing the way for Harding’s victory. Though both made the Olympic team, Harding eventually faced charges for her involvement.

#2: The Malice at the Palace
November 19, 2004
Though the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons fight began on the court, it quickly degenerated into the NBA’s most infamous brawl when they took it to the stands: after a spectator threw a drink at the man formerly known as Ron Artest, pro b-ballers and fans began throwing punches and drinks at each other. The Pacers-Piston brawl led to multiple player suspensions and criminal charges for several fans.

#1: Mike Tyson Bites Evander Holyfield
June 28, 1997
Mike Tyson was already seen as a wild and crazy boxer, but his 1997 rematch against Evander Holyfield topped anything and everything else he'd done in the ring. During “The Sound and the Fury” fight, Tyson bit his opponent’s ear on two separate occasions during the match. He later stated his actions were in response to Holyfield’s un-penalized head butting.

What moment of sporting disrespect left a lasting impression for you? Let us know below!