It's easy to recognize and commend the good but what about the bad and just plain ugly. From brawls to scantily clad nannies and sex scandals to tearful confessions and cons, there were some oh so forgettable 2008 sports moments that made your skin crawl and scream out random things that border idiotic, like Sarah Palin
WORST 8 SPORTS MOMENTS OF 2008
8.) WNBA Shock Sparks Brawl
Not to be outdone by their male counterparts,the Detroit Shock and Los Angeles Spark ensued the first ever cat fight in WNBA during a game at the Palace on July 23rd that left WNBA fans enraged, male viewers cheering and two players suspended. Already a heated rivalry between the two squads, the ongoing tension that night from an earlier play involving LA Sparks franchise player and media darling, Candice Parker and veteran forward, Cheryl Ford, fueled the fight between Parker and Detroit Shock forward, Pienette Pierson who got tangled up tussling for the ball after a missed shot by Pierson. Of course, with teammates coming to each others aid, things got even more ugly after an "accidental" push of Lisa Leslie by Detroit assistant coach, Rick Mahorn resulted in a retaliation from Sparks forward, Delisha Milton-Jones. Detroit's Pierson and Mahorn were suspended for four and two games respectively while Kara Braxton, Tasha Humphrey, Elaine Powell and Sheri Sam (also from Detroit), along with Los Angeles' Leslie, Candace Parker and DeLisha Milton-Jones all got a one game suspension. Although this incident is prime example unsportman-like conduct and is very unladylike, I must admit this "catfight" certainly breathed life into a genre that has very selective few fans.
7.)U.S. Relay Teams Drop The Baton
The Olympics held so many shining moments for the stars and stripes but the embarrassing mishaps of the gold contending (perhaps second to the Jamaican relay team) U.S. men's relay team certainly wasn't one of them. Failing to qualify for the FINALS for the first time since 1988 after a misconnect between Darvis Patton and Tyson Gay on a final pass, left the Americans watching from the sidelines as the Jamaican relay team smoked its competition by a world record setting time of 37.10 seconds. To make matters even worse, the U.S. Women's relay team suffered the same fate and failed to qualify for the finals as for the first time since 1948!
6.)Kimbo Slice Exposed As Farce
Like Mulder from the X-Files we want to believe in the greatest American hero, that wayward underdog, that rises against all odds to realize the American dream. This is especially true in sports, so when word spread like wildfire about back alley brawler putting men down with one punch on Youtube, MMA fans had someone to believe in and the networks had a new poster child to exploit. Kimbo Slice's journey as a street fighter to ESPN cover story was truly nothing but a testament to how the wheels of the capitalist cash machine turn. After losing washed up fighter Ken Shamrock to an eye injury and CBS color commentator, Frank Shamrock (Ken's brother) to disqualification due to a broken arm, the Elite XC finally found a "suitable" replacement in Fort Myers native, Petruzelli, an average mixed martial artist all of 205 lbs and a 2-2 win-loss record since 2004 Kimbo was "sure" to beat. Only the surefire win backfired in a 14 second KO Ryu style! Haduken!
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5.)From America's Sweetheart to Jailbird
Only a short four years ago, track star Marion Jones was America's sweetheart and three time Olympic gold medalist. She was the epitome of the female athlete: charming, strong yet humble gracing the covers of Vogue and Sports Illustrated within in the course of a year. What a difference a year can make, now the biggest athlete to fall victim to Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative scandal, Jones is flat broke and faces jail time after admitting to steroid use before her 2000 Sydney Olympic run up until after the 2004 Athens Olympics. Jones vehemently denied use of any performance drugs for years after she initially fell under suspicion but finally came clean in a well put together confession of lying and cheating that later broke down into a tearful apology worthy of an Oscar.
4.) Sean Avery Sloppy Seconds Suspension
Dallas Stars' former frontman, Sean Avery took the words "Open mouth, Insert foot" to new heights when the NHL suspended him INDEFINITELY for his comments about Calgary defenseman Dion Phaneuf dating his ex-girlfriend, actress Elisa Cuthbert and about Los Angeles Kings center Jarret Stoll who is now the beau of his ex,supermodel turned actress, Rachel Hunter commenting that he doesn't know what it is about NHL Players falling in love with his "sloppy seconds." NHL Commissioner obviously has had enough of Avery's snide remarks, that in year's previous included calling Martin Brodeur "fatso" for not shaking his hand, badmouthed Ducks announcer, Brian Hayward as a "terrible announcer and an embarassment" and last but not least criticized director of NHL Operations, Colin Campbell after he was fined for diving. The man even has a rule invented bearing his name called the Avery rule. Now that Avery is banned from the league, he should pen a book deal. Maybe call it How to Ruin Your Career in Two Stupid Words or A Dumb Asses Guide to Ruining Your Career.
3.) Winless in Motown, Lions Go For 0-16
As if the potential downfall of the "Big Three", one of the nation's highest unemployment and foreclosure rates weren't enough, Detroit can now add another notch of mediocrity to its belt---worst in NFL history. After a loss to Green Bay, the Lions surpassed the previous record record holders, the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-14) to become the first team to lose an entire season. Although being 4-0 in the preseason is by far not a clear indicator of a team's destination to Loserville or the Superbowl Promised Land, not even the most negative Lions' naysayer could of predicted this record setting season!
2.) Sex, Lies and Roger Clemens
What started as scandalous accusations made by ex-trainer, Brian McNamee alleging Clemens used steroids and other performance enhancement drugs has snowballed into steamy sex scandal of Clemens decade long trysts with country star Mindy McCready, then a 15 year old aspiring singer. Clemens was once a media and fan favorite, having won 7 Cy Young Awards (two more than any pitcher), pitching 4,000 strikeouts in his career and having achieved World Series success. It wasn't until the release of the now infamous Mitchell Report that Clemens would go down in history for another kind of notoriety---steroid use. Clemens was mentioned a whopping 82 times in the 20+page report stating that he and others used anabolic steroids and or performance enhancement drugs of which McNamee personally injected a few players. With a pending federal investigation, endorsements falling by the wayside and most recently, the Houston based institute that bears his name planning a name change this year, can things get any worse for Roger Clemens?
1.) Bronze Medal Hissyfit
Talk about your sore loser, never have I seen such an example of utter disrespect for sportsmanship on the international level than the incident with Swedish wrestler, Ara Abrahamian in Beijing this summer. After being awarded the bronze, Abrahamian threw down the medal in disgust during the medal ceremony and stormed off. He had to be restrained by his teammates early on then later proceeded to shout at the referee and angrily confront the judges. Ara and his coach both screamed bloody murder, citing politics as the cause of this outrage. Despite potential scandal, there's a time and place for everything and there's no excuse for a grown man throwing a temper tantrum on the most prestigious platform in sports there is! And I thought the Swedish were suppose to be neutral? Wait maybe that's the Netherlands. I'm sure they wouldn't mind the bronze.
Honorable Mentions:
Tom Brady Season Ending Injury, Brett Favre and Green Bay Mudslinging
Man this is better than the good list. Cause it is so funny
Yea there are quite a few good laughs on the list! . I wonder if that foreign athletes rights activist (Sue) from my previous post will come advocate for Swedish wrestler, Ara Abrahamian. I have him as my worst sports moment for throwing down his bronze medal in the Olympics in a fit of "rage" and injustice even though the other 90% of my post is about Americans haha
What about that guy that drop-kicked the judge during the Olympics? The picture of that made me laugh for hours!
Just because a gay guy beat me no need to put me on the list
x57SMC
x57SMC