Randy Moss vs Mario Balotelli: Who's More Controversial to Their Sport?

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Every sport and every industry have a class clown. As sports fans we want to be intrigued. As soccer fans that travel up and down the country visiting our teams, whether it be a League 2 team on a Saturday afternoon or watching College Football, we can experience many lows with our teams.

So what is it we exactly take from our sports that keeps us coming back? Mince pies? The ever so nonchalant time on the couch watching Sportscenter? Or maybe it is those quirky individuals that provide comic relief in our time of despair?

Step forward NFL fans, soccer has Mario Balotelli: A very talented player who despite his critics is a very modest individual as displayed in an interview with Noel Gallagher. However, we all know how controversial he has gone on to be since entering English shores, with many antics that surely have made Manchester comedians think as to how they could keep up. 

It begs the question, is there anyone more controversial in sport than Balotelli?

Step forward Soccer fans, NFL has Randy Moss: To NFL fans he needs no introduction. One of the most talented wide receivers to grace the Gridiron landscape, Moss is a sure-fire Hall of Famer. As shown in “The Moss Method,” there isn’t anything that would hamstring Randy from achieving his goals. But we have also seen an eccentric side of Moss, from Minnesota to San Francisco, Calif.,  Moss has always been able to grab the headlines.

 

Let’s get one thing perfectly clear, these two individuals are supremely talented individuals. But who really brings the more drama to their respective sport? Let’s take a look….

Clothing: Moonlighting vs Why Always Me

Did this intrigue you? Or did the "Why always me" T Shirt?
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So both these incidents involve clothing (or makeshift clothing in Moss’s case).

Moonlighting

 

Humour

Although it may have been funny for the neutral, it may not have been the Packers type of cheese. The fact that Moss was fined $10,000 showed that the humour must have eviscerated rapidly due to the seriousness of the incident.

 

Impact

This incident always has been seen as a controversial blotch on his career so maybe the stars may not align the way the moon would want.

 

Why Always Me?

Humour

This bought a lot of humour as only Balotelli can pull it off with such conviction. From being portrayed as a victimised persecution message, it summed up just how much of an iconic figure Balotelli has become.

Impact

You would think the last people to take pleasure out of this would be Manchester United fans. But with an eight-point lead at the tail end of the season, United fans took to memes, signs and t-shirts to channel the saying as to “Why are we always champions?” It seemed that this saying would be the perfect catchphrase to silencing their neighbours. However, with City coming back to take the League, it now is a merchandising tool in City's store. To think one celebration would garner such revenue.

 

Verdict

Mario may have a Bluemoon , but it’s not moonlighting so he wins this one.

Wheres Your Head At? Afro vs Hand Hat

Does this get your vote? Or does Mario's unique hat?
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Afro

Humour

For months Randy Moss kept enclosed in his helmet his signature afro. Upon revealing it, fans were shocked and very humoured by such a revelation. For such a build up as that, I think Moss to culminate it with such intrigue has got to be up there.

 

Impact

To this day, we have not seen anything like it, and if we do, you can guarantee this moment will be the benchmark in terms of comparing wild gridiron hair. I’m sure Dashon Goldson and Moss will be trading grooming tips soon.

 

Hand Hat

Humour

Upon warming a bench, there are several things you can do. Provide a new person for the regular backup goalkeeper to talk to, as he once again sits on the bench, or maybe peel the half-time oranges. But to put on a funky hat to intrigue the crowd on a cold night, now that’s one way to upstage the 22 on the pitch.  For the niche of the type of hat, this has to be a classic Balotelli moment.

 

Impact

We have seen many quirky things at City, from Stuart Pearces toy donkey to the “Welcome to Manchester” poster, but the shape of this hat ensures the fingers claw it Mario's way. With Balotelli an endorser of this hat when traders sell it, it will ensure this stays in their memories a long time. (Although Mae Youngs hand all grown up on Raw 1000 this week may upstage Mario's Hand hat.)

 

Verdict

Although the hand hat was a treat, Randy's afro will always be iconic, which is why this one goes to the 49er. 1-1

Money! Money! Money!

Money is the object of this one
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“Straight Cash Homie”

 

Humour

Both of these incidents are to do with their tongue in cheek remarks regarding cash. “Ain't nothing but 10 grand. What's 10 grand, to me?” was a quote from Moss about his laissez-faire attitude towards the amount of cash he had to pay for his moonlighting fine (per ESPN). Along with the “straight cash homie” quote, despite being said humorously, generally shows some NFL players' attitudes toward money, which has seen the likes of Terrell Owens become bankrupt.

 

Impact

This quote featured in his “One clap” video has been synonymous with Moss, but will generally be associated with the moonlighting incident.

 

“I’m Rich”

 

Humour

This was a reply to a police officer, as to why Mario had £5,000 in his pocket (from The Telegraph). The wittiness of the incident showed the charisma of Balotelli. However, due to it being to do with fireworks being let off at his house the humour is not relevant.

 

Impact

Like Moss, these money quotes were attributed to controversy, and despite Mario using this to help the police with dangerous fireworks campaigns, it will always be seen as negative.

 

Verdict

Wouldn’t say we have a winner here.

Trouble!

Controversy seems to follow Moss and Balotelli
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Food Rant

 

Trouble Factor

Per ESPN, Moss was very vocal about the food he was given while at the Vikings by shouting at the team caterer, “I wouldn’t feed this to my dog.” With such outspoken words it was clear that Moss had clearly rubbed the locker room the wrong way.

 

Impact

This pretty much was a tipping point in Minnesota for the Vikings, who waivered Moss soon after.

 

Shopping Detour

 

Trouble Factor

As confirmed by Mario in an interview, Balotelli was enlisted by his mother to go to John Lewis to purchase cleaning products. He then emerged with a trampoline and two Vespa scooters (per The Mirror).

 

Impact

We’ll never know his mother's reaction, but we know it may not have been pretty. However, Balotelli did confirm he still had the scooter. Since he said “scooter” I wonder where the other one is?

 

Verdict

Just for the fact that Moss rubbed people the wrong way, Mario can wheel off on his Kart (or shall I say scooter) with this one.

Finishers

Randy Moss has scored some very impressive Touchdowns over the years
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Catches

 

Effectiveness

Randy Moss is known for his crazy catches such as his one-handers. Aside from the uniqueness of this, it showed Moss’s amazing skill.

 

Impact

His statistics speak for themselves.

 

Shoulder Goal

 

Effectiveness

In a game vs Norwich City, Balotelli emerged on the goal line after a botched shot off the crossbar. He then followed it up with a suave shoulder shimmy to round off the goal.

 

Impact

The coolness of how it was pulled off shows just how Box Office Mario is for the English Premier League. It has ensured in everyone’s eyes that Mario should always be closely watched, as anything can happen.

 

Verdict

The fact that Moss has consistently done this gives him this one.

Conclusion

Who gets your vote?
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Well, at 2-2 we have a tie. Who’s the winner? Well that’s for you to decide. Whether you’re an NFL or soccer fan or both, this will be intriguing. Who really is the more controversial figure?