18 Ways Sports Have Incurred the Wrath of PETA

The relationship between the world of sports and the world of PETA hasn't always been all that rosy.

Of course, there are the athletes who go out of their ways to be activists for animals and educate their young fans about the realities of animal abuse.

But then there are the athletes who do the exact opposite.

We all remember PETA's Public Enemy No. 1 and the epic disaster brought about by his dogfighting scandal. But there are a several lesser known, under-the-radar PETA antagonizers who have cropped up over the years.

They may not be quite at Vick level, but PETA won't be sending them a Christmas card anytime soon.

JaMarcus Russell

When you think of an athlete wearing a heinous fur coat, who's the first person who pops into your head?

JaMarcus Russell. Hands down.

The former NFL quarterback and current prospect who is desperately seeking employment was famously a big fan of fur (see the above for evidence). Because we all know how cold it gets in Northern California. 

If he ever gets a job again, it might be best for him to fly a little bit further under the radar and stick with basics. Like a blazer in a neutral color.

Alex Ovechkin Wears Fur

You thought JaMarcus Russell's fur ensemble was bad. And then this image assaulted your eyes.

What you are seeing above is Capitals star Alex Ovechkin decked out in full-body fur armor: a cape and a hat.

Allegedly, Ovechkin didn't wear this by choice: when he was a guest at a soccer match between Anzhi and Zenit Saint Petersburg, the Russian local team presented him him with the Dagestani burka and wool hat as a sigh of respect.

And PETA looked on in horror.

Brett Favre's Hunting-Related 'Pranks'

Brett Favre spent plenty of time waffling over whether he should or shouldn't retire. 

But once upon a time, PETA wrote him a letter encouraging him to just hang up his hat. His hunting hat. 

In 2008, Favre made headlines for allegedly putting dead animals in his teammates' lockers as "pranks." He would hunt the animals, then dump them in his buddies' lockers so they'd open bags and see nothing but "blood and guts."

PETA was not down with that. Thus, it posted an open letter to the Packers quarterback urging him to abandon the "cowardly" act of hunting. 

David Beckham Wears Fur

When your wife is a fashion maven, it's a given that at some point in time, you're going to be wearing fur.

It is safe to assume that Posh demanded it.

British soccer star David Beckham sported this piece of fur back in the day, when getting away with wearing those earrings was still acceptable. Fortunately, he seems to have naturally toned down his fashion tense as his career has wound to a close.

The Horse Racing Industry

It seems pretty obvious that the very sport of horse racing is about as far from PETA-compliant as you can get.

According to PETA, horses are "victims of a multi-billion-dollar industry." The official website quotes a New York Daily News article that refers to thoroughbred race horses as "a genetic mistake." It outlines the dangerous drug practices employed by horse trainers and the poor treatment of the horses, whether they're winners or losers.

In short, horse racing is bad.

Not in short, you can read all about the perils of the sport on PETA's website—the organization has dedicated an entire page to the anti-horse racing campaign.

Shaquille O'Neal Models a Fur Coat…

It once seemed like Shaquille O'Neal was one of those NBA stars who could do no wrong, even in spite of Kazaam.

Those days are no longer.

He may be one of the most popular players in the history of the league, but Shaq is anything but popular with PETA and its supporters. All it took was one image of him rocking this mink coat during his days as a Celtic.

Shaq, we know it's cold in Boston, but you could have just gone with a down North Face like everyone else. Sweet Bruins hat, though.

…Then Passes It on to Nate Robinson

Not only did Shaq anger the masses by sporting a fur coat, but he passed it along to his then-teammate with the Celtics.

Nate Robinson allegedly received this gift from his much larger teammate in 2010, then posted several photos of himself modeling the look in the locker room.

Apparently, even if it's 18 sizes too big, you don't turn down a mink fur coat when Shaq is the person giving it to you.

Jared Allen's Hunting

Lots of athletes love hunting, and as such, they love to post photos of themselves posing with their victims. 

Jared Allen is one such athlete. 

The Vikings defensive end got PETA all in a tizzy when he had his picture taken with not one, not two, but three of the bears who met their end because of him. And he doesn't stop there: allegedly, Allen also hunts boar, elk, deer, moose and bison. 

All wildlife beware. 

Manny Ramirez Wears Fur

Remember when Manny Ramirez was still one of the most feared hitters in baseball? Remember when he still played for the Indians? Remember when he still had a major league job?

PETA does.

Once you've seen this photo, you can never unsee it. While all of his teammates and coaches resorted to team jackets, ear-protective hats and hand warmers in order to battle the frigid Cleveland temperatures, Manny went big league with the full-length fur coat.

There is no excuse for making animals suffer to look this ridiculous. No excuse.

Chipper Jones' Hunting Ranch

Not only does Chipper Jones love hunting, but he loves to advertise it, too. In fact, he has an entire website dedicated to his love for gunning down defenseless animals. 

The former Atlanta Braves third baseman does plenty of his hunting at the Double Dime Ranch in the Texas brush country. According to the ranch's website, it is professionally maintained to "improve the quality of all wildlife within the boundaries." 

And this isn't a ranch that is open to just anyone, either: you have to be a Grade-A hunter in order to step foot onto it. 

PETA is doubtlessly pleased. 

Tracy McGrady Wears Fur

Before his career flamed out in Detroit and Atlanta and people still cared about him, Tracy McGrady was a pro at enraging PETA and its followers. 

The former NBA superstar once showed up to a Vitamin Water event wearing this atrocious fur vest. No wonder Vitamin Water stopped inviting him to its events. It should be ashamed to see him holding that bottle in this picture. 

Isiah Thomas Wears Fur

Isiah Thomas has always been a pro when it comes to enraging the masses. 

There was, of course, his handiwork with the Knicks—they once tied a franchise record with 59 losses under his direction—and his sexual harassment lawsuit levied by a former employee. 

In his post-playing days, Thomas was never a popular guy, but he was even less popular when this photo was unearthed: a younger Thomas is seen posing for a glamour shot wearing this hideous fur zip-up with an outrageously large collar. 

Way to make more enemies. 

Steve Nash Wears Fur

Did Shaq pass this along to Steve Nash, too? 

Unlikely, so it is therefore hard to fathom why Nash would sport this travesty, even as a joke. 

In the olden days as a member of the Phoenix Suns, Nash was seen wearing this comically large fur coat and mugging for the camera. Then PETA saw it and became the first sizable group of people to ever have a reason to despise Steve Nash. 

John Rocker's Existence

It's hard to imagine John Rocker could possibly be disliked even more, given all of the shenanigans he engaged in and despicable things he said throughout the course of his career. 

And then you found out that he loves hunting. 

The infamously racist former pitcher posed for this picture for Sports Illustrated back when people still paid attention to the dumb things he said and did. 

It's a given that pretty much everyone will side with PETA here: John Rocker sucks. 

Michael Irvin Wears the World's Ugliest Ensemble

No, this is not a character from David O. Russell's forthcoming effort. This is Michael Irvin, just going about his daily business. 

Though the Hall of Famer keeps his wardrobe a little more subtle these days as an analyst on the NFL Network, Irvin liked to have fun with his fashion during his playing days. "Fun." 

That tie is one thing. The double-breasted coat is another. Then there are the sunglasses. But the full-length fur is just the icing on the cake of this horrifying ensemble. 

Suddenly, Manny's look doesn't look so bad. 

Johnny Weir Becomes PETA's Public Enemy No. 2

Most of the athletes on this list just sported some fur, didn't say much about it and waited for any commotion to die down before getting on with their lives. 

Not Johnny Weir. 

The famously eclectic Olympic figure skater made sure the world knew his affinity for fur would never be a one-time thing. He made it clear he loves fur. In fact, he specifically said that he would never commit the fashion crime of wearing fake fur. 

Not only did Weir once incur the wrath of PETA for wearing a fur skating costume, but in 2011, Weir designed some pieces for Adrienne Landau's Fall 2011 show and was heavy-handed with the fur. Just in case there was any doubt about his intentions, he told StyleList:

"

I'm a firm believer in real fur. I don't believe in fake fur. Despite having death threats and people wanting me to be hurt because I wear fur, that makes me more aggressive in my choice to wear fur. It's my choice. And I feel like everyone is entitled to that. This is America, after all.

"

'Murica. 

Muhammad Ali Wears Fur

Maybe Muhammad Ali can get away with this. After all, this photo is several decades old, and PETA is only a few decades old itself. 

The boxing legend was photographed wearing his own full-length fur many, many years ago, so we'll chalk it up to a momentary lapse in judgment and call it a day. It's not like he's JaMarcus Russell showing up to the podium wearing fur every week. 

Adrian Peterson Goes Duck Hunting

People love Adrian Peterson. Love him. They love his perseverance, they love his dedication to football, they love the fact that he was able to recover from a devastating injury in a freakishly small amount of time, then return to the field and immediately come this close to etching his name in the history books. 

But then there's this. 

One way to certify that lots of people will not love you is to pose in your full hunting gear, holding a duck upside down like you just beat the game in a real-life version of Duck Hunt. 

GobblerCountry.com blew the whistle on Peterson in 2009, uncovering photos of the Vikings sensation's  post-hunting trip. Though it's important to note that it's not clear whether or not Peterson was the one who shot the birds, it is definitely clear that he should have made sure these photos never saw the light of day.