The 10 Dirtiest Plays in Sports

In basketball, players are running all over the court, getting in each others way, and sometimes you need to develop some sharp elbows if you want to get any sort of space. Of course, an elbow that's a little too intentional is different.

Whether it's grabbing a rebound and letting them fly when you know your opponent is right next to you, or going for a loose ball and "accidentally" throwing a 'bow in the other guy's teeth, elbows are the number one thing players point at when describing a dirty player.

It's hard to believe, but baseball players don't take too kindly to pitchers throwing at them on purpose. I mean, it takes enough guts to stand in the box hoping that the guy throwing 98 mph doesn't hit them on accident.

Some guys will do it to send a message, other will do it out of frustration, but hitting a guy on purpose is definitely not okay and you can bet your teammates will be pissed as well, because they could be the next one getting hit as retribution.

In baseball, players are expected to do their best to break up a double play at second, as long as they keep their feet on the ground. When players like Shelley Duncan thrust their cleats into their opponent, that's when it crosses the line.

Of course, some players took this to the extreme. Ty Cobb, probably the dirtiest athlete of all time, could be seen in the corner of his clubhouse, sharpening his spikes for his famous slides.

Unfortunately, Bud Selig has had all video evidence of any such slides of any kind burned, which gives you an idea just how bad it is.

Mostly limited to women's sports for obvious reasons, the hair pull will also trickle into the men's game when players like Troy Polamalu are involved.

But recently we had one of the best examples of this in history. Elizabeth Lambert, some soccer player for New Mexico State, lost her shit on the field and started attacking other players, involving, yes, a massive hair pull.

I don't know whether to condemn her actions or congratulate her on giving me a reason to watch women's soccer.

The pile-up is a common occurrence in many sports. Rugby has the scrum and football players dogpile on every loose fumble there is. These piles provide brief moments where the players are either completely or partially hidden from officials, so it becomes a breeding ground for dirty play.

The eye gouge is a popular way of injuring your opponent during these things, proven recently by Florida's Brandon Spikes in a recent game against Georgia. Don't worry though, the coach wanted to suspend the kid for half a game, so it's totally even.

It's not always the easiest thing in the world to kick a bouncing ball. Sometimes the ball will bounce away and your left kicking nothing but air—or the guy's head that was going for that same ball.

But in all of the accidental kicks, there's always a few thrown in there that were not accidental at all. The "I was going for the ball" defense usually works, while your opponent is laying in a heap on the ground. Dirty and sneaky.

Hockey is a physical game, there's no doubt about that. If you're not able to bang with the best of them, you should go take up tennis instead. But the blindside check can take down even the toughest guys on the ice.

Imagine skating one way, looking somewhere else, then out of nowhere you run into a brick wall—only if that brick wall was skating full speed towards you. In the video below, the guy doesn't just hit him unexpectedly, he jumps into him with his shoulder. That's just dirty.

It's a general man-rule to never hit another guy in the balls. That also extends to sports. It's one thing to do it accidentally, but an intentional nut shot when the ref isn't looking is just evil.

People forget that Chris Paul gave Julius Hodge the ol' reach around punch back in college, but I have that image seared into my brain. As far as I'm concerned, Chris Paul is still on man-probation for that one.

A lot like the blindside check in hockey, the crackback block may be one of the most dangerous dirty plays in football. Basically, the blocker goes straight for the knees of the pursuing defender when they're not looking.

That will end careers right there. And you don't mess with a man's career. That's how he provides for his family. So when you see Brett Favre, a man who supposedly loves the game and plays it the right way, going for a guy's knees in a preseason game no less. That is a dirty old man right there.

In maybe the most famous dirty play in sports history, Mike Tyson finally showed why at the beginning of many fights they will throw in the warning, "No biting."

It seems so crazy. Of course, no biting. Who would bite someone in a fight?

We got our answer when Mike Tyson took on Evander Holyfield in a title match. Tyson was losing and in a fit of desperation and anger actually bit off a piece of Holyfield's ear.

I'd like to think that's the only time biting came up in sports, but you just know from seeing all these plays that some people will be exceptionally dirty to win.

If you liked this, check out The 10 Greatest Vindication Wins In Sports!