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Athletes are arrogant. We all know that. And if we made millions of dollars per year to do something we actually like, we'd probably be a little on the arrogant side, too...

Five Worst Displays of Athletic Arrogance

by Samuel Bell Jr (Columnist)

39

936 reads

Opinion

July 01, 2008


Athletes are arrogant. We all know that. And if we made millions of dollars per year to do something we actually like, we'd probably be a little on the arrogant side, too.

Unfortunately, that arrogance can turn into a huge foot being stuck into the mouth of the offender. Last I checked, feet don't taste too good.

Everyone says things that they end up eating later, but most of us aren't important enough to have our words blown up on ESPN's Around the Horn.

Therefore, athletes should live by the old adage, "You are what you eat," and make sure that they don't have to feast on their own feet after a comment.

Stupidly, some athletes keep making that same mistake, even after so many people have tripped on the same bump in the locker room. Once you see it done once, that should be enough.

It's like being at a bar and watching someone put something foreign into your drink and saying to yourself, "Hey, I'll drink it anyway. What's the worst that could happen?"

Uh, things like rape, robbery, and even death. After all of the late-night PSAs about date-rape drugs and the bad possibilities, you wouldn't drink that.

And athletes shouldn't make dumb predictions and guarantees. Leave that for the analysts.

Besides, you don't want to give the other team bulletin-board material. More importantly, you shouldn't want to look stupid.

Here are five situations in which athletes made bold statements and ended up with a big Shaq-sized foot in their mouths.

 

5. Pittsburgh Steelers and Anthony Smith's "Guarantee"

Okay, when you are preparing to play one of the most prolific offenses in NFL history, and you're a second-string safety thrown into duty because of injury, you would think that if anyone were to be quiet, it would be you, right?

Not if you're Anthony Smith.

Not only was Smith not quiet, but he said those little words that give sportswriters something to talk about all week.

"We're going to win."

C'mon, Smith. Why?

Even his teammates were in the media hanging him out to dry for that comment. You're playing the NFL's current dynasty, the New England Patriots, and you are an under-developed, inexperienced safety with less starts than your kicker's jersey number, and you're making guarantees?

Not only did the Steelers go on to lose 34-13, but Smith gave up multiple TDs, with one being a 63-yard strike to Randy Moss, in which Brady got in his face and further embarrassed him. Sigh.

Foot in Mouth Factor (on 1 to 10-toe scale): 3 Toes

 

4. Kobe Bryant's Rant to the Boston Fans

Okay, Kobe "Tell Me How My A** Tastes" Bryant, you are a great player and showed class by taking that beating from the Celtics like a man.

But did you honestly believe that you were going to win Game Six of the 2008 NBA Finals? Apparently so, since you were mouthing off to the Boston home crowd after a quick first quarter start.

Maybe since we viewers couldn't hear you, you thought we wouldn't know what you were saying.

We knew, thanks to Jeff Van "Always Saying Weird Things" Gundy, as he told us you were yelling to someone in the front row, "Not tonight, man! Not tonight!" Oh yeah, Kobe. Tonight and in the worst way.

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39 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment

  1. Michael Inglis about 1 year ago

    My favorite one is brady. I think Kobe is just all around cocky and he has good reason to be. Im not a huge fan of his but i do like him. I was watching that Seahawk, Packers game and i think he was saying it more out of fun. But either way he probably deserved to be on the list.

    One other thing, this gurantee thing has gotten old. So many athletes are doing it and it will always belong to Namath.

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  2. Bill San Antonio about 1 year ago

    i watched that playoff game against the packers, when hasselbeck said that, i already knew the pack had the game. i covered my face in disgust but cracked up laughing when he threw that pick to al harris. 'we want the ball and we're gonna score.' ok guy. as for pat riley, i don't think there's been a finals parade when a coach hasn't said that. it's not really a foot in mouth for riley, i don't think anyone saw the heat's misfortunes coming.

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    • Samuel Bell Jr about 1 year ago

      That Seahawks game was so priceless! I laughed my ass off too! As for Riley, I blame him for not thinking about how old that championship team was before he said that. They rode D-Wade and the refs to a title, but there was no way that old team would even have a chance the next season. At least I felt that way immediately...thanks for commenting

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  3. Drew Apicture about 1 year ago

    I still can't believe they blew it and let that hill billy look like an actual decent athlete... Rodney Harrison finally decides not to go for the big hit once in his entire lifetime and watches his receiver catch the ball with his helmet... just when i though i finally forgo and moved on I am once again enraged.. but good article! and yes Tom talk with your game performance not your mouth anymore, and stop doing those terrible modeling campaigns you scare me.

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  4. Saraswathi Siriginia about 1 year ago

    Good article!

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  5. L.J. Burgess about 1 year ago

    Well done ! 5 starz

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  6. Mark Ogarte about 1 year ago

    That's not Kobe Bryant bragging, as Chris Paul once advertised best in the "There could only be one" thing, that's Kobe Bryant believing and trying to lift his team's spirits!

    Though things didn't fall according to plan, I never thought about Kobe bragging and displaying arrogance of any sort.

    He appeared on a show where he was a mystery guest, and I could sense the man's gracefulness in defeat. He's got young teammates around. I believe this kind of experience would toughen the fiber of this squad. That would have to wait to see progress another year.

    Nice article though. Just sharing my insights. :)

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  7. Matt Breen about 1 year ago

    My boy brady had to eat his words hard.

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  8. Rohit Banerjee about 1 year ago

    The best by far, I thought, was the seahawks once just because that is such incredible arrogance to show, im sure he just kind of blurted it out without thinking in the passion of the moment but still

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  9. Bruce Dickenson about 1 year ago

    Thank GOD someone finally acknowledges Brady's blatant arrogance. I am so tired of hearing Patriots fans talk about how professional he is. His arrogance bought him a loss in the Super Bowl.

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    • Max Iascone about 1 year ago

      Actually genius, Sam was referring to a single moment when Brady was arrogant, not his entire personality, on the whole, to call Brady arrogant is idiotic and unfounded, he did shoot his mouth off about the Jets and admittedly calling them a classless organization was uncalled for but he's done this twice in his 8 year career so no trend towards arrogance is noticeable unless you are a Jets fan. And his arrogance didn't lose him that game, his offensive line did, by the looks of it, you didn't even watch that game. Brady can't win if he's on his ass all game, 5 sacks and 9 more knockdowns, pressure coming from all sides. No QB could've done well with such a poor performance from the O-line (or a great performance from NY's front 4) If you're going to bash Brady or the Pats... at least do it right.

      But I do agree with Matt "My boy Brady had to eat his words hard" Good article Sam.

      One last thing, I believe he said "We want the ball and we're gonna score" I was watching the game for some reason.

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    • Bruce Dickenson about 1 year ago

      Please Max reconsider your point of view. He is terribly passively arrogant. If there is a mathematical calculation that will provide you with the exact spot on earth where you can find humble, Tom Brady resides at the polar opposite. I have said it before and I will say it again, I used to defend the guy and even praise him when he kept his mouth shut and played good ball. Not any more.

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    • Ryan about 1 year ago

      You can't classify someone as arrogant for making a comment or two like Brady made, with a smile and meant to be a joke. His next statement after that was "at least say that you'll (the Giants) win 38-35" so it's all in fun. But I can't say that he didn't have to "eat his words"

      Every single athlete has at one time or another made an arrogant comment... they're athletes and have to be a little bit arrogant and cocky or they wouldn't last in any sport.

      So while the Giants did make Brady pay for what he said there's no way that he's a "blatantly arrogant person" like you said

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    • Greg Adams about 1 year ago

      I thought part of being an NFL QB was being arrogant. Isn't it in the job description somewhere?

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  10. Colin Linneweber about 1 year ago

    Very well-written article.....Kudos!

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    • Samuel Bell Jr about 1 year ago

      Thanks Colin! Max good points, I like a comment board debate! Thanks Max for telling me what Matt really said, you're right, I went and changed it...I'm really glad everyone enjoyed the article! Keep the comments coming!

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  11. Ryan Staab about 1 year ago

    Don't know if it counts considering Bellicheck's not an "athlete" but him leaving the game with a minute left on the clock in Super Bowl XLII was pretty arrogant as well.

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    • Jeff Allen about 1 year ago

      I gave Belichick a pass on that one. First off, it was 1 second and not 1 minute - Second of all, the clock hit 0:00, at which point Belichick crossed the field and shook hands and then took off towards the locker room. The referees were stupid to put 0:01 back on the clock. And yes, Belichick probably knew that a second was put back on the clock but figured, like the rest of America, what the hell is the point?

      Belichick is plenty arrogant, so he could definitely find a spot on this list in other ways.

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  12. Ron Johnson about 1 year ago

    In Kobe's defense, he did guarantee after winning the MVP award that the Lakers would be playing in June. He was right about that at least. But unfortunately, he never said they would win it all in June. So this article is the perfect ending to a wild NBA season. Good read. Funny as hell!

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  13. Harris Decker about 1 year ago

    This article could of just had Tom Brady in it and still been a fantastic article. Good stuff keep it coming.

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  14. Jeff Allen about 1 year ago

    Comparing athletic verbal arrogance to date rape, robbery, and death? What the hell is that all about? That makes no sense at all - not even as an attempt at being humorous. That was just dumb.

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    • Samuel Bell Jr about 1 year ago

      You misunderstood the comment...I wasn't comparing the two as I was merely stating that it's very stupid to come out and say things with no backing, just like it doesn't make sense to drink a drink after it has been tampered with...that's all, didn't want to offend anyone...

      As for everyone else, thanks for the comments and I'm really happy that people enjoyed the writing! That's what keeps me doing it!

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    • Jeff Allen about 1 year ago

      No offense taken. I simply found it an extremely odd and random observation - making arrogant comments before an athletic event and drinking something that you know has been tampered with are equally questionable decisions to make.

      I'm curious how many people you know that think it is perfectly rational to drink something that they have personally seen being tampered with? Do these people exist?

      "Hmmm, that strange man that I don't know just dropped something in my drink...

      ....Oh well, I'm sure it was nothing. Gulp!"

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  15. Jeff Allen about 1 year ago

    I think Brady's comment is being taken out of context. He said it, but if you actually HEARD it you'd notice he was smiling and half-laughing, and the media around him laughed as well. It was a comment made in jest.

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    • Samuel Bell Jr about 1 year ago

      Also, I did HEAR Brady's comment and he was kinda poking fun, but so what? It's still a foot in the mouth and ironic that they scored LESS than what was predicted, so he earns a spot on this list. Period.

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    • Bruce Dickenson about 1 year ago

      He is terribly passively arrogant. If there is a mathematical calculation that will provide you with the exact spot on earth where you can find humble, Tom Brady resides at the polar opposite. I have said it before and I will say it again, I used to defend the guy and even praise him when he kept his mouth shut and played good ball. Not any more.

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  1. John Lewis about 1 year ago

    Good read...players must love to eat some feet. I think Anthony Smith's is the worst because he's not even a super star.

    The others have backed up some bold statements before.

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  2. Shaun Ahmad about 1 year ago

    Brady isn't arrogant. He had every right to believe that the Pats would score more than 17.

    We can't expect athletes to talk if we call them cocky for being honest but phony for using the generic company line.

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  3. Greg Adams about 1 year ago

    Maybe I'll gain enough flexibility to get my foot to my mouth someday; until then, I'll just make dumb comments and do it metaphorically.

    Great article, Samuel.

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  4. Reggie Garcia about 1 year ago

    Great read, This is the kind of article people get mad about and argue = MORE COMMENTS

    I do believe Brady is arrogant, not just from his comment, but from how he carries himself and his demeanor. Im not saying he is a bad QB, I am just saying all the ads, dating models, etc. Reminds me of Broadway Joe. IN THAT he does all of that stuff

    I don't want people to take it the wrong way

    Same as Kobe, he needs to just play. I know exactly what he was doing with all the interviews and talk leading up to the finals (I was a Psych major, and he had many facial expressions and the way he said things, classic psychology.) He was being very smug, he loves the attention and people comparing him to Jordan

    NEWS FLASH: Jordan is Jordan, Kobe is that guy Shaq rapped about =]

    5 stars!!

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  5. Michael Schlossberg about 1 year ago

    While I do have a lot of respect for Tom Brady, he was just a little too full of himself and didn't realize what a team that had gone through adversity all year can do.

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  6. Chris D'Aniello about 1 year ago

    How bout Brett Favre dicking over Aaron Rodgers with this comeback talk?

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  7. Ben Weixlmann about 1 year ago

    Ha! Hasselbeck in overtime was hilarious...what a joke.

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  8. Raider D Richardson about 1 year ago

    you all like the comment Brady made BEFORE the SB, but what about the one AFTER.

    "We're still the Best! Even if we lost ."

    LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    my friend told me, so it might not of happened, but was still funny.

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