The 10 Worst Dads in Sports

For much of their careers, athletes spend more time on the road away from their families and their homes. The result is often a whirlwind of bad behavior, womanizing, or a combination of both. In many of those cases, athletes ended up leaving a small nursery's worth of children in many cities.

However, it isn't just the philandering athlete that gets nominated for "Worst Father of the Year" in sports. There are also hot-headed fathers, those who are quite intrusive, overbearing fathers, and fathers who are just up to no good.

10. Karl Malone

It wasn't until years into his NBA career that Karl Malone found out he had a family that began nearly 20 years earlier. In 1998, Malone was charged in a paternity suit recognizing his fathering of three children by two women in Louisiana when he was a teenager.

After much hand-wringing and balking at ownership of the claim, Malone gave in both publicly and financially for his responsibility of the three children, two of which became professional athletes (Cheryl Ford and Demetrius Bell).

Malone acknowledged to point-blank, telling Bell following his high school graduation that it was too late for them to ever have a relationship.

9. Larry Johnson

Larry Johnson went by the moniker "Grandmama", but in coming years he will be known as "Grandpapa" for a litter of illegitimate children.

Johnson was known as a player with a girl in every city that led to at least five children with four different women-and that's only the confirmed number.

8. George Foreman

There isn't much to throw dirt on George Foreman about in his personal life. He is a the grillmaster, the heavyweight champ, and a minister. However, Foreman did have ten children with five different women.

That alone is quite a feat, but Foreman raised the stakes when he decided to name every single one of his sons after himself, naming them all George and even naming a daughter Georgetta.

7. Shawn Kemp

Shawn Kemp took the rock star's mantra when it came to his personal life. Instead of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, it was sex, drugs, and basketball for The Reign Man.

The former Sonics power forward had at least seven illegitimate children with six different women, but again, that is just the confirmed number.

6. Patrick Roy

A father is supposed to teach his son about sportsmanship and respecting his opponent, right? Well, former NHL great Patrick Roy took the opposite road.

Roy, the head coach of the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, was caught on camera gesturing to his goalkeeper and son Jonathan Roy to come down-ice and fight the opposing goalie, who had no intention off fighting.

After his son pounded on the goalie and then picked a fight with another player, the younger Roy skated off the ice, giving the crowd the ole double one-finger salute.

5. William Ligue, Jr.

Who is William Ligue, Jr.? I'm sure I don't have to tell White Sox fans.

Ligue was the man who thought a good night out with his then-15-year-old son included a drunken, shirtless attack on former Royals first base coach Tom Gamboa in September 2002.

A father and son at a baseball game is loaded with Americana, but this duo gave White Sox fans a stigma they are still trying to shake.

4. Marv Marinovich

Come hell or high water, Marv Marinovich was going to turn his son into an NFL quarterback.

The former USC lineman deprived his son Todd of any treats of childhood. Now, every parent should monitor his or her child's intake of sweets, but Marv never permitted Todd any joys of a young sweet tooth or the joys of a teenage social life.

That came to a head when Todd got to USC, and he promptly got in too deep with alcohol and marijuana, among other disciplinary issues. Four years later, Todd was labeled as one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history.

3. Travis Henry

Travis Henry's family tree now runs 11 children deep to 10(!) different women. Not only has Henry fathered all these children, but he shorted every single woman on child support payments for so long that it led to his arrest.

Currently, Henry-who was released from a $22.5 million contract-owes over $170,000 per year in child support payments.

2. Evander Holyfield

Evander Holyfield didn't father as many children as Henry (nine to Henry's 11) but Holyfield too failed to pay child support, despite one time possessing over $248 million dollars.

Holyfield, whose Georgia home gives European castles a run for their money, lost nearly all of his money, which is why he continues to fight not only for his own survival but for hundreds of thousands of dollars in back payments.

1. Jim Pierce

The cover of this old Sports Illustrated says it all. In 1993, former tennis star Mary Pierce need a permanent separation from her father, who was not only overbearing, but at times abusive.

Jim Pierce was the reason a rule was instituted protecting tennis players from flagrant language after he screamed, "Mary! Kill the b***h!" during a match.

Pierce, who was suspended from WTA events for five years, was also known for abusing his daughter, physically confronting fans, attacking his daughter's bodyguard, and suing his daughter for a percentage of her winnings.