Floyd Mayweather and the Most Controversial Athletes of All Time

Floyd Mayweather and controversy just seem to follow each other around. It's not by coincidence; the undefeated championship boxer loves to stir the pot whenever he can. No subject is too taboo for him to touch, especially if it brings him attention and can put more money in his pocket with pay-per-view buys. 

But Pretty Boy Floyd is hardly the only athlete to create controversy in his career. In fact, throughout the course of history, many of the most controversial figures in the world have been athletes.

An athlete is different from a "regular person" because they believe they are invincible. Nothing that they say or do is going to come back to bite them, so they figure they might as well make as much of an impact as they can while people are still willing to listen. 

In honor of Mayweather's big fight on Saturday with Miguel Cotto, we wanted to present you with a list of the most controversial athletes of all-time. 

There are varying degrees of controversy--some of the names on the list have made controversial headlines just within their sports while others have caused a stir within the entire population. Some have effected both parties equally--so keep that in mind. 

Here are the 15 most controversial athletes in the history of sports. 

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Floyd Mayweather, Boxer

We might as well start with the man who is going to step right into the spotlight tonight, Floyd Mayweather. 

Some controversial athletes are just begging for attention, but Mayweather is a man who has never let a word come out of his mouth that he doesn't firmly believe. Even if it is going to get him into hot water legally, he is going to speak his mind. 

Whether he is calling Manny Pacquiao out for using performance-enhancing drugs, or getting into shouting matches with an 80-year-old boxing analyst, or agreeing to plea deals in domestic abuse cases, Mayweather is a lightning rod for controversy in and out of the ring.

It only makes you wonder what Mayweather has in store for the cameras after his fight with Cotto on Saturday.  

Muhammad Ali, Boxer

A beloved icon around the world today, Ali will always be one of the most controversial figures in the history of this country. Forget just sports, Ali was going up against the United States Government for what he believed were wrongdoings around the world. 

It was Ali's conviction and willingness to stand up to what he felt was wrong with the world that robbed him of three years during his peak because he was unable to obtain a boxing license due to his protest of the Vietnam War. 

We can look back and celebrate Ali's career in the ring, but his work outside of the boxing world will define his legacy as much as anything he did wearing those gloves. 

Mike Tyson, Boxer

Unlike Ali, Tyson was never fighting for something bigger than himself. He was just a showman in the ring who got overrated because he beat a bunch of nobodies when he first arrived. 

Everything fell apart for Tyson shortly after becoming the heavyweight champion of the world in 1988. He has had various run-ins with the law throughout his career, including a rape conviction in 1992.

Tyson would never again reach the heights that he did when he won the world championship, but because he was such a lightning rod for controversy and everyone was fascinated to see what he was going to do or say, he would be part of some of the biggest money-drawing fights in history. 

First, his fights against Evander Holyfield in 1996 and 1997 were as big as anything boxing has done in the last 20 years. The second fight resulted in the now infamous moment where Tyson bit a piece of Holyfield's ear off. 

There is a strong argument to make for Tyson as the most controversial athlete of the last 25 years. 

Terrell Owens, NFL WR

If you are looking for an athlete who knows how to burn a bridge even if everything appears to be going smoothly, Owens is your man. 

During his time with San Francisco, Owens emerged as one of the best receivers in the NFL, but once he got a hold of this fame, his ego and arrogance exploded. Everything had to be about him, 24/7/365.

If Owens even got the slightest hint that someone else was stealing his spotlight, or he wasn't getting the ball enough, he would make sure that everyone knew about his frustration. He would call out quarterbacks for being gay, or sell his "best friend" down the river to pump up his own ego. 

With Owens unable to find work in the NFL last year following ACL surgery, it appears that age, time and bridge-burning have finally caught up to five-time All-Pro. 

Randy Moss, NFL WR

It speaks volumes about just how concerned NFL teams were about Moss' character and personality that he was able to last until the 21st pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. On talent alone, there is no doubt he was the best player available that year. 

Moss has done everything to get himself exiled from the NFL including drug use, quitting on his team during a game, controversial comments about the Marshall plane crash and any number of incidents that have caused many to ask what could have been if he had acted like he cared. 

The San Francisco 49ers are hopeful that Moss really feels some contrition this season, as they have decided to take a chance on him to cure what ails their woes at wide receiver. 

Ron Artest (Metta World Peace), NBA

Considering the way that certain events have played out in recent weeks, it is hard to justify calling this man Metta World Peace any longer. Sure, that might be his legal name, but the Artist Formerly Known as Ron Artest always seems to do something controversial at the worst possible time. 

Long before World Peace was getting suspended for hitting James Harden in the head with a deliberate elbow shot, Artest was climbing the stairs at the Palace at Auburn Hills to attack a fan who had thrown a drink at him. 

While the fan was completely wrong to do what he did, Artest should have had some self-discipline. Of course, we would come to learn over the years that that is one thing he seriously lacks. 

Despite the rich and famous lifestyle that most NBA players lead, Ron-Ron has tried to find side jobs at Circuit City to get an employee discount. 

Dennis Rodman, NBA

While Rodman has always been a lightning rod for controversy, a lot of what he seemed to be doing came off as more of a cry for attention than a deeply disturbed man seeking love and respect from the rest of the world. 

Whether it was wearing a wedding dress or starting a wrestling feud with Karl Malone, Rodman always managed to find himself in the spotlight, even when the brightest bulbs were already pointed squarely in his direction. 

Give Rodman credit: For all of his issues off the court--and there were plenty--he always managed to perform for his teams. He was one of the best rebounders of this generation and was honored as an inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011. 

Jose Canseco, MLB

Never one to let age or talent get in the way of a good story, Canseco is still begging to get a job with some Major League Baseball team. His desire for one final at-bat has gotten so ridiculous that he is begging fans to write him in on the All-Star ballot. 

While that effort is not likely going to pay off for him, the so-called  "Godfather of the Steroid Era" has made quite a name for himself in the years since being exiled from Major League Baseball. 

Canseco wrote his first book Juiced, which served as an unofficial exposé on Major League Baseball players who were using steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs. Sure, some of the stories in the book were fabricated, but he was so proud of himself that his next book was titled Vindicated.

In addition to "blowing the lid off" of PED use in baseball, Canseco has taken to the boxing ring to battle some titans of the entertainment industry, like Danny Bonaduce from The Partridge Family. 

Barry Bonds, MLB

Where do you want to begin with Bonds?

We could write tons of information on Bonds that would tell you why he was so controversial, but instead of going through his entire rap sheet, let's boil it down to a few simple bullet points. 

-Bonds once used his son as a way to get sympathy as he was recovering from knee surgery in spring training. 

-Bonds hated talking to anyone and everyone about anything, which is why his press conferences were always must-see TV.

-Bonds was the face of the BALCO lawsuit that implemented him and other athletes as performance-enhancing drug users. 

As far as disliked athletes go, it would be difficult to find one who is more loathed than Major League Baseball's all-time home run king. 

Pete Rose, MLB

Some may think that it is past time for Rose to get into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He is the all-time leader in career hits, played the game with an all-out style that fans admire and respect, and he has had to live in exile from the sport for nearly 23 years. 

But Rose broke THE Cardinal Rule of baseball: Don't bet on the games. He can say that he only bet on his team to win, or try to spin it however he wants. The fact of the matter is he was doing something that everyone knew was illegal, accepted the punishment when it was handed down, lied about what he was doing for years, and now hopes to get in to the Hall of Fame. 

It's not going to happen, and it shouldn't happen. For all the talk about how performance-enhancing drugs "ruined" the game, Rose's guilty pleasure is far worse and should not be rewarded with the highest honor that anyone associated with the game can have. 

John Rocker, MLB

From the city of New York to blatant racism and everything in between, Rocker was willing and able to give his thoughts on anything and everything that he wanted to. 

Rocker burst on to the scene in 1998 with the Atlanta Braves as a hard-throwing left-handed closer with the charisma of Ric Flair and attitude to take on the world one group at a time. 

Once the world figured out that Rocker had completely lost his mind, which didn't take too long, his star faded. He ranks right up there with Barry Bonds, as the most despised baseball player of the previous decade. 

Nothing that Rocker did on the field can excuse the things he did or said off it. He belongs at the top of the list of anything involving controversy or despicable human beings. 

Ty Cobb, MLB

Speaking of despicable human beings, Cobb might be the greatest hitter in the history of Major League Baseball. His career numbers include a .366 average, .433 on-base percentage, .513 slugging percentage and 4,191 hits. 

But get Cobb off the field, or at times on it, and you realize that he made John Rocker and Barry Bonds look like saints. 

Given that the media back in the early-1900s wasn't anywhere close to what we have today, there is no way of knowing all the things that Cobb was doing during his heyday. There was one time when he actually strangled a groundskeeper at Tigers Stadium and then went after the man's wife when she tried to stop him. 

A horrible human being, and one of the most controversial athletes in history. 

Alex Rodriguez, MLB

On the surface, there is really nothing controversial about Alex Rodriguez. He was a great baseball player for a long time who happened to sign the biggest contract in the history of the sport, twice, and is not performing up to that deal because age and the game take their toll on your body. 

But A-Rod has become a lightning rod for controversy with every little thing he has done since being traded to New York. In 2004, he drew the ire of fans, namely those in Boston, for slapping the ball out of Bronson Arroyo's hand on a play at first base in the American League Championship Series. 

He also gave fans a reason to blast him by opting out of his $252 million contract right as the Red Sox were on the verge of clinching their second World Series in four years. 

His postseason struggles have made him an easy target, though he did have a nice run when the Yankees won the World Series in 2009. 

The fact that he was on the Mitchell Report and subsequently admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs only increased the venom directed in A-Rod's direction.

Lance Armstrong, Cycling

In this country, Armstrong is a revered figure. He was diagnosed with testicular cancer at the age of 25. It would have been a miracle to see him ever step foot on a bicycle again, much less win The Tour de France, the most prestigious race in the sport. 

Seven Tour titles and a Livestrong Nike ad campaign later, Armstrong has become an icon in the sports and business world. 

But no matter what he does, there is always controversy following him around. Allegations of cheating, doping, performance-enhancing drugs, etc. were a staple of Armstrong's life on the bike. 

Whether you think he did or didn't do it is irrelevant. The fact of the matter is Armstrong's name is one of the most controversial in all of sports around the world. 

O.J. Simpson, NFL

There was a time, very long ago, when Simpson was just that former Heisman Trophy Winner who had a role in all three Naked Gun movies. 

Now, it is impossible to watch those movies or see a picture of Simpson and not think about everything that has happened since the 1994 murder of Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman. 

The perception of Simpson all around the world changed during that trial, but it is his actions after the fact that have made him one of the most controversial athletes ever. 

A famous example of Simpson not only trying to capitalize on that whole situation, but earn money from it, was a never-published manuscript that he wrote called If I Did It.

Once a legendary NFL player, Simpson is never going to do anything that will get him his reputation back.