14 Sports Figures Who Wear Their Heart on Their Sleeve

Steve Ballmer is sometimes criticized for his over-the-top celebrations, but really he’s just a man who wears his heart on his sleeve. And why shouldn’t he? Sports are emotional. It’s not uncommon for athletes, coaches and even executives to display what they’re feeling.

However, these 14 sports figures really let their emotions show, whatever those might be. It can be happiness, anger, frustration or even annoyance. Whatever they’re feeling, don’t expect any of them to try to hide it.

Russell Westbrook

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Russell Westbrook doesn’t seem like a shy person. From his bold fashion choices to his not-so-subtle disdain for the media, the Oklahoma City Thunder guard appears to be very comfortable expressing himself.  

In January, he flat out told a reporter he didn’t like him, and later, he completely squashed a guy who asked if he would ever root for the San Antonio Spurs. (A Spurs win meant good things for the Thunder’s playoff hopes at the time.)

The point is, don’t ask Westbrook a question if you don’t want his honest answer, for better or worse.

Bryan Price

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Cincinnati Reds manager Bryan Price recently showed what can happen when negative emotions take over. After a rough start to the season, Price had to answer some questions about catcher Devin Mesoraco’s absence from a game in St. Louis. He did not take the questions well.

To be specific, he unleashed a five-plus-minute, profanity-riddled rant about the media sharing player personnel information with opponents. According to C. Trent Rosecrans of USA Today, various forms of the “F” word were used 77 times.

Price doesn't exactly have a reputation for being a hothead, but this could be a sign of what's to come if things don't pick up in Cincy.

Alex Rodriguez

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Alex Rodriguez seems like someone who tries to keep his emotions in check, but sometimes he just can’t. You can’t really blame him—even though much of it is by his own doing, the guy has been through a lot.

There was that time he stormed out of an arbitration hearing when Bud Selig refused to testify. Then, there was that time Ryan Dempster (probably) hit him with a pitch on purpose, and A-Rod celebrated unabashedly as he rounded the bases with a subsequent revenge home run.

Floyd Mayweather

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With the fight of the century coming up, don’t expect Floyd Mayweather to keep a lid on anything. This is a guy who will unabashedly tell you exactly how he feels about things. He’s confident, he’s rich and he’ll let you know it.

Jim Harbaugh

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As far as football coaches go, Jim Harbaugh is no Bill Belichick. That is, he doesn’t appear mostly robot-like. No, the new Michigan man is as human as they come, regularly lashing out on the sidelines, arguing with referees and just generally letting everyone know how he feels.

One particularly memorable incident occurred during the 2014 NFL playoffs, when Harbaugh recklessly ran onto the field to argue a call, instantly inciting a 15-yard penalty.

Yordano Ventura

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Kansas City Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura displays his emotions, but not in a good way. In this short MLB season, Ventura has already been involved in three on-field scuffles. Most recently, he shouted unnecessarily at Adam Eaton, catalyzing a brawl with the Chicago White Sox.

Sometimes wearing your heart on your sleeve does more harm than good.

Kevin Garnett

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Kevin Garnett has long had the reputation of a trash-talker in the NBA, and if he’s mad, he’ll let you know. KG is not one to shy away from a confrontation—he actually threw a head-butt during a scuffle with Dwight Howard in January.

Garnett's positive emotions shine through as well, however. Who could forget his iconic celebration after the Boston Celtics' 2008 NBA championship? 

Tim Tebow

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Tim Tebow is certainly not afraid to put his feelings on display. Even before the trials of his NFL career, Tebow proved to be an emotional leader—starting with a prophetic speech at Florida in 2008 in which he apologized for a rare loss and promised to work harder.

Tebow’s kneeling posture eventually became a national craze, but its origins are rooted in his deep faith. Despite heavy media attention and criticism of his football abilities, Tebow remains open about his beliefs as well as his unrelenting dream to play in the NFL.

It’s not easy to remain so open in the face of scrutiny, and for that, Tebow should be celebrated.

Luis Suarez

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Barcelona forward Luis Suarez has let his emotions get the better of him to the point of biting people on the pitch. But even putting that aside, Suarez has gained a reputation over the years for on-field outbursts and temper flaring.

Leander Schaerlaeckens of Fox Sports reported that Suarez's former manager Marco van Basten once said, “Suarez is incredibly important for us. But he puts us at a disadvantage with all of his yellow cards too.”

Richard Sherman

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If you didn’t know Richard Sherman is emotional, you certainly did after the Erin Andrews interview. His rant following the 2014 NFC Championship Game made him one of the most sought-after interviewees on Super Bowl XLVIII media day.  

Besides his brazenness with the media, Sherman is also active on Twitter, and he is deeply emotional on the football field.

David Ortiz

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David Ortiz is widely respected throughout Major League Baseball, and he's also known for being an emotional guy. He delivered an impassioned speech to honor Boston Marathon bombing victims in 2013, and in turn, he became perhaps the only athlete to ever get away with dropping an F-bomb on national television.

After Ortiz disagreed with an on-field call in 2014, Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said on WEEI’s Dennis & Callahan Show, “He’s an emotional guy. You can’t ask him to be emotional in all the best ways, which he’s been over and over without some emotion coming out in other ways, too” (via Sam Galanis of NESN).

Serena Williams

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Serena Williams is a tennis legend, and throughout her incredible career, she has never shied away from displaying emotion. Following her victories—and there have been many—she is always the picture of raw joy, her celebrations unparalleled.

In 2012, Williams told reporters she is very emotional and said, “I'm always going to be me and if it means I'm giving 200 per cent then that's how I am and I love that,” according to Robert Craddock of The Courier-Mail.

Rob Gronkowski

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The best way to describe New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski might be to say he’s out there, in a good way. From his famous football spikes to his widely publicized partying ways, Gronk makes no apologies for being exactly who he is.

Steve Ballmer

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Who knew a former Microsoft CEO could get so wild? When Steve Ballmer took over as the Los Angeles Clippers owner in 2014, one of his first public acts was to get crazy fired up at a fan festival.

He hasn’t let up since then, dancing like no one was watching at a January home game and possibly losing his mind in Game 1 of the playoffs. There should be more like him—so unapologetically enthusiastic about his team, his happiness uncontainable. You do you, Steve Ballmer.