The Highs and Lows of Sports Hazing

What exactly is sports hazing, you ask?

In this case, it's not only subjecting a rookie to team initiations. It's also throwing shade, making fun of or ridiculing someone. Hazing here really just means giving somebody a hard time. Remember when that Indianapolis brewery stamped "Tom Brady Sux" on the bottom of 20,000 beer cans? That qualifies as sports hazing.

It can be done by players, coaches, fans, even entire teams. It can be lighthearted and funny, or it could be ridicule that goes too far.

Here is your definitive guide for what is and is not OK—the highest highs and lowest lows of sports hazing. 

High: Dugout Silent Treatment

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

Some types of rookie hazing border on too far, like forcing the new guy to pick up an $1,800 dinner tab. However, one rookie hazing that will always be delightful is the dugout snub.

Tampa Bay Rays infielder Richie Shaffer got this treatment recently after his first major league hit—a home run. After his big moment, Shaffer was greeted in the dugout by, well, no one. He took it in stride though, even high-fiving himself for kicks.

High: Prank Wars

Pranking is prominent on sports teams. Seriously, it happens all the time, and it's usually all in good fun. A particular gem came recently courtesy of Jose Altuve and Miguel Cabrera, a couple of major leaguers having some laughs.

Altuve and Cabrera stood at first base together and took turns yanking up the other's jersey. It sounds simple, but it was funny—just two guys razzing each other on the diamond. 

Low: Flyover Banners

The flyover banner is a tough one to judge because some of them are pretty funny. Then again, some messages border on below-the-belt. Banners reading #GoodellMustGo floated high above several NFL stadiums in September. In November and December, "Fire John Idzik" sentiments flew over New York Jets practice.

Either way, this type of ribbing mainly seems like a huge waste of time and money. Remember that time Michigan trolled Michigan State with "Go Blue" skywriting? It totally backfired when MSU encouraged folks to donate the estimated cost of the stunt to charity.

Depends: Billboard Warefare

Vincent Yu/Associated Press

Billboards are similar to flyovers in that they represent public ridicule. And even though some are hysterical, it does follow along the wasted-time-and-money logic. For instance, do the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox really have to troll each other with billboards?  

But this can't be marked universally "low" because when a billboard is truly priceless, everyone wins. In fact, the existence of Chicago's "Loser Keeps Bieber" billboard single-handedly kept this from being a low mark.

High: Teammate Impersonations

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. OK—maybe Los Angeles Clipper star Blake Griffin was actually trying to give teammate Austin Rivers a hard time when he emulated his on-court mannerisms, but it was all in good fun.

High: Laughing at a Goof

Even athletes mess up sometimes—they're only human. And when it happens, pointing and laughing isn't always a bad thing.

For example, when Russell Westbrook screwed up a drill at Team USA basketball practice, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony couldn't help but look on and burst into spontaneous, joyous laughter. Good times.

Low: (Serious) Twitter Feuds

Bob Levey/Associated Press

Admittedly, some Twitter feuds are lighthearted and funny. But it's the serious ones, when sports figures are actually throwing jabs over something small, that just looks bad. 

Take this for example: During a joint practice between the Houston Texans and Washington Redskins, Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins burned Redskins corner DeAngelo Hall on a route. Hopkins later decided it was a good idea to brag about it on Twitter. What resulted was nothing more than a series of lowly insults flying back and forth on the Interwebs. No one came out looking all that great.

Remember, if you're going to respond to anything negative on Twitter, just do it like Kobe Bryant does and you'll be fine.

High: Creative, Harmless Ribbing

Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Sure, the "Tom Brady Sux" beer cans may have been a bit on the immature side, but overall, they were harmless and funny. That Indianapolis brewery worker definitely earned some points for creativity, too.

Depends: Internet Trolling

Michael Zagaris/Getty Images

Internet trolling is only a good idea if you really crush it—so, the opposite of what the guy who called J.J. Watt "not a 5-star" did. He, predictably, got owned by Watt himself, who responded with, "You keep your five stars. I'll keep my two. And the two DPOY trophies that match. #JustGettingStarted."

On the other hand, if you're hilarious, like EA Sports, please carry on.

To recap: When EA Sports announced Marshawn Lynch's 98 trucking rating on Madden NFL 16, the Seahawks wondered aloud why it wasn't a 99. Then EA Sports shut it all down with one masterful tweet about goal-line handoffs. Please, see for yourself.

High: Ultra-Clever Fan Signs

This one is, of course, all about the sign, but fans have certainly come up with some gems over the years (looking at you, fan who realized Hunter Pence looks just like Marv from Home Alone). 

Others are just mean—or worse, unoriginal. For instance, steroid-related signs not only go a little too far, but they are also played out, don't you think?

Low: Trash Talk Getting Personal

Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

Trash talking is a part of sports, woven into its fabric even. That said, getting too personal with it is a big no-no.

For instance, Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios crossed the line during a recent match in Montreal, telling his opponent that another player "banged your girlfriend."

Not cool.

Low: Below-the-Belt Fan Chants

Lance King/Getty Images

Akin to the personal trash talk is the inappropriate fan chant. Yelling insults is pretty common at, say, college basketball games. However, it's crucial to know when enough is enough.

Duke's Cameron Crazies are notorious for creative chants, but they might have taken it too far during a 2013 game against North Carolina State. The grandmother of then-NC State player Tyler Lewis had died recently, and some people at the stadium reported hearing the Crazies yelling, "How's your grandma?" 

If that indeed happened, that's just wrong.

High: Hilarious Memes

Yes, Internet trolling walks a fine line, but memes are almost always a good idea.

To say there is a plethora of sports examples would be an understatement. Most recently, the Tom Brady courtroom sketch memes were flat-out hysterical.

If you are good at creating hilarious sports memes, thank you.