The Best and Worst Sports Decisions of the 2010s so Far

Whether someone is a front-office exec, a head coach or an athlete, they're under the gun to always make the right decision, or they're at mercy of losing their job.

That's a heck of a lot of pressure and, sometimes, it's too much to handle.

In the past five years, some have been able to make their choice and have it work out for them the way they drew it up, while others haven't been so lucky.

So, what are the best and worst decisions in sports since 2010? I list the ones that have left a huge impact on the sports we all love.

Worst: Eli Manning Tells Rashad Jennings Not to Score Touchdown (2015)

It might not have occurred during a critical playoff matchup, but the decision by New York Giants quarterback to tell his running back Rashad Jennings not to score against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1 of the 2015 NFL season is still completely boneheaded.

Leading the Boys 23-20 with under two minutes to play, had the G-Men punched the rock across the goal line, the game would have been all but over, giving them the victory and leaving Dallas heartbroken.

As it turned out, Manning wanted to run the clock down, leading to New York earning just three points, before giving the ball back to opposing quarterback Tony Romo with enough time to score a game-winning touchdown.

Manning took blame—rightfully so—but this is a guy who has won two Super Bowls, not some rookie who got caught up in the moment. For that reason, it has to go down as one of the worst choices in the past five years.

Oh, yeah, and this came just days after Manning got one of the richest deals in NFL history, so there's that little factor, too.

Best: New York Knicks Letting Jeremy Lin Walk (2013)

There are a ton of New York Knicks fans who actually believe that the team made a terrible mistake by allowing former point guard Jeremy Lin walk away in free agency, as he signed a big deal with the Houston Rockets in the summer of 2012.

Boy, do those people look foolish now, huh?

While Lin isn't a bad player, he's not the consistent guy who became a cult hero thanks to that whole Linsanity nonsense that occurred while with the Knicks.

For the team to refuse handing him millions and overpay because fans liked him was one of the smartest things the team has done in the past five years or so.

Worst: Washington Redskins Trade the Farm for Robert Griffin III (2012)

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

Just a couple of years ago, the trade that landed the Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III looked like one of the best moves in franchise history.

After RG3 won the league's Offensive Rookie of the Year and led the team to the playoffs with a 10-win season, many around the league believed the former Heisman Trophy winner was destined for greatness with one of the NFL's most storied franchises.

Things have gone south since, though.

Not only has the signal-caller found himself butting heads with each of his two head coaches in D.C., but with him on the bench and inactive for each game this season after losing his starting job, giving up so much to the St. Louis Rams doesn't look as good now.

Best: New Orleans Saints' Onside Kick in Super Bowl XLIV (2010)

Trailing 10-6 at halftime and looking pathetic on offense against the Indianapolis Colts, the New Orleans Saints knew that they needed to do something in order to light a fire under themselves to swing momentum in their favor.

They did that by executing the most lethal onside kick in league history.

Rather than kicking deep and giving the ball to Peyton Manning, Saints head coach Sean Payton rolled the dice on the surprise, which caught everyone off guard and led to New Orleans recovering.

Taking advantage almost instantly, quarterback Drew Brees marched his team down the field for a touchdown in just over three minutes to take the lead, ultimately winning by two touchdowns for the franchise's first Super Bowl championship—and they have the gutsy decision by Payton to thank.

Worst: Jurgen Klinsmann Leaves Landon Donovan off 2014 World Cup Team (2014)

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

Although the U.S. men's national soccer team had one of their all-time best showings in a World Cup during the 2014 tournament, one can't help but wonder what might have happened if the squad's all-time leading scorer was on the roster.

Hoping to go with a younger roster, head coach Jurgen Klinsmann opted to not bring Landon Donovan with him to Brazil, causing a ton of controversy and confusion.

Almost immediately, the choice backfired, as starting striker Jozy Altidore went down in the United States' first match with a hamstring injury that left Team USA shorthanded of offensive firepower.

The team did reach the round of 16, but had Donovan been part of the run—even available as a substitute—he certainly could have given the team a spark.

Best: MLB Adds Second Wild-Card Team (2012)

Tony Dejak/Associated Press

Big ups to Major League Baseball for making one of the savviest moves in sports over the past couple of decades, let alone the past five years.

When the league added a second wild-card team into the mix for the postseason in 2012, not only did it immediately make about two-thirds of the teams in each league contenders, but the intrigue from fans spiked instantly.

Rather than seeing four teams head to the playoffs, fans could see a team that would otherwise be out of the race still have a chance come mid-September.

Sports is all about having a sliver of hope, so, even when teams are three or four games out of that last wild-card spot this late in the season, fans are holding on to some luck thanks to the playoffs expanding to 10 teams.

Worst: Los Angeles Angels Signing Josh Hamilton (2012)

Chris Carlson/Associated Press

When the Los Angeles Angels signed Josh Hamilton to a five-year, $125 million deal in 2012, many believed that it was a gamble—any time you hand a player $25 million per year, it is—but no one could have imagined the decision would tank as badly as it eventually did.

A year removed from signing slugger Albert Pujols, Halos fans imagined a perfect world in which J-Ham and Pujols bashed their way through opposing pitching rotations, adding in some hotshot rookie named Mike Trout as the third wheel.

It's too bad Hamilton struggled with injuries and inconsistencies during his tenure in L.A., leading to an ugly divorce that led to him getting traded back to his former team, the Texas Rangers, early in the 2015 season.

For that reason, many believe this contract is the worst in baseball's history.

Best: LeBron James Takes His Talents to South Beach (2010)

For as much grief and criticism as LeBron James got from The Decision in 2010 when he said he was taking his talents to South Beach, for him personally, the move turned out to be wise.

Prior to his making five straight NBA Finals with the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers, James was actually questioned for his finishing and leadership abilities, incapable of winning a title.

While he "only" has two rings in his six career trips to the Finals, when he left for Miami to join a star-studded trio that included Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, it proved to be the best business decision he ever made.

In addition to that, the Cavs—who were pathetic without LeBron—won the NBA lottery three of four years, helping build a team that was able to compete for titles once James returned.

All told, not a bad choice, King James.

Worst: Seattle Seahawks Pass in Super Bowl XLIX (2015)

Biggest game of the football season, clock running down and the Seattle Seahawks are just a few yards away from scoring to earn their second straight Super Bowl title.

With a running back who has the nickname Beast Mode in the backfield, one would think that Marshawn Lynch is getting the ball to put the Hawks ahead for good.

Only, wait, quarterback Russell Wilson drops back and attempts a pass to backup wide receiver Ricardo Lockette, who is bumped off his route by New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler, who intercepts the pass and caps the Pats' fourth championship.

It might have been a gutsy, unheard-of decision by the Seahawks, but it's also regarded as one of the worst plays in the history of sports.

Best: MLB's New Home Run Derby Format (2015)

While the MLB Home Run Derby has always just been an exhibition for some of the game's top sluggers to swing away at a bunch of baseballs, the 2015 version presented a unique twist that fans and baseball pundits loved.

Not only did the league enforce a timer for each round, but participants were also placed in a bracket, giving head-to-head matchups something that earned extra intrigue.

With an extra minute of bonus time for players to earn extra points for moonshot homers, the switch by MLB was a fresh one that makes the Derby even more entertaining than the All-Star Game itself—and that decides home-field advantage for the World Series!

Worst: NFL Replacement Refs (2012)

You can blame the real refs for going on strike, the replacement officials for botching the call or, most notably, toss NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell the blame for even being in that position, but someone is responsible for this awful decision that turned into a debacle.

While many think that reffing an NFL game couldn't possibly be too difficult, a Monday Night Football game between the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers changed that thought.

In addition to other horrid calls by the replacement zebras—like the "made" field goal in a game between the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots—the Seattle-Green Bay matchup showed the entire nation that the NFL was wrong in not having the real pro refs out there.

The "Fail Mary" is one of the worst calls in sports history, as one ref called it incomplete and the other called it a touchdown, which the NFL took notice of and ended the referee lockout less than 24 hours later.

Best: NCAA Adopts a College Football Playoff (2014)

Although the decision to go to a College Football Playoff was made in 2012, it wasn't enforced until last season, which became one of the best years to be a football fan.

Had anyone said that the Ohio State Buckeyes would not only overcome the odds to make the four-team playoff, but then win the national title with a third-string quarterback at the helm by defeating power programs Alabama and Oregon, they might have been considered crazy.

As it stands, with the new format, fans are given the same excitement that the NCAA tournament brings each March, but with the madness coming in late December and early January.

There was always debate as to which team was truly the national champion of college football, and the choice to make the four best teams duke it out on the field leaves no doubt, so good job getting this right, NCAA.