15 People Who Made a Mockery of Sports
NHL fans made a mockery of the game when they voted John Scott an All-Star captain. Or did they?
Well, they did, but there's a difference between bad mockery and good mockery. Today we examine the difference.
For example:
- Will Ferrell making a mockery of MLB spring training by playing in it: good
- Bengals fans making a mockery of sportsmanship by throwing garbage at an injured player: bad
What follows are 15 times people made a mockery of sports, either in hilarious or at least understandable ways, or in completely unacceptable ways.
Take a guess which side of the coin the Philadelphia 76ers' "process" lands on.
Rex Ryan Names IK Enemkpali Captain
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Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan is known for his unconventional antics, but is his mockery harmless, or is it too much?
Consider this: In August, then-New York Jets linebacker IK Enemkpali punched teammate Geno Smith in the locker room. The team released him, and Buffalo promptly picked him up. Three months later, Ryan named Enemkpali captain for the Jets vs. Bills November matchup.
Former head coach Bill Cowher said, according to Around the NFL, "The captain tag is something that players vote on, head coaches they give their title to. It requires a player that you think exemplifies leadership. You earn that. Rex Ryan has made a mockery of it and to me it's annoying."
Good or bad? Good. Lighten up, folks.
Mayweather Chooses Berto for Last Fight
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Just like losing on purpose would be a mockery of the competitive spirit, so would scheduling a cupcake opponent.
Floyd Mayweather had two fights in 2015. First, he beat Manny Pacquiao in the "Fight of the Century" and then scheduled a final opponent, Andre Berto. He went on to beat Berto via unanimous decision and retire a perfect 49-0.
Of course, the idea that Mayweather chose Berto because he deemed him an easy win (who wants to go out with a loss?) did cross more than a few minds.
Chris Mannix of SI.com wrote, "On the list of recent Mayweather opponents, Berto ranks among the worst, a has-been ex-champion who is 3–3 in his last six fights and has not been relevant since a grueling, Fight of the Year-type brawl with Victor Ortiz in 2011."
Good or bad? Bad. Fans want to see the best against the best.
John Calipari and All the One-and-Dones
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Basketball's one-and-done rule is certainly the subject of disagreement. Some are for it—such as the NBA, obviously—and others are against it, such as NCAA president Mark Emmert.
Still others have a problem with the apparent lack of focus placed on graduation by programs such as, oh say, Kentucky. Coach John Calipari has been vocal about his desire to see his players drafted and help provide for their families. That's all fine and good, but it seems to neglect part of the NCAA's core values, namely, "the pursuit of excellence in both academics and athletics."
One of Calipari's current players, point guard Tyler Ulis, said,"Cal told me when I got here, don't think of myself as a four-year player (or) I shouldn't be here," per the Associated Press (via the Hartford Courant).
Good or bad? Bad.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Marshawn Lynch Snubs the Media
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Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch is notorious for his disdain for media appearances. At Super Bowl XLIX media day, he famously answered 29 questions with, "I'm just here so I won't get fined."
Is this a mockery of sports media procedures? Yes. Is it a mockery of his contractual obligations? Sure.
Is it a big deal? No.
Good or bad? Good.
Egregious Floppers
5 of 15Can everyone agree flopping makes a mockery of sport? Taking dives for calls became enough of a problem in the NBA that the league instituted a rule against it.
In September, England's Football Association announced a new rule against feigning injury in order to incite a penalty against an opponent.
Hopefully, new rules will ultimately eliminate flopping altogether, because frankly, it's embarrassing. Come on, what is this, Januzaj?
Good or bad? Bad.
Royals Fans Stuff All-Star Ballot
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When it comes to MLB All-Star voting, fans choose the position player starters, and players and managers choose the pitchers and reserves.
Because of this, 2015 almost saw an all-Kansas City Royals American League All-Star starting lineup. Royals fans started a campaign to get all their players selected. In fact, Mike Oz of Big League Stew reported that at one point in July, Royals players were leading the vote in eight positions.
To call this ballot stuffing is a bit misleading, however. There's no proof anything unsavory went on, other than a whole mess of Royals fans voting more enthusiastically than other fans.
Good or bad? Good. It's like @brittcaan tweeted, "#VoteOmar! [Infante] So @MLB can see how dumb it is to have a fan voted exhibition game award home field advantage. Change the rule please!"
Mavericks Mock DeAndre Jordan
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To say the Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks made a mockery of NBA free agency in 2015 would be an understatement.
The way in which DeAndre Jordan's free agency was handled was an absolute embarrassment. The Clippers big man flip-flopped on his decision to join the Mavericks, which is technically his right, but he still didn't come out looking all that great.
In fact, no one really handled the situation perfectly. Still, the Dallas Mavericks, in particular, with their incessant mocking of Jordan after he reneged on them, made business too personal.
Good or bad? Bad.
Bengals Fans and Vontaze Burfict
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Fans throwing trash, at all, makes a mockery of sportsmanship (looking at you, Toronto), but what the Cincinnati Bengals crowd did to Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was just outright appalling.
In the third quarter of their AFC Wild Card Game, Big Ben was carted off the field with a shoulder injury. Daniel Sager of Steelers Wire reported some horrible individuals on Team Bengals cheered his injury and even threw beer cans at the QB.
As if the fans weren't bad enough, linebacker Vontaze Burfict also made a pretty big (and very unfunny) mockery of safety rules, for which he received a three-game suspension.
Good or bad? Bad, obviously.
Will Ferrell Plays in Spring Training
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MLB spring training is not a joke. Much like NFL or NBA training camps, it provides a time for players to come back to work, in an official capacity, and get ready for the season.
So, when comedian Will Ferrell played in 10 official spring training games in one day for the purpose of an HBO special, not everyone was happy about it.
Former NFL coach John Madden told KCBS Morning Newswatch, "That's a lack of respect. That's a lack of respect for the game and a [lack of] respect for what players have to do to get where they are."
It was definitely a mockery, but come on. It was hilarious.
Good or bad? Good.
Anyone Employing Hack-a-Shaq
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The Hack-a-Shaq strategy basically just involves fouling a historically poor free-throw shooter intentionally and banking on the probability he won't make many of the shots. It all started in the late 1990s with, of course, Shaquille O'Neal and then-Dallas Mavericks head coach Don Nelson.
Opinions differ on whether this is appropriate strategic conduct, but no official moves have been made to ban the practice. In May, league officials presented data to general managers indicating the strategy isn't widespread, according to Ken Berger of CBS Sports.
On one hand, it is allowed within the rules, but on the other hand, it seems a little shady—like those people who just leave their thumb up throughout an entire thumb war.
Good or bad? Bad.
Anyone Associated with the Perpetuation of Deflategate
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Sports news should be dominated by—here's a crazy idea—sports. Unfortunately, in 2015, the media spent entirely too much time discussing the possibility of intentionally underinflated footballs.
The Wells Report, Tom Brady's four-game suspension, the court proceedings, the courtroom sketch—anyone who did anything but say, "Can we please top talking about this now," made a mockery of what sports media should be.
Good or bad? Bad.
Deadspin Gets a Hall of Fame Vote
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Way back in 2013, Baseball Writers' Association of America member Dan Le Batard turned over his Hall of Fame vote to Deadspin.
Many thought this was quite a shameful display. Mike Oz of Big League Stew wrote, "Deadspin, the snarky sports blog, wanted to make a mockery of baseball's Hall of Fame voting process, and openly courted a BBWAA voter who would turn over (or even sell) his or her ballot."
In reality, Le Batard gave a decent explanation for relinquishing his vote, citing flaws in the voting system and complications involving the steroids question, among other things.
Ultimately, let's be honest. The Hall of Fame vote is a joke anyway. Le Batard himself claimed to be one of the people who didn't vote for Ken Griffey, Jr. Come on, man.
Good or bad? Good.
Marlins Fire Sale
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Rebuilding is one thing, but what Miami Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria did in 2012 (and 2005) took the idea to a new level.
Right after taxpayers helped finance a swanky new stadium, Loria traded 12 players to the Toronto Blue Jays, including shortstop Jose Reyes and pitcher Mark Buehrle. They got some prospects, but the move was mainly just a big salary dump.
Needless to say, it did not go over well with fans. Miami talk show host Jeff DeForrest said, "The next move obviously is to have Fidel Castro throw out the first pitch next year. That's the only way they could alienate the fans more than they have," per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
Good or bad? Bad.
NHL Fans Make John Scott an All-Star
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John Scott is a journeyman NHL enforcer who has played for six teams in eight seasons. He has scored a grand total of five goals and played in just 11 games so far in 2015-16.
Scott also got the most fan votes of any player for the NHL All-Star Game and, as such, should serve as one of four captains in the Jan. 31 event. Whether he actually will remains to be seen.
Not everyone is thrilled with Scott's selection, but if it's what the fans want, hey, let it happen. According to Josh Cooper of Puck Daddy, Scott said, "It's one of those things where I never thought I'd be able to get to go, so when I found out it was a possibility my family was like, 'You have to go. It's going to be so cool.'"
Good or bad? Good. If the system is going to operate in such a way as to allow fans to choose the captains, then the system will need to live with the outcome.
76ers and the Process
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Because of NBA draft lottery rules, it might behoove a bad team to actually try to be the worst team.
Take the Philadelphia 76ers, for example. General manager Sam Hinkie's rebuilding "process," which might involve tanking for draft picks, has resulted in basketball of such horrible quality that Deadspin called the team a "godless abomination."
According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, the dysfunction caused other NBA owners to press for a resolution. In December, the Sixers hired veteran executive Jerry Colangelo as chairman of basketball operations.
Tanking is not funny, nor does it provide any entertainment value. In fact, it only serves to make fans suffer in service of a cause that might not even result in a No. 1 draft pick.
Good or bad? Bad.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
