The 25 Worst Things in Sports Right Now

In my 31 years on Earth, there has always been one constant each and every day—sports. And whether I'm playing them, watching them or talking about them, sometimes there are things that make them the worst.

With so many good and bad moments that remind me of why we all love sports so much, I figured I'd list the 25 things no fan enjoys about sports—and these are them.

James Harden's Defensive Efforts

It's just so freakin' bad.

That's about as honest as I can be about Houston Rockets star James Harden's defense because the guy looks about as interested as I am when watching some reality show with my girlfriend.

Standing flat-footed and appearing disinterested as his mind wanders elsewhere, Harden can put up points in a flash, but when trying to prevent another person from scoring, the effort he puts in is laughable.

'What If…' Conversations

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Second-guessing is just a way of life because we all wonder what the outcome might have been had we chosen this route rather than the other. It's too bad we can't go back and change things, though.

The same holds true in sports, as fans play out the whole "what if...?" scenarios in their heads and overthink things way too much after an outcome has already happened.

What if Chris Paul would have been traded to the L.A. Lakers in 2011? Who knows? But I'm not going to spend a bunch of time worrying about it because it didn't happen, so let's just move on and not stress about it.

Fans Who Think They Could Do a Better Job

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We all play armchair quarterbacks and second-guess decisions in sports all of the time, but that doesn't mean it's enjoyable for anyone.

From bad free-agent signings and trades to a questionable play call, some fans think that because they know how to win their fantasy football league they're qualified to give an opinion about real-life scenarios.

Guys, smart people go to school and take years to learn how to do it in sports, and even they mess it up, so let's not think any of us could do a better job—because it's annoying and unrealistic.

Super Teams

Back in 2010, LeBron James and Chris Bosh did the one thing that had never been done before by joining forces with Dwyane Wade to build a super team on the Miami Heat. The result was four straight NBA Finals trips and two titles, leading many athletes to think this was the only way to win championships.

The problem is, super teams are awful for fans because it creates a villain everyone loves to hate and leaves only a few teams capable of actually winning a title.

We see it every year across all sports, as a team finishes the regular season with a great record but falters in the playoffs because, when it comes down to it, talent almost always wins. And thanks to James, Bosh and Wade, these aren't going away anytime soon.

Flopping

No matter what sport it's in, flopping is a bad look.

Most common in soccer, when a player flies to the ground and fakes an injury, it's both pathetic and humorous, but it's definitely awful.

We all understand why players do it—to help their team—but the fact it's actually looked at as a skill and an easy way to pull a quick one on a ref is sad. Hopefully sports can find a way to eliminate flopping from games altogether.

The Philadelphia 76ers' 'Rebuilding' Plan

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Can someone, anyone, please explain to me like a three-year-old child what in the hell the Philadelphia 76ers are doing to their fans? Seriously, is there an actual plan in place to get better, or is the team just using the rebuilding word without actually, you know, doing it?

Stating they'll be building through the draft, the Philly appears to have gone back and forth with the proper direction to be competitive again, with former Sixer Julius Irving telling SiriusXM NBA Radio (via Business Insider) that the team had a seven-year plan to compete for a title again.

With lottery picks being traded, injured or underutilized over the past few years, the Sixers don't appear to have any idea what they're doing, and it's embarrassing for the franchise and the league to see.

The Crying Jordan Meme

I'll admit the Crying Jordan meme was funny at one point in time. It's too bad the expiration date on the damn thing has worn out, though, as it's overused in almost every situation now, making me wonder if fans queue it up just to be the first Internet troll to tweet it out in case something bad happens.

Sure, last night's usage of it after the North Carolina Tar Heels' loss in the national title game was a solid one, but, more often than not, it's just annoying to see these days.

We're better than this, Internet, so can't we find something else that will replace the Crying Jordan meme now that it's been so overdone and, sadly, ruined?

Comparing Current Teams to Historical Ones

It's fun to wonder how one championship team from 20 years ago would match up with a current champion in a sport, but it's gotten to the point where it's just wasted breath.

Maybe I'm just an old man at this point who hates playing the speculating game, but wondering who would win between a team like the '95-96 Chicago Bulls and this year's Golden State Warriors doesn't interest me like it once did.

A lot of that comes from the fact it will never happen, so why even wonder? I love history and respect both the past and present, so I understand why fans love to engage in such chatter. But let's just have it stop and enjoy both teams without worrying who's actually better.

Johnny Manziel

There have been other draft busts in sports history, but there might not be one more disappointingly frustrating than Johnny Manziel.

Some of that has to do with Manziel's talents and poor decisions, wasting a ton of talent you or I would give an appendage for, but most of it comes from the whole social media world we live in now, as the kid gained huge popularity because of his presence online.

The sad thing about Johnny is he just doesn't seem to get it, and that may cost him any hopes of getting another chance in the NFL.

Will he get that chance? Who knows. But one thing's for sure, Manziel needs to address his off-field issues before the possibility of playing in the NFL again.

The Constant Ads/Promotion for Everything

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If it feels as if everything in sports has some sort of sponsor or promotion, that's because it probably does.

With everything being all about money these days, things like bowl games and the way commentators have to announce events is ridiculous. Like, seriously, who wants to hear about the BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl Game? Awful.

In addition to all of those wacky names and sponsors, the constant ads during sporting events are miserable, too, with branding prevalent on everything on which fans might put their eyes.

That's what happens when big business mixes with entertainment, though.

Sideline Interviews with Anyone Other Than Craig Sager

Sideline reporters are supposed to be entertaining and give all-access and up-to-the-second updates to fans watching at home, but, unless the reporter is Craig Sager, these things are awful.

As we all know, Sager has a certain charm about him fans love because he gets even the most surly people in sports, namely Gregg Popovich, to open up and talk a little bit.

With Sager fighting an ongoing battle with leukemia, it's great to see how much support and respect he has from players and coaches, so here's to hoping he not only overcomes and conquers, but remains to be the best in the biz at what he does.

Crazy College Football Recruiting Stories

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It's fun to see the different ways college coaches recruit players, but it's gotten to the point of insanity in some situations, with people like Jim Harbaugh climbing trees, sleeping over and even attending high school with teenagers.

All is fair in love and war, and all is fair on the recruiting trail—so long as it's not a rules violation.

Still, the fact grown men will do almost anything to get a top prospect to commit to play for a certain school is strange, as it seems to have become more about exposure than how a school/program can actually help the student-athlete.

Retired Players Bashing Current Ones

I don't know about you, but, personally, I'm sick and tired about hearing a retired player talk about how "back in their day" things were different, as they judge and then bash current players who have changed the game.

Guys like Cam Newton, Bryce Harper and others are constantly under the microscope because, God forbid, they enjoy playing the game.

Bat flips, dabbing and showing a little emotion are presumed to be bad things by old-timers, but fans enjoy them and they make sports more interesting, so who really cares about some Hall of Famer talking crap because it's not what guys did way back when.

LeBron James' Social Media Game

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Still one of the best ballers on the planet, one thing Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James has proven he needs help with is social media, as James tweets and Instagrams worse than a 13-year-old.

That's not to say none of us pay attention, though. In fact, it's the complete opposite, which is why what James does on a regular basis on his accounts is so frustrating because he appears to sub-tweet cryptic messages and talks about, potentially, forming another super team with his good friends.

LeBron talks about maintaining focus and all of that PC stuff, but when it's just him and his phone on the couch, he shows he's just like the rest of us with getting our thoughts out there—except his actions carry so much more weight and criticism.

Rising Ticket Prices

Remember the days when a fan could walk up to a ticket office window outside of a stadium, spend $25 and get themselves into a game? That sure seems like a long time ago, doesn't it?

As teams, owners and players continue to get richer every year, fans are the ones who are suffering the most, as rising ticket prices have become a problem to varying degrees in every sport, weeding out longtime fans from attending games because seats are just too expensive.

In an age when sports are available 24/7 across various platforms, actually attending a live event is becoming more and more difficult for the average person, and that's a sad situation for every sports fans.

Overanalyzing Everything

Shows like Pardon the Interruption, Around the Horn and First Take are great ways to catch up on current events going on in sports, but they're all the exact same show, just using different personalities and opinions.

And the main premise for every sports show is to stir up controversy, with hosts and analysts going as emphatic as they can to discuss those topics.

The sad thing about all of these shows is they overanalyze sports and can put a negative spin on things for fans. Like, really, who cares if Cam Newton was upset about a Super Bowl loss and didn't want to talk to reporters? Was it a classless act? Sure. Did it need to be talked about as much as it did? Nope.

Voting for All-Star Games

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All-Star games are supposed to be a chance to showcase some of the top talent and biggest superstars in every sport each season. It's too bad voting ruins that sometimes, though.

While it's great to give fans input on which players they want to see during the exhibition game, there might not be a more corrupt method in sports than the process, as fans stuff the ballot box for their hometown guys as much as possible.

Last season's MLB All-Star Game was proof this whole fan voting thing is out of whack, as a bunch of Kansas City Royals made it to the Midsummer Classic—something no one other than Royals fans wanted to have happen.

Sure, K.C. ended up as World Series champs because they were the best team, but that doesn't mean every single player should have been an All-Star, so let's do away with how fan voting is done in all sports and reward the players who deserve to be there the most.

Athletes Undermining Authority

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Here's the problem with superstar athletes getting paid millions of dollars and knowingly being the face of a franchise—they sometimes go on a power trip.

Sure, some of it is just rumored, but there has to be some truth behind the rumors that star players get what they want, openly talking to management about roster decisions, free-agent signings, trades and, yep, even who the head coach should be.

This is the equivalent of a revolt by high school students on a teacher, forcing him or her to change a lesson plan because the kids don't like what the teacher is trying to teach them.

It's sad, it's pathetic and it's absurd to think any one player might put him or herself above the rest of the team, but it seems to happen all the time.

Roger Goodell

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Believe it or not, there was a time years ago when I supported NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, believing his tough approach was exactly what the league needed to "protect the shield" and keep players from doing dumb things.

Shows what I know, though, as all that power seems to have gone to his head.

An extremely smart man who might just be underqualified to run the most powerful sport in America, Goodell has hurt the NFL's reputation more than he has helped it, with many questioning his handling of the ongoing domestic violence issues and punishment, DeflateGate and, of course, the issue of concussions.

He hasn't ruined the game, but his lack of leadership is the one cog that leaves many questioning the future of the sport.

College Athletes Not Being Paid

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This is a sticky situation, and one both the NCAA and every university in America has struggled with for years, but the time has come to reward student-athletes for what they bring to a school—and not just the stipend that was agreed upon.

Sure, I used to be torn between the question like everyone else, even writing a 32-page research paper on the topic in college arguing both sides and, ultimately, ending up on the decision that kids should not be compensated.

However, with the NCAA about as powerful an organization as any pro league in America, bringing in close to a billion in revenue in 2014 and paying coaches millions of dollars in the process, it makes total sense to give some cash to those players most responsible for such earnings.

I'm not here to answer the question of how that should happen, but I do think it needs to, otherwise sports like men's basketball and football will continue to see star players leave early and chase money in the pros—which, sadly, they aren't always prepared to do.

Bandwagon Fans

Sure, there are things worse than being called a bandwagon fan, but it's the premise of even being questioned that should make a person mad.

As a Cleveland sports fan, I can tell you it's been difficult to stay true to my teams year after year, nearly jumping ship a few times because, well, it's Cleveland sports and bad things always seem to happen.

But it's that struggle that's part of what makes sports so beautiful to begin with, as it's the losses and heartache that makes the winning and, at some point, titles all worth it.

Go ahead and support the team everyone wants to or expects to win, I'll happily stick to my squad that loses, causes me pain and lowers my expectation—until one of them does hoist a championship trophy.

Referee Mistakes

We all have a good laugh when something funny happens with a ref trying to describe a foul—as the video above shows—but things get serious when an official botches a call that costs a team and affects the outcome of a game.

There will always be questionable calls that get a rise out of fans, but it's the ones that do and don't come at a critical time that are the most frustrating.

When a ref feels the nerves more than a player, that's when things get serious, as they either get whistle-happy or completely swallow the thing and let things get overlooked. Unfortunately, it's just something every fan has to learn to accept, too, because there's not much any league can do to fix human error.

Draft Predictions

I mentioned the most recent quarterback bust for the Cleveland Browns earlier, Johnny Manziel—who went 22nd overall in the 2014 NFL draft to the team. Now imagine how things may or may not have been different had Johnny gone No. 1 overall to the Houston Texans that year as ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. had projected.

Look, I have tons of respect for talent evaluators like Kiper and his colleague, Todd McShay, but if there's one thing we've learned over the years, it's that they're never going to be a perfect 32 for 32 on draft predictions and, more times than not, they're on TV to stir up controversy.

The draft is such in inexact science, but analysts get paid to give their opinion, acting like weathermen who keep their jobs no matter what the outcome happens to be.

Fights in the Stands And/Or Between Parents

I've said it over and over—and we all know it to be true: Sports are supposed to be fun.

Sure, as someone who's one of the most competitive you'll ever meet—seriously, it's a problem—I hate to lose and get pissed if/when I do, but that doesn't mean I'm about to fight someone else because of it.

It's too bad not everyone feels the same, though, as we've seen way too many fans and/or parents get into it in the stands over something as arbitrary as a bad call or play on the field.

For the players involved in the action, sure, tension and emotions get revved up. But, for those just watching, verbally or actually physically abusing someone is the trashiest and most classless thing in sports, ruining the fun for everyone else.

Corruption/Cheating

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In a world where we're all told to do almost anything to win, it's sad to think the question of corruption, cheating and/or conspiracy leaks into the minds of sports fans, but that's the case due to past circumstances.

Unfortunately, that ruins sports for us.

We'd all love to believe what our eyes are seeing, but between the mega FIFA corruption scandal, former NBA ref Tim Donaghy betting on games and players continuing to use PEDs and other enhancers to get an edge, it makes fans question the true outcome of games.

It's that small doubt that makes corruption and cheating the worst thing in sports.