The 10 Recent Head-Scratching Sports Decisions
Decisions by so-called professionals in sports don't always make the most sense.
It's easy to sit back and play Monday morning quarterback while using hindsight as a crutch to blast both players and those in charge when it comes to iffy decisions.
But the worst of the worst tend to look bad right out of the gates. It could be a bad coaching decision, like that time the Seattle Seahawks chose not to run the ball with a guy named Marshawn Lynch.
It can also be a miserable personnel decision, like when the Washington Redskins decided to drop $100 million on a guy named Albert Haynesworth.
These easily identifiable gaffes pop up often because, professionals or not, the folks at the top level of the sporting world are still human. (Except LeBron James. Jury's out given his silly minutes rate.) While common, the odd decisions have varying levels of impact.
Let's take a look at some of the more serious and head-scratching decisions of the past year or so, calls still impacting the sporting world today.
Panthers Cut Bene' Benwikere
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The Carolina Panthers coughed up more than 500 passing yards to Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan in a 48-33 loss in Week 4.
To help fix the issue, the coaching staff in Carolina...cut the team's best cornerback.
Wait, what?
Indeed, Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer explained the context well: "As bad as Benwikere played last wk, teams don't cut guys on Friday. Especially when one of the starting CBs is out w/ turf toe."
Benwikere had a bad game, sure, but so did the entire secondary. Even then, he is a 2014 fifth-round pick who has shown plenty of promise. Don't forget he happens to play one of the most important positions in football.
Alas, cutting Benwikere didn't turn out to be some magical season-saving sacrifice. Carolina went out and lost on Monday Night Football to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the next week, coughing up 219 yards and a score to Jameis Winston.
Maybe this isn't so shocking. After all, this is the team that let cornerback Josh Norman get away for no reason and doesn't seem like one wanting to contend for a title again anytime soon.
Ryan Grigson Comments on Andrew Luck's Contract
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Here's a fun scenario—a team's general manager fails to build a competitive roster, inks a star player to a monster contract, then suggests said contract is part of the reason the roster isn't competitive.
Welcome to Indianapolis Colts football.
The general manager is Ryan Grigson and the contract is the $140 million deal for Andrew Luck signed in June (a move that wouldn't ever make a list like this given the quarterback's talent).
Grigson, for one reason or another, suggested he can't build the defense quickly thanks to the contract, as captured by Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star: "When you pay Andrew (Luck) what we did, it’s going to take some time to build on the other side of the ball."
It's a downright amazing comment—it's not often fans will hear a member of a front office place blame elsewhere.
Grigson especially doesn't have any justification for it. He's acted as GM since 2012, the defense has been terrible since then and Luck was playing under an affordable rookie contract.
Contracts issued to players happen to come from the front office, so even if Luck was somehow stopping the Colts from getting players they need, the blame would still loop back to the front office.
Heat Abandon Chris Bosh
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The Miami Heat don't sound like a team wanting to let Chris Bosh play basketball anymore.
It's an interesting, polarizing situation. Bosh has only suited up for 44 and 53 games over the past two years while battling a health issue. As such, Bosh failed a physical with the team in September and the Heat have made it clear he won't stick with the team.
Bosh, however, wants to play. This gets polarizing because one could argue the Heat might not want to pay Bosh and his health issues have dampened the team's chances two seasons in a row. The other side is Miami truly caring about his health.
For context, USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt explained the money side of things:
"But the financial aspect in terms of the Heat’s salary cap can’t be ignored either. For starters, Bosh is guaranteed the remaining $75.8 million of his contract he signed with Miami in 2014. The Heat are not on the hook for all that money, as Bosh’s contract is covered by insurance.
After Bosh misses 41 games, the insurance company reimburses the Heat 80% of what Bosh is owed, up to a maximum of $175,000 per game. The Heat cover the remaining amount.
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Odds seem strong Bosh will play again. From an on-court standpoint, the team letting Bosh walk doesn't make a ton of sense because it only has Josh McRoberts at the position and this offseason already lost Dwyane Wade.
For one reason or another, the Heat think it best to part with Bosh, a guy who has looked like his usual self, if not better, when actually on the court over the past two years. It's an odd decision, to say the least.
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Brock Osweiler Strikes It Big
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Brock Osweiler put on a solid show as a backup for the Peyton Manning-led Denver Broncos for a few years. In 2015, he rode an elite defense to wins and kept the team in the chase for a Lombardi Trophy.
John Elway didn't feel like coughing up the cash Osweiler could make on the open market last offseason, so the 2012 second-round pick struck it big with the Houston Texans.
Really big. Big, as in $72 million.
Through five games with the Texans and three wins, Osweiler has completed 58 percent of his passes with six touchdowns and seven interceptions. Per ESPN Stats & Info, his 6.03 yards per completion ranks among the league's worst.
This wasn't hard to see coming. Osweiler flashed in Denver, but Houston ain't Denver. One does have to understand Houston was widely considered a team a quarterback away from contention. Head coach Bill O'Brien also has a reputation as a quarterback whisperer.
But Osweiler for $72 million? It seemed like a quick attempt at taking a shortcut at the most important position in football. That never works, and Osweiler and the Texans haven't flashed a hint of turning the narrative back in the right direction.
Orioles Forget About Zach Britton
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Here's a rare in-game gaffe. Normally such an error wouldn't qualify because...they just don't happen. Folks don't expect people involved at professional levels of a sport like this to whiff in such dramatic fashion during simple in-game logistics.
But Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter did.
This wasn't a bad challenge or playing a guy too many minutes or making an iffy signing or trade.
This was Showalter—a man with a pristine reputation for managerial prowess in shuffling his bullpen—neglecting to use closer Zach Britton in a playoff game.
Britton, the guy who hadn't allowed an earned run since the start of May. The guy who happened to be a Cy Young candidate.
The scene was simple enough. Baltimore sat tied with the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Wild Card Game. In the 11th inning, Edwin Encarnacion blasted a homer to send the Orioles home, 5-2.
Britton didn't see the field.
It's baffling, really. Modern baseball has taught us that pitching is about the situation, not silly rules as to when and how to use a player. If a team has a guy like Britton to combat an Encarnacion in a game-winning, scratch that, season-saving situation, he has to be on the mound.
Chargers Invest in Keenan Allen
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The San Diego Chargers gave star wide receiver Keenan Allen a four-year extension over the summer, coming in at $49 million after incentives.
Upon hearing the news, those in the know probably busted out a grimace or two. Allen is a great wide receiver, but a checkered injury past made the cash look iffy at best.
Allen is one of the bigger cases of "what if?" in the NFL today. His rookie season was electric as he appeared in 15 games and caught 71 passes for 1,046 yards and eight touchdowns.
He hasn't matched the game total or stats since.
After missing two games in his sophomore campaign, Allen missed half of 2015 due to injuries. This year after signing the contract over the summer, Allen only mustered one game before unfortunately going down with an injury.
For a team like San Diego, proper allocation of cash and assets is critical for competing. Investing in Allen before his rookie deal even expired didn't make a ton of sense given his medical past.
Then again, this is the same franchise that could also make this list for engaging in one of the silliest contract standoffs in history with defensive end Joey Bosa over the summer.
Timofey Mozgov Gets the Superstar Treatment
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In the NBA realm, what does a four-year deal worth $64 million sound like?
Is it either...
- A: A guy who averaged 17.4 minutes per game last year with averages of 6.9 points and 5.0 rebounds on his career.
- B: A proven, contributing role player who can play heavy minutes and perhaps help a team compete for a title.
Those who answered A get a prize—an eerie familiarity with how the modern Los Angeles Lakers operate.
Such is the deal the Lakers gave to center Timofey Mozgov over the summer in one of the funniest moves in recent memory. Mozgov not only touts the stats mentioned, he's 30 years old and has never played more than an average of 25.6 minutes per game.
“I can do whatever I’ve been doing for six years in the NBA,” Mozgov said, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. “I’ll work in the paint, be big, make contested shots and block shots.”
The Lakers have botched building a contender for so long while dragging their feet through the Kobe Bryant retirement tour that this is what $64 million can buy the team on the market: a center who can "be big."
Shrug.
CM Punk Enters the Octagon
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It was a bad idea from the jump.
CM Punk, one of the most decorated names in WWE history who had wrestled since his teenage years, decided around the crisp age of 36 that he wanted to switch gears and enter UFC's Octagon.
UFC said let's do it, and they did—Punk had an up-and-down camp marred by injuries while training in front of the promotion's documentary cameras and got flattened by Mickey Gall, tapping out in the first round.
Honestly, anyone with an ounce of understanding of MMA's more intricate details knew the surefire outcome. A guy, 37 by the time the fight rolled around, going against a 24-year-old athletic freak who has done nothing but train MMA his entire life? Easy prediction.
Alas, Punk tried it and deserves credit. From the sounds of it, though, Punk's next fight, if it happens, won't occur in UFC after the quick loss.
Joakim Noah Hits the Lottery
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Call this year the twilight zone of questionable $72 million decisions.
The New York Knicks, with dreams of building a contender around Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose (what is this, 2010?), decided to drop a fat, $72 million deal on Joakim Noah.
Noah, the guy who in his final season with the Chicago Bulls took a backseat to Pau Gasol, averaged 21.9 minutes last year on the way to 4.3 points and 8.8 rebounds. In 30.6 minutes the year before, he only bumped those to 7.2 and 9.6, respectively.
Now 31 years old, the Knicks seem to expect Noah to act as the glue guy underneath the basket while taking Kristaps Porzingis under his wing. It's fine in theory, though the theory has to rewind time a few years.
Even in the Eastern Conference, it's hard to imagine the Knicks can excel enough to justify the cash handed to Noah. Like the Lakers, though, it's seemingly the best New York can do in free agency, which is almost depressing given the presence of a superstar like Anthony on the roster.
NFL's Celebration Rules
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Fans have probably noticed, but the NFL has tightened its grip on celebrations this season.
A column by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk pretty much summed it up as this—the rules have always been there, but this year the league wants it properly and fully enforced.
Florio listed the approved celebrations explained by vice president of officiating Dean Blandino:
"Here’s what’s allowed: (1) dancing that is not sexually suggestive; (2) celebrations with teammates that are not choreographed; (3) spiking the ball, as long as it’s not directed at an opponent; (4) spinning the ball, as long as it’s not directed to an opponent; (5) bowing to the crowd; (6) saluting; (7) going to the ground in prayer; (8) the “Lambeau Leap”; and (9) handing the ball to the official.
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That's right folks—players are allowed to hand the ball to a referee!
Seriously, there's a reason Cleveland Browns wideout Andrew Hawks pretended to be a robot in Week 5 after he scored. The league doesn't seem to want its players to have a personality, especially after scoring.
Granted, the idea teams and players can get into celebration wars and things get out of hand makes sense. But robbing the players of individuality and cracking down big time on how they act during a special moment isn't fun for players or fans.
Follow Chris Roling (@Chris_Roling) on Twitter.
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