10 Players Who Might or Might Not Be Dirty
Perhaps the most common word in the fandom language book, the word "dirty" has many different meanings.
A player classifies as dirty if he or she goes out and intentionally tries to hurt others. A classic example such as Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison persists to this day.
But the definition has altered as the times have changed. Is Tom Brady dirty because of the whole deflated footballs thing that got him suspended? Probably. Well, maybe?
For the purposes of this list, let's keep it to on-field or -court interactions. The following guys might have the best intentions at heart and physical play gets misconstrued as dirty. Or they might just be dirty players with complete disregard for the safety of others.
Let's assign verdicts to each, and feel free to open up the debate in the comment section below.
Kam Chancellor, S, Seattle Seahawks
1 of 10
Kam Chancellor of the Seattle Seahawks is one of the hardest-hitting safeties in the league right now, so it comes with the territory that fans and others label him as dirty.
Chancellor is an enforcer at the line of scrimmage who most recently delivered a questionable hit to Dallas Cowboys rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott. He told Drew Davison of the Star Telegram why he delivered the hit.
"I was just out there having fun. He lowered his shoulder the first time [on a run] and I commend him for that, but I was just out there having fun. I was just taking on the challenge. I love a challenge. I love a good fight so I was just having fun out there," Chancellor said.
Chancellor has had plenty of questionable tackles over the years, even leading to opposing players leaving games with concussions.
Still, by and large Chancellor commits his hits in a legal fashion. It is the violence of the hits that draws attention his way when it should be his incredible play. As a defensive back, it’s only natural for Chancellor to draw flags on hits here and there. If the problem was more widespread, maybe this verdict would go in another direction.
Verdict: Not Dirty
Richie Incognito, OL, Buffalo Bills
2 of 10
What, did you expect a list detailing dirty players to omit Richie Incognito?
Come on, now. Fans know all about Incognito’s past when it comes to the whole bullying scandal involving Jonathan Martin. For most, this likely wasn’t much of a surprise given that Incognito had carved out quite a dirty on-field reputation for himself during his days with the St. Louis Rams.
To his credit, Incognito has gone on to somewhat clean up his game and is in the middle of a career revival of sorts with the Buffalo Bills. But he’s still the guy who bragged about being voted as a dirty player and as recently as Week 7 of the 2016 season tossed an opponent’s helmet up the field after a skirmish.
Incognito is a classic old-school trench player who uses his size and anything else to get an advantage. He’s great at what he does, but his temper and willingness to become goaded into altercations keeps his name in the headlines for the wrong reasons. Incognito remains one of the dirtier players in the NFL.
Verdict: Dirty
Steven Adams, C, Oklahoma City Thunder
3 of 10
Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams is easily the dirtiest player in the NBA...or his fellow players just can't stand him for no reason at all.
Is it always so black and white, though?
Seriously, back in 2012, a rather large handful of players were ejected for hitting Adams. Don't paint Adams as a victim, though—he's a bruising, screen-setting and in-your-face big man who recently found himself voted as one of the dirtiest players in the league.
Adams is 7'0" and 255 pounds, so, yeah, NBA players get a little annoyed with a guy that big whose sole job other than blocking shots and standing big in the paint is tossing sneaky elbows and committing hard fouls to get under the skin of opponents.
It works, though it doesn't necessarily mean Adams is dirty. He flirts with crossing the line on an almost nightly basis. It's sort of like Incognito from an in-game perspective—he's an old-school baller from a bygone era playing in a way frowned upon by most. Still, calling him dirty would be an exaggeration.
Verdict: Not Dirty
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Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants
4 of 10
New York Giants wideout Odell Beckham Jr. continues to redefine what the term "diva" means for superstar players.
Beckham is great, no argument there. Minimums of 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns in each of his first two years in the league say that well enough. Highlight-reel catches and defenders who can keep up with him countable on one hand helps.
But Beckham can't seem to control himself on the field. Fans remember the cheap shot he took at then-Carolina Panthers corner Josh Norman in 2015. That same year, members of the Buffalo Bills blasted him for throwing punches.
This year, Beckham's antics have mostly resulted in him damaging himself with a kicking net, though he did receive a whopping $36,000 fine for—you guessed it—taking a cheap shot on a member of the New Orleans Saints.
All of this doesn't make Beckham dirty, just immature.
A hothead who puts the rage-blinders on and endangers others, Beckham's problems won't get better—opponents know they can get in his head and force these mistakes. While it might make him seem increasingly like a victim as the years go by, just remember he brought it on himself.
Verdict: Not Dirty
Cody Wallace, OL, Pittsburgh Steelers
5 of 10
Playing in the offensive trenches is the grittiest job in the NFL, and everyone knows the whole mantra about anything goes in a pile while the cameras can't get a look at the happenings.
The cameras caught Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Cody Wallace in 2013, though, and the actions weren't pretty. Wallace got fined for that and, oh, coughed up even more dough for a late hit in the same game.
Tired of those being the only lowlights of his dirty play, Wallace delivered a wicked helmet-to-helmet late hit in 2015.
Call it lapses in judgement or something else, it doesn't matter—dirty is dirty and doesn't excuse it.
But so goes the divide between teams and fans. Teammates might defend it, and so will fans of the team, but most fans will view the actions as dirty and unnecessary.
Verdict: Dirty
Dwyane Wade, G, Chicago Bulls
6 of 10
Dwyane Wade is a dirty player.
All right, this deserves elaboration. But anyone disagreeing is either a fan of the Miami Heat or misguided enough to think the Chicago Bulls' callback to 2011 has a chance at winning a ring.
Where to start? Wade has tackled other players. He's broken a player's nose in the All-Star Game, of all things. He's kicked players in the groin. He's slammed his knee into another player's head. He's taken down a player, causing a broken arm. He's even thrown an opposing player's shoe off the court, because, why not?
What else do folks need to see? Wade gets angry on the court and has mishaps in judgement that put others at risk. He's gotten away with it for so long, why would he stop now?
Admittedly, some of the videos above can undergo plenty of debate regarding intent and yadda, yadda. The fact they exist and this has gone on for years and years says Wade knows exactly what he's doing and just how much he can get away with without actually getting ejected or suspended.
Verdict: Dirty
Ndamukong Suh, DT, Miami Dolphins
7 of 10
Too easy.
Ndamukong Suh is a reckless, dangerous player who operates under a close microscope and still commits dirty plays on a regular basis.
Fans know the drill with Suh. He's a stomper, an accidental groin-kicker and a stomper some more. This is the guy who said he couldn't tell he was stomping on another player because his feet were cold.
Like Wade, there is a laundry list of transgressions committed by Suh. Let's not pretend Suh switching over to the Miami Dolphins has made him clean up his act, either—he's still "accidentally" kicking players, this time in the head.
Suh is the embodiment of a lot of players on this list—he does stupid stuff outside of the rules, or just barley, that harms others because he lets his emotions get the best of him. He's just a 6'4", 300-pound monster doing it.
Verdict: Dirty
Matthew Dellavedova, G, Milwaukee Bucks
8 of 10
Matthew Dellavedova developed a bit of a reputation as a dirty player while suiting up for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Dellavedova did have a few questionable moments, including rolling up on the ankle of Kyle Korver during a skirmish in the playoffs. Most, though, will point to something like his shoving of Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond.
But look at it. Dellavedova does it and immediately tries to help him up. He goofed and knows it. Compare it to Wade, who kicks groins and accidentally breaks arms and walks away.
Alas, Dellavedova was voted the league's dirtiest player, something an Eastern Conference coach told Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times he disagrees with.
"His stuff really ain't intentional. It's just like goofy. It's not like John Stockton, where John Stockton was calculated. Dellavedova is accidentally dirty. He can't help himself. He's a quality backup point guard," the coach said.
It's hard to disagree. Dellavedova plays rough, sure, but his actions in a rotational role aren't enough to slap him with a dirty label. More like par for the course for a guy trying to make an impact while checking in at less than 200 pounds.
Verdict: Not Dirty
Draymond Green, F, Golden State Warriors
9 of 10
"I don’t like people calling me dirty because I know I don’t do dirty things. At the end of the day, they’re gonna say whatever they want to say, and I’m not gonna lose no sleep over it. But I don’t like people to call me dirty because I know I’m not a dirty player.”
Sounds like something a dirty player would say, right?
The above comes from an interview Green gave Tim Kawakami and Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group, transcribed by CSN Bay Area. Green sounds like a guy who doesn't like his reputation, but might just understand it.
Which makes sense. Green is a limb-flailer extraordinaire whose appendages just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time while hitting other players. When he's not flailing around trying to make purposeful contact look accidental, he's committing downright dirty plays, as captured in one of many videos.
Green has dug himself into a hole given the reputation he has made for himself. Whether he climbs back out is entirely up to him.
Verdict: Dirty
Vontaze Burfict, LB, Cincinnati Bengals
10 of 10
All hail the new king of dirty.
Those in the Queen City area might try to say Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict just plays tough and so on with other excuses, but make no mistake—Burfict is as dirty as any player on this list, if not more so.
The problem with Burfict is fans don't look in the right areas. Some like to claim Burfict celebrated after injuring Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell in 2015. He wasn't, though some players even ran with the narrative. Bell himself posted a tweet that suggested this simply wasn't true.
Those looking for dirty need to look in the right areas. Burfict delivered a well-publicized headshot to Bell's teammate, Antonio Brown, last year. The one that doesn't get enough publicity, though, is a wicked headshot delivered to Baltimore Ravens tight end Maxx Williams in the weeks prior, which resulted in a $50,000 fine. Not surprising—this is the same guy who openly twists players' ankles on camera.
Over the course of 53 games, Burfict has been fined a ridiculous $805,000. Burfict being of questionable character and a dirty player on the field isn't anything new, as each of those videos from college show.
Unlike many on this list, if Burfict doesn't change or at least better flirt with the line of acceptable behavior, he won't last much longer in the NFL. It sounds hyperbolic, but a mountain of evidence points to him being the dirtiest player in sports. For shame, too, because he's a rare talent.
Verdict: Dirty
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