Reggie Bush vs. Skip Bayless & the 7 Best NFL Athlete-Media Showdowns

Athletes and media personalities go hand-in-hand, both enhancing our entertaining sports experience.

When the two parties come to a war of words, or in some cases come to blows, however, the plotline thickens and the story becomes juicier.

In recent memory, more athletes and on-air personalities have begun to quarrel over trivial things, and as fans, we receive the benefit.

Fighting is a part of sports, but when the media personality faces off against the athlete, the fight is much more attractive.

Now, here are the seven most entertaining athlete-media showdowns.

Derek Anderson vs. Kent Somers

After a Monday Night Football game in which he was caught laughing on the sidelines while his team was losing, Derek Anderson was cagey and on the attack in his post-game press conference.

When reporter Kent Somers pushed Anderson too far, the quarterback unleashed a tirade that may be forever etched into the memories of many football fans.

Somers was doing his job as a reporter, certainly, but it was too much for Derek Anderson to deal with, what with the combination of his team losing and the public's disapproval of him already in place.

Anderson received public backlash for the incident, as did Somers, but the clash resulted in a humorous sound bite for the rest of us to replay to our satisfaction.

Brandon Marshall vs. Sterling Sharpe

Sterling Sharpe criticized Brandon Marshall after a Sunday Night Football game against the Jets, saying that Marshall was out of gas by the end of the game.

Marshall had good reason to be tired, having posted 10 catches on the day for 166 yards and a touchdown.

After Sharpe's critical comments reached Marshall, the Dolphin responded harshly in return.

Marshall knocked Sharpe for not being a "Hall of Fame guy," implying that he was above Sharpe and that the analyst didn't deserve to talk negatively about Marshall.

Jim "Chris" Everett vs. Jim Rome

One can watch this video a hundred times, and it will bring a smile to his or her face every time.

Quarterback Jim Everett was brutalized so much in the 1989 NFC Championship Game by the San Francisco 49ers that, out of fear of another potential pass rusher on one play, Everett fell to the ground without anyone near him.

People began questioning his toughness after Everett sacked himself, and Jim Rome started to call the quarterback "Chris" Everett, referring to female tennis player Chris Evert.

Unsurprisingly enough, when Rome continually pestered Everett, the quarterback let loose, flipping a table and throwing Rome to the ground.

Ryan Leaf vs. Jay Posner

Ryan Leaf was a disappointment to his fans, the city of San Diego, and the NFL.

All of the pent-up anger and rage finally reached a boiling point when, on the Dan Patrick show, Leaf showed how he really felt about his failures in the NFL.

The former first-round quarterback let loose on reporter Jay Posner, yelling, "Just don't ****ing talk to me, all right? Knock it off!"

After being restrained by teammate Junior Seau, Leaf had provided the world with a 14-second clip to define his career.

Reggie Bush vs. Skip Bayless

Reggie Bush vs. Skip Bayless has provided us with some recent drama by which to be entertained.

Bush was irked by some comments that Bayless made on air, including intimating that the former first-round running back's value is lower than it once was.

The Saints rusher launched into a tweeting tirade against the writer, providing us highlights such as challenging a 60-year-old man to a 1-on-1 full pads contact drill along with a weightlifting competition.

Reggie Bush's job is to play football and Skip Bayless' job is to report obnoxiously about Bush's play—the USC product needs to realize that.

Warren Moon vs. Nolan Nawrocki

It is not uncommon for a draft prospect to receive criticism, especially when the prospect is one of the best at his position.

Teams are going to invest millions of dollars in the player, and they need to know all potential issues that may flare up.

When Nolan Nawrocki fired criticism at Cam Newton for being a phony and having a fake smile, Newton's mentor Warren Moon questioned Nawrocki's true motives.

Moon played the race card, saying that black quarterbacks are just naturally criticized more, which always makes sport debates more interesting.

The sparring between Nawrocki and Moon, as well as the racial debate that followed, made for a very enjoyable story.

Chad Ochocinco vs. Mark Schlereth

Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

CINCINNATI, OH - OCTOBER 10: Chad Ochocinco #85 of the Cincinnati Bengals makes a reception against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Paul Brown Stadium on October 10, 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

Twitter can be a dangerous entity for both athletes and media personalities—somehow, that cute blue bird in the Twitter logo breeds intense hostility.

Chad Ochocinco is no stranger to Twitter or Twitter battles, and his most memorable battle was one in which he engaged media personality Mark Schlereth.

Schlereth and Ochocinco went back and forth after Ochocinco rescinded his staunch backing of friend Plaxico Burress; Schlereth felt obligated to chirp in about the Bengals wide receiver's lack of unconditional support.

Ochocinco went off on Schlereth, and the two waged war around the central point of caring about team concept.

For a summary of the battle, click here, and enjoy as these Tweeters duke it out.