When competition turns ugly, sportsmanship goes out the window! Join us as we count down the most jaw-dropping moments when athletes crossed the line with dirty plays, cheap shots, and outright cheating. From vicious attacks to calculated deception, these incidents shocked fans and changed sports forever. Which unsportsmanlike act do you think deserves the top spot?
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00:00It wasn't supposed to end this way.
00:02Welcome to WatchMojo.
00:05And today we're counting down our picks for the most jaw-dropping times in history
00:10when athletes demonstrated terrible unsporting behavior while competing.
00:15Certainly no winners in this circumstance.
00:20Number 30.
00:21Luis Adriano Breaking Injury Rule
00:24In 2012, Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk faced Denmark's Norsalind in the Champions League.
00:32During the match, a player went down injured.
00:34So in these circumstances, the restart typically involves the opposition passing the ball back
00:40to those who had possession when the game stopped.
00:44However, Luis Adriano had other ideas.
00:48When teammate Willian passed it back to Norsalind, Adriano ran onto the ball, dribbled it past
00:54the keeper, and scored.
00:55Norsalind, understandably, was furious.
00:59Shakhtar players tried to let the Danes score to even it up.
01:03However, Taras Stepanenko wasn't on board and blocked the attempt.
01:08Adriano went on to grab a hat-trick as his team won 5-2.
01:12In the aftermath, Adriano was banned for one game for his lack of fair play.
01:17Number 29.
01:19Sylvester Karmouche's Fog Deception
01:21Coming into a race at Delta Downs in Vinton, Louisiana in 1990, Sylvester Karmouche and his
01:28horse, Landing Officer, didn't have great odds to win at 23-1.
01:33Yet, the underdogs pulled it off by winning by 24 lengths.
01:37However, then came the allegations.
01:39Due to heavy fog, Karmouche was accused of hiding in the mist, allowing the other jockeys
01:44to round the track, then coming back in front to take the win.
01:49Soon after, the suspicious officials and other jockeys stated Karmouche hadn't passed them
01:54during the race, which led to his disqualification.
01:58It got worse, as the jockey was banned from racing in Louisiana for 10 years.
02:03The punishment kept coming as Karmouche was sentenced to 30 days in jail and fined $250.
02:08Number 28.
02:10Chris Simon's Sharp Stamp
02:122007 wasn't a good year on the ice for Chris Simon.
02:16Playing for the New York Islanders, he already served a 25-game suspension for attempting
02:21to hit Ryan Hallweg with his stick.
02:23I just finished my check on him on the half wall on our end, and I think he was a little
02:29phased by it.
02:30And then I turned around, and the next thing I knew, he was winding up and hit me in the
02:33face.
02:33Yet, during a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, it got worse when Simon went to get
02:38to the bench.
02:39After tripping Yarko Routu, Simon stood on his leg with his blade, using the limb as a soft
02:45step.
02:46Deliberate attempt to injure is the call, so a major penalty against the Islanders.
02:54The outrage for this reckless action caused Simon to take time away from Aisaki.
02:58However, the NHL wasn't satisfied with that.
03:02He was given a 30-day, resulting in him forfeiting over $290,000 in salary.
03:08Number 27.
03:10The Boston Marathon Cheater
03:12Every so often, an athlete comes seemingly out of nowhere to dominate a sport and write
03:18their name in lights.
03:19In 1980, it was Rosie Ruiz's turn as she easily won the Boston Marathon, becoming the fastest
03:26woman in the competition's history.
03:28At a news conference, Rosie Ruiz was introduced as the top woman finisher.
03:33When she told Rodgers her winning time, he shook his head in disbelief.
03:37Two hours and 31 minutes.
03:39Rodgers seemed visibly stunned by it.
03:41However, immediately, there were signs something fishy was going on.
03:45After all, Ruiz massively cut her time from the 1979 New York Marathon.
03:51Couldn't remember the details of the race and didn't seem tired.
03:54Spectators then accused Ruiz of slipping from the crowd to take the lead.
03:59An investigation of her New York result accused her of using the subway to get ahead.
04:04While Ruiz denied the allegations, she was stripped of the victory, and it was handed
04:08to Jacqueline Garot.
04:09Is it possible, Rosie, that you even doubt now whether you ran the race or not?
04:16No.
04:16There's no doubt in my mind.
04:18I know what I did, and I will prove it again in the future.
04:21Number 26.
04:23The Hand of Back.
04:25Despite captaining the Leicester Tigers and England, as well as winning the World Cup in
04:302003, rugby union legend Neil Back is best known for one infamous moment.
04:36The Hand of Back.
04:38In 2002, his Leicester team was looking to win consecutive Heineken Cups by beating Munster
04:44in the final.
04:45Brilliant.
04:46I know what's up for me.
04:47He clears the lines.
04:50We're in the last minute of stoppage time.
04:53With Back's team narrowly leading 15-9 with minutes left, Munster got a scrum near the
04:59try line.
05:00However, as scrum half Peter Stringer went to put the ball in, Back knocked the ball
05:05from his hands, giving Leicester possession, leading to them clearing the ball from danger.
05:10Watch this.
05:11He's ready.
05:12A kneel back.
05:13Oh, there we go.
05:14Oh.
05:15He's been conned.
05:16He's been conned.
05:20Oh, dear.
05:21It's going to end in controversy.
05:23All of this was missed by the match officials.
05:26Back did apologize several months after the incident.
05:29However, he later stated he regretted nothing.
05:32Number 25.
05:34Andrew Gulotta goes below the belts multiple times.
05:37Coming into his first bout with Riddick Bowe in 1996, Andrew Gulotta had an impressive win
05:43record of 28-0.
05:45However, his reputation as a dirty boxer soon crept out.
05:48Throughout, Gulotta struck Bowe with low blows, leading to point deductions.
05:53There's a point deducted from each of the three scorecards.
05:56One point.
05:57That point goes against Gulotta.
05:59This left men watching this on TV experiencing more secondhand pain for Bowe than a left hook
06:05across the jaw.
06:06Later in the seventh round, Gulotta did it again, sending Bowe to the mat.
06:10After so many below-the-belt punches, the ref disqualified Gulotta.
06:15Down goes Bowe.
06:16That's it.
06:16That's it.
06:17That's a disqualification.
06:19However, immediately afterward, a brawl erupted in the ring, causing a riot to spark.
06:24Five months later, the duo battled once more.
06:27Gulotta continued low-blowing Bowe, leading to another DQ.
06:31Number 24.
06:33The Avery Rule.
06:34Not every blatant, unsporting behavior results in a rule change, but that's what happened
06:40after Sean Avery's conduct in 2008.
06:43Avery, settle it down, he takes a hit.
06:46With his team, the New York Rangers, taking on the New Jersey Devils in Game 3 of the Eastern
06:51Conference quarterfinals, Avery stood in front of goaltender Martin Brodeur, staring at him
06:56as he waved his hands and stick.
06:58Known as screening, players tend to look at the play rather than the goalie, yet Avery
07:04took a different, controversial approach.
07:06Sean Avery's tactics at screening the goaltender like nothing I've ever seen before.
07:11While a goal wasn't directly scored during that play, Avery fired the puck into the net
07:16shortly after.
07:17The next day, the NHL changed the screening rules, making note that Avery's antics would
07:22result in a minor penalty in the future.
07:25Number 23, Frank Reichardt's spitting.
07:29Everyone knows that spitting is gross.
07:32The same can be said on the football pitch against another player.
07:35At the 1990 FIFA World Cup, West Germany faced the Netherlands in the round of 16.
07:41Reichardt, for some reason, had something against Germany's Rudy Voller.
07:46Here's Voller.
07:48Oh, might be a free kick here, and it looks like the referee from Argentina's going to
07:53wave the first yellow card.
07:55After fouling him and getting a yellow card, the Dutch legend spat on the German's hair.
08:00When Voller protested, he got booked too.
08:03Shortly after, Voller was penalized for a suspected dive in the penalty area.
08:08Reichardt stamped on the striker and twisted his ear.
08:11As such, both players were sent off.
08:14And Rudy Voller, well, he has every reason to feel disgusted.
08:19Yet, when they went to leave the pitch, Reichardt spat on Voller's hair again.
08:23The two legendary players soon buried the hatchet and moved on.
08:27Number 22, Pedro Martinez-Chucks Don Zimmer.
08:32In 2003, tempers were flaring during Game 3 of the 2003 American League Championship Series between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees.
08:41Yeah, that was perilously close to his head.
08:46Martinez hitting Soriano and Derek Jeter.
08:49The last time the Yankees and Red Sox played a 2-1 game, won by the Yankees.
08:55The Sox' Pedro Martinez drew heat after hitting Kareem Garcia's shoulder with a pitch,
09:00followed by allegations he threatened to throw a beanball at Jorge Posada.
09:05Martinez denied this to be the case.
09:07Later, a scuffle kicked off, causing both sets of players and coaches to descend on the field.
09:13Seeing the opportunity, Yankees coach Don Zimmer charged Martinez.
09:17The player grabbed the 72-year-old and casually tossed him to the ground.
09:21Both Zimmer and Martinez apologized for what happened, with the latter stating, it was his career's biggest regret.
09:28That's the only blemish I would love to erase from my career.
09:31There hasn't been any other moment where I felt worse.
09:35Number 21.
09:37Jack Tatum's preseason hit on Daryl Stingley.
09:40Typically, preseason games are a good way for athletes to take it a bit easier and get ready for the upcoming competition.
09:47However, that's not what happened in 1978 between the Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots.
09:52On Sunday, I became what they call the assassin.
09:58I was just a tough guy.
09:59I was a sheriff in the Raiders secondary.
10:02Daryl Stingley had a promising career ahead of him as a wide receiver with the Patriots.
10:07But as he attempted to gather a pass, he was struck by an over-the-top hit by Jack Tatum.
10:13The Raiders' safety, nicknamed the assassin, was known for his aggressive tackles.
10:18Stingley broke multiple vertebrae in his neck, resulting in him spending the rest of his life using a wheelchair.
10:24Due to the tackle not technically being against the rules, Tatum didn't get any punishment and was accused of showing no remorse.
10:31Did you ever apologize to Daryl Stingley?
10:35No, I didn't.
10:36And I will tell you why.
10:38I apologize because Daryl got hurt, and I'm sorry he got hurt.
10:44But I will never apologize for the way I play football.
10:48That just won't happen.
10:50Number 20, Shaq and Dudley.
10:53But Dudley is now joined with Shaq and threw the ball in his direction.
10:56Man, if you want to pick somebody to go with, you go right to the head of the class when you go after Shaq.
11:03No, this isn't a fun buddy cop movie.
11:06It's one of the most famous incidents in basketball history.
11:09It occurred on March 28, 1999, during a game between the Lakers and the Knicks.
11:15Shaq dunked on Chris Dudley and then shoved him to the ground, his massive frame sending Dudley sprawling like a ragdoll.
11:22A visibly frustrated and embarrassed Dudley then stood up, grabbed the basketball, and whipped it at Shaq as he jogged away.
11:30Both actions went against the values of the NBA, with Shaq physically taunting his opponent and Dudley responding with like-minded aggression.
11:38Both were handed technical fouls, and both were labeled unsportsmanlike in their behavior.
11:44He just overpowers him, and he comes down, and then he shoves him right there.
11:49They've called the technical on Shaq on that play, and then the technical on Dudley for throwing the ball.
11:55Number 19, The Martin Incident.
11:58Ball is long gone.
12:00What is this?
12:02Wow, man, that's ridiculous.
12:04He should be out of the game.
12:06American football is full of dirty hits, but there are few quite like the Martin Incident of 1986.
12:12It refers to Packers defensive end Charles Martin, who committed a dirty tackle against Bears quarterback Jim McMahon.
12:19Long after McMahon had thrown the ball, Martin grabbed him from behind and suplexed him to the ground, worsening his already torn rotator cuff.
12:28McMahon needed surgery and was out for the rest of the season.
12:31As for Martin, he made the history books.
12:34First player ever ejected for a violent act and first player to ever be suspended for an on-field incident.
12:40The hit was so filthy that when Bears offensive lineman Jim Covert retaliated with a dirty hit of his own, the refs declined to penalize him.
12:49Well, we expected the rough stuff here, but we didn't expect to see something quite that flagrant.
12:56Number 18, Barry Hall wallops Brent Staker.
13:00Hall off the ball.
13:01Oh, Barry Hall has whacked behind play.
13:04That is ridiculous Barry Hall.
13:06He has smacked Staker in the head, and he will be reported.
13:09A very popular player of the Australian Football League, Barry Hall is considered one of the best forwards in modern history.
13:16Regardless, he has been at the center of numerous controversies, like punching Brent Staker straight in the face.
13:23Hall was frustrated and tangled up with Staker, so he threw an arm backwards towards Staker's head.
13:29This did not have the intended effect, so Hall simply turned around and punched Staker in the jaw.
13:35You can practically see his eyes roll back into his head, and he was taken out of the game.
13:41Justice came for Hall.
13:42He was severely reprimanded by the AFL Tribunal and received a seven-game suspension.
13:48I'll tell you what, the look of Brent Staker's eyes after the impact is not going to do Barry Hall a whole lot of good.
13:54Number 17, Chase Utley breaks a leg.
13:57Utley got off on a great secondary lead, and he gets right there to break up the double play.
14:03Didn't even start sliding until he was even with the bag.
14:06Having long been criticized for his aggressive base running, Chase Utley committed the Cardinals' sin on October 10, 2015.
14:14It was Game 2 of the National League Division Series, and Utley's Dodgers were losing 2-1.
14:20A double play was about to be performed by the Mets to end the inning, but Utley performed an egregiously late slide and kicked the legs out from under Ruben Tejada.
14:30He broke the double play and Tejada's leg.
14:33Yep, his right fibula was fractured in the collision, and he was never quite the same again.
14:38Utley was suspended for two games and became a permanent rival of the Mets, even being thrown at by Noah Syndergaard the following May.
14:50Did he just kick him out?
14:53He threw behind Utley.
14:55Did they just kick Syndergaard out?
14:57Number 16, Trevor Chappell bowls underarm.
15:01We're going to bowl an underarm.
15:03Have you ever believed it?
15:07And that's a disappointing finish.
15:09When the Prime Minister of New Zealand calls something the most disgusting incident he can recall in the history of cricket, you know, something bad went down.
15:17He's referring to the underarm incident of 1981, which occurred during a cricket match between New Zealand and Australia.
15:25To prevent New Zealand from scoring the six required runs to win, Captain Greg Chappell told his brother Trevor to deliver the last ball underarm.
15:34While not illegal at the time, this throw was highly frowned upon and betrayed the competitive spirit of the game.
15:40The incident left a lasting stain on the reputation of the Chappell brothers and Australian cricket.
15:46And underarm bowling in such context is now explicitly prohibited in the laws of cricket.
15:52Let me just tell you what I think about it.
15:54I think it was a disgraceful performance from a captain who got his sums wrong today.
15:57And I think it should never be permitted to happen again.
16:01Number 15, Todd Bertuzzi sucker punches Steve Moore.
16:05Steve, I just want to apologize for what happened out there, that I had no intention on hurting you, that I feel awful for what transpired.
16:17One of the nastiest plays in hockey history occurred on March 8, 2004, when the Canucks were playing the Avalanche.
16:24Canuck Todd Bertuzzi was goading Avalanche player Steve Moore into a fight, but Moore simply ignored him.
16:30This angered Bertuzzi, so he grabbed Moore's jersey and sucker punched him from behind.
16:35The hit instantly knocked out Moore, and his limp body fell face first onto the ice.
16:40The results were horrific.
16:42He received facial lacerations, suffered from amnesia, and worst of all, broke his neck in three places.
16:49Luckily, Moore would not face lasting physical injury, but his career was over.
16:54Bertuzzi's punishment extended beyond hockey.
16:57He was brought up on assault charges and was given probation and 80 hours of community service.
17:03Have you ever spoken with Todd Bertuzzi?
17:05No.
17:06Will you ever, do you think?
17:09Um, I, I don't know.
17:13I don't give it much thought.
17:15Number 14, The Many Freakouts of John McEnroe.
17:19Hey, I saw what you did to those guys who were making fun of you.
17:22Nice work.
17:22You know what it's like to get riled up, don't you, Johnny Mac?
17:25That I do.
17:26Much like golf, tennis has always been considered a gentleman's sport, with very strict rules
17:32against noise, excessive celebration, and emotional outbursts.
17:36John McEnroe threw that rulebook straight in the garbage.
17:40McEnroe was an intense player, known far and wide for his fierce anger and intense blow-ups.
17:46Throughout his career, McEnroe often engaged in arguments that went beyond simple frustration,
17:51with long, heated diatribes aimed at umpires, linesmen, and even spectators.
17:57If he wasn't screaming abuse at umpires, he was smashing his racket to pieces or intimidating
18:03fans, or being disqualified from prestigious Grand Slam events.
18:08McEnroe was the resident bad boy of tennis, and the people loved it.
18:12Right on the line.
18:13No mistakes so far in this match, right?
18:16You have an overall of anything.
18:18No mistakes whatsoever.
18:20Sickness of case.
18:21Answer my question!
18:23The question, jerk!
18:25Number 13.
18:27Albert Hainsworth stomps on Andre Girard.
18:30Right there.
18:31Oh my gosh.
18:32That's uncalled for, man.
18:34That is unbelievable.
18:36Exactly 20 years after Charles Martin suplexed Jim McMahon, the NFL issued its second multi-game
18:43suspension for an on-field incident.
18:46It came at the expense of Titans defensive tackle Albert Hainsworth, who committed an egregious
18:51act on Cowboy center Andre Girard.
18:54Girard had fallen to the ground in a play, and his helmet had come loose.
18:59According to some sources, Hainsworth may have even ripped it off.
19:03Regardless, Hainsworth then stomped on Girard's unprotected head with his cleated shoe, opening
19:09a massive gash that required 30 stitches to close.
19:13This cut missed Girard's right eye by mere inches.
19:16Hainsworth was suspended for five games and may have even faced legal penalties, but Girard
19:21declined to press charges.
19:23Unsportsmanlike conduct.
19:25Defense number 92.
19:27For stomping a player's helmet.
19:30Number 12.
19:31Dale Hunter blindsides Pierre Terjean.
19:34Dale Hunter follows with a cheap shot.
19:36Terjean out four to six weeks with a separated shoulder and a concussion.
19:40New NHL commissioner Gary Bettman promised to make the game safer, and he looked to make
19:45an example of players who committed egregious acts of violence.
19:49His first target was Capitals player Dale Hunter.
19:52The Capitals were playing the Islanders in the 1993 Patrick Division semifinals when Islander
19:58Pierre Terjean stole the puck from Hunter and scored a goal.
20:01Embarrassed and angry, Hunter hit Terjean from behind and sent him into the board.
20:06Terjean separated his shoulder and missed most of the playoffs, while Hunter received
20:11the longest suspension in NHL history at the time, missing 21 games.
20:16Dale Hunter, your buddy, is in a little trouble for cross-checking Pierre Terjean last night
20:21and separating his shoulder.
20:22Terjean is gone for the playoffs.
20:24Well, is he?
20:25Well, is he?
20:26That's the word out of New York at this point.
20:26Yeah, word out of New York he might be back for the next series.
20:29Number 11.
20:30Vontaze Burfecht goes helmet-to-helmet against Jack Doyle.
20:34Little game rewind in this one.
20:36Vontaze Burfecht tossed out of the game.
20:39You see, Jack Doyle, the tight end, had made a catch.
20:42He was down on the ground, and Burfecht leads with his helmet and makes helmet-to-helmet contact.
20:49Considered one of the most controversial football players of all time, Vontaze Burfecht has long
20:55been criticized for his aggressive playstyle and dirty hits.
20:58It all culminated in the longest suspension in NFL history, which he received in Week 4
21:03of the 2019 season.
21:05Colts tight end Jack Doyle had just caught the ball when he was plowed into by Burfecht,
21:10who initiated helmet-to-helmet contact.
21:13Intentional hits of this kind are highly illegal, especially considering the prevalence of CTE
21:18in football players.
21:20Burfecht was essentially fired from the NFL as a result.
21:23He was suspended for 12 games.
21:25And despite becoming a free agent in 2020, he has never been picked up by another team.
21:31The league has suspended Burfecht for the rest of the season.
21:34The NFL says Burfecht is suspended without pay for the remaining 13 weeks of the season
21:38and any playoff games for repeated violations of unnecessary roughness rules.
21:43Number 10.
21:44Kermit Washington nearly kills Rudy Tomjanovich.
21:47Fractured jaw, broken nose, and a skull fracture that was supposedly so severe that he
21:52could taste his own spinal fluid.
21:54On the night of December 9th, 1977, Lakers player Kermit Washington delivered one of the
21:59most vicious punches in sports history.
22:02A scuffle broke out between the Lakers and Rockets, and Washington punched Tomjanovich in
22:08the face.
22:09The blow could be heard throughout the stadium, and players described the sound as a melon splatting
22:14against concrete.
22:15The results were horrific.
22:17The entire bone structure of Tomjanovich's face was shattered, with his doctor comparing
22:22it to a cracked eggshell.
22:24Spinal fluid was also leaking into his skull capsule and mouth, and Tomjanovich could reportedly
22:30taste the fluid as he was taken off the court.
22:33Luckily, he made a full recovery, despite serious doubts from his surgeon.
22:38The team realized how severe this injury was when the surgeon asked Rudy if he could taste
22:42anything in his mouth.
22:42When he said he could, but it tasted bitter, the doctor knew that that was spinal fluid leaking
22:47from his brain, and this was truly an emergency.
22:50Number 9.
22:51The Black Sox scandal.
22:52I love baseball ever since Arnold Rothstein fixed the World Series in 1919.
22:59The name Shoeless Joe Jackson is synonymous with baseball, yet he's not in the Hall of
23:05Fame.
23:05Ever wonder why?
23:07The story dates back to 1919, when eight members of the Chicago White Sox conspired with gangsters
23:13and gamblers to fix the World Series.
23:16The heavily favored White Sox lost the series to the Cincinnati Reds, and many reporters at
23:20the time immediately deduced that something was fishy.
23:25They were right.
23:26The eight members had received bribes and had intentionally thrown the games with bad play.
23:31Many people believe that Jewish mob kingpin Arnold Rothstein was behind the scheme, but
23:36this has never been proven.
23:38Regardless, the eight players, including Jackson, were banned from baseball and made ineligible
23:45for Hall of Fame inclusion.
23:46Getting thrown out of baseball was like having part of me amputated.
23:52Number 8.
23:53Lance Armstrong cheats and lies his way to seven titles.
23:58Some breaking news now on Lance Armstrong.
24:00The global governing body of cycling has just announced moments ago it will ban Armstrong
24:06for life and strip him of his seven tour titles.
24:10Lance Armstrong turned cycling from a relatively niche sport into a worldwide phenomenon in the
24:15early 2000s.
24:17With major sponsorships and worldwide news coverage, he dominated his way to seven straight Tour de
24:23France titles.
24:24But despite the universal acclaim and prestige, allegations of doping haunted him like a ghost.
24:30Many people accused the cycling sensation of using PEDs, but he continuously and vehemently
24:36denied it.
24:37Fans were on his side, and the accusers were made pariahs.
24:41Of course, they were eventually vindicated when the United States Anti-Doping Agency proved
24:46that, yep, Armstrong was doping the entire time.
24:50His titles were stripped, he was banned from all future cycling events, and his name became
24:55synonymous with unsportsmanlike cheaters.
24:58This guy seems healthy.
25:00Loves cycling.
25:01Yes, so did Lance Armstrong.
25:02And he turned out to be a lying drug user.
25:04Or a hero.
25:04I don't know where we stand on him now.
25:06Number 7.
25:07Marty McSorley Hits Donald Brashear
25:09Oh, it appears that Donald Brashear is bleeding from the nose.
25:13Marty McSorley ended his career with Donald Brashear.
25:17You can make a folk song out of that.
25:19McSorley played in the NHL for nearly 20 years, but his career and reputation were permanently
25:24tarnished on February 21, 2000.
25:28The Bruins were playing the Canucks, and with just under five seconds left in the game,
25:33McSorley whacked Brashear in the head with a stick.
25:35Brashear fell backwards and hit the ice, suffering both a seizure and a grade three concussion.
25:41McSorley was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, got 18 months probation, and never
25:47played in the NHL again.
25:49And with that, two decades' worth of goodwill went down the drain.
25:53I think Marty in all fairness, he was trying to tap him in the shoulder, but you know,
25:59you're very responsible for your stick, and this is not good.
26:02Number 6.
26:04The Zinedine Zidane Headbutt
26:06Ooh, that's gotta hurt worse than getting a birthday telegram from Zinedine Zidane.
26:12Yes?
26:14Bon anniversaire.
26:15Hundreds of millions tuned in to the 2006 World Cup final to watch Italy defeat France.
26:22But their win was grossly overshadowed by the infamous Zinedine Zidane headbutt, which
26:28is what all anyone could talk about in the months following the game.
26:32Zidane was running with Italian player Marco Materazzi when the latter grabbed Zidane's jersey.
26:38In response, Zidane turned around and headbutted Materazzi straight in the chest.
26:42He was given a red card, making him the first soccer player to ever be ejected from a World
26:47Cup final in extra time.
26:49The incident was widely parodied in pop culture, and Zidane became the poster boy for unsportsmanlike
26:55conduct.
26:56He's just headed Materazzi in the middle of the chest.
26:59What was Zidane thinking of?
27:02Zinedine Zidane's career ends with being sent off in the World Cup final.
27:07Number 5.
27:08The Malice at the Palace
27:10The ugliest moments in NBA history.
27:12A black eye on the league that changed security guidelines at arenas around the country and
27:17altered the future of two franchises.
27:19It's not often that fans get directly involved in a fight, but they certainly did during Malice
27:25at the Palace.
27:26The date?
27:26November 19th, 2004.
27:29The place?
27:30The Palace of Auburn Hills, home of the Detroit Pistons.
27:33With just 45 seconds left in the game, Pistons center Ben Wallace shoved pacer Ron Artest after
27:40being fouled.
27:41A fight then broke out on the courts, and fans decided to get involved.
27:46A fan threw a drink at Artest, causing him to storm into the crowd and attack the wrong
27:50person.
27:51Fans defended that person, players defended Artest, and all hell broke loose.
27:56Police were called in order to quell the near-riot, and when the dust finally settled, 10 people
28:02were charged with assault, including five players.
28:05Security trying to somehow restore order.
28:09Fans and players are going at it, and the players trying to help each other out.
28:12Number 4.
28:13Luis Suarez takes a bite, or three.
28:17Suarez does.
28:18He does exactly that.
28:20That is quite incredible, and pretty disgusting.
28:24You know, in that whole incident, I think Branislav Ivanovic showed admirable restraint.
28:27Despite being called one of the greatest strikers of all time, Luis Suarez has a terrible
28:33reputation for his on-field behavior.
28:35Many fans, players, and analysts have accused him of diving, and he had been caught biting
28:41other players on no less than three separate occasions.
28:45He bit Oatman Bakl while playing for AFC Ajax, resulting in a seven-game suspension.
28:51He bit Branislav Ivanovic during a Premier League match, 10-game suspension.
28:57And he bit Giorgio Chiellini in front of millions during the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
29:03Four-month ban from all soccer activities.
29:06As a result, Suarez is now regarded as one of the dirtiest soccer players of the modern
29:11era.
29:12It looks to me, now I say it, that he's had a little bite at Chiellini.
29:16Surely not again.
29:18Surely not again.
29:20Number 3.
29:21Eric Cantona goes kung fu fighting.
29:24The lad came down and gave him apparently dog's abuse.
29:28And he just thought, no, he's not getting away with it.
29:31Attacking fans is a huge no-no, but no one gave Eric Cantona the memo.
29:36On January 25th, 1995, Cantona's Manchester United were playing Crystal Palace when Cantona
29:43was sent off by the referee.
29:45A Palace fan named Matthew Simmons then left his seat and confronted Cantona as he was
29:51walking off the pitch.
29:52Incensed at Simmons' words, Cantona delivered a flying kung fu-style kick against the fan and
29:58followed it up with a flurry of punches.
30:01Simmons was fined £500 for abusive behavior, and it's believed that he used racist language
30:07against Cantona.
30:08As for him, he was fined £30,000, banned from soccer for eight months, and sentenced to two
30:14weeks in prison.
30:15Although this was later changed to community service following an appeal.
30:20Just kind of taken aback by what you're seeing, you see him kind of launch himself into the
30:25crowd, and you're like, wow.
30:27Number two, Tyson Bites Holyfield.
30:30We go back in, then all of a sudden, you bit this here.
30:34And I just, that wasn't the same one?
30:37No, it's a different, it's a different, it's a different here.
30:40The 17,000 people crowding MGM Grand Garden Arena maybe didn't get their money's worth
30:46with this fight, but at least they got to witness one of the coldest incidents in sporting
30:51history.
30:52Evander Holyfield was handily beating Mike Tyson, who was left frustrated both at his poor performance
30:58and some headbutts, whether intentional or not, from Holyfield.
31:03His temper boiling over, Tyson bit Holyfield on the right ear and tore off a piece of cartilage.
31:09The fight was allowed to continue, only for Tyson to once again bite Holyfield, this time
31:15on his left ear.
31:16That was it, Tyson was disqualified, and the ear bite went on to become a staple of pop
31:22culture for decades to come.
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31:48Number 1.
31:49The Attack on Nancy Kerrigan
31:51Nancy Kerrigan, the American figure skater who is widely considered a favorite to win
31:55a Winter Olympics gold medal, was attacked at a practice session for the U.S. figure skating
32:01championships.
32:02Who knew that the world of figure skating was so cutthroat?
32:05Nancy Kerrigan was a successful skater in the early 90s, and she threatened the career
32:10of Tonya Harding.
32:11While successful in her own right, Harding was always overshadowed by Kerrigan.
32:16On the afternoon of January 6th, 1994, Kerrigan was struck in the knee by a man named Shane
32:22Stant, who was wielding a police baton.
32:25The attack was eventually traced to Sean Eckhart and Jeff Galluli, the then-husband of Tonya
32:31Harding.
32:31They hoped to injure Kerrigan, thereby increasing the prospects of Harding at the upcoming Olympics
32:36in Norway.
32:37It's unclear how complicit Harding was in the attack itself, but she accepted a plea deal
32:43after covering it up and was banned from figure skating.
32:45Once I was banned from figure skating for life, I didn't have a lot of options.
32:54I did what I had to do to just stay in the public eye and pay the bills.
32:58Did you happen to see any of these live?
33:01What was your reaction?
33:02Let us know in the comments below.
33:04Did you enjoy this video?
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