Sports are hard and sometimes things don't go your way. But handling failure and controversy with grace is part of playing a game in the public eye. That is, unless you want to meltdown and have a tantrum. That tends to happen a lot.
Here are 10 of the greatest sports tantrums of all time.
1
Lou Piniella
Piniella’s signature moves included kicking dirt, and throwing his hat. But his most famous tantrum came as manager of the Reds, when he threw first base an impressive distance in 1990. He went on to throw out a “first base” at an All-Star Game as a joke, and the Reds won the World Series that year.
2
That Ball Was On the Line
John McEnroe is known for being the bad boy of tennis. His most famous meltdown comes from Wimbledon in 1981. "You cannot be serious! That ball was on the line."
3
Practice
When questioned by the media about his practice habits, Iverson launched into a speech in which he said the word “practice” 22 times. Having recently lost his best friend in a shooting, he took offense to people questioning his work ethic.
”We talking about practice. Not a game. Not a game. Not a game. We talking about practice.”
4
The Bears Are Who We Thought They Were
After blowing a 20-0 halftime lead to the Bears in 2006, Cardinals coach Dennis Green had no interest in giving his opponent any credit for the comeback.
“They are who we thought they were! And we let them off the hook!”
5
Lloyd McClendon
Upset with multiple calls at first base in 2001, Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon decided he’d seen enough… of the first base bag. After arguing and getting ejected, he picked up the base and took it with him off the field.
6
The Pine Tar Incident
In 1983, Royals’ Hall of Famer George Brett homered in the ninth inning off of Yankees’ Hall of Famer Goose Gossage to give his team a 5-4 lead in the ninth inning. But when umpires ruled his bat guilty of a pine tar infringement, he flew off the handle in a memorable way. Unbeknownst to most, the Royals protested the decision, won, and won a continuation of the game 5-4.
7
Playoffs?
After dropping a third game in a row, one reporter asked Colts coach Jim Mora about the team’s chances of making the playoffs. His response is one of the most quoted sports moments of all time.
”Playoffs? You kiddin’ me? Playoffs? I just hope we can win a game!”
8
The Dugout Phone
After arguing balls and strikes and getting ejected, Boston’s David Ortiz took his anger out by destroying a Baltimore dugout phone. Big Papi also threw a bucket of balls onto the field. Baltimore gifted Ortiz the broken phone upon his retirement.
9
Tommy Lasorda vs The Phillie Phanatic
Known as one of the biggest personalities in baseball, Lasorda took offense to the Pillie Phanatic’s continued antics. When the Phanatic produced a stuffed Lasorda doll, Lasorda attacked the Phanatic and stole it.
10
Antonio Brown
Upset with his playing time, Antonio Brown decided to quit playing mid-game against the Jets. He removed his shirt, and jogged off the field while hyping up the crowd, promptly ending both his Bucs and NFL career.
