What notable American sportsmen have suffered from a 'short fuse', a fiery temper, and has this ever had disastrous consequences?
This enquiry is prompted by the star English soccer player Wayne Rooney's behaviour in the soccer World Cup. We have a key game, the key game of the tournament, against Portugal. He is the absolute star attacking player of the team, a player of such talent that the whole team revolves around his scoring and play-making. So what does he do? He is tackled, apparently fairly, but takes great exception and there's some pushing and shoving between him and opposing players. This in itself is unexceptional: it's a minor matter at this level and is easily dealt with by the referee calming the players down and giving them a lecture. The referee runs over. Whilst the referee is standing right next to him Wayne Rooney deliberately backheels an opponent in the groin whilst the man is lying flat on the ground. So the referee sends Rooney off the field for the rest of the game.This is quite extraordinary behaviour by a player in a soccer game at any level, never mind by an experienced international one. Rooney's club are well aware of his short temper when frustrated: they have paid for anger management courses for him. Opponents know too and he is one of those players that opponents set out to rile in the hope that he will do something as stupid as this.( One of the opponents is his club team mate back in England and winked at the camera when he was sent off ) We went on to lose the game on a penalty kick shoot out, the game being drawn (tied) 0-0 after extra time (overtime) but had had to play an hour of it with ten men against eleven. With him still on the pitch we should have won it.
Now we remember McEnroe in tennis and Jimmy Connors too but their displays were largely self-motivating. What players in American sports fall or fell into the Rooney category ? +++++++++++++++++ 07-03-06, 07:34 AM dogspit In this year's NBA Finals Jerry Stackhouse of the Dallas Mavericks took exception to an unnecessary pass to Shaquille O'Neal on a break-away play in a game that was turning into a blow-out. Stackhouse drew a flagrant foul and a 1-game suspension in a tied series and his team went on to lose two more straight games. Game 5 was a 1-point loss and I believe that had Stackhouse been in the line-up it may well have been a win for the Mavericks.
That's the most immediate example that came to my mind. I saw the play you described. In a game full of flops and poor acting that cheap heel shot to the "nether region" certainly was the stupidest play he could make. And the very guy he did the cheap shot on kicked the winning penalty kick (Karma or what ?).
07-03-06, 08:21 AM Professor Baseball player Jimmy Piersall, active in the 1950s-60s, was frequently ejected from games for inappropriate or bizarre behavior such as charging the mound, hurling his helmet, an incident of spanking a teammate's 4-year-old son, one of throwing the ball at the opposing team's scoreborad, and throwing objects that fans had tossed at him back into the grandstands. There were physical altercations with fans as well. Details.
07-03-06, 08:31 AM juanruiz Another example is hockey thug...er, I mean, enforcer, Todd Bertuzzi. Details here:
07-05-06, 08:06 AM BobLaz One of the worst I can remember was when basketball player Kermit Washington slugged Rudy Tomjanovich some years ago on the court; an outright criminal act..
08-25-06, 09:29 PM bedstor New one on the list Soccer player Ben Thatcher whose arm put an opposing player (Pedro Mendes)into the Advertising boards Ko'd and taken to hospital . The Coach fined him 2 weeks wages yet he only recieved a yellow card from the referee not a Straight red card for dangerous play Confused
Whats your opinion? Video here Shame about the language(in the comments)
Lots of links here (Google News) There is a totting up system with the cards.. accumulate many and the player misses games. Frown But serial offenders can be banned for a month or so
I have feeling the punishment for this will be far in excess of that perhaps a 6 months Ban and a hefty fine? or even a life ban?(Does happen)
The Games ruling body the FA and the players Union have no idea on how to go on this issue So they are waiting on what the World ruling body FIFA has to say. There could be a call for compensation from the injured party and also an Assault charge by the Police? FYI This Player has been red carded in the past for similar incidents, but this is the worst yet
08-26-06, 12:43 PM FredPuli What language Bedstor? Confused
Yes. Nasty. Two week's wages as a fine by the club is only £24,000 so our man is a long way from stardom. (Shevchenko, at Chelsea, gets £130,000 a week ). He is an old-fashioned hatchet man, but with a twist. Even back in the 1950's when every serious final seemed to produce one broken leg, and one goalkeeper had his neck broken in the FA Cup Final, the stiff arm tackle was unknown. That's the twist here. It has long been outlawed in Rugby League , never mind Rugby Union, and League is a game where none of the leading players seems to have a full set of front teeth Roll Eyes
The stiff arm or elbow seems to be a recent arrival in soccer: there was one horrendous example in the World Cup when an Italian took out an American, for example.It may be that some tough, crude, defenders have settled on it because it is easier to conceal from the referee than the 'late tackle' when the player was really going for the man, to injure him, and not take the ball. In fact in this case the ref didn't see it: he penalised the player for the body charge, not the elbowing. It is a good thing that these games are covered by extensive video and TV cameras. This will prove this player's downfall. Pre-season he punctured the lung of an opponent in Shanghai but such games are not so well covered. A few seasons ago he did the same elbowing to another opponent in our league but got away lightly, the incident being caught only by a still photo which didn't prove the premeditated intent like a sequence of film does.
Let's hope that he is banned for six months at least. If he does it again then his club should be punished and he should be taken out of soccer altogether.
08-26-06, 01:00 PM bedstor
quote: What language Bedstor?
The comments in the column alongside Fred Especially those whose only "comment" is 7 and 4 word Anglo Saxon coverall phrase first part is common and the second is crude even among the low life Mad
Fred? I forgot to add another humiliation ..Put on the transfer list and see who wants to buy a person with his reputation Doubt if anybody will have him even on a free transfer While he is in this position he may only playing in the reserve team at best! No match bonuses... and the only team that will play him in the end will be in a Sunday League club side many years before he ends up in that situation in the normal run of events in his career Frown
This message has been edited. Last edited by: bedstor, 08-26-06 02:15 PM
08-28-06, 07:20 AM Koz Major League Baseball has had its share of bench clearing brawls. The ones nowadays are mostly a bunch of guys standing around and pushing and shoving, not many punches are thrown; but that was not always the case.
Back in 1965 Hall of Fame pitcher Juan Marichal could have been charged with assault with a deadly weapon. Juan Marichal thought Dodger catcher Johnny Roseboro was “buzzing” him. When he threw the ball back to his pitcher (Sandy Koufax) he deliberately threw it very close to Juan Marichal’s (Who was batting) head. After doing this a few times Juan Marichal turned around and struck Johnny Roseboro in the head with his baseball bat. He should have waited to get back on the mound and plunked the Dodger catcher but I guess he was really ticked. He was fined $1,750 and suspended for a week.
In 1986 the New York Mets had four bench clearing brawls that were truly fights. On one occasion the Mets third baseman Ray Knight (Whom by the way was a Gold Glove Boxer before deciding to choose baseball as a career) thought that Eric Davis of the Cincinnati Reds slid into him a tad too hard. Ray Knight allowed Eric Davis to stand up and sent him back down to the “canvas” with a solid right cross to the jaw. The ensuing melee caused one of the oddest games in Mets history. Two pitchers (Rodger McDowell and Jessie Orosco) had to play right field and switched to left field depending on the batter. (Right handed of left handed hitter) and even alternated taking turns on the mound.
08-28-06, 11:32 AM BobLaz Koz-
Had to love the brawl between Bud Harrelson and Pete Rose years ago...Theses guys today don't know how to police themselves; it is SO childish--reminds me of two 3rd graders arguing in a playground... Roll Eyes
08-28-06, 12:17 PM Koz I agree Bob, the self policing in baseball nowadays is non existent. Roll Eyes
Nolan Ryan vs. Robin Ventura Not really a fair fight as the much older Ryan taught that young fella a lesson about charging the mound and placed a hurtin’ on the much younger Ventura. (I have an autographed copy of this one on my wall )
08-28-06, 12:46 PM DorianGreyed As a former wrestler, the baseball fight I love the most was one between a catcher and a second baseman (or shortstop), neither of whose names or team I remember. The catcher slid into second to break up as double play. The second baseman apparently didn't like it, and took a swing at the catcher. Very bad idea. The catcher, a former collegiate wrestler, simply picked up his hapless assailant and body slammed him.
08-28-06, 04:59 PM BobLaz DG-
If my memory serves me well, I think Ed Ott of the Pirates was involved.. Cool
08-28-06, 05:43 PM DorianGreyed That name sure sounds familiar.
Ott was 5'10" and weighed 198. That seems to indicate thast he wrestled at 181. Wrestlers about that size (160-225) were often hired by local bars during the off season. Their job was just to be there. I know that was the policy at the biggest University of Illinois bars and several in Columbia, Missouri. At the bars in Champaign, I was told that even the defensive team of the Illini knew not to start any trouble in those bars.
08-28-06, 06:19 PM BobLaz DG-
Ott actually hit a respectable .280 in two postseason series--had 3 decent years with Pittsburgh--and actually stole 14 bases during his career! Big Grin Has a World Series ring, too!
08-28-06, 06:33 PM juanruiz I have his baseball card somewhere. Wish I had Mel's instead.
08-28-06, 07:31 PM DorianGreyed Bob, most good wrestlers are excellent athletes. The only sport that they really can't play (a generalization, I know, but I've also known a lot of wrestlers) is basketball. It may be because the two seasons coincide in school. But frankly, watching a wrestler trying to dribble is usually hilarious.
I wrestled with about 50 0r 60 guys throughout high school. Only two of us could play roundball worth a damn, and both of us were basketball players before wrestling. (Both of us gave up when the rest of the guys grew 5" over the summer, and we didn't.) But six of us could beat our basketball team. (It helps to have a 6'4" 260lb center and no ref. They got one shot, from the outside, and then it was our ball. The basketball coach made them stop playing us after a while; they were getting too beat up. Big Grin)
08-29-06, 01:34 PM BobLaz DG-
I remember Ernie Ladd and Jim Neidhart as a few professional football players who also wrestled...and there were a few more, too.. Smile
08-29-06, 02:03 PM DorianGreyed I know Ladd wrestled as a pro, but I didn't know he wrestled as an amateur. Curly Culp comes to mind. He may have been an NCAA champion in wrestling.
08-30-06, 10:26 PM bedstor The player Fred and I talked about got 6 weeks wages docked and a 4 match ban by the club Frown He could have a further ban and/or fine imposed by the ruling body of English Soccer (the FA) in a few weeks and the Police may bring a prosecution as well Roll Eyes
AnswerPool.com 
) We went on to lose the game on a penalty kick shoot out, the game being drawn (tied) 0-0 after extra time (overtime) but had had to play an hour of it with ten men against eleven. With him still on the pitch we should have won it.
