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Roger Clemens
Bat hurling
Clemens picks up the barrel of a broken bat and throws it in the direction of Mike Piazza running to first base. Already not pals with Piazza after a midseason beaning, Clemens claims he was tossing it toward the batboy in the batting circle. |
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Allen Iverson
Recording rap album
Nothing wrong with preparing for another career after hoops. But he offends nearly every group in society in the name of artistic freedom. Like his game, Iverson shoots before thinking. |
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Portland Trail Blazers
Acquiring Shawn Kemp
Proof that Paul Allen has too much money. The Blazers let Brian Grant go to become an all-round force in Miami, only to get Kemp's 7.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. |
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Los Angeles Lakers
Signing Isaiah Rider
Looked good in the first week, but relapsed into the abrasive, moody enigma who wore out his welcome in Minnesota, Portland and Atlanta. Lakers thought Rider could be their third option, but he hasn't grasped the triangle offense. |
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Minnesota Timberwolves
Reaching secret deal with Joe Smith
It's not nice to mess with David Stern. After the NBA discovered that Minnesota and Smith's agent agreed to a small deal now in exchange for a rich one later to circumvent the salary cap, the league voided Smith's contracts from 1998 to 2000, took away four first-round picks and suspended T'Wolves owner Glen Taylor and vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale for a year. |
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Marty McSorley
Slashing Donald Brashear in the head
In the dying seconds of a February game, then-Bruins defenseman McSorley tries to instigate a fight with Canucks tough guy Donald Brashear. McSorley whacks the unsuspecting Brashear in the side of the head with his stick, sending Brashear to the ice. McSorley claims he was aiming for Brashear's shoulder. As with Clemens, it's hard to buy this excuse. |
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U.S. men's 4X100 relay team
WWF-like posing after winning gold
Unfortunately, their post-victory posing is representative of a new generation of individualism over class and dignity. Maurice Greene, Jon Drummond, Bernard Williams and Brian Lewis flexed their way to infamy. |
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NBC
Tape-delaying Olympics
Its "you'll-take-what-we'll-give-you" approach favored sap over drama and made it seem like the Olympics were just another summer re-run. And NBC's horrendous ratings showed that viewers tuned out. |
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Terrell Owens
Midfield celebration at Texas Stadium
In a rout of the Cowboys, San Francisco's Owens taunted Dallas by going to midfield after two touchdown catches to celebrate on the Cowboys' star logo. |
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Eric Lindros
Turning down Flyers' offer
With his career in doubt after five concussions, Lindros rejected the Flyers' one-year, $8.5 million qualifying offer. Now Lindros, an unrestricted free agent, must wait until Philly finds a deal to its liking. |
