Mike Tyson, the former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, is also the undisputed bad boy in sports.
The latest issue of Sportsnet magazine looked at 28 outlaws, cheats and villains from the sports world and examined why fans love them, or love to hate them.
SPORTSNET.CA users ranked their Top 10 greatest bad guys in sports from the list of 28 and Tyson received 60 per cent of the first-place votes.
There is a long list of reasons why Tyson was the clear-cut No. 1 choice. After becoming the youngest-ever heavyweight champ at age 20, Tyson’s legacy changed from boxing prodigy to misguided soul.
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In 1992, Tyson was convicted of rape and sentenced to 10 years in prison. However, he was released in 1995 after serving three years.
After working his way back up the boxing ranks, and winning the WBA and WBC heavyweight titles, Tyson fought Evander Holyfield in 1997 where the most talked-about incident in boxing history would occur. After getting repeatedly head-butted, Tyson snapped and bit a chunk of Holyfield’s ear off.
In the late 90s Tyson frequently lost his temper at press conferences and during interviews. Despite earning millions throughout his career, Tyson filed for bankruptcy in 2003 in another low point in the boxer’s life.
Since his retirement, Tyson has turned his life around. He is now known for his calm and friendly disposition. In 2009, Tyson made a cameo appearance in the hit film The Hangover that drew rave reviews and was followed up with another appearance in the sequel.
In June, Tyson was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Here are the remaining nine members of the Top 10 bad guys in sports, as voted by sportsnet.ca users:
2. Dennis Rodman
Rodman received the second-most first-place votes and total votes behind Tyson. On the basketball court, Rodman was one of the best defensive players the game has ever seen. Unfortunately, since he retired, Rodman has accumulated a long list of criminal offences that include several DUIs and domestic assault charges.
3. John McEnroe
McEnroe’s success on the court is often overshadowed by his bad boy antics. Famous for his temper, no umpire was safe from McEnroe’s wrath if there was a missed call. McEnroe is a fixture in pop culture these days and often plays a caricature of himself in cameo appearances in TV and movies. McEnroe has appeared on Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
4. Pete Rose
One of the greatest hitters in baseball history, Rose’s name is forever soiled because he bet on baseball. It may be the reason he never makes it into Cooperstown. And who can forget when he ran over Ray Fosse in the 1970 all-star game, injuring the catcher. That wasn’t very nice.
5. Bobby Knight
Whenever you need a chair thrown or a journalist yelled at, the longtime Indiana Hoosiers basketball coach is your point of reference. He is a polarizing figure who is often surrounded by controversy. In 1997, one of his former players alleged that Knight had choked him during a practice — an accusation that was confirmed three years later on a tape aired by CNN Sports. In 2000, Knight was fired from Indiana.
6. Tiger Woods
Prior to November of 2009, nobody could have guessed Woods would end up on a list like this. But when Tiger’s infidelity became public knowledge, people’s perception of the superstar golfer changed dramatically.
7. LeBron James
James went from hero to villain with one sentence: “I’m going to take my talents to South Beach.” The way that announcement unfolded put a bad taste in the mouths of Cleveland Cavaliers fans and the majority of the sports world.
8. Bobby Clarke
Clarke is the poster boy for the Broad Street Bullies — the Philadelphia Flyers of the 1970s. Whether it was intentionally breaking Valeri Kharlamov’s ankle in the 1972 Summit Series with a vicious slash, or his gruff manner as a general manager, Clarke is one of the baddest boys to ever play hockey.
9. Charles Barkley
In retirement, Barkley has become one of the most popular figures in basketball. However, he is very candid about his demons, which include a severe gambling problem and DUI conviction, making him a bad boy. And let’s not forget his golf swing. That’s just terrible.
10. Chris Pronger
When the Flyers defenceman is on the ice, the opposing team takes note. In 1,154 career NHL games, Pronger has 1,580 penalty minutes, many of which were slashing, cross checking and roughing calls. The former Hart and Norris Trophy winner has been suspended on eight separate occasions for a total of 22 games.