Nine times sports figures blew up on the media
It typically begins with a tough loss. We've all seen it. Media members pour into the locker room after the game to ask players and coaches the questions that are going to lead their post-game stories. Deep down, we know we love it when we see our favorite athletes and sports figures get angry and blow up on national TV. So in honor of the coming of spring, and the melting of snow, we've turned up the heat by presenting you with nine of the top sports-media outburts of all time.
No. 1: Deion Sanders
During the 1992 NLCS, TV broadcaster Tim McCarver called out Deion Sanders for competing in both Major League Baseball and the National Football League at the same time. After the game, amid the bottle-popping for the newly crowned pennant winners, Sanders made a splash with this response.
No. 2: Floyd Mayweather vs. Larry Merchant
An intentional head-butt in the fourth round led to a one-point penalty for Victor Ortiz, but the real drama occurred after Ortiz's peace offering, when Floyd Mayweather capitalized on his defenseless opponent by knocking him out on what many would call a cheap shot. In the post-fight interview, HBO boxing announcer Larry Merchant called Mayweather out for the questionable punch, and chaos ensued. I'm giving Merchant the upper hand in this one, which might go down as the only loss in Mayweather's career. WARNING: Foul language ahead.
No. 3: Hal McRae
Kansas City Royals manager Hal McRae became angered by a group of reporters because of a "stupid question" after a game in 1993, and the ensuing rage he unleashed could very well be the greatest meltdown on the sports media of all time.
No. 4: Dennis Green
This 42-second rant after a Monday Night Football game between the Chicago Bears and the Arizona Cardinals has immortalized Dennis Green in the world of sports blow-ups.
No. 5: Mike Gundy
"Write something about me! I'm a man, I'm 40!" Oklahoma State head football coach Mike Gundy went on a rant at a news conference in 2007 about a nasty article written about his quarterback. Welcome to the bomb squad, Mike. You blew up!
No. 6: Shaquille O'Neal
After a narrow one-point victory over the Toronto Raptors during the 2003-04 season, Shaquille O'Neal used some choice words to voice his frustration about the game's suspect officiating, calling out the league offices in the process. WARNING: Foul language ahead.
No. 7: Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Lynch revolutionized the way in which modern athletes speak with the media. He infamously started responding to reporters' questions with one-word answers such as, "Yeah," or "Thank you." His most famous one, however, came from the 2015 Super Bowl Media Day. You know, when he was there just so he wouldn't get fined.
No. 8: Herm Edwards
When New York Jets head coach Herm Edwards took over the microphone during a routine mid-week news conference in 2002, he probably wasn't aware that he was about to deliver a rant that would forever define him. His team was in a bad way at the time, and with anxiety levels rising by the minute, the coach had to deliver a message ... and he did.
No. 9: John Tortorella
John Tortorella has become the poster boy for boiling-hot interviews in the NHL. His notoriously short fuse is often exposed in front of the camera, and he isn't afraid to tell you how he sees it. I thought we'd send you off with this compilation video, which shows some of the most hilariously entertaining instances of Torts losing his cool in a variety of scenarios.
