The 50 Most Unsportsmanlike Acts in Sports History

From Zinedine Zidane's headbutt to the Malice at the Palace.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Sports hold a tremendous power over this nation, and the spirit of competition has proven able to unite war-torn nations and provide distraction in times where it is mostly sorely needed. Sporting events are also places where we learn the most about the character of the athletes themselves; many prove that they are not just top-caliber performers in their chosen field, but also excellent human beings. Then again, some prove to be the complete opposite.

Whether it’s taking repeated cheap shots like Bill Romanowksi or physically ripping an appendage off of your opponent like Mike Tyson, the exploits of some of our top athletes make us simply shake our heads. It’s not just enough for them to go out and compete; these people instead also must violate the spirit of camaraderie the game itself provides. Throughout the annals of history there have been many recorded instances of terrible acts on the playing field or court, but these are the 50 Most Unsportsmanlike Acts in Sports History.

RELATED: The 50 Dirtiest Athletes in Sports History

50. Diego Maradona's "Hand of God" Goal

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49. Roger Clemens fires a bat shard at Mike Piazza.

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48. Sammy Sosa corks his bat.

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47. Georgia Tech runs up the score on Cumberland.

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46. Pedro Martinez throws a charging Don Zimmer to the ground.

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45. Rosie Ruiz jumps to the last mile to win the Boston Marathon.

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44. Ndamukong Suh stomps on Evan Dietrich-Smith.

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43. Scottie Pippen refuses to go into game because the final play wasn't designed for him.

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42. Michael Jordan punches Steve Kerr in the face during practice.

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41. Kevin Garnett calls Charlie Villanueva a "cancer patient."

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40. Jets' strength coach Sal Alosi trips Nolan Carroll, who was running downfield on punt coverage.

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39. Charles Barkley unintentionally spits on a little girl sitting courtside.

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38. Bill Romanowski spits on J.J. Stokes.

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37. Andrew Bynum delivers a flying elbow to JJ Barea.

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36. Nicolas Batum deliberately punches Juan Carlos Navarro in the groin.

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35. Luis Suarez bites Branislav Ivanović.

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34. Roy Keane deliberately tries to injure Alf-Inge Håland's knee.

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33. Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson put on a boxing display.

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32. Tree Rollins bites Danny Ainge's finger.

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31. Chris Simon attempts to break Jarkko Ruutu's leg by stomping on it with a skate.

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30. Claude Lemieux rearranges Kris Draper's face on the boards with hit from behind.

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29. Chris Simon uses his stick like a baseball bat to hit Ryan Hollweg.

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28. Karl Malone delivers a flying elbow to Isiah Thomas' face.

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27. 7' 4" Ralph Sampson punches 6' 1" Jerry Sichting.

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26. Marcus Vick stomps on Elvis Dumerville's knee after the whistle.

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25. Elizabeth Lambert yanks opponent's hair and generally commits random acts of violence.

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24. Dale Hunter checks Pierre Turgeon head first into boards long after goal is scored.

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23. Corky Taylor knees opponent in groin when helping him up.

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22. Tie Domi fights a Flyers fan in the penalty box.

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21. Zinedine Zidane headbutts Marco Materazzi in World Cup Final.

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20. Albert Belle throws a baseball at a heckling fan.

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19. Albert Haynesworth stomps on Andre Gurode's head.

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18. Izzy Alcantara karate-kicks the catcher to start a brawl.

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17. Ulf Samuelsson intentionally hits Cam Neely in Neely's already-injured knee.

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16. Michael Westbrook assaults Stephen Davis during practice.

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15. Luis Suarez racially abuses Patrice Evra during a game.

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14. Marty McSorley hits Donald Brashear in the head with his stick.

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13. Dennis Rodman kicks a courtside cameraman in the groin.

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12. Coach Woody Hayes punches player from Clemson in the throat.

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11. Bill Romanowski attacks teammate Marcus Williams so viciously he ends Williams' career.

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10. Delmon Young flings his bat at the umpire.

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9. Todd Bertuzzi sucker punches Steve Moore in the back of the head.

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8. Tonya Harding hires a goon to take out Nancy Kerrigan.

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7. Roberto Alomar spits on umpire John Hirschbeck.

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6. Kermit Washington punches Rudy Tomjanovich.

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5. Jack Tatum paralyzes Darryl Stingley.

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4. Luis Resto loads his gloves for his fight against Billy Collins Jr.

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3. Arnold "Chick" Gandil and the Chicago White Sox throw the World Series.

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2. Mike Tyson bites off Evander Holyfield's ear.

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1. The Malice at the Palace

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