The 14 Sports Grinches Of 2014
BOSTON (CBS) - 2014 is coming to a close, and what a twelve-month period it was in the calendar year of sports.
Seattle won its first Super Bowl, the UConn Men and Women both won national basketball championships (again), Bubba Watson won his second Masters, Tim Duncan added a fifth ring, the Kings won their second Stanley Cup in three years, Michael Sam made history, Mo'Ne Davis played with the boys and we (finally) said farewell to Derek Jeter.
Those were the stories and characters that made us feel good.
But for every good story there's one equally as bad, and 2014 had its fair share of those.
With 2015 just a slapshot away, in this list we'll examine the sports figures who made the Naughty List.
The 14 Sports Grinches Of 2014
Donald Sterling
Former Clippers owner Donald Sterling tops the list.
The disgraced 80-year-old was forced to sell his NBA team after making racist remarks in an audio recording set up by his mistress V. Stiviano.
NCAA President Mark Emmert
As long as NCAA athletes are subject to ridiculous rules, sanctions and unpaid labor, Mark Emmert will continue to make this list.
Jameis Winston
It's hard to sit here and criticize an amateur athlete and name him one of the worst people in sports in 2014, but there's an old saying that goes, "where there's smoke, there's fire."
There's just too many transgressions (Google them) for Winston to be a likeable person. The definition of a Grinch.
Ray Rice
The NFL should really have its own category inside this post.
Ray Rice, bad human being.
Greg Hardy
Just a bad year for the NFL.
Greg Hardy had an extremely disturbing incident earlier this year involving his then-girlfriend Nicole Holder.
According to the account, "Hardy flung her from the bed, threw her into a bathtub, then tossed her on a futon covered with rifles." He also "ripped a necklace he had given her off her neck, threw it into a toilet and slammed the lid on her arm when she tried to fish it out."
Roger Goodell
While making upwards of a reported $45 million per year, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell forever tarnished the image of the league and its relationship with women after he imposed a light two-game suspension on Ray Rice for knocking out his then-fiance Janay.
Martin St. Louis
Look up cry baby in the dictionary and you'll see this guy's picture.
Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman, also Executive Director for the Canadian men's hockey team, originally left Martin St. Louis (38 years old at the time), off the Team Canada roster for the 2014 Sochi games.
St. Louis was eventually added as an injury replacement, but the relationship with his NHL GM was so rocky that he pushed hard for a trade, which he ended up getting.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter
Construction for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar (you'll need a map to find that one) is being done by migrant workers that aren't getting paid, otherwise known as "slaves."
Sepp Blatter has heard the human rights claims, and sees no reason to move the games.
You're a mean one, Mr. Blatter.
Adrian Peterson
Beating your toddler with a switch will get you on this list 10 times out of 10 and twice on Sunday.
Colts Owner Jim Irsay
When he's not the most annoying man in the world on Twitter, Colts owner Jim Irsay pops pills and gets DUIs.
Minnesota Wild LW Matt Cooke
Remember Matt Cooke? The NHL's dirtiest player?
Remember how he was "a changed man"?
Well, claims of him turning over a new leaf were greatly exaggerated.
Cooke's deliberate knee-on-knee hit in the playoffs knocked Colorado's Tyson Barrie out for the series, a series the Avalanche eventually lost without one of their top defenseman.
He's robbed so many careers his name should be changed to Matt Crook.
Former MLB Pitcher John Rocker
Now now, I know what you're thinking.
Why is John Rocker making a "Worst People In Sports List" in 2014?
Wasn't he relevant like . . . over a decade ago?
Well, the former Atlanta Braves pitcher made the press rounds leading up to his debut on Survivor, and in an interview with 98.5 The Sports Hub's Toucher & Rich Rocker only wanted to talk about the show, and got tired pretty quickly after numerous questions about his past.
You can listen to the interview here.
Rocker was the third person voted off the island after displaying many Grinch-like qualities on the show.
Luis Suarez
Luis Suarez, serial biter, made headlines (for all the wrong reasons) in Brazil this past summer at the World Cup when he bit Giorgio Chiellini of the Italian team.
Mike Tyson approves, but civilized society does not.
Redskins Owner Dan Snyder
Just the worst -- but at least we got a great episode of South Park out of the whole thing.
Honorable Mentions: War Machine, Alex Rodriguez, Danny Ferry, University Of Alabama System Board Of Trustees
Read more from Andrew Celani by clicking here, or find him on Twitter @ACE_Worldwide.
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