Top 10 Worst Decisions In Sports

With the clock winding down on Super Bowl 49, the Seattle Seahawks were closing in on defeating the Patriots, and winning the big game for the 2nd consecutive year. All that was left was for them was to move the ball one yard into the end zone. With "Beastmode" Marshawn Lynch on their side, it seemed like the Seahawks were almost definitely going to run it in and win the game. However, in a shocking turn of events, Seattle decided to try and pass the ball instead. This led to Malcolm Butler intercepting the pass and New England winning the Super Bowl.

It was the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympic games, and in the hockey semi-finals, Canada were forced into a shootout with the Czech Republic – despite being clear favorites to win the game. But all was not lost. Canada had the star power – including the Great One, Wayne Gretzky. There was no way that they could lose the shootout… right? Well, for unknown reasons, the coach, Marc Crawford, didn't nominate Gretzky to take a shot. Due to this highly questionable decision, Canada lost the game and finished 4th. The details behind Crawford's medal losing choice to bench Gretzky have never been explained.

In the 2002 Winter Olympics, Russia was awarded gold in the pairs figure skating event, to the shock of many, including the silver medalists. Jamie Salé and David Pelletier of Canada put on a performance that many felt should’ve won the duo gold. As the scores came in, so did many complaints, and the judges were accused of fixing the competition. This was confirmed when a French judge broke down in her hotel and confessed that she was pressured by the head of the French Skating Organization to give the Russians a higher score. This led to both Russia and Canada being awarded the gold.

After seven seasons as a Cleveland Cavalier, LeBron James felt like it was time for him to take his talent elsewhere. However, James claimed that his announcement was so big that it deserved its own television special. Therefore, on July 8th 2010, “The Decision” was broadcast live on ESPN. The player told the world that he was moving to the Miami Heat. His choice of team wasn’t the issue. Instead, it was the over-the-top hype generated through the television special that left a bad taste in the mouths of many fans, and many saw James as incredibly self-centered afterwards.

Pete Rose should be a Baseball legend. With many record-breaking feats under his belt, he would've gone down as one of the best hitters in MLB history. However, due to his gambling scandal in 1989, this will never be the case. Rose was caught betting on Cincinatti Reds games while he was employed as manager for the team. As a result of this, he was deemed "permanently ineligible" from the Baseball Hall of Fame. "The Hit King's" poor decisions and apparent gambling addiction may have destroyed his legacy forever.

In the dying stages of Extra Time in the 2006 World Cup Final between France and Italy, star striker Zinedine Zidane was needed for the possible penalty shootout that would follow. However, numerous insults from Italian centre-back Marco Materazzi, provoked Zidane to headbutt the Italian, and he was sent off. The game went to penalties, where Zidane would’ve certainly made a big impact for France. However, they lost to Italy instead. Zidane has publicly said that he wouldn’t have been able to live with himself if he wasn’t sent off. We’re not sure that France would say the same thing.

Throughout the 1990s, Major League Baseball's poor sanctions on the use of steroids led to crazy high stats across the league. Due to the use of performance enhancing drugs, some players hit a lot more home runs than the previous averages. This wasn't a gradual change, either. Between the 1995 and 1996 seasons, the number of 40+ home run hitters increased from 4 to 17. These extraordinary numbers caused a series of steroid scandals involving the likes of Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire. This led to long-term ineligibility for some, and major health concerns for others.

It was an off-night for the Montreal Canadiens in December of '95. The team were suffering at the hands of the Detroit. However, it could've gone very differently. It was well-known that goalie Patrick Roy and new coach Mario Tremblay weren't the best of friends, but this poor relationship escalated after Tremblay waited until Roy had let in 9 goals before switching goalies. Tremblay's power-play contributed to the biggest home defeat in Canadiens history. Montreal would lose their star goalie shortly after, and Roy went on to win 2 more Stanley Cups with the Colorado Avalanche.

Nobody can see the future, but they can dwell on the past. Especially if you are the Portland Trail Blazers. In the 1984 NBA draft, Portland were on the clock for the 2nd overall pick, selecting Sam Bowie from Kentucky. However, in the 3rdpick, Chicago drafted Michael Jordan. Bowie was a decent player, but his career was plagued with numerous injuries, making this a bad decision before we even look at what Jordan accomplished on the court. He was, and still is a pop culture powerhouse. We can be sure that Portland are still kicking themselves about that day.



Before we unveil out top pick, here are a few dishonorable mentions:



Pacquiao's Split Decision Loss to Bradley



The 2004 NHL Lockout


Coach Little Keeps Martinez in the Game

Still recognized today as one of the greatest hitters in baseball history, Babe Ruth was possibly the biggest steal for the Yankees – no matter the price. After building a legend in Boston, he was sold to New York's better-known team in 1919. This deal saw the beginning of the "Curse of the Bambino". After Ruth's move, he managed to capture 4 World Series titles, while the Sox were in the early stages of an 86-year championship drought. Not only did Ruth bring New York a lot of glory, but his departure from Boston fuelled one of the greatest rivalries in sports.