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Matthew Johns - Source: Getty
Tvnz.co.nz breaks with the top 10 tradition to nominate a Top
Nine of 2009 sports scandals and remind everyone that not only
Tiger misbehaved...
1. Tiger Woods
It turns out the world's best golfer wasn't content with the world
at his feet after all. Millions of dollars in endorsements, a
sporting legacy that few will surpass and the picture perfect
family (with model good looks) wasn't enough for sport's only
billionaire man, oh no, because naughty Tiger had one incey-wincey
little secret, or 13 to be precise. Woods has now pulled out of the
sport indefinitely and his aim of 18 golfing majors, the holy grail
of the sport, is looking about as likely as 18 mistresses, oh hang
on - scratch that.
2. Matthew Johns
Rugby league golden boy and genuine television funny man's world
crashed from all four corners when he was
named and shamed in
Australasia's
most one-sided sex scandal of 2009. The
act happened several years ago, when Johns was in the twilight of
his career for the Cronulla Sharks, but the girl involved was from
Christchurch and that made this story newsworthy on both sides of
the Tasman for weeks on end. As a result, Johns lost all of his
high-profile and high-paying jobs for Channel Nine but hey, at
least he managed to keep his wife, ahem, Tiger.
3. Jesse Ryder
Where would one of these lists be without New Zealand's favourite
bad boy Jesse Ryder? In this year's edition, after scorching 74
from 58 balls against Sri Lanka in the Champions Trophy, he smashed
his hot bat against a poor little plastic chair. But then
things got really interesting
when manager Dave Curry told Ryder to pull his head in the changing
rooms. Bad move Curry because then the quick-witted left-handed
batsman, with all the tact of his 25-years, told Curry to "f**k off
you old ****." Ryder got a little slap on the wrist and that was
about that. Ah Jesse - we can't wait to see what you get up to next
year.
4. Brett Stewart
Fresh off winning a NRL Premiership, a flying Manly fullback by the
name of Brett Stewart became the poster boy of the game. He and
another rising star Greg Inglis fronted the $2 million NRL ad
campaign at the beginning of 09 and just as it went to air, it
suddenly had to be pulled. It turns out the 24-year old diabetic
had about 10 drinks too many at the Manly pre-season party and on
the way home bumped into a 17-year-old girl and allegedly pulled
out some not so winning moves. Stewart denied the allegations
but the NRL, sick of the damning press,
suspended the Manly custodian
for four matches. The case is still before the courts.
5. Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi retired from tennis at the turn of the century and his
standing as one of the greatest will remain but his tell-all
autobiography certainly sent a shiver through the old country club
game. If you've been hiding in a cave recently here's a recap:
Andre used crystal meth
(or
P for NZ users) back in 1997 and then lied in a drug test to get
himself out of hot water. While his snorting tricks hit headlines
around the world this particular column was more astounded by
another revelation - his long Las Vegas locks were fake!
6. Mathieu Bastareaud
French rugby player Mathieu Bastareaud made a fool of New Zealand
for all of three days when he alleged that he was attacked by a
group of Wellington thugs after the second Test against the All
Blacks. There we were thinking: How dare these young hooligans
tarnish our overseas image? But it turns out that
Bastareaud was telling a big porky . Go hang with
Tiger Woods we say, you lying Bastareaud.
7. Serena Williams
In the
most bizarre finish to a tennis match since the
infamous Monica Seles attack in the early '90s, Williams, down
15-30, in a US Open semi-final against
Kim Clijsters, and needing the game to stay alive, was
called for a foot fault by one of the judges. That set Serena off,
who strode over to the judge and yelled, "I swear to God
I'll...take this ball and shove it down your...throat! Do you hear
me? I swear to God. You better be glad-you better be...glad that
I'm not, I swear." The outburst earned her a point penalty, which
in turn gave Clijsters the victory. Williams was fined a laughable
$US10,500 which later got upgraded to a not so friendly
$US175,000.
8. Thierry Henry
The Hand of Frog broke Irish hearts when the
assist from the ages forced an injury time 1-1 draw that sent
France through to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The fallout
was big, so big that the Irish demanded a rematch that FIFA
rejected with a mocking smile and even though this should have been
the catalyst for the ruling body to introduce video assistance,
Sepp Blatter and his honchos have decided to stay in the dark ages.
Oh, bless them.
9. Nate Myles
This dirty tale of incompetence deserves its inglorious perch at
the bottom of this inglorious list. Sydney Rooster prop
Nate Myles was found passed out naked in a hotel
foyer after defecating on the floor. Enough said.
