The biggest fools in sports

In honor of April Fools' Day, let's look back on the five biggest fools in the sports world from the last year.   

The Houston Astros

The Houston Astros became the punching bag of Major League Baseball, after an investigation found the team used cameras and video monitors to steal signs from opposing catchers during the 2017 season and at least some of 2018.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has said he won’t strip the Astros of their World Series title from 2017, though the Dodgers may feel it’s warranted. However, the MLB did take away Houston’s first- and second-round picks for the 2020 and 2021 drafts, suspended manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow, and fined the franchise $5 million.  

Hinch and Luhnow have since been fired. Red Sox manager Alex Cora and New York Mets manager Carlos Beltran also got the ax, because of their involvement in the sign-stealing scheme, when they were part of Houston’s staff.

Before spring training was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, hatred came pouring on strong against the Astros. The team got beamed by quite a few pitches — though, it’s possible not all were intentional — and were heckled incessantly by opposing fans.

What's worse is the Astros hardly showed remorse for the scandal and have seemed to embrace the team's new villainous persona. Many fans are also on board, as the slogan “hate us” has become a new mantra for the franchise in 2020.

Bill O’Brien

The head coach of the Houston Texans continues to add boneheaded moves to his résumé, and yet he ended up with a general manager position, on top of his coaching duties, in the offseason.  

In 2019 O’Brien made headlines for a confounding trade involving former No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney. The Texans sent the Pro Bowl defensive end to the Seattle Seahawks, in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, plus linebackers Jacob Martin and Barkevious Mingo, who is now a member of the Bears.

The trade had many questioning O’Brien’s decision making, but that didn’t deter him from making the most baffling trade of 2020. On March 20 the Texans sent DeAndre Hopkins, the team’s leading receiver for the past six seasons, to the Arizona Cardinals for running back David Johnson, a 2020 second-round pick, and a 2021 fourth-round pick.

Hopkins, the longtime favorite target of quarterback Deshaun Watson, put up 118 yards on nine catches in the Divisional Round of the playoffs last year. That game also added one more blemish to O’Brien’s coaching career, as he allowed his team to fall to the Kansas City Chiefs, 51-31, after it led by as much as 24 points in the first half.

Antonio Brown

The infamous wideout can’t seem to stop digging himself into a hole. While Brown was with the Steelers, he got himself in trouble for tossing furniture from a balcony of his 14th-story apartment building, speeding in excess of 100 miles per hour, and clashing with Steelers offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

He demanded a trade at the end of the 2018 season and ended up with the Oakland Raiders, where he stirred up more drama. Eventually, Brown found a spot on the New England Patriots’ roster at the beginning of the 2019 season, but the Pats released him soon after Brown got hit with a lawsuit for alleged sexual assault.

In January of 2020, Brown and an accomplice were also accused of attacking a moving-truck driver.

None of the above has convinced Brown to lay low or remain quiet. The former Pro Bowler is incredibly active on social media and continues to launch tirades against former teammates, coaches, and the NFL.

Rudy Gobert

The COVID-19 crisis has brought most sports to a screeching halt over the past month. Unfortunately, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert didn’t take the matter all that seriously back in early March.

Just days before the Jazz visited the Oklahoma City Thunder, Gobert appeared to mock the NBA’s rules for social distancing, as a tool to combat COVID-19, which included standing six to eight feet from players and reporters during media availability.

Gobert blatantly touched every microphone and recording device in the presser, got up to leave, and then walked back to touch them all over again. He was reportedly careless in the locker room, as well.

On March 11, just before tipoff of the Jazz-Thunder game, Gobert tested positive for COVID-19, which prompted league officials to send players to the locker room, order fans to leave Chesapeake Energy Arena, and cancel the matchup.

Later that night the NBA announced it would suspend the season, and a day later, Gobert’s teammate Donovan Mitchell revealed he had tested positive for the coronavirus.

Gobert has since apologized for his behavior and pledged to donate $500,000 to support the employee relief fund at Vivint Smart Home Arena and COVID-19-related social services in Utah, Oklahoma City, and within the French health care system.

He definitely looked foolish for treating COVID-19 lightly, but Gobert’s positive test set off a chain reaction in sports leagues across the country that may have helped prevent the spread of the virus in the long run.   

The Pittsburgh Pirates

On a more lighthearted note, the Pittsburgh Pirates endured one huge dollar-dog debacle last April, when their stadium experienced a sudden bun shortage during the second home game of the season.

On “Buc Night,” a promotion in which admission and certain food items were discounted to $1, PNC Park’s food vendor apparently failed to correctly count inventory ahead of the game. As the evening went on, concession stands couldn’t accommodate the demand for dollar hot dogs, because of a lack of buns, and began handing out undressed frankfurters.

Some fans posted photos of the disaster on social media, while others accused Pirates owner Bob Nutting for cutting the budget and causing the screw-up.

One game later, the Pirates, who already struggled to draw a crowd, reported a near-record low in attendance. Clearly, people in Pittsburgh take dollar dog night seriously and won't soon forgive the Pirates for disappointing them.

---

With so many sports on the sideline, why not try horse racing at BetAmerica?