Recent sports history replete with great overreactions

By SCOTT McCOY and SETH SCHROCK

sports@star-telegram.com

The New York Yankees began this year’s World Series with home-field advantage. Not because they had a better regular-season record than the Philadelphia Phillies, but because of a sac fly that Baltimore Orioles center fielder Adam Jones hit nearly four months ago. In 2003, Major League Baseball decided to award home-field advantage in the World Series to the league that won the All-Star game after the 2002 game ended in a tie. Baseball’s decision to raise the stakes in the annual exhibition game might be one of the greatest overreactions in sports history. Here’s a look some other great overreactions from the world of sports and beyond:

Richie Sexson charges the mound: In 2008, the Mariners first baseman took exception to a pitch by the Rangers’ Kason Gabbard that was a bit high, but still over the plate. Sexson charged the mound, threw his helmet at Gabbard and the benches cleared. It wasn’t much of a fight, but Rangers broadcaster Tom Grieve took this classic shot at Sexson: "That is a gutless, 6-foot-7, .200-hitting, formerly good player. What a joke!"

Heisman hype: College football commentator Beano Cook once predicted that Ron Powlus would win the Heisman Trophy twice after the heavily recruited quarterback signed a letter of intent to play at Notre Dame. Powlus never even won one. He never even cracked the top 10 in the voting.

Punchless offense: Houston Oilers defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan punched offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride because quarterback Cody Carlson fumbled just before halftime in the finale of the 1993 regular season. The Oilers won the game, extending their winning streak to 11 games, but the damage was done and they flamed out in the first round of the playoffs.

Flagrant howl: Michael J. Fox turns into a werewolf after being caught in the bottom of a pile-up during a high school basketball game in the movie Teen Wolf, which we’re pretty sure was based on a true story.

Fake moon fever: Speaking of howling at a moon, play-by-play man Joe Buck becomes indignant after Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss pretends to moon Green Bay Packers fans after scoring a touchdown, calling it "a disgusting act." Several years later, Buck would get a crash course about the true meaning of a "disgusting act" when he books comedian Artie Lange as a guest for the first episode of Joe Buck Live.

A kick in the head: Cuban taekwondo gold medalist Angel Matos was disqualified from the bronze medal match at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Matos didn’t agree with the decision. The overreaction: He kicked the referee in the face. The proper reaction: The World Taekwondo Federation banned Matos for life.

Long story short: When a young Tiger Woods took the golf world by storm, a new trend began on the PGA Tour as everyone attempted to "Tiger-proof" golf courses. The lengthened golf courses didn’t level the playing field; they just made the game’s shorter hitters and classiccourses more obsolete.

Clemens goes batty: Bats break in baseball. Most pitchers consider it a plus when it happens. Not Roger Clemens. At least he didn’t during Game 2 of the 2000 World Series. Apparently he felt Mike Piazza purposely broke his bat in such a way that the barrel would wind up near the mound. Clemens picked it up and threw it in Piazza’s direction as he ran toward first.

The 24 hours before/after every Cowboys game: According to local media experts, the Cowboys play about 16 "must-win" games a season. After all, you can’t possibly start a season 0-1. After a loss, you can count on a steady diet of doom and gloom. After a win, you can pack your bags because they’re Super Bowl bound.

Just about any managerial tirade: Our favorite was Mississippi Braves manager Phillip Wellman crawling to the pitcher’s mound on his stomach and throwing the rosin bag like a grenade toward the home plate umpire.

Y2K scare: At least for some people, they didn’t have to do any toilet paper shopping for a few months.

Hidden camera: "Sir, do you realize that you are not drinking regular coffee, but Colombian decaffeinated coffee crystals?" The late Chris Farley didn’t take this news very well in a classic Saturday Night Live parody of hidden camera coffee commercials. "Wha-at?" responds Farley as his smile fades and he is slowly overcome with anger. "You lied to me! You told me this was regular coffee!" You can see the video at hulu.com.

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