The scary side of sports
by Blaine Meller
Another Halloween has come and gone, but this time, it left something behind other than stomach aches and dentist bills: The scariest sports personalities of all time.
1. Mike Tyson
In his prime, the baddest man on the planet was as scary as they came in a boxing ring. Tyson had devastating power and a bad attitude to match. Remember the classic “I want to eat your children” rant? How about when he bit the ear of Evander Holyfield? With a 50-6 professional record, Tyson might go down as one of the greatest heavyweight fighters of all time. Just keep him away from your kids.
2. Michael Jordan
When it came down to the crunch, nobody in the NBA had the scary focus or desire of No. 23. Jordan would single- handedly take over a game, imposing his will on the opposition. Jordan captured six NBA titles, tied for 10th place on the all-time list.
3. Fedor Emelianenko
The man dubbed “The Last Emperor” has long been con- sidered the best fighter in mixed martial arts. No matter the opponent, Fedor won. Period. Some of the luster might be gone following his submission loss to Fabricio Werdum, but many in MMA would still like to see a bout between Fedor and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar.
4. Georges St. Pierre
Maybe the best pure athlete in mixed martial arts. St. Pierre is strong, fast and can beat you with wrestling, striking or submission. That’s what makes him scary; he has it all. And he’s getting better. The Quebec native is currently serving as a coach on the current season of The Ultimate Fighter, and will face off against rival Josh Koscheck at UFC 124, Dec. 11 in Montreal.
5. Tie Domi
In 1,020 career NHL games, Domi scored an unimpressive 245 points. Comparatively, he registered 3,515 penalty minutes. Short in stature, Domi loved to fight, and he was good at it. He would square off against players taller than him, bigger than him and stronger than him, yet he seemingly could not be hurt, especially if you hit him in his head. He laughed. He celebrated. Perhaps his most memorable bout was in 1992 against the late Bob Probert. After the fight, Domi smiled and motioned as if he was wearing a championship belt he stole from Probert. Make no mistake, Domi was one tough Albanian, and maybe one of the most popular Leafs players ever.
