What happens when the stakes are high and an athlete is on the brink of losing control? Oftentimes, they start a fight and that can escalate into brawls. There is something very exciting about an on-field clash between opposing teams. Even though we know it’s wrong, we still root for our teams when they fight because of that primal instinct inside us. It’s like scoring a touchdown or a goal.
Today we’re going to take a look at 35 of the best on-field fights in sports in everything from NBA to soccer to football and of course, hockey. Some of these brawls are more memorable than the actual games and even defined players’ careers. There were even fights between teammates. Check out the list below via Stadium Talk.
35. The Goodwill Mission
The Georgetown Hoyas traveled to China to play an exhibition game in 2011. They took on the Bayi Rockets in what was billed as a ‘goodwill game.’ It was supposed to symbolize the bonds that sports can create but instead, it became a depressing metaphor for the U.S and Chinese relations. Ultimately, the result was one of the most embarrassing brawls in recent memory.
Chinese basketball teams have a notorious reputation for fighting with foreign opposition. The game swiftly went out of control and soon a bench-clearing brawl began. One of the Bayi players even hit Georgetown’s Henry Sims with a chair. The U.S. State Department even became involved because it threatened to become an international incident. This was a ludicrous situation.