As Halloween nears, we examine the things that scare us most, whether they be goblins, ghouls or ghosts. We watch movies that frighten us and put on costumes to get a scare or laugh from our friends.
The sports world, like Halloween, has enough figures to send shivers down our spines. Whether it is their mere appearance or horrific play on the field, we want to cover our eyes because we cannot bear to look. So, in the spirit of Halloween, I give you the top five scariest athletes of 2008.
Joakim Noah, Center for the Chicago Bulls
You would think coming from the same heritage as Miss Sweden 1978 that he would be better looking. However, blessed with bad teeth and unkempt hair, Noah has the bodily attributes for any Halloween costume. What may be worse, however, is his play on the hardwood. As the ninth pick of the 2007 NBA Draft, Noah has yet to produce on the court. He averaged just 6.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, stats not even close to what Bulls management thought he would put up in his first year. His play during his sophomore season will determine if he is a legitimate player, or Bulls fans will have to cover their eyes in horror every time he takes the court
Dennis Rodman, Former NBA forward
Even though he hasn’t played basketball in over eight years, Rodman is one of the scariest players of all time. It seemed like every day was Halloween for Rodman, who has been seen wearing everything from wedding dresses to dyed hair to nothing but his tattoos.
If his looks weren’t enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine, then all someone needs to do is to pop in 1997’s “Double Team” staring Rodman alongside Jean-Claude Van Dame. His acting is scary enough to cause any anyone who enjoys movies the have nightmares for a week.
Ray Lewis, Linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens
Lewis is one man you don’t want to mess with. He has been punishing running backs, tight ends and anyone who dares to come over the middle. His intensity alone intimidates, but turning many running backs into bloody pulps lying in the middle of the field would scare any normal player back to the sidelines. It takes a brave receiver, or stupid quarterback, to throw one near Lewis to set him up for another huge hit.
If his physical play isn’t frightening enough, Lewis was accused of stabbing two people to death before the Super Bowl in 2000. The allegations were so harsh, Disney elected to use quarterback Trent Dilfer to say he was going to Disneyland after the game instead of Lewis, who won Super Bowl MVP.
Randy Johnson, Pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks
Although he currently does not have the stuff he used to, it took some real courage to step up to the plate against Johnson in the 1990s and early 2000s. He could throw a fastball over 100 miles per hour at your head then take some of the juice off to get batters to miss. The best display of Johnson’s heat was when he hit a bird with a 95 mph fastball, causing the poor avian to explode, literally. If fast pitching doesn’t scare you enough, check out a baseball card from his days playing from Seattle. The mullet Johnson sports would be enough to scare anyone away, especially the ladies.
Mike Tyson, Boxer
There is no one in the sports world scarier than former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson. In his heyday as a boxer, he beat some of the best boxers in the world with hard hits and terrifying speed. But, his various actions out of the ring are what he has become most famous for. He has been arrested for various crimes and bit off part of Evander Holyfield’s ear.
If his out-of-the-ring actions are not frightful enough, his appearance will cause a shiver to run down your spine. His facial tattoos could be mistaken for an orc warlord ready to eat your insides.
Ben is a senior majoring in journalism and history. Have a scarier player in mind? E-mail him at [email protected].
