The Best and the Worst MLB Entrance Music

So you're sitting at a baseball game and your team is down two runs with two outs in the 9th inning. The other team has brought in their closer so your manager is calling on a pinch hitter. And right before he emerges from the dugout, his entrance music blasts on the speakers,

"Only you can make me feel, and only you can take me there..."

And you think to yourself, "Wait...is...is that Ashanti?" Then you finish your beer, grab your souvenir bobblehead and head toward the exit. Sure enough, Adrian Beltre grounds out to the pitcher and the game is over.

Of course, players' entrance music has nothing to do with their talent but if it's a high pressure situation, does Ashanti really help get the adrenaline pumping? If players are going to take the time to request a song to come out to, they should put some effort in choosing the perfect song. Now, there is such a thing as taking your entrance music way too seriously. In 2000, while with the Red Sox, Carlos Baerga was called to pinch hit in a close game. While everyone waited for him to appear from the dugout, Baerga ran into the clubhouse to call up to the game operations booth to make sure they played Nelly's "Hot in Herre" for his at bat. He finally appeared on the field to his requested song, and promptly grounded out to end the inning. Another example happened in 2002, when Mike Piazza came up for his at-bat at Shea Stadium. As a joke, the deejays played Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby". Piazza grounded out and after the game blamed the outcome on the song, saying it interrupted his focus. He continued to complain to the team and eventually had the deejays fired.

Now without further ado, here are WARTT's 5 Best and Worst Entrance songs (I excluded any country because as Brian McCann says, "You don't go up to hit to country. Just can't."):

The Worst

5. Ben Zobrist - "The Tree" by Julianna Zobrist

Okay, so Zobrist obviously gets points at home for choosing one of his wife's songs. But a Christian, electronic pop song about how death could not hold Jesus back and because of that people can be saved also? No thanks, Ben. Keep it at home.

4. Jason Varitek - "Kryptonite" by 3 Doors Down

This song doesn't pump me up to go out and hit the game winning homerun. It makes me want to lock myself in my room and cry myself to sleep. Plus, 3 Doors Down should be banned from the MLB after their horrendous performance during the 2008 All Star Weekend.

3. Mark Teahan - "I Want Your Body" by Jose Lima

Teahan admits to using the song as a joke at first, but says he started to like it so he kept it. Not only is it called "I Want Your Body" but it's by Jose Lima. That is a bad combination.

2. Gordon Beckham - "Your Love" by The Outfield

Everyone thought Beckham's entrance music was because of rookie hazing. But when asked, he said, "I love The Outfield!". Turns out the song has been his entrance song since high school and he takes it very seriously. Going as far as calling and complaining to other players who have started using it such as Kelly Johnson and Eric Byrnes. Either way, when I hear the song I expect it to be at an after hours bar, not at the ballpark.

1. Troy Tulowitzki - "Gimme More" by Britney Spears

It's Tulo bitch! According to Tulowitzki, this song was played after games in the Colorado Rockies clubhouse and he liked it so much that he decided to make it his entrance music. First off, what is a team of middle aged men doing listening to Britney Spears? And second, why would one of them admit to it and even come out to it while 30,000 people are around? C'mon Troy, you're better than that.

The Best

5. Ryan Zimmerman - "Return of the Mack" by Mo' Reese Marks

As good as the Mark Morrison version of this song is, the Mo' Reese Marks version is that much better. It's funkier, yet smoother. Zimmerman just pimp strolls into the batters box and puts up his All Star numbers.

4. Billy Butler - "Thriller" by Michael Jackson

Mark Teahan started calling Butler, "Bill the Thrill" after seeing the display he put on in batting practice. He also called the game operations booth and had them start playing the Michael Jackson classic for Butler's at bats. Too bad Teahan couldn't come up with something good for himself.

3. Curtis Granderson - "Poison" by Bell Biv DeVoe

Granderson has said, "It's only like 5 seconds of a 3 hour game, so you might as well have fun with it." I couldn't have said it better myself. Poison is a 90's rap classic with a great intro that you can't help but dance to. Granderson has also said he enjoys looking around the field when his music comes on to see the opposing players' reactions, "I saw Derek Jeter smiling...and Coco (Crisp) was dancing to it. Stuff like that keeps the kid in you for the game."

2. A.J. Pierzynski - "A.J. Scratch" by Kurtis Blow

As much as A.J. is disliked, fans can't help but agree his entrance song is as catchy as they come. An 80's hip hop song with a classic beat that uses his name in the chorus. Even as a Cubs fan, I can't help but leave The Cell with this song stuck in my head. But I still hate him. I don't even know him but I hate him. I hate his guts. I hope all the bad things in life happen to him and only him.

1. Grady Sizemore - "Killing in the Name" by Rage Against the Machine

The total opposite type of entrance song as the previous four, but an incredible choice nonetheless. An entrance song is supposed to get a player pumped up, and this one definitely goes above and beyond. When this song comes on, no one could help but get amped up heading into that batter's box. Just ask the three time All-Star who has no ceiling in sight.

Now if I had to choose, I definitely couldn't choose just one. I'd probably use "U Don't Know" by Jay-Z, "Victory" by Puff Daddy, Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes, and "Ante Up" by M.O.P. But I'm sure there are a hundred or so more.

How about you? What songs would you choose?

MLB First Half Movie Review

So the first half of the MLB season has ended, and the American League kept their All-Star Game undefeated steak alive at 13 games. Like every season, this one has had some surprises and some things go exactly as most predicted. The box office this year has been no different. So what better way to review the first half? Here is the season so far in review, the WARTT way:

AL East:

Boston Red Sox (54-34) = Monsters vs. Aliens ($197M)

Dreamworks has been putting out successful animated movies consistently for several years now, very similar to Epstein and his Boston Red Sox. Plus the team has 2 players that can be confused for a monster and an alien.

New York Yankees (51-37) = Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen ($339M)

Both are high budget and if there is any team that transformed this offseason it was the Yankees. They added the top hitting and top pitching free agent and both have helped tremendously. And both have been very successful.

Tampa Bay Rays (48-41) = Fast & Furious ($155M)

If there's any team that fits this title, it's the Rays. They are fast with 2 of the top 4 base stealers in the league (Crawford -44, Upton - 31). And they are furious with 3 mashers in the top 30 in homeruns (Pena -22, Longoria - 17, Zobrist - 17).

Toronto Blue Jays (44-46) = Away We Go ($7M)

If "Away We Go" didn't come out in the same 3 week span as "The Proposal", "Transformers" and "The Hangover", it might have done okay for itself. Just like, if the Blue Jays weren't in the same division as the Red Sox, Yankees and Rays, they could possibly compete on a yearly basis. Poor John Krasinski and Roy Halladay.

Baltimore Orioles (40-48) = Year One ($38M)

It takes more than just throwing Jack Black and Michael Cera together and hoping they can carry the whole movie. The Orioles know that as well, after failing year after year to each compete for third place. Now they've assembled some young talent with Adam Jones, Nick Markakis, Nolan Reimold and Matt Weiters. But it's just the start of their rebuilding, at least that's what Orioles fans are hoping.

AL Central:

Detroit Tigers (48-39) = X-Men Origins: Wolverine ($178M)

The Tigers are winning a division that is 21 games under .500 as a whole. They are a good, but not great team, being 12th in the MLB in runs scored and 8th in ERA. "X-Men Origins" cleaned up the first 3 weeks it was out, going up against "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" and "Next Day Air". But once "Star Trek" and "Angels & Demons" were released, "X-Men Origins" easily dropped out of the top 5.

Chicago White Sox (45-43) = He's Just Not That Into You ($93M)

Both the White Sox and the movie have done alright for themselves this year. The reason for the comparison? Manger Ozzie Guillen. Earlier this month, Guillen stated, "I hope I got 25 guys who hate my fucking guts and give me another ring. What do I want 25 guys to love my ass, eat in my house, drink together and we're in last place?..I'm not here to make friends." So chances are, Ozzie is just not that into you.

Minnesota Twins (45-44) = Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs ($119M)

For some reason, animated movies always do well at the box office, and for some reason the Twins always compete for the division. It doesn't matter what the movie is about just like it doesn't matter who is starting at shortstop for the Twins, at the end of the day, they produce. I mean, Nick Punto? C'mon, the guy is hitting .201!

Kansas City Royals (37-51) = The Soloist ($31M)
An underachieving team with one star. It's pretty easy to conclude, Zack Greinke is The Soloist.

Cleveland Indians (35-54) = Land of the Lost ($47M)

For the past couple years, many baseball experts have chosen the Indians to win the division, and some have even picked them to go to the World Series. The Indians haven't even come close, and that isn't going to change this year. Cleveland is officially the land of the lost.

AL West:

Los Angeles Angels (49-37) = Night at the Museum 2 ($170)

One star and a revolving door of supporting casts. Ben Stiller added Amy Adams and Hank Azaria, while Vlad Guerrero added Bobby Abreu and Torii Hunter, the previous year. And despite the change in cast, both have remained very successful.

Texas Rangers (48-39) = Angels & Demons ($131M)

The Rangers season depends on how well Josh Hamilton handles his angels and demons. As long as he stays clean and healthy, they should have one of the best offenses in the MLB and compete in their weak division.

Seattle Mariners (46-42) = I Love You, Man ($71M)

For this one, I'm just going to quote the News Tribune's Larry LaRue:

Ichiro Suzuki spreads a towel on the carpeted floor in front of his locker, lies on his back and begins doing stretching exercises. From Ichiro's blind side, Ken Griffey Jr. pounces, gets his hands deep under Ichiro's armpits and digs in with his fingers. Ichiro's laughter is almost childlike – genuine and uncontrolled – and after about five seconds he screams the magic word to make Griffey stop." Griffin, the trainer, said walking through the clubhouse in that final hour before a game, Ichiro and Junior can be a bit unnerving. "Sometimes they'll each be at their locker, just staring at one another," he said.

Oakland Athletics (37-49) = Confessions of a Shopaholic ($44M)

GM Billy Beane went for it all this offseason going on a shopping spree. He traded a top prospect for left fielder Matt Holliday. He signed former All-Star free agents, Jason Giambi and Orlando Cabrera. Yet, his team has bombed, much like the movie about a woman who shops too much. At least, the Athletics had some type of chance.

NL East:

Philadelphia Phillies (48-38) = Terminator Salvation ($123M)

The Phillies offense has been unkind to opposing pitchers with Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Raul Ibanez and Jayson Werth all making the All-Star team. If any team can be compared to Terminators, its the Phillies who lead the NL in runs scored.

Florida Marlins (46-44) = Watchmen ($107M)

The tag line for "Watchmen" was 'Who will watch the Watchmen?'. The tag line for Florida should be, "No one watches the Marlins". They are having a decent year and are still dead last in attendance not even selling out 50% of their seats for games.

Atlanta Braves (43-45) = Gran Torino ($138M)

A grumpy old man surrounded by young people in a changing neighborhood. Sounds like Bobby Cox and the Braves to me.

New York Mets (42-45) = Public Enemies ($66M)

Both the Mets and "Public Enemies" got out of the gate very quickly. Then the Mets fell off, falling from 1st place to 4th place during the month of June. "Public Enemies" started off making $25M its first weekend out, then fell to $13M the next weekend. Plus, when the Mets struggle it seems they are considered public enemies in New York, as can be seen these days at Citi Field with the booing becoming louder each game.

Washington Nationals (26-61) = The Objective ($95.00 American)

The Nationals have fined a player for being late because he was signing autographs for kids. They misspelled President Teddy Roosevelt's name on a bobble head they gave away. They misspelled their own name on their uniforms. And now they are on pace for 100 losses. "The Objective" was a horror film that came out in February and made $95. I mean, even if half the cast went to see the movie, it would make much more than $95. It's like 7 adults, 4 senior citizens and 1 child went to see this movie in the entire United States of America. The Nationals and "The Objective" seem like a great fit.

NL Central:

St. Louis Cardinals (49-42) = Taken ($145M)

Both the team and the movie were carried by one bad ass. Albert Pujols for the Cardinals and Liam Neeson for "Taken". Replace either of these men with anyone else, and their team/movie are not where they are right now. First place for the Cardinals, and a top 10 grossing movie for Taken.

Milwaukee Brewers (45-43) = Paul Blart: Mall Cop ($146M)

A fat, mustached man steps up to save the day. Prince Fielder has been on fire and is a huge reason the Brewers are still competing for the division. Kevin James uses his courage and extra pounds to take down mall thieves. Seems like these two are one in the same.

Chicago Cubs (43-43) = The Hangover ($222M)

It seems like the Cubs woke up this year, and had no clue what the hell happened. They can't hit or field. They immediately followed a 5 game winning streak with an 8 game losing streak. It seems they have no idea how to correct it either. Hopefully, they can retrace their steps and try to figure out what happened in the first half. Not at the table Carlos.

Houston Astros (44-44) = State of Play ($37M)

Both of these two have the names to compete. The Astros have Oswalt, Lee, Tejada, Pence and Berkman. "State of Play" had Crowe, Affleck, Daniels, McAdams and Bateman. But for some reason, neither could put it together. Well the Astros reason is because they started Brian Moehler and Russ Ortiz.

Cincinnati Reds (42-45) = Knowing ($79M)

The success of "Knowing" lies on the shoulders of washed up actor, Nicolas Cage and the success of the Reds lies on the shoulders of washed up manager Dusty Baker. Neither of these two seem to know what they are doing. At least the Reds can fix their problem. But "Knowing" will always star Nicolas Cage.

Pittsburgh Pirates (38-50) = Drag Me to Hell ($41M)

Its what all players think when they find out they've been traded to the Pirates who haven't been to the playoffs in 29 years, and that doesn't this year.

NL West:

Los Angeles Dodgers (56-32) = Bruno ($30M)

Two successful enterprises led by bizarre characters. Manny Ramirez has high-fived a fan after making a jumping catch, as well as left the playing field to go to the bathroom. Bruno has crashed a fashion show wearing a Velcro outfit and also made out with another man while fighting in a mixed martial arts match. Bruno may be more eccentric than Ramirez, but both are one of a kind in their respective situations.

San Francisco Giants (49-39) = UP ($273M)

Not many people saw this coming. The Giants haven't finished above 3rd place in 4 years, and coming into this season with a roster full of unknowns, it looked like that streak would continue. But thanks to incredible pitching they are currently leading the Wild Card. An adventure with a grumpy old man and a curious youngster? Sounds like the Giants 2009 season with Randy Johnson and Tim Lincecum.

Colorado Rockies (47-41) = The Proposal ($113M)

The plot of each, an old star (Todd Helton/Sandra Bullock) and a decent young star (Brad Hawpe/Ryan Reynolds) are involved in this cute story. Both the team and movie start off rocky, and have their ups and downs, but in the end everything comes out okay. But just okay, nothing more than that.

Arizona Diamondbacks (38-51) = The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 ($61M)

Both of these were slated to do well, but flopped. The Diamondbacks had to deal with the loss of Brandon Webb, while "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" had to deal with the fact that Travolta may be past his prime for action movies.

San Diego Padres (36-52) = Crank 2: High Voltage ($13M)

Both knew they never had a chance so they didn't try too hard...

Top 5 Homerun Movie Scenes

In honor of the Home Run Derby tonight, nextround.net has put together their favorite homerun movie scenes. It's definitely worth checking out.

http://nextround.net/2009/07/13/5-of-the-greatest-home-run-scenes-from-movies/

LeBron James Wants No Witnesses

The LeBron James Skills Academy in Akron, Ohio was getting little publicity this summer, that is, until this week. The Academy hosts high school and college players from the area to work on their basketball skills, which includes playing pickup games against the MVP himself. Sophomore guard, Jordan Crawford from Xavier made sure to take full advantage. The 6'4 Crawford, went 1 on 1 against LeBron on a fast break and went up strong with a two-handed dunk over the King himself. Yes, the defense in pick up games is usually non-existent, but putting LeBron James in your poster is a huge accomplishment wherever it happens.

So why haven't you seen the dunk on ESPN yet? Well, because right after it happened, all the video tapes were confiscated by a Nike rep. It's unknown whether it was LeBron's or Nike's decision, but either way, it has done more damage to confiscate the video than it would have to let it show up on YouTube.

Regardless, whether it ever gets released or not, Jordan Crawford's reputation has skyrocketed. He said, during the game he didn't realize how big of a deal it was until after the game, "Not during the game, but I was geeked afterwards about it. Everyone was talking about it." Most likely, Crawford's reputation would have been more effected than Lebron's if the video was released, especially with all the negative response the confiscation has been getting. Nike should just show the video themselves with a clever ad and let the whole thing be overwith. Either way, that dunk needs to be shown, for all NBA fans' sake.

Michael Jackson "Tribute"?

Last Wednesday, the Canadian Football League opened their season with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats hosting the Toronto Argonauts. On the first drive of the season, Toronto quarterback Kerry Joseph passes to wide receiver Arland Bruce to score the first touchdown of the season. After scoring, Bruce removed his helmet and shoulder pads and then laid down in the end zone, pretending to be buried in a casket. Afterwards, he said it was to pay tribute to the late Michael Jackson. He received two objectionable conduct penalties and was fined by the league for excessive celebration.

I'm not sure how laying down and pretending to be buried honors Michael Jackson, or any deceased person really. Imitating Jackson's dance moves would seem fitting. Or how about just wearing one white receiving glove? Even an MJ crotch grab would be more appropriate. Maybe I'm overreacting to this "tribute," so check out the video and judge for yourself.

Even if some people may consider it an acceptable tribute, Bruce really should have just worked with his teammates and came up with something better. Perhaps they should have imitated what 1,500 prisoners in the Philippines did to honor the King of Pop.

R.I.P. Steve McNair (1973-2009)

As many people may already know, former quarterback and MVP, Steve McNair was killed this weekend. He was shot twice in the chest and twice in the head, and found with his also deceased extra marital girlfriend, Sahel Kazemi. The situation is extremely confusing and bizarre.

McNair had been married for 12 years, and had 4 sons. However, six months ago he started dating then 19 year old waitress, Kazemi. He bought her an Escalade for her 20th birthday and would go out to dinner with her and her family. Her sister claims that McNair told Kazemi that he was filing for divorce, but there is no divorce pending. However, McNair recently had been taking trips with his children without his wife, and his house is for sale. McNair's wife, Michelle, has stated she had no idea McNair was seeing another woman.

Another curious aspect to the story is that of Kazemi's ex-boyfriend. She had just broken up with Keith Norfleet when she started dating McNair. Norfleet was not pleased and continuously tried to get back together with Kazemi. He claims she told him she was planning on breaking it off with McNair. Norfleet and his friend have posted some questionable comments on their MySpace profiles. After McNair and Kazemi's deaths were announced, he posted, "never let anyone or anything come in between you and the one you love because when you do you lose everything." Norfleet's friend, whose MySpace name is "Caucasian Persuasion" posted, "The Caucasian Persuasion riden with keith. fuck a quarterback. who is Mcnair in 09? rip sahel kazemi". However, Norfleet has been questioned by police and has not been labeled a suspect.

It has just been announced the gun found at the scene was purchased recently by Kazemi. She did not have a permit since the minimum age to carry a gun is 21. The police are waiting on the results of the gun residue test to see if Kazemi was the one who fired the shots. If she was, it will be ruled a murder-suicide. However, many questions will still remain including the one we will never find out the answer to, "Why did this tragedy happen?"

Public Enemies (The Sports Version)

The summer blockbuster "Public Enemies" released this week and is expected to finish first at the box office this weekend. In the film, notorious criminal John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) and FBI agent Melvin Purvis (Chrisitan Bale) are pitted against each one another. I definitely will be checking out the film as soon as possible and giving my thoughts on here, but until then here are the top

5...

5. Barry Bonds vs. Jeff Kent

The two played together for six years for the San Francisco Giants, hitting 3rd and 4th in the lineup. They combined for 8 All Star appearances, 7 Silver Sluggers and 3 MVP awards. The Giants finished in first or second all 6 years, with the team losing in Game 7 of the World Series in 2002. Even with all that success, Bonds and Kent hated each other. The first day of spring training together in 1997, Bonds boarded the bus and found Kent sitting in his seat. He told Kent to move, but Kent told him he wasn't going anywhere. He was there first, and Bonds needed to sit in the back. From that moment on, both players tried to show they were the team leader, to see who could stick their chest out further than the other. Their most notable altercation was labeled the "Slugout in the Dugout". Kent called out second baseman David Bell after an inning, which Bonds took exception to. Bonds then shoved Kent and grabbed him by the throat. Kent has said they were involved in about half a dozen scuffles in the clubhouse, and that it was normal for them because it was just adrenaline flowing. He also said, "I don't care about Barry and Barry doesn't care about me." Most people feel the reason the two were so good was because they each tried to outperform the other. Either way, the two hated each other and weren't afraid to let it be known.

4. Bill Belichick vs. Eric Mangini

Eric Mangini coached under Bill Belichick for nine seasons. When Mangini was a 23 year old ball boy, Belichick was so impressed with his work ethic he pushed for him to be hired as a public relations intern while with the Cleveland Browns. While both were with the New England Patriots, the two combined to win 3 Super Bowls. And then hell broke loose. Mangini accepted the head coaching job with the rival New York Jets. In his first year as coach of the Jets, Mangini took the Jets to the playoffs but lost in the first round to Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. After the game, the two coaches exchanged quick, cold handshakes. Throughout the season, Belichick did not use Mangini's name, and tried to avoid talking about him all together. Then the following season, Spygate happened. Mangini accused Belichick of filming the defensive coach's hand signals during a game, which is in violation of the rules. The NFL ultimately fined Belichick $500,000, the Patriots $250,000 and took away the teams first round pick for the draft. The relationship between these two is as cold as ever, which can be seen by their post game handshakes. Mangini has moved on from the rival Jets to the Cleveland Browns, but there is still no love lost between these two.

3. Ozzie Guillen vs. Jay Mariotti

These are two of the biggest personalities in sports and they both are located in Chicago. Guillen is the most outspoken manager in baseball, saying whatever he wants, whenever he wants. He has called out opposing players, his own players, other managers, umpires and sports columnists. Mariotti has the same mentality when it comes to his writing, he doesn't care who he attacks in his columns. He's gone after everyone who's ever been a part of Chicago sports. So what happens when these two have to share a city? Mayhem. Mariotti refers to Guillen as "The Blizzard of Oz" and has called for his job several times despite Guillen's success as the White Sox manager. In 2006, Mariotti called Guillen "senseless and immature" for instructing rookie pitcher Sean Tracey to bean Hank Blalock, and then berating him in the dugout after he failed to do so. When Guillen was asked about Mariotti's article, he responded, "What a piece of shit he is, a fucking fag". Guillen apologized for his use of the deragatory term, but didn't lay off of Mariotti, saying "He's garbage, still garbage, going to die as garbage. Period." Guillen continues to question why Mariotti has never shown his face in a clubhouse that he writes about, saying it's easy to criticize people when you don't have to face them afterwards. Mariotti attributes his clubhouse absense, to past experiences that went unaddressed. He claims when Ozzie was still a player he stood behind him fully naked 'doing a hip salute', as well as Frank Thomas telling him he was going to stick his bat up his ass..sideways. Mariotti has moved on to the internets at AOL Sports but still makes Chicago his home. He hasn't written about Guillen since February, so there haven't been any spats between the two lately. But for the sake of everyone else, someone should get these two in a room. And put it on HBO.

2. Kobe Bryant vs. Shaquille O'Neal

Two of the greatest, most cocky players ever, shared the limelight for 9 years as members of the Los Angeles Lakers. The duo won back to back to back championships in 2000, 2001 and 2002. But after that, it was easy to tell neither of these two could stand each other. Bryant began questioning O'Neal's work ethic, questioning why he waited so long to have surgery after the 2002 season. O'Neal then began accusing Bryant of being a ball hog, saying he should pass the ball more often. Bryant took exception, saying he didn't appreciate O'Neal's advice, especially since O'Neal didn't know anything about playing the guard position. O'Neal then responded, the Lakers were his team and if Kobe didn't like it, he should leave as a free agent. The back and forth continued, and the Lakers were ousted early in the playoffs the following two seasons. After which, coach Phil Jackson was not offered a contract, which many thought was because of Bryant who had voiced displeasure at times with Jackson's play calling. When O'Neal found out, he demanded to be traded, and eventually was, after Bryant resigned with the Lakers. The two stars were too big to share the stage, so the Lakers had to chose which one to keep. They decided on Bryant. After O'Neal's trade to the Miami Heat, it had came out that when Bryant was being questioned by police for his rape charge in Colorado in 2003, he claimed he should have paid off his accuser, like O'Neal paid off his other women. O'Neal denied the claim saying he and Bryant never spoke to each other about their personal lives. The public attacks between the two ended, and O'Neal went on to win a championship with the Heat in 2005. After which, the media began questioning whether Kobe could win without O'Neal. The two continued to act civil until last year, after the Lakers were ousted from the playoffs, O'Neal was videotaped performing a freestyle titled, "Kobe how my ass taste?". O'Neal rapped about Bryant being unable to win without him, and saying Bryant's accusation was the reason for his divorce. Bryant refused to comment and the two have been civil since the release of the video. Since then, Bryant won his fourth title, and his first without O'Neal and O'Neal has been traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The two players are 4-4 in head to head matchups, but a Lakers-Cavaliers matchup would be the most intriguing Finals in a long time.

1. Nancy Kerrigan vs. Tonya Harding

The biggest Public Enemies of them all. January 6, 1994 in Detroit at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. At a practice session, Nancy Kerrigan was attacked by Shane Stant with a collapsible baton. Stant was hired by Tonya Harding's ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly and her bodyguard Shawn Eckardt, to take Kerrigan out of the competition. With Kerrigan out of the way, Harding went on to win the event. However, after her husband testified against her, Harding was stripped of her 1994 title. The United States Olympic Committee tried to remove her from the 1994 Olympics, but backed off after Harding threatened legal action. Kerrigan recovered and went on to win the silver medal, while Harding finished 8th. Harding went on to plead guilty to hindering investigation and received probation, community service and a $160,000 fine. However, she maintained she never had anything to do with the planning of the attack. Neither woman's life was the same after that day. Kerrigan retired after the 1994 Olympics at the age of 25, and never skated professionally again. And Harding's life became a never ending tabloid. She appeared on a wrestling circuit, started a music career, started drinking heavily, starred in a celebrity sex tape, saved an older woman's life by giving her mouth to mouth resuscitation, started boxing and was in a car chase with her husband and the police. These two women's feud was the biggest and most public display of hatred and disrespect in sports. Why would someone do that to another person? Why? Why?!