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?!
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