It was a casual Sunday afternoon in Arlington, Texas yesterday as the Rangers welcomed the Toronto Blue Jays back in to town for the finale of their three game series.
For those of you who may have forgot, the last time these two teams tangled was in the American League Divisional Series last October. And in Game 5 of that series Jose Bautista, aka Joey Bats, hit a ball to the moon and pimped his way around the bases.
See Exhibit A:
As it turns out, the animosity between the Rangers and Blue Jays is still strong, which resulted in a benches-clearing brawl yesterday afternoon.
We'll dive into that melee, as well as nine of the other wildest sports fights from the 2000s, in the gallery above.
Kobe Vs. Chris Childs
The Date: April 2, 2000
The Scene: Staples Center, Los Angeles California
One of Kobe Bryant's most infamous on-court moments came in a regular season game against the New York in 2000, when he received a gift from Knicks point guard Chris Childs. That gift? These hands.
After Kobe hit Childs with an elbow coming off a screen, the two had a brief exchange before Childs two pieced Kobe in his damn throat. Benches cleared although no further punches were thrown.
When it was all said and done, both players were ejected, fined and suspended. Kobe served a one game punishment while Childs sat for two.
Andre Johnson Vs. Cortland Finnegan
The Date: November 29th, 2010
The Scene: NRG Stadium Houston, Texas
Andre Johnson and Cortland Finnegan were both fined $25,000 for their roles in an on-field scuffle back in 2010, but it was Andre Johnson who walked away with the victory here.
It all started at the line of scrimmage when the pesky Finnegan jabbed at Johnson's jugular before the Pro-Bowl wide receiver snapped, ripped off Finnegan's helmet, and threw him a beating like a red-headed step child.
Still, that didn't stop Cortland from bringing up the brawl and taking one final jab during his retirement announcement last year:
“Spent 9 years doing something I Loved and it has payed off in so many ways,” Finnegan wrote. “To say I have been blessed is an understatement I am forever thankful. I have made my share of mistakes and had moments of glory. I even got into a fight in an NFL Game ( he hits like a bish). I'm thankful for the friends I made on and off the field love yAll.. Time to move on and enjoy new people new places and new ideas.. I forgot to thank all the haters I love yAll to.”
[Via]
Red Sox Vs. Yankees
The Date: October 11, 2003
The Scene: Fenway Park Boston, MA. Game 3 of the ALCS
One of the greatest rivalries in sports, Yankees vs. Red Sox, is no stranger to bench-clearing brawls but one of the most memorable dust ups happened in a crucial Game 3 of the American League Championship Series.
With the series tied at 1-1, former Red Sox pitcher Roger Clemens took the bump for the Yanks opposite Boston's Pedro Martinez.
It didn't take long for Pedro to plunk New York's Karim Garcia and when Clemens retaliated with a high and tight pitch to Manny Ramirez, all hell broke loose. Ramirez charged the mound and the rest is history.
Without further adieu, The Fenway Fracas:
LeGarrette Blount Vs. Boise State
The Date: September 3, 2009
The Scene: Albertsons Stadium, Boise State
It was the season opener of the 2009 season and the Oregon Ducks had just suffered a 19-8 loss at the hands of Boise State. Following the win, Boise State's Byron Hout slapped Oregon's LeGarrette Blount on the shoulder and said, "How 'bout that (expletive)-whooppin'?"
Blount responded by knocking Hout TF out with a swift right jab, resulting in him being suspended for most of the season.
Islanders Vs. Penguins
The Date: February 11, 2011
The Scene: Nassau Coliseum, Long Island, New York
Any hockey fans out there will surely remember the legendary brawl between the Islanders and Penguins in 2011. Even those who aren't hockey fans might remember this infamous melee which resulted in a record for combined penalty minutes for both teams, including 15 fighting majors and 65 total penalties.
In all, the massive brawl warranted 346 penalty minutes. Even the goalies got in involved.
If you've got some time to kill, sit back and enjoy this record brawl in its entirety:
Bautista Vs. Odor
The Date: May 16, 2016
The Scene: Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas
The Toronto Blue Jays' Jose Bautista pimped a home run against the Texas Rangers during Game 5 of last year's American League Divisional Series. Toronto won the series, and the two squads met up for the first time since this past weekend.
In the finale of their three game series, Bautista took a hard slide into second base and the Rangers' Rougned Odor was not pleased. And when I say "was not pleased," I mean, "he lost his sh*t and hit Bautista clean on his jaw."
It's rare that these baseball brawls ever result in any clean punches getting thrown, it's usually a bunch of guys shouting "HOLD ME BACK." But yesterday's events were the exception to the rule.
Knicks Vs. Nuggets
The Date: December 16, 2006
The Scene: Madison Square Garden
Before Carmelo Anthony was the savior of the New York Knicks franchise he was ducking punches from 5'9 Nate Robinson in the World's Most Famous Arena.
The scuffle began when New York's Mardy Collins committed a flagrant foul on Denver's JR Smith. And then, in the words of Ron Burgundy, things escalated quickly.
7 players were suspended, including Melo who received a 15-game suspension, the stiffest punishment of all. JR Smith and Nate Robinson were both hit with 10-game suspensions and each team was also fined $500,000.
FIU Vs. Miami
The Date: October 14, 2006
The Scene: Miami Orange Bowl
Only nine miles separate the University of Miami from Florida International University and there is no love lost between these two schools.
The athletes and coaches all know each other very well, but the tension was at a premium nearly 10 years ago when players were swinging helmets at each other and curb stomping each others faces into the 20-yard line.
31 players in total were handed one game suspensions following the insanity, including repeat offender, Brandon Meriweather.
Georgetown Vs. Bayi Rockets
The Date: August 18, 2011
The Scene: Beijing, China
One of the most bizarre brawls on this list features a prominent college basketball program and a professional team from China. John Thompson III's Georgetown Hoyas traveled to China back in 2011 for a series of exhibition games against some professional Chinese squads, including the Bayi Rockets.
At the start of the fourth quarter, following several chippy plays, an all out brawl broke out with chairs and debris being thrown onto the court by players and fans.
Malice At The Palace
The Date: November 19, 2004
The Scene: The Palace Of Auburn Hills
You knew it was coming. The most iconic and vicious brawl in sports history- the Malice At The Palace.
Players fighting players. Players fighting fans. Ron Artest running around like a man possessed. Coaches scrambling to keep order. Pure, unadulterated chaos.
When it was all said and done, Ron Ron was suspended for the remainder of the season, a grand total of 86 games, aka nearly $5 million in salary. Stephen Jackson was hit with a 25-game suspension and Jermaine O'Neal was punished with 15 games off.
