The 100 Biggest Twitter Fails in Sports History

Intro

Twitter's only been around for five-and-a-half years, you say, how can there possibly be 100 Twitter Fails just in sports? Oh, how little you know about about the curious chemistry between sports and Twitter that produces such a treasure trove of stupidity and regret. There were even two major Twitter sports fails just this weekend!

On Friday, it emerged that highly-touted high school football player Yuri Wright had been expelled from school and may lose out on scholarship offers because of ill-conceived tweets he's sent; and Saturday night a Penn State student news agency confirmed the death of Joe Paterno—some 10 hours before he actually passed.

Yes, instant access combined with the dubious decision making of many athletes (not always the sharpest knives in the drawer) has made for lots of cringe-inducing entertainment over the years. So from casual racism to blatant homophobia, from self-incrimination to self-ethering, and from the sublimely stupid to the just plain dumb, here are the 100 Biggest Twitter Fails in Sports History.

Natalie Gulbis

100. Seriously, Can You Tell Your Presidents Apart?

Who: Natalie Gulbis, Professional Golfer
Offending Tweet: @natalie_gulbis: "http://twitpic.com/xtkxz - Michelle and I with Lincoln Memorial in background"
Date: 1/10/2012
Consequence: Embarrassed

Natalie got confused. You see, it was the Lincoln Monument that took the picture. He's got huge thumbs, but notice how he cropped the shot just right.

Chris Bosh

99. Like A Bosh?

Who: Chris Bosh, Miami Heat
Offending Tweet: @chrisbosh: "Been wanting to ask. Where should I go next season and why?"
Date: 4/30/2010
Consequence: Became the Catwoman to D-Wade and LeBron's Batman and Robin.

This is where the constant sonning of Chris Bosh really began. The Boshtrich wasn't really receiving as much attention as other free agents during the 2010 offseason and took to Twitter to get his name and speculation of where he might go out there. Whoever told you to go to South Beach didn't do you any favors. #justsayin'

Marcus Fitzgerald

98. All in the Family

Who: Marcus Fitzgerald, Larry Fitzgerald's younger brother
Offending Tweet: @MFitzgerald: “Just got off the phone with my brother. he's happy about the win. But PISSED he didn't get the ball thrown 2 him much!”
Date: 9/20/2009
Consequence: Deleted tweet

Larry Fitzgerald accidentally used his family as his mouthpiece when he reportedly told his younger brother he was frustrated about not getting the ball. What did his younger brother do? Sounded off on Twitter, of course. Larry's younger brother, Marcus, went as far as to call Kurt Warner an "old ass man" before someone got to the Ochocinco-lite and the tweets were deleted.

Chad Ochocinco

97. Ochocinco Runs His Mouth on Twitter? We're Shocked Too

Who: Chad Ochocinco, Cincinnati Bengals
Offending Tweet: @OGOchoCinco: "Man Im sick of getting hit like that , its the damn preseason shit! 1day I'm gone jump up and start throwing hay makers , #Tylenolplease"
Date: 8/20/2010
Consequence: $25,000 fine

It's been a minute since Ochocinco caught things other than fines (like footballs). The Bengals wide receiver was hit for 25K for this tweet during a game and later pleaded with the NFL to waive his fine, saying it's like "2 months of my Bugatti payments."

Marvin Morgan

96. Marvin Morgan Thanks The Fans

Who: Marvin Morgan, Aldershot (Soccer)
Offending Tweet: @MarvinNMorgan: "Like to thank the fans who booed me off the pitch. Where's that going to get you! I hope you all die."
Date: 1/22/2012
Consequence: Suspended; placed on transfer list

Remember the good old days when frustrated athletes would take bats to water coolers or throw hay-makers at drunken Pistons fans at the Palace? Nowadays, prima donna players fire up their Twitter App to channel their negative energy. When Marvin Morgan fired shots at the fans, going as far as to hope they would "die," he was suspended indefinitely and placed for a transfer. Next time try a Bob Knight chair toss to relieve your stress, Marvin.

Kevin Pietersen

95. Actually, It's Not a F*ck Up Kevin, You're Cut!

Who: Kevin Pietersen, English cricketer
Offending Tweet: @kevinpp24: "Yep. Done for rest of summer!! Man of the World Cup T20 and dropped from the T20 side too.. Its a fuck up!! Surrey have signed me for l ..."
Date: 8/31/2010
Consequence: Tweet deleted

People to bitch and moan to when you get cut from the team: mom, girlfriend, pet rock. People NOT to bitch and moan to when you get cut: the rest of the world. When English cricketer Kevin Pietersen was cut from the national team, he took to Twitter to call the selection a "fuck up." He also did it seven hours before the selections were official. His coach? None too pleased.

Mark Cuban

94. Mark Cuban's $25,000 Question

Who: Mark Cuban, Owner Dallas Mavericks
Offending Tweet: @mcuban: "how do they not call a tech on JR Smith for coming off the bench to taunt our player on the ground?"
Date: 3/29/2009
Consequence: $25,000 fine

In between episode recaps of #SharkTank, Mark Cuban occasionally mixes in a tweet or two that draws the eye of David Stern. When he let it be known that JR Smith should have gotten a technical for leaving the bench, he was hit for $25K. Something tells us dude's gonna be all right covering this. #straightcashhomie

Brandon Spikes

93. Brandon Spikes Knows How To Celebrate a Win

Who: Brandon Spikes, New England Patriots
Offending Tweet: @bspikes55: "@RayRice: Happy Birthday Gary Coleman !!! Yeah *DiddyVoice* take that ! take that ! #PoWwWwW"
Date: 1/22/2012
Consequence: Unknown

What would you do after winning the AFC Championship Game? We would pour a bottle of Cuvee over our heads with our team. But if you're Brandon Spikes, you leave the bubbly on ice until you're done tweeting smack to the Ravens. After Billy Cundiff's missed field goal ended the Ravens season, the Patriots linebacker hit Ray Rice with a Gary-Coleman-short-joke. #smh

LeBron James

92. Karma's the Baddest Bitch

Who: LeBron James, Miami Heat
Offending Tweet: @KingJames: "Crazy. Karma is a b****. Gets you every time. It's not good to wish bad on anybody. God sees everything!"
Date: 1/11/2011
Consequence: Karma in the form of Dirk

After the Cavs got routed by the Lakers to the tune of 57-112, King James couldn't help but express his glee on Twitter. Karma works both ways, fam.

Nathan Eccleston

91. A Page From Rashard Mendenhall

Who: Nathan Eccleston, Liverpool (Soccer)
Offending Tweet: @NathanEccleston "I aint going to say attack don't let the media make u believe that was terrorist that did it.. But I'm not having this debating #O.T.I.S"
Date: 9/12/2011
Consequence: Investigated by team

Have a killer recipe for bundt cake? Totally share that on Twitter. Have some radical 9/11 conspiracy theory? Twitter IS NOT the place to let it be known. Liverpool's Nate Eccleston did just that and not surprisingly, he caught a lot of flack. When will these athletes learn?

Jozy Altidore

90. Speaking For Coach

Who: Jozy Altidore, Hull City (Soccer)
Offending Tweet: @JozyAltidore: "Apologise to all of you. I showed up late. Made a big mistake I'm very very sorry."
Date: 10/26/2009
Consequence: Fined

A major mistake athletes make with Twitter is sharing sensitive information. When Jozy Altidore tweeted that he'd been benched for being late, his coach got pissed. "That for me is information that stays in house," said Hull City Coach Manager, Phil Brown. "The reason he wasn't on the bench was our business." Altidore's probably going to find his way back to that bench a few more times.

Denny Hamlin

89. $50,000 Twitter Conversation

Who: Denny Hamlin, NASCAR
Offending Tweet: @dennyhamlin: "Truthfully I don't think It matters to the fans who wins the race as long as its a good "show". Even if it comes as the expense of competition"
Date: July 2010
Consequence: Reportedly fined $50,000

If you're a professional athlete, the quickest way to lose a ton of dough is to imply that your league is fixed and the easiest way to do that is on Twitter. According to Hamlin, he was just trying to have an open debate on ways to improve racing. Unfortunately for him, NASCAR didn't see it the same way and hit him for 50 stacks.

Carlton Cole

88. Racist Immigration Jokes From Carlton Cole

Who: Carlton Cole, English Soccer Player
Offending Tweet: @Carlton9Cole: "Immigration has surrounded the wembley premises! I knew it was a trap! Hahahaha"
Date: 3/28/2011
Consequence: Removed tweets; Apologized

When you're an English soccer player, you're never going to look good clowning on Ghana. Carlton Cole found out the hard way when he made a reference to immigration using the West Ham v. Ghana friendly as a trap. "The only way to get out safely is to wear an england jersey and paint your face w/ the St. George's'flag!" Carlton went on to tweet. What could possibly be wrong with that statement?

Adam "Pacman" Jones

87. I Don't Drug Took Either

Who: Adam Jones, Cincinnati Bengals
Offending Tweet: @REALPACMAN24: "I have a right to my opinion and the bad part I don't drunk"
Date: 7/9/2011
Consequence: Embarrassed

After he refused to leave a Cincinnati bar, the police were called to arrest Adam "Pacman" Jones. Immediately after his ordeal, Pacman went on Twitter to "plead" his case. We'll believe you "don't drunk." And we bet you could've done the alfabet or walked in a straight lyne too. #seewhatwedidthere

Ozzie Guillen

86. Ozzie Guillen Finds a New Way to Get Fined

Who: Ozzie Guillen, Chicago Whitesox Manager
Offending Tweet: @OzzieGuillen: "This one going to cost me a lot money. This is patetic Today a tough guy show up a yankee stadium"
Date: 4/27/2011
Consequence: Suspension; $20,000 fine

When Ozzie Guillen got on Twitter, you knew it was only a matter of time before Bud Selig started using the manager's feed like a personal ATM. When Ozzie tweeted about an umpire after being ejected, he was hit with a 2-game suspension and fined $20,000.

Gilbert Arenas

85. Agent Zero Knows How to Treat a Lady

Who: Gilbert Arenas, Orlando Magic
Offending Tweet: @agentzeroshow: "this dragon can eat...I'm glad were at a all u can eat...She went to the rest rm...I think I'm busted you guys. Her friend texted her."
Date: 6/8/2011
Consequence: No second date

Earlier this year Gilbert Arenas decided to live tweet a blind date. The tweets were mostly insulting ("I guess she was blind when she picked out this outfit.") and progressively got more abusive ("Look at this hot mess..."). Eventually Arenas' date got word of the PUBLIC feed through a text message and ended the night early. And they say chivalry's dead.

Joshua Smith

84. Losing to Some "Straight Bums"

Who: Joshua Smith, UCLA Basketball
Offending Tweet: @YoungChoppz_34: "Just lost to some straight bums lol..."
Date: 11/11/2011
Consequence: Deleted tweet; Apologized

Following a 10-point loss to Loyola Marymount, Smith blasted the Lions on Twitter calling them, "straight bums." Hmmm... "straight bums" is interesting choice of words from a backup center averaging 5 rebounds a game.

Kareem Jackson

83. Hey Tweeps! I'm at a Cockfight!

Who: Kareem Jackson, Houston Texans
Offending Tweet: Twitpic (see above)
Date: 3/8/2011
Consequence: Embarrassed

One good thing about Twitter is that the social networking site gives you an inside look at the lives of your favorite celebrities and athletes. The bad thing is that some people show a little too much. Take for example, Houston Texans Kareem Jackson, who gave his followers a glimpse at an illegal cockfighting event that he attended. Like a college football game? Really?! #coolstorybro

DJ Gardner

82. MSU's Long Over-Due Twitter Drama

Who: DJ Gardner, Mississippi State Basketball
Offending Tweet: @OKOLONAEAST: “These b***es tried to f**k me over.. That's y I red shirted .. But I wish my homies a great as* season.. I don't even know y I'm still here”
Date: 8/26/2011
Consequence: Kicked out of school

Anyone who's a fan of Mississippi State basketball knows that last year played out like after hours at the 'Bad Girls Club' house. The season started with a team brawl in the stands, suspensions, and now some long overdue Twitter drama. When DJ Gardner let a profanity-soaked tweet fly about being red-shirted, he was booted from the team. Well MSU, I hope you're enjoying all that goes with having a ranked college basketball team.

Aaron Murray

81. Boise State Whoops "some a**"

Who: Aaron Murray, Georgia Quarterback
Offending Tweet: @aaronmurray11: "Next stop, Georgia Dome! It's time!!! Ill hit yall up after we whoop some a**"
Date: 9/3/2011
Consequence: 35-21 Beating by Boise State

Aaron Murray wishes he was Kellen Moore, which is why it was so stupid for the Georgia quarterback to talk ish before his game against Boise State. The problem with Twitter is once you write something, it bounces around smartphones for a long time—long enough for the Broncos to smash your face into the Georgia Dome turf. Hey Aaron, get at us after you whoop some "a**" like Kellen.

Tony Jefferson

80. Stay Classy, Tallahassee

Who: FSU Fan, Michael Gagliardi
Offending Tweet: @TheGhettoWizard: "@tonyjefferson1 I hope your sister gets raped and killed and mutilated. I hope someone builds a cage with her bones"
Date: September 2011
Consequence: Oklahoma does FSU by 10

One bad thing about Twitter is it provides a platform for pussies to talk ish without the fear of a face-to-face meeting. Prior to a game between Oklahoma and Florida State, a Seminole fan used his handle to say some ugly things to OU Defensive Back Tony Jefferson. We get it, fans can't actually play the game, so to feel like they're involved, they talk trash. But this is weak.

Charlie Villanueva

79. Who Follows Charlie Villanueva?

Who: Charlie Villanueva, Milwaukee Bucks
Offending Tweet: @CV31: "In da locker room, snuck to post with my twitt. We're playing the Celtics, tie ball game at da half. Coach wants more toughness. I gotta step up."
Date: 3/16/2009
Consequence: Unknown

It's hard for us to call Charlie Villanueva an innovator, but he may have been the first professional athlete to "snuck to post with his twitt" during a game. The message is kind of dumb but it did get a lot of press and likely inspired a horde of other attention-starved athletes to do the same thing.

Brian Ching

78. Athlete Twitter Rule #459: Don't Dog the Refs

Who: Brian Ching, Houston Dynamo
Offending Tweet: @brianching: "Ref in Seattle just cheated the dynamo. What a joke. Not even close. Ref is a cheat"
Date: 7/11/2009
Consequence: $500 fine

Brian Ching didn't take part in the match because he was with the US National Team preparing for the Gold Cup. So, he decided to tweet while watching live as a fan with the fans. He had a brain fart and forgot he was a player. Players can't insinuate that the fix is in. This tweet hit him hard in the wallet. MLS fined him $500. $500?! The MLS is a joke.

Stephon Marbury

77. Ain't Nothin' But The Devil

Who: Stephon Marbury, retired NBA
Offending Tweet: Twitvid
Date: 7/30/2009
Consequence: Some major front end damage to the town car

This is just another day in the life of Stephon Marbury. He's live streaming in a chauffeured car, saying crazy shit and getting into a crash. At least he's not eating Vaseline.

Brandon Jennings

76. Brandon Jennings Needs To Verify

Who: Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee Bucks
Offending Tweet: @YUNGBUCK3: "ut I'm not going to beef with you. See you should be worried about your spot. Shannon Brown??? That's all imma say."
Date: 1/11/2010
Consequence: Deleted account

After calling Jordan Farmar a "groupie," Brandon Jennings was baited into a Twitter feud with who he thought was the Laker guard. Unfortunately for him @JFarmar1 was, in fact, a faux handle. The real Jordan Farmar was probably, you know, working on his jump shot, not caught up in a 140 character war of words.

Marlon Williams

75. Texas Tech's Players Put Their Coach On Blast

Who: Marlon Williams, Texas Tech
Offending Tweet: @kos39: "Wondering why I'm still in this meeting room when the head coach can't even be on time to his on meeting."
Date: 9/24/2009
Consequence: Head coach fired, Texas Tech returns to Big 12 obscurity

See Texas Tech, this is what happens when you're ranked, have some first round talent and win a couple games against Texas. You start acting like you're somebody. Leave the Twitter drama for Florida, the coaching scandals to Ohio State and the program meltdowns to USC. We liked you better when you were getting curb stomped by Iowa State.

Lane Kiffin

74. Lane Kiffin Gets A Little Too Excited, Too Early

Who: Lane Kiffin, Tennessee Volunteers
Offending Tweet: @LaneKiffinUT: "It's a beautiful day in Knoxville, Tennessee today. I was so exited to hear that J.C. Copeland committed to play for the Vols today!"
Date: 5/19/2009
Consequence: A self-reported incident to the NCAA.

Lane Kiffin tweeted the name of unsigned recruit J.C. Copeland before he had actually committed to the Vols. The tweet was actually a violation of NCAA rules. Tennessee later said it was an assistant of Kiffin's, not the coach himself, who sent out the tweet. We're totally gonna use that next time we start drunk tweeting.

Delonte West

73. Delonte Goes H.A.M.

Who: Delonte West, Dallas Mavericks
Offending Tweet: @CharleeRedz13: "U took ur fat ass down to south beach ...riding the pony express...fat boy ..get Bron dick out ur mouth...and go jog on the beach...."
Date: 1/7/2012
Consequence: More weird looks from NBA fans everywhere.

Things have been kind of tough for Delonte West ever since rumors of him smashing Bron Bron's mom surfaced a couple years back. He's bounced around a couple NBA teams, and is currently making the league minimum. West's frustrations came to a boiling point when he went off on ESPN Heat writer Brian Windhorst in this thread. Damn, D. We love the dude freestyling about KFC, not this guy. Common and now D. West, beef seems to be the main dish of 2012.

Dwight Howard

72. Dwight Howard Gets Gassed

Who: Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
Offending Tweet: @DwightHoward: "Omg I need help. Lol. I have to much gas lol. I been rippin all day. Even in the game tonight. I know it's tmi but. I need something lol"
Date: 3/21/2011
Consequence: Gift basket of Beano from teammates

Well, this explains why Howard's always open in the paint.

Ray Small

71. Snitching for Attention? Yup, That's a Fail

Who: Ray Small, Ohio State Buckeyes
Offending Tweet: @SmallyMcfly: "Lol what y'all gone do 2 me that man resigned his self if u don't like me fuck u!!"
Date: 5/30/2011
Consequence: A ton of hate from Ohio State fans.

Some people just love throwing themselves into the fire no matter the consequences. After Jim Tressel resigned from his head coaching position, Ohio State fans were looking for blood. When former Buckeye receiver Ray Small came out talking about how he sold memorabilia and made car deals on their side, OSU fans had the perfect scapegoat. Small had this eloquent response to the haters. SMH, sometimes the spotlight ain't worth it, homie.

Will Hill

70. Lifestyles of the Young and Reckless

Who: Will Hill, Florida Gators
Offending Tweet: @Trill_SG: "I need a bitch wit some fire head come thru suck me off and dnt let no nut hit the bed straight swallow .... SOUR"
Date: 2/11/2011
Consequence: Not selected in 2011 Draft, currently grinding for the Arizona Rattlers

It wasn't just one or a couple tweets that got Will Hill some undesired attention, it was pretty much his entire Twitter feed. Dude covered all of the student athlete essentials like hos, blowjobs, weed, hos, babies and their broken limbs, and hos. The safety who went to Florida as one of the top recruited college athletes in the nation didn't do much for the Gators, recording just four interceptions in three seasons with the team. He entered the 2011 NFL Draft but was not selected. See, you don't start fucking up till AFTER you get the big rookie contract. Word to JaMaracus.

Mo WIlliams

69. Is It Really That Serious, Bro?

Who: Mo Williams, Cleveland Cavaliers
Offending Tweet: @mogotti2: "Pls don't trade me, I'm not read to go. I'm begging. My work ain't done yet. I'm on both knees....pls. I'm serious"
Date: 6/23/2010
Consequence: Traded to Clippers

After Mo Williams found his name in a bunch of trade rumors, the guard took to Twitter to make this desperate plea. Uhh...anytime a grown man is saying he's down on both knees it's never a good look. Unless you're into that type of thing...

Dez Bryant

68. Dez Bryant Only Throws To Dez Bryant

Who: Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys
Offending Tweet: Twitpic (see above)
Date: March 2011
Consequence: Confirmed everybody's impression of him

Wait, you're surprised that, when he's playing Madden, Dez Bryant only throws to himself?

Josh Scobee

67. Stay In Your Lane, Fam

Who: Josh Scobee, Jacksonville Jaguars
Offending Tweet: @joshscobee: "Desean Jackson is a punk. #growuputinybastard."
Date: 11/20/2011
Consequence: Embarrassed and an Apologized.

OK, at 5-foot-10, 175 lbs., DeSean Jackson is one of the smallest guys in the NFL. But no matter how small he is, D-Jack is still one of the more talented players in the league, and has had his fair share of badass moments. So, why kicker Josh Scobee felt the need to go after the wide receiver for taunting the Giants (Scobee plays for the Jaguars!) we have no clue. Kickers and punters are and forever will be the bitches of the NFL.

Donald Young

66. So, Tennis Is A Gentleman's Sport, Huh?

Who: Donald Young, Men's Tennis
Offending Tweet: @DonaldYoungJr: "Fuck USTA! Their full of shit! They have screwed me for the last time! #enoughsaid"
Date: 4/18/2011
Consequence: Apologized; closed Twitter account

After failing to receive a wild card spot in the French Open before a tournament for the spot was held, Donald Young spewed some venom toward the USTA via Twitter. Yeah, if you want to make a career out of the sport you love to play, you might want to not go off on the sport's sole pro sanctioning body. Unless your name is Serena Williams, of course.

Wayne Rooney

65. Everyone Talks Tough on Twitter...

Who: Wayne Rooney, Manchester United
Offending Tweet: @WayneRooney: "I will put u asleep within 10 seconds hope u turn up if u don't gonna tell everyone ur scared u little nit. I'll be waiting"
Date: 5/18/2011
Consequence: His reps later having to explain that the tweet was done jokingly.

Even though soccer players have a history of ridiculous flops and dives, there are a rare few that you don't mess with. Manchester United's Wayne Rooney is definitely one of them. After a fan went off on a verbal tirade against the striker, Rooney threatened to put the guy to sleep in 10 seconds. Normally, this is something we'd pay to see but if it only lasts as long as Rooney promises, it's a huuuuge waste of money. Then again, aren't most PPV boxing matches, anyway?

Antonio Cromartie and Matt Hasselbeck

64. Can't We All Just Get Along?

Who: Antonio Cromartie, New York Jets and Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle Seahawks
Offending Tweet: @Hasselbeck: "Somebody ask Cromartie if he knows what CBA stands for" @A_Cromartie31: "@Hasselbeck: Hey Matt if u have something to then say it be a man about it. Don't erase it. I will smash ur face in."
Date: 1/27/2011
Consequence: Deleted tweets, apologies

Potential lockouts can be frustrating for owners, fans, and the players. Back in early 2011, with the NFL lockout on the horizon, Antionio Cromartie took to Twitter to vent his frustration toward the union and the owners. Matt Hassleback replied by saying "Somebody ask Cromartie if he knows what CBA stands for." Cromartie clapped back by threatening to smash his face in. Being one of the athletes with the most baby mamas, we'll say dude definitely knows all about smashing (II).

Jared Dudley

63. Who Needs Legit News Sources When You Have Jared Dudley?

Who: Jared Dudley, Phoenix Suns
Offending Tweet: @JaredDudley619: "Breaking News!!! My sources tell me Lebron will announce that he will be goin to the NY KNICKS tomorrow on ESPN.. This is serious.. WOW!!!!"
Date: 7/8/2010
Consequence: Fans everywhere saying, "Stick to playing, bro."

Hey Jared, great job calling it before anyone else. Maybe there's a future for you working under Peter Vescey or at CBS Sports.

Paul Bissonnette

62. Jigga My...

Who: Paul Bissonnette and Raffi Torres, Phoenix Coyotes
Offending Tweet: Twitpic (see above)
Date: 10/31/2011
Consequence: Apologized

During a Halloween party, Paul Bissonnette thought it was a good idea to twitpic a shot of his teammate, Raffi Torres, in blackface. Torres' teammates would later say he was dressed up as Jay-Z for Halloween and did not mean to be offensive. And we're going to go ahead and call both of these guys dumbasses. But of course, we don't mean to be offensive.

Wayne and Paulina Gretzky

61. Nothing Good Can Ever Come From Your Daughter Being on Twitter

Who: Wayne Gretzky and His Daughter Paulina
Offending Tweet: @PaulinaGretzky: "Hi everyone I'm back! But shhh don't tell my dad."
Date: 12/1/2011
Consequence: Way too many toothless hockey players hitting on your daughter

Every dad's nightmare: Wayne Gretzky's smoking hot daughter posts pics on Twitter; daddy shuts down the account only to have her reactivate it.

Brian Wilson

60. It's All Fun and Games Till You Blow the Save the Next Day

Who: Brian Wilson, San Francisco Giants
Offending Tweet: @BrianWilson38: "Scottsdale is fun but overaggressive males are not"
Date: 4/21/2009
Consequence: Deleted tweets

Wilson sent the tweet above the night before he blew a save in Phoenix. He went with the "It was a joke" defense (thankfully sparing us the "I was hacked" defense), but he went to the trouble of deleting all of his tweets up to that point. He's since gone onto win a World Series, where a spandex tux to the ESPYs, and remain one of the funniest sports personalities on Twitter. No need to delete tweets, you can come back from a Twitter fail!

Ryan Spadola

59. Be Careful What You Retweet...

Who: Ryan Spadola, Lehigh College football player
Offending Tweet: @RyanSpadola8: "@mattyfai34: let them niggas talk shit, kids that shit tlk because they suck on the field. Its gunna be a long day for them."
Date: 12/2/2011
Consequence: Suspended

That button RT can get you in trouble right quick.

Quincy Acy

58. Twitter Is an Inefficient Spell Check

Who: Quincy Acy, Baylor University Basketball Player
Offending Tweet: @QuincyAcy: "People, I need help how do you spell "per-sway" spell check isn't helping me out on this paper I thought it was persuay"
Date: 4/20/2011
Consequence: Embarrassed

To be fair, at least dude is actually writing his own papers.

Merril Hoge

57. If You're Gonna Be This Wrong, At Least Spell Stuff Right

Who: Merril Hoge, ESPN analyst
Offending Tweet: @merrilhoge: "College credentials do not transfer to NFL raw raw [sic] speeches do not work! You must poses skill set to play! Tebow struggle with accuracy!"
Date: 8/3/2011
Consequence: Apologized tweet

Merril Hoge was wrong about Tim Tebow. He was also wrong about the "raw raw." Works for Gronk!

Golden Tate

56. Breaking Into Donut Shops—Now THAT'S a Sport!

Who: Golden Tate, Seattle Seahawks
Offending Tweet: @ShowtimeTate: "Jimmy johnson up for best athlete???? Um nooo .. Driving a car does not show athleticism"
Date: 7/13/2011
Consequence: Apologized tweet

You know the phrase, "Those that have broken into donut shops shouldn't throw stones"? Nah, we haven't either, but maybe Golden Tate should think about it. While watching the ESPYs this past summer, the maple bar addict decided to hit Twitter to let people know how he really felt about NASCAR. The problem? Jimmie Johnson and NASCAR are a multibillion dollar enterprise; Golden Tate is a backup wide receiver with a sweet tooth.

Jose Canseco Chandeliers

55. The Real Life Kenny Powers

Who: Jose Canseco, Retired Baseball Player
Offending Tweet: @JoseCanseco: "Lake house has no chandeleers and I need some. Any light company want to trade 2 or 3 for signed bat or any game worn piece of equipment."
Date: 6/16/2011
Consequence: Embarrassed

We could see a signed bat for one chandelier. But two or three? You're gonna have to record our outgoing voicemail message for that Jose. (S/o to @Breterbie for the Kenny Powers line.)

Ron Artest

54. What Would Metta World Peace Do?

Who: Ron Artest, Los Angeles Lakers
Offending Tweet: @RONARTESTCOM: "Ever since phil mention things about me in media before coming to me first I was weird. So every pray he can somehow close his yapper and now say AMEN."
Date: 5/6/2010
Consequence: Claimed account was hacked; apologized

What we have here is a failure to communicate. Ron Artest is having a poor shooting performance in the 2010 playoffs (albeit one he'd correct and help the Lakers to the 'chip). Phil Jackson mentions this to the media, Artest takes offense, and mentions it to his thousands of Twitter followers. Artest's brother then claims that Artest's account has been hacked, a claim that's undermined by the fact that Artest says more or less the same thing a few more times on Twitter. Um, can't these guys buy each other books and listen to one-hand clapping and leave us out of all this?

Dan Swan

53. "Too Clever" for Twitter

Who: Dane Swan, Collingwood (Australian Rules)
Offending Tweet: @swandane: "Stop sending out drug testers at 6am. It's starting to piss me off. What's wrong with the afternoon? You can't catch me anyway. Too clever"
Date: 6/22/2011
Consequence: Apologized

What's worse for an athlete: the Twitter fail OR the Apologized their forced to give afterwards. When Australian Rules Football Player Dane Swan cracked on the league's drug test program on Twitter he apologized faster than you could retweet. "I'm fully supportive of the drug testing program and understand that while it's inconvenient for players on occasions, it's a critical part of the AFL drugs policy," Swan said in a statement. Way to stand strong, bro.

Randall Cobb

52. Our Fans Suck! (Just Not as Bad as Us.)

Who: Randall Cobb, University of Kentucky
Offending Tweet: @rcobb18: "To the fans: loved seein Yall come late, love hearing Yall tell us we suck during the game, love that we have to play against our..../ ...own fans too! Love that we can't pack the house when we play the #10 team in the nation... it means that much more to me! I love my... / ....my team! Brotherhood they got my back n I got they back! The rest of Yall can get ready for bball season."
Date: 10/17/2010
Consequence: Deleted tweets

Dear Randall, You play for the Kentucky football team, they of the 562-552-44 record and zero national championships in 130 years. If you want fans getting as excited about Wildcat football as they are about Wildcat basketball, try winning a national title or 7.

Bernard Berrian

51. Bernard Berrian Tells an Amputee War Hero to Sit Down and Shut Up

Who: Bernard Berrian, Minnesota Vikings
Offending Tweet: @B_Twice: "@johnkriesel Anytime u wanna watch the film with me. Not just one game but all of them...and if not sit down n shut up!!"
Date: 10/2/2011
Consequence: Embarrassed

We'll assume that Berrian didn't realize he was talking to a man who'd lost both his legs in Iraq when he told him to "sit down n shut up." But when he was informed by a tweep that he was in fact hectoring a war hero and replied "So"? That's a fail folks.

Wojciech Szczesny

50. Potential Jump-Offs Are on Twitter, Too

Who: Wojciech Szczesny, Arsenal
Offending Tweet: @13Szczesny13: Hello babe a"will be" glamour model. Text me on 07794220972 if you wanna talk. Don't give this number to anyone please x" / (Models Response): "#FF @13Szczesny13 or just give him a call, clearly isn't too fussed about giving his number out. Have a good FRIDAYYYY"
Date: 10/23/2011
Consequence: Embarrassed

Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczesny tried to holler at a model via text message and the model decided to put him on blast on Twitter. A note of caution to famous would-be philanderers: In the age of Twitter, "Don't give this number to anyone pls" just won't cut it.

Jose Canseco 2

49. Put Down the Twitter and Walk Away Jose

Who: Jose Canseco, Retired Baseball Player
Offending Tweet: @JoseCanseco: "Roses r red violets r blue my ex is a pot head and so is her boo / I think about you all the time / you make me a better man"
Date: 8/8/2011
Consequence: Embarrassed

OVERSHARE!

Jabar Gaffney

48. Playing for the Redskins Is a Kind of Death, Too

Who: Jabar Gaffney, Washington Redskins
Offending Tweet: @JabarGaffney: "3-7 ain't a record to be proud of I'm just proud I ain't you get a life or kill urself"
Date: 11/21/2011
Consequence: Deleted tweets

When a Cowboys fan called out Gaffney for the Redskins having a 3-9 record, Jabar first corrected said fan ("we 3-7 u dumb fuck"), then told him to kill himself. Washington fans, whose team was in the midst of a 6-game losing streak when Gaffney went on his Twitter rampage, are probably too classy to wish that Jabar would off himself. They'd love for him to catch more than 5 touchdowns next year though.

Rashard Mendenhall

47. Freedom of Speech Is A Double-Edge Sword

Who: Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh Steelers
Offending Tweet: @R_Mendenhall: "What kind of person celebrates death? It's amazing how people can HATE a man they have never heard speak. We've only heard one side..."
Date: 5/2/2011
Consequence: Champion pulls million dollar sponsorship deal

After many people took to the streets to celebrate the death of Osama bin Laden, Rashard Mendenhall took to Twitter to question their judgment and put forth his own 9/11 conspiracy theories. The running back immediately felt backlash from fans, players, and media members. Yeah, you can say what you want but they can react how they'd like to, too.

Peter Moylan

46. If Nickelback Ethers You, You May Have a Problem

Who: Peter Moylan, Atlanta Braves
Offending Tweet: @Nickelback: "@PeterMoylan Foos are killer for sure. We're doing just fine too thanks. ? for you Pete, is watching Kimbrel better from the bench or on TV?"
Date: 12/2/2011
Consequence: Embarrassed

Atlanta Braves pitcher Peter Moylan went to a Foo Fighters show last month, and sent the following diss tweet to Nickelback: "Note to @nickelback please attend a @foofighters concert. That's how's it should be done chad." Nickelback then took the opportunity to remind Moylan that he's a lowly middle reliever. FACE!

Zach Houchins

45. You're Lucky Zach, There's Tons of Black People in Washington

Who: Zach Houchins, Louisburg College baseball player
Offending Tweet: @zachhouchins: "At least there's not a shit load of black people outside yelling right now at louisburg keeping me awake."
Date: Summer 2011
Consequence: MLB draft pick lost potential contract

Now Zach Houchins gets a fail for being racist and thinking it's cool for white shortstops to go around calling people "nigga," but the Washington Nationals are the ones who drafted this redneck in the first place.

Scoop Jardine

44. Attention! I Have Experience With Groupies!

Who: Scoop Jardine, Syracuse University basketball player
Offending Tweet: @ScoopJardine11: "#collegetaughtme if you f a girl an the news get out they denie it and say he only gave me head! Bye girl!!"
Date: 12/15/2010
Consequence: None

Here's a thought: If you've already been accused of sexual assault, perhaps it's not too wise to publicize your own personal groupie stories on Twitter?

Ravern Johnson

43. Twitter Is NOT the Place to Complain About Your Minutes

Who: Ravern Johnson, Mississippi State University basketball player
Offending Tweet: @rayjohn2: "Starting to see why people transfer you can play the minutes but not getting your talents shown because u watching someone else wit the ball the whole game shooters need to move not watch why other coaches get that do not make sense to me (sic)"
Date: 2/2/2011
Consequence: Team's Twitter privileges revoked

Actually, a couple of your teammates transferred because they fought each other earlier in the season. But suffice it to say, if your coach has already seen his players brawl and change schools, he's probably none too interested in having his coaching decisions questioned on Twitter.

Darnell Dockett

42. Darnell Dockett Will Do a Lot for $1000

Who: Darnell Dockett, Arizona Cardinals
Offending Tweet: Twitpic (see above)
Date: 5/13/2011
Consequence: Looked like a damn fool

We like Darnell Dockett a lot. We don't need to see this though. Sidebar: Dockett signed a $30 million guaranteed contract the season before this. WTF did he need to take $1000 shower for?

Michael Beasley

41. Super Cool Beas Is on His FTW

Who: Michael Beasley, Miami Heat
Offending Tweet: @GorillaBeas: "Y do I feel like the whole world is against me!!!!!!! Back on my FTW!!!!! I can't win for losin!!!!!!!!!! ... Feelin like it's not worth livin!!!!!!! I'm done ... not feelin this at all!!!!!"
Date: 8/22/2009
Consequence: Deleted account; entered rehab

At the time there was speculation this was Michael Beasley's suicide note tweet, but on closer inspection it's just another piece of athlete "I'm rich and misunderstood, why can't I get away with everything" self pity. Which makes it a fail, and not a tragedy, fortunately.

Ray Rice

40. I Just Bribed a Cop!

Who: Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens
Offending Tweet: @RayRice27: "Just got pulled over for my tints Smh but gave the office a autograph for his son and he let me go"
Date: 11/8/2010
Consequence: Apologized

Tickets for window tint are totally bogus, which is why we were happy to read that Ray Rice was able to slide on one. But tweeting about bribing a police officer is dumb as hell. Play that hand a little closer to the vest Ray-Ray.

Maurice Jones Drew

39. MoJo's a Doctor

Who: Maurice Jones Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars
Offending Tweet: @Jones_Drew32: "Hey I think the urban meyer rule is effect right now... When the going gets tough........QUIT"
Date: 1/24/2011
Consequence: Apologized

As Jay Cutler moped on the sideline of the Chicago Bears NFC Championship loss to the Packers, MJD fired a shot on Twitter, implying that Cutler had quit on his team. When it was discovered that Cutler had actually sprained his MCL, Drew began backpedaling and apologized. As embarrassing as it was for Drew, at least dude finally got talked about during the playoffs. Zing!

Dorell Wright

38. The Naked Truth

Who: Dorell Wright, Golden State Warriors
Offending Tweet: @mrzanonymouz: "Does @mio_myo know you show your lil 5 inch cock to all the girlz?"
Date: 3/27/2011
Consequence: Unknown

When Dorell Wright's girlfriend waxed poetic about their love on Twitter, the groupie banshees came out in full effect. The infamous @mrzanonymouz went as far as to put the Golden State shooter's "little" warrior on blast. The lesson here is: nothing angers a jump-off more than finding out she's a jump-off. But more importantly, five inches is average right? RIGHT!?

Tito Ortiz

37. Just Because You Can't Hear Us Doesn't Mean We're Not Listening Tito

Who: Tito Ortiz, UFC
Offending Tweet: @titoortiz: "the biggest betrayal in a relationship is telling lies. The worse is when everything is lost because of them. I've gave it my all."
Date: 10/9/2010
Consequence: Embarrassed

Can you make a porn star a housewife? And if you do and you break up, can you totally embarrass yourself by tweeting about your feelings? For Tito Ortiz, the answers are "Yes, for a couple years at least," and "Yes, every easily."

Chris Johnson

36. CJ2K Endears Himself to the Common Man

Who: Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans
Offending Tweet: @ChrisJohnson28: "Can these fake Titan fans STFU on my timeline I don't have a regular job so don't compare me to you and I can care less if uthink I'm greedy"
Date: 8/31/2011
Consequence: Looked really stupid

In the midst of a protracted holdout, Chris Johnson took to Twitter to blast Titans fans who had called him out. CJ2K signed the next week, and promptly enjoyed the worst season of his career. Karma's a bitch pampered athletes, didn't you know?

Peja Stojakovic

35. I Can't Believe a Porn Star Would Kiss and Tell

Who: Peja Stojakovic, New Orleans Hornets
Offending Tweet: @SiennaWestStory: "Met Peja, he's 6'9"!!! Great cock!!! Peace out. My heart belongs in Louisiana! Can't wait for Super Bowl!! Working on connections..."
Date: 10/23/2009
Consequence: Unknown

Fail? Well, we haven't had our package complimented on Twitter by a porn star yet (that we know of!), so it's not like dude should be all that ashamed. Still, if this is your wife, why exactly are you creeping with porn stars?

J.R. Smith

34. Don't Try Me, I'll Totally Blokk You

Who: J.R. Smith, Denver Nuggets
Offending Tweet: @JR_Swish: "Vegas here I kome!"
Date: 8/2/2009
Consequence: Deleted account

What's funnier, reading the mainstream media's reports on Smith using "gang code" in his tweets, or the fact that the final word in the final tweet from Smith's account was "care"?

Robert Henson

33. Actually, McDonald's Employees Could Run the Redskins Better

Who: Robert Henson, Washington Redskins
Offending Tweet: @RedskinsLB51: "The question is who are you to say you know what's best for the team and you work 9 to 5 at McDonalds"
Date: 9/20/2010
Consequence: Deleted twitter account, apologized

Nothing endears you to the hometown fans quite like insulting their intelligence and reminding them that their jobs suck. Robert Henson tweeted the Fed Ex faithful while on IR (that's right, dude wasn't even playing). After the season, the Redskins waived him. Hopefully he didn't burn too many bridges now that he's back on the job market.

Gilbert Arenas

32. Be Glad They're Not Calling You Plaxico Burress

Who: Gilbert Arenas, Washington Wizards
Offending Tweet: @agentzeroshow: "i wake up this morning and seen i was the new JOHN WAYNE..lmao media is too funny"
Date: 1/1/2010
Consequence: Eventually deleted account

Agent Zero had one of the all-time great athlete Twitter accounts, precisely for stuff like this. Less than a month after incurring felony charges for bringing guns into the Wizards locker room, Arenas tweeted that the media was making him out to be John Wayne. Which was kinda true, but entirely stupid.

Reggie Bush

31. "Let's just call it a year and come back next season, k?"

Who: Reggie Bush, New Orleans Saints
Offending Tweet: @reggie_bush: "Everybody complaining about the lockout! Shoot I'm making the most of it! Vacation, rest, relaxing, appearances here and there! I'm good"
Date: 5/9/2011
Consequence: Apologized

This reminds us of when the Internet goes down at Complex HQ. Four-hour lunches for all!

Jose Canseco

30. And You Thought Steroids Were Bad For Your Balls

Who: Jose Canseco, Retired Baseball Player
Offending Tweet: @JoseCanseco: "Just came back from horse riding with my daughter & GF. My ass is chapped & my balls are bruised! Damn i hate riding horses....."
Date: 1/31/2010
Consequence: Embarrassed

At least there's no twitpic on this one.

Joe Smith

29. A Picture Is Worth A Ton In Divorce Alimony

Who: Joe Smith, Los Angeles Lakers
Offending Tweet: Twitpic (see above)
Date: 2/2/2011
Consequence: Separation from his wife.

All athletes should know that if you're going to have jumpoffs, at least keep 'em in their place. Joe Smith forgot about this when a groupie of his, Deanna Marie, got out of pocket and posted twitpics of herself with the NBA baller. Smith's wife, Yolanda, didn't take a liking to this and got into a Twitter fight with Deanna and eventually separated from Joe Smith. In this situation the only winners are the producers of Basketball Wives.

Stevie Johnson

28. Finally, Somebody Blames God

Who: Stevie Johnson, Buffalo Bills
Offending Tweet: @StevieJohnson13: "I PRAISE YOU 24/7!!!!!!" AND THIS HOW YOU DO ME!!!!! YOU EXPECT ME TO LEARN FROM THIS??? HOW???!!! ILL NEVER FORGET THIS!! EVER!!! THX THO..."
Date: 11/28/2010
Consequence: Apologized

Stevie Johnson's known for his disrespectful celebrations, but he's not afraid to take a few shots at the almighty. God, why do you hate Buffalo?

Antonio Cromartie

27. The Plight of the Millionaire Athlete

Who: Antonio Cromartie, San Diego Chargers
Offending Tweet: @crimtime31: "Man we have 2 have the most nasty food of any team. Damn can we upgrade 4 str8 years the same ish maybe that's y we can't we the SB we need"
Date: 7/31/2009
Consequence: Fined $2,000

Being Antonio Cromartie is tough. With a $32 million contract, $5 million signing bonus and all of his meals prepared for him... Wait a second—being Antonio Cromartie is awesome! #STFU #complainer

Demitius Byrd

26. Does Listening to Justin Bieber Get You Cut in the NFL?

Who: Demitius Byrd, San Diego Chargers
Offending Tweet: @Demitius_Byrd: "hey twitt fam is it gay to like justin bieber? Cause I'm not gay but I'm fellin dat baby sng dat shit rockin right now on my cd also"
Date: 5/20/2010
Consequence: Cut by Chargers

To answer your question Demitius, No, so long as you don't get sneezed on by a gay person. 'Cause that shit's, like, totally contagious. Heard you can get a shot for it at Walgreens though.

Darnell Dockett Shooting

25. Darnell Dockett Is The Profiler

Who: Darnell Dockett, Arizona Cardinals
Offending Tweet: @ddockett: "Was the guys who shot some1 & the mall today was they Black? Cuz its hard 2 believe they would run in the mall!! Probaly white or mexicans!"
Date: 1/5/2011
Consequence: Apologized

Darnell Dockett is one of the funniest sports personalities on Twitter, but when it comes to public shooting sprees, he probably should use his inside voice.

Onward State

24. "Dewey Defeats Truman!"

Who: Onward State and CBS Sports
Offending Tweet: @Onward_State: "Our sources can now confirm: Joseph Vincent Paterno has passed away tonight at the age of 85."
Date: 1/21/2012
Consequence: Apologized and the resignation of their managing editor.

With better technology available than ever before, news outlets are breaking stories faster than ever previously imagined. But sometimes that same advantage can come back to bite us in the ass. Such was the case for Penn State's student news organization Onward State, who reported that Joe Paterno had died on Saturday evening, a report which was later refuted by members of the Paterno family. Onward State's report was picked up by major news organizations such as CBSSports.com and The Guardian. Devon Edwards, who was the acting managing editor at the time, said their report was based on an email they received that was reportedly sent to Penn State football players saying Paterno had died. It turns out that email was a hoax. Joe Paterno was officially reported having passed away the following morning, but the embarrassment for all organizations who ran with the story is still being felt. It's always a good feeling to bust...not if it's done prematurely though. Ayo!

Ray-Ray Armstrong

23. If You Think the Chicken Is Big, Wait 'Til You See Your Suspension

Who: Ray-Ray Armstrong, University of Miami football player
Offending Tweet: @boom king26: "Just left Prime 112 wit @arinicolelife never seen a chicken this big"
Date: 11/8/2011
Consequence: Suspended

If you're @JoeSchmoe, we really don't care who you just ate dinner with (not that we're following you anyway #realtalk). But if you're a high-profile college football player who's already been suspended for four games this season for receiving impermissible benefits and you tweet about having dinner with the president of a public relations firm, not only are we noticing that tweet, the NCAA is, too.

Larry Johnson 2

22. And What Is It You Do Now Mr. Johnson?

Who: Larry Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs
Offending Tweet: @ToonIcon: "think about a clever diss then that wit ur fag pic. Christopher street boy. Is what us east coast cats call u."
Date: 10/25/2009
Consequence: Suspended; net loss $213,000

No really, what you up to these days, LJ? You had two good years once Dick Vermeil took your diapers off, and then you started tweeting off, first to your coaches, then to fans that challenged you on Twitter. Then you got cut, and pfffft. Four charges of violence towards women? Yup, Twitter sounds like just the place for you to act tough.

Andray Blatche

21. The Wizards Are Really Tough—After Games

Who: Andray Blatche, Washington Wizards
Offending Tweet: @drayblatche: "@LOCLessMonsta like I said I'm done with this fake internet thing is u wanna see meet me saturday after game i can throw these things homie"
Date: 2/24/2011
Consequence: Deleted tweet; claimed account was hacked

Twitter is the great equalizer. Well, sort of. NBA players have 10K, 100K, even 1 million-plus followers. You, average Joe, have nowhere near that amount. You do have the power, with a simple @ and a little lucky timing, to get at your favorite—or least favorite!—player on Twitter. Get them at the right time, as this Washington Wizards fan did to Andray Blatche, and you, too, could be meeting an NBA star scrub behind the dumpsters at the Verizon Center.

Tyrann Mathieu

20. The Honey Badger Takes Off What He Wants

Who: Tyrann Mathieu, LSU Cornerback
Offending Tweet: @TM7_Era: "I'm tired of entertaing y'all! Y'all hate for every reason!! & for the record them pics are high school old!! Get a grip"
Date: 12/4/2011
Consequence: New meaning of the nickname "Honey Badger"

Tyrann Mathieu learned the hard way that you should never underestimate a scorned jump-off. After going public with his relationship on Twitter a few of his sidepieces put him on blast. When Mathieu called them liars and haters, they released pictures of them together, pictures of them kissing and an alleged picture of the Honey Badger's football-size crank. Mathieu went silent and groupies everywhere rejoiced.

Jaz Reynolds

19. School Shootings! Lolz

Who: Jaz Reynolds, University of Oklahoma football player
Offending Tweet: @Jaz_R16: "Hey everyone in Austin, tx.......kill yourself #evillaugh"
Date: 9/28/2010
Consequence: Suspended

Either shooting incidents are so common in Texas and Oklahoma as to warrant nothing more than a batted eye, or Jaz Reynolds doesn't have a real good grasp of the concept of "too soon." One day after a gunman entered a University of Texas library and shot himself, and with the Texas-Oklahoma Red River Rivalry game looming, Reynolds, a Sooner wide receiver, took to Twitter with this bit of advice for Austin residents. As awesome as his original tweet? His "apology" tweet: "Everyone in austin, tx disregard that last tweet....y'all will mess around n do it lmao."

Kawika Mitchell

18. Welcome to Buffalo Richie!

Who: Kawika Mitchell, Buffalo Bills
Offending Tweet: @Ka_Mitchell55: "RT @ProFootballTalk Bills add Richie Incognito#NFL--BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT THIS YR. THE GUYS A BUM. DIRTY AND ALWAYS... WILL BE. REALLY WISH I WAS PLAYIN RITE NOW. SERIOUSLY... I KNO WE'RE N NEED OF OLINE BUT THIS GUY SUKS BALLS."
Date: 12/16/2009
Consequence: Apologized tweet

Want a good summation of the state of the Buffalo Bills circa December 2009? A 5-8 team that features an injured linebacker taking to social media to diss its waiver claim of one of the dirtiest players in the league. "I wish I was playing rite now..." so you could go against your new teammate in practice Kawika? This whole situation suks balls.

Brandon McDonald

17. Brandon McDonald's Jamming The Receiver

Who: Brandon McDonald, Cleveland Browns
Offending Tweet: @bmcdonald22: "TO to da Bengals huh??? Yessss, another piece of p**** fa da Browns secondary to run a train on . . . NoHomo . . . Let's Goooo!!!! ITS TRU"
Date: 8/8/2010
Consequence: Looked like an idiot

When Brandon McDonald learned that T.O. was joining the division rival Bengals, he did what any good fourth-string cornerback would do and ran his mouth on Twitter. When Owens was asked about the tweet he responded, “Who? I don't even know who he is. Is he Ronald McDonald?” When the two met in Week 4 Owens had a super-sized game with 10 catches for 222 yards and a touchdown.

Dan Ellis

16. #DanEllisProblems

Who: Dan Ellis, Tampa Bay Lightning
Offending Tweet: @33dellis: "If you lost 18% of your income would you be happy? I can honestly say that I am more stressed about money now then when I was in college."
Date: 9/6/2010
Consequence: Deleted account

Dan Ellis is a backup goalie in the NHL who has made upwards of $10 million in his career. Sadly, on Labor Day 2010, he discovered that nobody feels bad for millionaires who are forced to put 18% of their income into escrow. He does have the hashtag #DanEllisProblems as his claim to fame though. What you got you broke punk?

Yuri Wright

15. Should Twitter Have An Age Limit?

Who: Yuri Wright, Don Bosco Prep
Offending Tweet: @YuriWright3: "Yo my pops just drove by and splash some jewish lady with mad water...."
Date: 11/18/2011
Consequence: Expelled; had scholarship offers revoked

A series of sexually explicit and offensive tweets got top football prospect Yuri Wright expelled from his high school. The cornerback was receiving scholarship offers from Michigan, Notre Dame, and Rutgers—all of those may be rescinded now. His parents later grounded him and banned him from Twitter for life. We kid. But it would make sense, right?

Courtney Fortson

14. Because Practice Hurts, Just Like Rape. Get it?

Who: Courtney Fortson, University of Arkansas basketball player
Offending Tweet: @Cfortson4: "Im gettin it at workouts like a dude who doesnt understand the word no from a drunk girl lol."
Date: 9/11/2009
Consequence: Suspended

So your teammates are accused of being accomplices to rape. How to lighten the mood? Make a rape joke! On social media! Now, where does this dumb jock stereotype come from?

Marquis Daniels

13. "But it was a joke!"

Who: Marquis Daniels, Boston Celtics
Offending Tweet: @Marquis_Daniels: "Any body got a rednose pit dat u wana breed wit my Orlando raised brown eyed Doberman I have her tail n ears clipped…she's a prize fighter"
Date: 9/23/2009
Consequence: Deleted tweet; locked account

So apparently some big-time athlete (Rick Something?) got busted for running a dog-fighting operation. Did some time or something. And now folks get upset when people joke about dogfighting. Go figure!

Shareece Wright

12. Shareece Wright Has His Bags Packed Already

Who: Shareece Wright, San Diego Chargers
Offending Tweet: @ShareeceWright: "Downtown LA looking nice. Wait till that football stadium gets built. #LosAngelesChargers"
Date: 1/16/2012
Consequence: Deleted account

San Diego Chargers fans have it kinda tough. For one, Norv Turner is their coach. Two, there's rampant speculation that the Bolts will decamp up I-5 to Los Angeles at the first opportunity. So when little-used cornerback Shareece Wright tweeted about the proposed downtown L.A. football stadium and used the hashtag #LosAngelesChargers, San Diego fans were justifiably upset. They might've felt better about it if Shareece and his teammates were, you know, still playing right now, instead of taking in basketball games in L.A. #justsayin

Braylon Edwards

11. Fighting Words

Who: Braylon Edwards, New York Jets
Offending Tweet: @OfficialBraylon: "Damn. Get ya knuckles ready" / "Don't fight if ou don't know how."
Date: 7/31/2011
Consequence: Claimed account was hacked

Braylon Edwards took to his Twitter right before his crew was involved in a bar fight. The next day Edwards tweeted, "Yo...Lost my phone last night someone sent tweets. Deleted them and changed my password. Sorry for the mishap hopefully never happens again!" So Braylon, let's get this straight, someone found YOUR phone, logged on to YOUR Twitter account and sent out fight messages as YOUR crew was brawling? Sounds like a hack job to us.

Carmelo Anthony

10. Hey 'Melo, This Is What Craigslist Is For

Who: Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets
Offending Tweet: @carmeloanthony: "I got 5k for whoever see @ihatekatstacks and slap the shit out her pigeon face ass. Real talk. U fucked with the right one now."
Date: 8/29/2010
Consequence: Kat Stacks filed a police report

Real gangsters move in silence; NBA superstars who have their relationships endangered by groupies talking loose on Twitter solicit hits via tweet.

Michael Beasley Tatt

9. Ever Get a Super Cool Tatt...on Weed???

Who: Michael Beasley, Miami Heat
Offending Tweet: Twitpic (see above)
Date: 8/21/2009
Consequence: Deleted account; Checked in to rehab

The tattoo alone is a bit of a fail, but the bag of weed on the table next to the 7Up bottle is the reason Super Cool Beas is on this list. Apparently it's tough for NBA players to get weed carriers who can a) carry the weed; b) take Twitpics of cool tattoos; and c) manage to compose said Twitpics so they don't show said weed. But hey, if this is what landed Beasley in rehab (for pot! lolz) and made him a more-or-less productive NBA player, then maybe it was a case of failing up.

Miguel Torres

8. And If Cancer Was Called Cheesecake..."

Who: Miguel Torres, UFC
Offending Tweet: @MiguelTorresMMA: "If a windowless van was called a surprise van more people wouldn't mind going for rides in them. Everyone likes surprises."
Date: December 2011
Consequence: Dropped by UFC

Hey Miguel, save the rape jokes for the Mike Tyson Roast. For now, do what you're good at and get your face kicked in.

Larry Johnson

7. My Dad Could Beat Up Your Dad

Who: Larry Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs
Offending Tweet: @ToonIcon: "My father played for the coach from "rememeber the titans". Our coach played golf. My father played for redskins briefley. Our coach. Nuthn."
Date: 10/25/2009
Consequence: Suspended

Sure, there's a fail in calling out your own coach on Twitter. But the bigger fail? Grown men talking about how cool their dads are. And your dad played for the Redskins "briefley"? At least embellish it a bit. Also, spellcheck is your friend LJ.

Devin Thomas

6. Sleeping on the Job

Who: Devin Thomas, Washington Redskins
Offending Tweet: Twitpic (see above)
Date: 10/8/2010
Consequence: Waived by team

After this picture of Thomas sleeping during a team meeting surfaced, the Skins put him on waivers. Hey! If you had three career touchdowns, you'd be exhausted too.

Matt Barnes

5. Never Ever Ever Ever EVER Smash Chicks Who Offer Head on Twitter

Who: Matt Barnes, L.A. Lakers
Offending Tweet: @candyDEEPTHROAT: "YES IT'S TRUE! LA #lakers NBA @Matt_Barnes22 and I FUCKED! (saying I'm lying n I'll TWITPIC everything n ya #)"
Date: December 2010
Consequence: Unknown

Let's see, you apparently meet a girl named Candy Deep Throat when she offers oral sex for $50 on Twitter. And then you're surprised when she "blows" up your relationship via tweet. C'mon fam. #ugottabesmarterthanthat

Ray Allen

4. The Dreaded Direct Message That Wasn't

Who: Ray Allen, Boston Celtics
Offending Tweet: @sugarray20: "I'm getting there. When u masturbate think about my tongue or your clit and switching back and forth from my dick to my tongue"
Date: 3/17/2010
Consequence: Embarrassed; claimed account was hacked

Attention hackers: This is the gold standard for tweets you should send when you hack a famous ballplayer's account. Because that's totally what happened here, right? Why else would Ray change his account from @sugarray20 to @greenrayn20?

Stephanie Rice

3. Who Needs Money When You Have an Awesome Rugby Team to Root For?

Who: Stephanie Rice, Australian Olympic Swimmer
Offending Tweet: @ItsStephRice: "Suck on that faggots!"
Date: 9/5/2010
Consequence: Lost lucrative sponsorship with Jaguar

Oh, here's a new one! A famous athlete says something stupid on Twitter, loses an endorsement deal and stages a tearful apology at a press conference. After Australia beat South Africa in a rugby match, Rice tweeted four words that cost her a lucrative sponsorship deal with British car maker Jaguar. But she'll always have those brief moments between when her team won and when she pissed away a bunch of money.

Cappie Pondexter

2. "Dear God, Why Do You Hate the WNBA So Much?"

Who: Cappie Pondexter, New York Liberty
Offending Tweet: @cappa23: "What if God was tired of the way they treated their own people in there own country! Idk guys he makes no mistakes."
Date: 3/12/2011
Consequence: Apologized

After her initial tweet blaming the Japanese people for the earthquake that befell their country in March, Pondexter went on to tweet, "u just never knw! They did pearl harbor so u can't expect anything less.” She then went with the "I didn't realize that my words could be interpreted in the manner which they were" non-apology apology. Right, so it's OUR fault!

Jamal Shuman

1. "Wait, Twitter is public?"

Who: Jamal Shuman, Elon College football player
Offending Tweet: @ItzGucciDUH: "I no I will get in trouble cuz I no one of the ppl who retweet me r gunna tell my coach #smh this is the world we live in today tho"
Date: 10/29/2011
Consequence: Deleted account; suspended indefinitely

Twitter is a little like casual sex: If you don't strap up (i.e. protect your tweets), your chances of catching something bad increase exponentially with each follower on your timeline. Elon College running back Jamal Shuman found this out the hard way this fall, when he took to Twitter to complain about his lack of playing time (and by complain, we mean co-signing the hashtag #SlapGuccisCoach). As Shuman slowly came to the realization that his tweets were in fact public, he probably also began to understand that he wouldn't see the bench, much less the field, for the rest of the season.