The beauty of sports lies in the thrill of competition. Witnessing trained athletes compete against each other in their chosen fields, either in a team or individual discipline, has captivated fans of numerous sports throughout the annals of history.
However, the desire to win often sees competitors attempt to bend, or even outright break, the rules in order to achieve their goals. For many sportsmen and women, the ends justify the means, and they are willing to get their names on a trophy, medal or whatever accolade they are chasing by any means necessary.
As much as the purest of sports fans would hate to admit it, the villains of sport do add an extra element of entertainment to the captivating stories that sport continuously creates. With that in mind, here are the 10 dirtiest teams in sports history.
Ranking Factors:
- Discipline record
- Underhanded tactics
- Notoriety
9 Real Madrid
Jose Mourinho’s side 2010-2013
Sergio Ramos has always had a reputation as a dirty player, thanks in no small part to the 29 red cards he has been shown over the course of his career. But it was his time under Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid that really typifies the kind of player that Ramos was.
Mourinho, no stranger to bending the rules himself, joined Madrid in May 2010 and would have been delighted to be able to work with Ramos and his partner-in-crime, Pepe. The defensive duo were the enforcers on the pitch for their manager and epitomised the ‘win at any costs’ mentality that Mourinho ingrains into his sides.
The colossal ‘El Clasico’ battles against Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona side brought out the worst in this Real Madrid team, with Pepe and Ramos often at the centre of controversial ploys or overly-aggressive challenges that were dealt out on the pitch.
Sergio Ramos’ Real Madrid La Liga Statistics | |
|---|---|
Appearances | 470 |
Goals | 72 |
Assists | 22 |
Red Cards | 20 |
8 New York Knicks
1990s
The New York Knicks are one of the biggest and most lucrative franchises in sport. They have found success multiple times throughout their history, but their teams throughout the 1990s are remembered as much for their dirty tactics as they are for their success on the court.
Whether it was under head coach Pat Riley at the start of the decade or Jeff Van Gundy during the latter 90s, the Knicks were famed for their tough defense and physical style of play. The aggression that they showed on the court would not fly in today’s game but was a large part of their tactical approach during this period.
Knicks legend Patrick Ewing led his side to the NBA Finals in both 1994 and 1999, although they were unsuccessful on both occasions. But Ewing and his teammates left their mark on the sport, and their opponents, and are one of the most memorable sports teams of the era.
7 Pittsburgh Steelers
2005-2016
It’s always annoying to see teams get away with ‘technically legal’ plays that just don’t sit right with fans of the sport. The Pittsburgh Steelers take this to another level by being involved in four plays which eventually led to rule changes in the NFL.
The first incident dates back to a 2005 AFC Wild Card game between the Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals. A late and low tackle by Kimo Von Oelhoffen on the Bengals’ quarterback Carson Palmer left Palmer badly injured and resulted in a change to the rules regarding the window where it is illegal to tackle quarterbacks.
The ‘Helmet-to-Helmet’ rule as well as the ‘Joey Porter’ rule and ‘Hines Ward’ rule – both of which are named after former Pittsburgh players – were brought into action due to plays by the Steelers in an attempt to cut out dangerous tackles.
6 Oakland Raiders
1970s
The Oakland Raiders had a fierce reputation throughout the 1970s, largely down to Jack Tatum, who is widely regarded as one of the nastiest players to ever play in the NFL.
Tatum is infamous for a controversial incident which caused Darryl Stingley to suffer spinal cord injuries and left him with incomplete quadriplegia. Stingley and Tatum clashed in a sickening collision with Stingley’s helmet crashing into Tatum’s shoulder pad. While Raiders coach John Madden and many of the Raider’s players expressed sympathy towards Stingley for the tragic incident, Tatum allegedly made no effort to contact or apologise to him following the clash.
5 Atletico Madrid
Under Diego Simeone
Diego Simeone was a successful international footballer during his playing career, but has become more known for his managerial career, particularly at Atletico Madrid. The Argentinian was a combative, intense midfielder throughout his playing days and builds his sides in his own image as a manager.
Simeone’s Atleti have been the epitome of a dirty team in the modern era of football ever since he arrived at the club in late 2011. Whether they are throwing themselves to the floor trying to win a free kick or putting in aggressive challenges, Simeone’s side rarely fail to get under the skin of their opponents.
While his style of play has bred success, winning two La Liga titles (2013-14 & 2020-21) during Barcelona and Real Madrid’s spell of dominance in the Spanish league, Simeone has often been criticised for his methods. But with his controversial approach bringing him desired results as both a player and manager, he is unlikely to ever change.
Diego Simeone’s Managerial Honours at Atlético Madrid |
|---|
La Liga (2013-14 & 2020-21) |
Copa del Rey (2012-13) |
UEFA Europa League (2011-12 & 2017-18) |
UEFA Super Cup (2012 & 2018) |
4 Philadelphia Flyers
‘Broad Street Bullies’ of the 1970s
Ice Hockey is widely regarded as one of the most intense and aggressive sports anyone can participate in, with the Philadelphia Flyers team of the 1970s regarded as the most team to ever play the sport. You don’t get given a nickname like the ‘Broad Street Bullies’ in hockey without earning it.
One of the Flyers’ most notable players from this era was Dave ‘The Hammer’ Schultz, who still holds the record for most penalty minutes in a single season – spending a total of 472 minutes sitting in the sin bin during the 1974-75 season.
But their intimidating style of play also led to success during this time, with the Flyers winning back-to-back Stanley Cups in both 1974 and 1975. The notoriety of the team stands to this day and was the focus of a 2010 documentary, titled ‘Broad Street Bullies’.
3 Detroit Pistons
‘The Bad Boys’ (1986-1992)
Not many teams on this list wear their label as a ‘dirty team’ with as much pride as the Detroit Pistons team of the 1980s. The Pistons were dubbed ‘The Bad Boys’ of the NBA for their physical, antagonistic and bully-like approach on the basketball court.
The Detroit Pistons developed an intense rivalry with Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls during the late 80s and the likes of Bill Laimbeer and Dennis Rodman were more than happy to play the villains of the piece during this time. The Pistons won back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals against the Bulls in 1989 & 1990, but were finally toppled by their rivals in the 1991 final. In true ‘Bad Boy’ fashion, a number of the Pistons players walked off the court seconds before the end of the 1991 final and refused to shake the hands of their opponents.
2 Wimbledon FC
‘The Crazy Gang’
‘The Crazy Gang’ of Wimbledon earned their name for their boisterous behaviour on and off the pitch. Their cheeky ‘lad culture’ antics and no-nonsense approach on the football pitch made them one of the most notorious teams of the 1980s and 90s.
Their behaviour rubbed many of their opponents the wrong way, particularly when they arrived in the First Division in 1986. Their style of play was deemed basic and unbefitting of the top level of English football.
However, Wimbledon were able to continuously upset the so-called ‘better’ teams in the division with their in-your-face and unruly tactics. Their crowning moment came when the ‘Crazy Gang’ of Wimbledon defeated football giants Liverpool to win the 1988 FA Cup final.
1 Leeds United
Don Revie’s ‘Dirty Leeds’
The label of ‘Dirty Leeds’ is one that has stuck with the football club for over 50 years. Whenever a Leeds United player is sent off or judged to have committed a bad foul, the term ‘Dirty Leeds’ is inevitably used. The unwanted moniker dates back to the Don Revie era at Leeds United, which was the club’s best period in their history. But this side is remembered for their unforgiving and thuggish style of play as much as they are for the trophies they won in this time.
Players such as Billy Bremner and Norman ‘Bites Yer Legs’ Hunter are still talked about by football historians to this day as some of the nastiest players to ever play the game and are remembered for making the Leeds United side of the 1960s and early 70s one of the dirtiest teams in sports history.