Best sporting insults ever

Bernard Tomic insults fan at US Open

When Bernard Tomic offered to put his balls in the mouth of a rowdy ticket-holder at the US Open it is safe to assume he wasn’t talking the tennis kind. Tomic later apologized for his reaction but the combustible Australian is not the first athlete to put a spectator firmly in the front row, or to vent in the direction of an opponent.

(Careful now if offended by rude words, there are a few in the following text). 

When Kyrgios told Wawrinka a bit too much

Perhaps tennis’ most famous exchange came from Tomic’s compatriot Nick Kyrgios, who informed Stan Wawrinka that another Australian player, Thanasi Kokkinakis had “banged your girlfriend. Sorry to tell you that, mate.” Kyrgios picked up a hefty fine and a suspended ban from the ATP for his observations. Wawrinka, meanwhile, showed how shcoked he was on Twitter: 

When Serena disagreed with a line judge

Serena Williams also did not live up her to first name at the US Open in 2009 when a line judge had the temerity to call a foot fault on the American’s serve at a critical moment in her semi-final against Kim Clijsters. "I swear to God I'll fucking take the ball and shove it down your fucking throat,” Williams offered, which invited a five-figure fine from the WTA and some glass house-bothering opprobrium from John McEnroe.

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Cricket, the gentleman's game

Cricket is often seen as a sport of gentleman, a game of fair play and decency all round. But once the players are on the field the exchanges can be brutal, with the cricketers attempting to 'sledge' their opponents into losing their concentration. But it's when there's a good comeback that the sparks really fly, such as when the legendary Australian bowler Glen McGrath was getting frustrated at being unable to get little known and somewhat portly Zimbabwean cricketer Eddo Brandes out, leading to the following exchange of pleasantries: 

McGrath: Why are you so fat?

Brandes: Because every time I fuck your wife she gives me a biscuit.

Meanwhile England legend Ian Botham and Australian legend Rod Marsh had a moment that has gone down in cricketing history:

Rod Marsh: So how’s your wife & my kids? 

Ian Botham: The wife is fine but the kids are retarded

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Insult your fans, on Twitter

Not all insults have to take place at the ground though. Aston Villa captain Joleon Lescott wound up fans after a 6-0 thrashing from Liverpool, by posting a photo of his 150,000 euro Mercedes. He later apologised and said the whole thing had been a terrible mix-up as he had accidentally tweeted the photo from his pocket while driving. He still hasn't deleted it however.

But perhaps the most infamous fan-player interaction of them all came in the Premier League in 1995. During a match between Crystal Palace and Manchester United, a fan heckled Eric Cantona as the volatile Frenchman was leaving the pitch having been sent off. Cantona has never confirmed what Matthew White said, but his reaction – described by an incredulous UK press as a “kung-fu” kick – earned him a seven-month ban from football. To this day White maintains the choice of words that invited Cantona’s assault were: “Off! It’s an early bath for you Cantona.” A spectator nearby later suggested to the press that White had in fact called Cantona’s mother a “French whore.”

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