What Happened? 2014 Sports News

Sporting legends made their presence felt in 2014 but it was the behaviour off the field that garnered most of the attention.

Events

It was the FIFA World Cup 2014 that gained the most attention kicking off the year with some truly shocking events including protests after Brazil's dismal performance and subsequent defeat with Germany taking the title. The Winter Olympics took place in Sochi Russia and went relatively smoothly even if there were issues with accommodation.

The Laureus sports awards recognized the skills and technique needed to succeed in the world of sport while the big annual events saw the best of the best at Wimbledon where Novak Djokovic took the title along with Martin Kaymer who won the US Open. On the team front the Super Bowl was won by the Seattle Seahawks while the World Series went to the San Francisco Giants.

Individuals

Sporting legends made the news like former F1 champion Michael Schumaker who made progress and was brought out of his coma. Derek Jeter played his final game at Fenway Park in an emotional event which saw everyone from celebrities to athletes tip their hat in respect. Soccer legend Pele was hospitalized following surgery for kidney stones but was later released and Michael Sam became the first openly gay player to join the NFL.

It wasn't all good news when Australian Phillip Hughes passed away 2 days after sustaining a head injury during a cricket match. The NFL had a major image problem with domestic abuse claims and child abuse taking center stage and things got down right ugly at the FIFA soccer world cup which saw unsportsmanlike behaviour when Brazil's Neymar was kneed in the back and when Uruguayan player Luiz Suarez was banned after biting another player. Finally, off the court we saw the Oscar Pistorius trial which had people glued to the TV and the court room drama when Donald Sterling lost the Clippers in a disputed sale but walked away with $2billion despite his actions.

Sporting Shockers

Wow, what a week. From World Cup slaughters to court room drama, the sporting world has never been more explosive.

Beyond Shocking

In one of the biggest FIFA World Cup shockers of all time Germany decimated Brazil with a 7 - 1 win in the semi finals knocking the host country out of contention. The aftermath of the defeat made it's way on to the streets where buses were set on fire by fans expressing their rage. After the game the German boss urged calm saying "There is no euphoria" insisting the team were already focused on the final.

On a lighter note the internet was awash with meme's at the expense of Brazil and as bad as things were for Brazil, feel a little sympathy for the German promotion that offered Formula 1 tickets at a discount based on the number of goals scored by Germany during the semi-finals.

The Ugly Side of the Beautiful Game

It wasn't all skill and technique when Brazil's Neymar suffered a major setback after being kneed in the back by Juan Zuniga during the match between Brazil and Columbia. Even though the tackle was widely condemned FIFA's disciplinary committee announced they would not sanction the Columbian for his actions. After the events Neymar revealed he feared he would be paralyzed later discovering the tackle resulted in a cracked vertebrae.

Speaking of unsportsmanlike like behaviour, Luis Suarez biting ban appeal was turned down.

Off the Field

The Donald Sterling/Clippers legal battle found it's way to court but as expected things didn't go smoothly. Initially Donald wanted the case moved to another court but was denied when the trial finally got underway Donald made a scene and was combative in court shouting at his wife "Get away from me, you pig!". Things didn't get better with Donald verbally attacking two doctors who declared him mentally incapacitated.

The case against Oscar Pistorius came to an end with Oscar's defense team closing the case with final arguments set for August. However just before the end of the trial a video was leaked on Australian TV showing Oscar re-enacting the events of the night he killed Reeva Steenkamp. Oscars legal team said they would take legal action over the leaked footage.

Who's in the news? Donald Sterling

Billionaire Donald Sterling has made the news headlines after being secretly caught by his girlfriend complaining about black people.

Tapes Released

Tapes of a conversation between Donald Sterling and his girlfriend Vanessa Stiviano were released where Donald tells Miss Stiviano not to bring black people to his games including NBA legend Magic Johnson. He went on to say he doesn't want her to be seen in pictures with black people on Instagram. it has since been revealed that Donald has made other racist "missteps" in the past according to Miss Stiviano.

Outrage and Condemnation

Outrage soon followed with Magic Johnson blasting Donald Sterling and refusing to attend any more Clippers games and stating "Something has to be done". But that was just the beginning with condemnation coming from all corners with Kevin Hart, Rhianna, Snoop Dogg, LeBron James and more speaking out.

Clippers players staged a protest and hoped to make an even "stronger statement". Kareem Abdul-Jabbar weighed in on the Donald Sterling scandal referring to Sterling as a "villain".

Not only was backlash swift from celebrities and players alike but even Donald's own wife Rochelle Sterling has told reporters that the "family is devastated by the racist comments made by my estranged husband."

Repercussions

Donald's comments not only cost him his reputation but big sponsors too who pulled out with Sprint, Samsung and 12 other sponsors dumping the L.A. Clippers.

With calls for action from celebrities and the NAACP the NBA was forced to step in with NBA commissioner Adam Silver banning Donald Sterling for life from both Clippers games and the NBA as a whole. Donald Sterling was also fined $2.5 million. The banning was met with resounding agreement from all corners. After the ruling Samsung resumed adverting with the L.A. Clippers. Boycotts by players were also avoided thanks to the decision.

Not only was Donald Sterling banned but steps were taken to have him forcibly sell the L.A. Clippers which requires the other owners to back the NBA. However this will most likely result in a massive legal battle with other owners questioning if the forced sale was a good idea. With the future of the L.A. Clippers up in the air there has been talks of future owners including Oprah Winfrey and more. With the L.A. Clippers up for sale it's reported Donald Sterling could make as much as $780 million if forced to sell.

The repercussions over the debacle have had wider reaching consequences with NAACP chapter head resigning after he had decided to award Donald Sterling for promoting Civil Rights.

Since the ban Miss Stiviano claims Donald is confused and traumatized. It has also been revealed that Donald Sterling has been battling cancer.