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.

Unsportsmanlike Behaviour

While sports show the perseverance of the human spirit it also shows the darker side of human nature which was on full display this past week.

On the Field

Smaller cash-strapped F1 team's threatened to boycott the US grand prix this past weekend due to the division of royalties and with attention on Formula 1 finances Bernie Ecclestone admitted F1 had problems but wasn't sure what to do about it eliciting calls to start by cutting costs.

In the world of soccer an Israeli match was cancelled after a player was assaulted by a fan of the opposing team and after spitting on an Argentine forward it was reported that FA would take no action against Belgian's Fellaini.

From physical retaliation to fowl play the Bridgeport Sound Tigers goalie was caught intentionally knocking over his net to prevent a two-on-none rush. Meanwhile the NBA has fined Tony Allen $15,000 for intentionally striking a camera on the baseline.

Off the Field

Surprisingly there are quit a few court cases involving sports men and women starting with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell testify for 2 hours in Ray Rice case. The goalkeeper for the United States women soccer team, Hope Solo, has been charged with two counts of fourth-degree domestic violence assault. In another case, this time involving child abuse, Adrian Peterson avoided jail by striking a plea deal with prosecutors and with his doping ban behind him Alex Rodriquez may find himself back in court but this time regarding his cousin. Former AFL player Stephen Milne had rape charges dropped instead pleading guilty to indecent assault.

Off the court and outside of court other players lives were just as complicated with two OHL players suspended for using vulgar and abusive language in conversation with women on Tinder. An interview with Mike Tyson was cut short after he called the shows host "full of shit", not the first time he's had an altercation on air, and finally a porn star has publicly shamed Flyers defenceman Del Zotto after he tried to use her as a dating service to hook up with her friend.