There isn’t a day that goes by when there aren’t seemingly controversial moments in sports. It’s something you come to expect as a sports fan, regardless of which you’re into, and, if we’re honest, they do create huge talking points. So, you could go as far as saying they’re integral to sports. But which controversial moments stand out from the crowd?
The Phantom Punch
The Phantom Punch is a moment in sporting history involving arguably the greatest boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali and his great foe Sonny Liston. Ali had beaten Liston in their first meeting in the ring, and when a rematch was arranged, round one saw Ali deliver a punch so quick that nobody saw it. In some instances, long, established sports betting operators like bwin would offer odds on first-round knockouts at enormous prices, and punters would have won in this case. But controversy surrounds Ali not returning to the corner, which means a knockout shouldn’t have stood. And questions have always been asked about Liston potentially having taken a dive.
Hand of God
One of the most famous controversial moments that football has ever seen is the renowned Hand of God moment when Argentina and England met at the 1986 World Cup. Diego Maradona, one of the greatest players to ever play the game, and England goalkeeper Peter Shilton, challenged for a ball in the air inside the England box after it looped up, and the ball ended up in the back of the net. However, while the goal stood because referee Ali Bin Nasser didn’t see what happened, Maradona had actually used his hand on closer inspection.
Hand of Frog
We couldn’t mention Maradona’s Hand of God moment without following it up with what’s commonly referred to as the Hand of Frog. Again, it was another massively controversial moment in football that involved a handball, this time executed by France striker Thierry Henry against the Republic of Ireland in the 2010 World Cup Qualifying Play-Off game. Henry handled the ball at the back post after a deep free-kick into Ireland’s box, which allowed him to set up William Gallas to score the all-important goal to send France to the World Cup on aggregate, with Ireland cruelly crashing out.
Larson Robbed Of Gold
At the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Lance Larson and John Devitt did battle in the water and looked to hit the wall in the 100-meter freestyle event simultaneously. The six judges in attendance were split on the decision, but all three watches had Larson as the winner, which should have secured him the gold medal. However, even though the backup electric timer had Larson as the winner to add to the catalogue of evidence, the race was given to Devitt by Hans Runstrumer, the president of the International Swimming Federation. Team US, representing Larson, appealed the decision, but the result was never overturned or explained.