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5 Biggest Troublemakers In NYC Metropolitan-Area Sports History

By Daniel Friedman
» More Columns

In one of Jetsiest moments in the history of the Jets, Geno Smith was clocked by now-former teammate IK Enemkpali, reportedly over a $600 airplane ticket. The confrontation was never defused by their teammates in the locker room and, unfortunately, resulted in a broken jaw for Smith and a one-way trip to free agency for Enemkpali.

However, Smith is far from the most confrontational figure in New York City-area sports history. Who are the top five? Let's find out:

5. Tony Bernazard

The former Mets VP once challenged the entire Binghamton minor league club to a fight in a postgame diatribe. He also got into a verbal riffraff with Francisco Rodriguez, who had anger issues of his own.

4. Darryl Strawberry

Darryl Strawberry
Darryl Strawberry, New York Yankees during old timers celebration day at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York on June 24, 2006. (Photo by Bryan Yablonsky/Getty Images)

He squared off with Keith Hernandez on team photo day in 1989, claiming that the veteran first baseman was part of a conspiracy to keep him off the NL All-Star team the previous season. Strawberry established himself as a confrontational figure right from start, getting into a fistfght with fellow rookie Kevin Mitchell during a pickup basketball game.

3. Sean Avery

Brodeur and Avery
The Rangers' Sean Avery, right, tries to screen Devils goalie Martin Brodeur during Game 3 of the 2008 NHL Eastern Conference quarterfinals on April 13, 2008, at Madison Square Garden. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Avery elicited all sorts of negative responses from opposing players during his time with the Rangers, including the Devils' Martin Brodeur. Aside from getting into a pregame altercation with Brodeur in November 2007, he distracted the legendary goaltender by waving his stick around during a playoff game, resulting in a goal for his team. Such actions have since been banned by the NHL, with what's come to be known as "The Avery Rule."

2. Mike Milbury

Mike Milbury with Isles
Mike Milbury (credit: Glenn Cratty/Allsport/Getty Images)

To say that Milbury is outspoken would be a ginormous understatement. As Islanders' coach and GM, he once called center Travis Green a "gutless puke," and noted how unfortunate it was that star winger Zigmund Palffy's agent lived in the city, because he was "depriving some small village of a pretty good idiot." And let's not forget the time Milbury climbed into the MSG stands as a member of the Boston Bruins and beat a Ranger fan with his own shoe.

1. Billy Martin

You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who didn't get into a fight with Yankees manager Billy Martin at one point or another. Be it Reggie Jackson (twice), Ed Whitson or some marshmallow salesman at a hotel in Minneapolis, Martin was always in the middle of some sort of dispute. By the way, that fight with the marshmallow salesman broke out over a dissenting opinion the salesman had regarding who should be "Manager of the Year" that season.

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