Idiot! (Source: Fox Searchlight)

The highest profile use of the idiot term in sports unquestionably came during the 2004 MLB season when then Red Sox CF Johnny Damon affectionately dubbed Boston’s roster as “The Idiots”.  The name instantly caught on with every major media outlet and soon it became the de facto standard way to describe the Red Sox’s eclectic mix of dugout characters that included Damon and his saviour look, Bronson Arroyo’s cornrows, Kevin Millar, David Ortiz and Pedro Martinez’s personalities and of course, Manny Ramirez’s “Manny being Manny” philosophy to life.  Even manager Terry Francona adopted the idiots’ term, “As a group, they are borderline nuts, but when they get out in the field, I think they try to play the game right. I just want them to be themselves, because I think we are a good team like that.” Francona’s acceptance and unwillingness to change his team’s unique personalities was likely part of the reason why the team was able to pull off the greatest comeback in sports history after going down 3-0 to the Yankees in the ALCS only to win the next eight straight games to win their first World Series since 1918.

The 2004 Red Sox are the biggest example of the idiot term at work but they’re certainly not the only one.

After questioning the Indianapolis Colts’ leadership qualities at the conclusion of the 2002 season former Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt drew the wrath of Peyton Manning. Manning didn’t mince words when responding back to the Canadian kicker, “We're talking about our idiot kicker who got liquored up and ran his mouth off. The sad thing is, he's a good kicker. He's a good kicker. But he's an idiot.” After a free agent move, the idiot kicker will now be plying his trade in Dallas where you can be certain that Terrell Owens will be a little harsher in his choice of words if he and Vanderjagt cross paths.

CBS golf announcer David Feherty wasn’t shy about calling it like it is on his most recent book launch. He dubbed his second book “Somewhere in Ireland a Village is Missing an Idiot.”

After making a plethora of poor trades, draft choices, and use of the salary cap it would almost be considered a compliment to call New York Knicks GM and new head coach Isaiah Thomas an idiot.

Most recently the ‘Idiot Hall of Fame’ added two new members. Phil Mickelson and USA Soccer coach Bruce Arena self-elected themselves to the hall by calling themselves idiots as an explanation to their shockingly disappointing performances under pressure.

Mickelson had a 2-shot lead with three holes left to play at the U.S. Open, golf’s second major and squandered the opportunity by choking with a needless double-bogey on the final hole.  Mickelson initially rebuffed reporters before finally emerging an hour later with these comments, “I am still in shock that I did that. I am such an idiot. I just couldn't hit a fairway. I just couldn't hit a fairway all day. . . . I just can't believe I couldn't par the last hole. It really stings.” You gotta think that this loss feels like a huge weight on Phil’s chest! Definitely something to keep abreast of!

The U.S. entered the World Cup as the 5th ranked and promptly shit the bed with a quick first round exit. The U.S. scored all of two goals, one of which was an own goal by the opposition in the Italy game.  The 2006 World Cup was supposed to be a coming out party for U.S. Soccer after a final eight appearance at the 2002 tournament. Coach Bruce Arena has received the lion’s share of criticism for the team’s early exit and like Phil Mickelson, Arena was only able to offer up one conclusion, "Four years ago I was completely burnt out after that whole thing. I was a zombie for about two weeks," he said. "Right now, I'm just an idiot."

I’d like to offer up another candidate for the idiot list: the Ontario Lottery Corporation.  The people who run the Pro-Line provincial sports betting are certainly devoid of common sense and deserve to be called idiots as much as Dwyane Wade deserves to be called the NBA’s most exciting player or Snow Patrol deserves to be called one of the best bands out of the UK.

Let me explain: for World Cup betting Pro-Line considers a soccer game result final after regular time. So, regardless of what happens in the overtime period or penalty kicks, in Pro-Line’s mind the game is declared a draw.  Let’s see if I can get the logic straight here. You ask people to pick winners and when they correctly do you don’t reward them because it didn’t happen quickly enough for your liking? Oddly enough Pro-line recognizes a win if a baseball game goes into extra innings or if a hockey game goes into OT.  Don’t these rules seem more arbitrary then trying to decide which Weather Network, the French or the English, has the more attractive female meteorologists?