The Biggest Athlete vs. Media Feuds

by Richard Janvrin, September 02, 2025

Throughout sports history, there have been many “athlete vs media” feuds that have drawn the attention of fans. These could include prolonged wars of words or a heated debate on television.

Either way, if you’re a sports fan, there’s always that one “athlete vs journalist” moment you can think of.

Below, I’ll discuss some of the most prominent athlete and journalist feuds spanning multiple sports.

• Deion Sanders vs. Tim McCarver
• Jim Everett vs. Jim Rome
• Pete Rose vs. Jim Gray
• Marshawn Lynch vs. Everyone
• Floyd Mayweather vs. Larry Merchant

Deion Sanders vs. Tim McCarver

The year was 1992, and Deion Sanders was captivating baseball and football fans as he was one of the most prominent two-sport athletes in history.

However, not everyone was amazed by the two-sport talent.

That year, broadcaster Tim McCarver questioned Sanders for playing in an NFL game for the Atlanta Falcons over an Atlanta Braves playoff game. McCarver referred to it as “flat wrong,” and it was perhaps a breach of contract on Sanders’ part.

The Braves clinched the NLCS, and in the locker room after the game, Sanders sought out McCarver.

Sanders responded to McCarver’s criticism by dumping three buckets of ice water on his head.

McCarver shouted back at Deion, saying, “You’re a real man, Deion, you are a real man.” He also called what Sanders did “deliberate” and “cowardly.”

Sanders maintained he did it as a celebration and said McCarver’s remarks were “flat-out ignorant.”

This early 1990s athlete vs media showdown was perhaps a one-way example, but the coincidence, even if Sanders didn’t do that in response, warrants including it on the list.

Jim Everett vs. Jim Rome

There’s no athlete vs journalist showdown that was more explosive than Jim Rome and Jim Everett.

The incident occurred on ESPN2 in 1994.

At the time, Rome was a young and brash talk show host. He often criticized NFL quarterback Jim Everett’s toughness. He would often refer to him as Chris after the female tennis player Chris Evert.

Everett played quarterback in the NFL from 1986 to 1997 with the Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints, and San Diego Chargers.

After making fun of Everett, Rome invited the quarterback on his show. While on the show, Everett told Rome to stop with the insult, but Rome kept going. Eventually, after referring to him as Chris again, Everett, a six-foot-five signal-caller, lunged across the desk, flipping the table, and putting Rome on the floor.

No one was hurt, and there were no legal proceedings, but this incident is etched in sports stars vs journalists lore.

Everett said he felt ambushed as it went from a normal interview into taunting.

Years later, Everett said, “I was put into what I felt was a taunting attack… I don’t regret what I did.”

Rome expressed some regret over how he behaved. This is almost the pinnacle of the athlete and journalist feud.

Pete Rose vs. Jim Gray

When you think of a sports star vs media feud, you might think of something explosive or with expletives thrown around.

Well, in the case of Rose and Gray, it was tough questions during what was supposed to be a celebrated night.

During the 1999 World Series, Rose, who was banned from baseball for betting, was honored by the MLB’s All-Century Team.

While on the field, Gray was aggressive with Rose in a one-on-one interview about Rose’s gambling allegations.

On a night of celebration, Rose was instead pressed by Gray, asking Rose to “come clean.”

Rose was defensive and responded by saying he was surprised to be bombarded in that way.

Again, this was an on-field interview. Fans booed, and the New York Yankees threatened to boycott interviews conducted by Gray.

At first, Gray didn’t apologize, but later apologized to fans for the timing.

This athlete vs journalist moment was one of the most awkward given the setting. However, it is still looked back on today as a memorable moment, for better or worse.

Marshawn Lynch vs. Everyone

Typically, when you talk about an “athlete vs media” moment, it’s often involving one reporter or something specific, but in 2015, Lynch, a running back for the Seattle Seahawks, was not interested in talking with the media in any way whatsoever.

Leading up to this time, Lynch didn’t exactly enjoy speaking to the media, but in the lead-up to Super Bowl XLIX, Lynch was fined plenty for dodging media sessions.

He was staring down a $500,000 fine if he skipped Super Bowl Media Day.

He showed up, but he wasn’t exactly forthcoming with answers.

Lynch answered every question the same way: “I’m just here so I won’t get fined.”

Over five minutes, he said that 29 times.

Lynch was protesting the NFL’s media obligations. Fans found it funny, but it illustrated the underlying “athlete and journalist feud” across sports.

Lynch later revealed he was fined about $1.2 million for avoiding reporters.

In this case, Lynch didn’t get fined, and a true meme was born.

If only online sports betting were legal back then, imagine the prop bets that would’ve spawned involving Lynch after that media day.

Floyd Mayweather vs. Larry Merchant

In 2011, Mayweather, who to this day remains undefeated, was coming off a title fight. Shortly after winning, he got into an argument with Merchant, an 80-year-old commentator for HBO.

In the post-fight interview, Merchant questioned Mayweather’s knockout, and he wasn’t happy. Mayweather accused Merchant of never giving him a fair shake and said that HBO should fire him.

As Mayweather went to storm off, Merchant stood his ground and said, “I wish I was 50 years younger and I’d kick your ass!”

The crowd erupted after this comeback and Mayweather spoke back to Merchant with plenty of profanity.

Merchant was well known for trying to challenge fighters and get them to reveal their true selves.

This was a rare moment in which a boxer of any kind went directly after a media member.

Despite this, Merchant, who was with HBO until 2012, praised Mayweather for his boxing intelligence despite the athlete and journalist feud.

“It was spontaneous combustion,” Merchant said on the Mason & IReland Show on 710 ESPN in 2011. “You’re getting personally insulted as well as professionally insulted, and I was just trying my best to ask the questions that everybody wanted answered. And suddenly he assaults me that way, and I just, you know, went off.

“… I did say afterward that I don’t think I could’ve kicked his butt 50 years ago, but I sure would’ve tried.”