The unimaginable can happen when players are not prepared to face defeat. For some, playing is all about winning. They cannot settle for anything less than that.

So even the best of sportsmen can go mad when losing is on the cards and defeat is almost certain. Biting is a common way to vent one’s anger … and biting here does not refer to the nervous nail biting of Australia’s Ricky Ponting or India’s Saurav Ganguly. We are talking about biting things and even other players!

Man bites man

One of the very recent examples of biting took place this year on April 21 when Liverpool striker Uruguayan Luis Suarez sunk his teeth into Branislav Ivanovic’s arm while playing against Chelsea at Anfield. He, however, was not taken off the field and, adding insult to injury, was even able to score the final goal to help his side hold Chelsea to a draw.

As was the case, not everyone was ready to approve of Suarez’s daily protein intake plan so he was later on slapped with a 10-match ban. Understandably enough, Suarez’s behaviour became the talk of the town with jokes and memes featuring him as Vampire, Dracula or even the shark from Jaws flooding the Internet. Renowned striker Ballotelli, who is notorious for his indiscipline, outbursts and uncontrollable on and off-field instances, was one of the footballers who tweeted about the ban, “Suarez banned for 10 games. The poor guy could starve to death.”

Later, however, Suarez himself tweeted that he had spoken and apologised to Ivanovic. It should be remembered that Suarez was also involved in a similar incident in a goalless draw against Ajax in 2010 when he bit midfielder Otman Bukkal on his shoulder. The incident unofficially earned him the title of “The Cannibal of Ajax”. Maybe the second time around, it was only the craving for meat that propelled him to have a go, again. Om, Nom, Nom, Nom ...

Is it if you can’t beat them, eat them? Depending upon the star value, the calibre of the players and the limelight given to the event and the subsequent incident, the mother of all incidents was the controversial title boxing match featuring Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson. The previous bout between the two boxers, some seven months prior, produced one of the shocking results ever when Holyfield, an underdog, floored Tyson and dominated each and every round. The rematch was like the Clash of the Titans and it produced one of the most unanticipated and unimaginable moments in the world of sports.

Holyfield-Tyson II took place on June 28, 1997, in pursuit of the World Boxing Association (WBA) heavyweight championship title. The game was in favour of Holyfield after the first two rounds. However, Tyson began the third round with a furious attack. With 40 seconds remaining before the bell, Holyfield got Tyson in a clinch but Tyson turned his head over Holyfield’s shoulder and bit him on his right ear, avulsing a one-inch piece of cartilage from the top of the ear before spitting it out on the ring floor.

Holyfield shrieked and jumped around in pain. The match referee wanted to disqualify Tyson but the input from the ringside doctor at the time was that Holyfield could still continue with the fight. During another clinch, Tyson again bit Holyfield, on his left ear this time. Holyfield threw his hands around to get out of the clinch and jumped back. Tyson’s second bite just scarred his ear but was discovered at the end of the round resulting in Tyson’s disqualification.

Tyson was later quoted saying Holyfield head-butted him a lot during their first fights and was doing it again during the rematch. He said that was why he bit him. But everyone knows that he was really jealous of his opponent for being a very good fighter. Still, Holyfield was humble enough to excuse Tyson. They even became good friends later on and today they tweet and joke about the whole incident on Twitter. As a part of the promotional campaign for Holyfield’s Real Deal BBQ Sauce, Tyson tweeted, “Holyfield’s ear would’ve been much better with his new BBQ sauce!” And, Holyfield tweeted something like, “My Real Deal BBQ Sauce will make you take a bite out of someone’s ear! Ask Mike Tyson — Luv ya bro!”

Afridi bites the ball

Our very own Shahid Ali Khan Afridi was caught twice on camera using his teeth to pick the seam of the cricket ball during the fifth One Day International against Australia, at the WACA Ground in Perth in 2010. Frustrated with the team’s performance in the match and throughout the series, the stand-in captain decided to chomp on the ball a bit and tamper it for his bowlers in order for them to have a little advantage over the Aussies. The bizarre end to the match also resulted in Afridi being banned for two international Twenty20s.

One historic event that marred the game and left an everlasting impression in the history of football was the infamous headbutting by midfielder Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 World Cup final. France was playing against Italy and Zidane, debatably considered one of the best footballers in the French team, had already been declared the Golden Boot winner of the tournament. The final saw him turning around to headbutt Marco Materazzi during the 110th minute of the game in an off-the-ball incident that resulted in his getting a red card. France lost the final to Italy on penalty kicks. Zidane, who already had announced his retirement, never returned to the game and to the dismay of many the headbutting and subsequent red card is the lasting memory associated with his amazing career. FIFA gave Zidane a three match suspension but having already retired from football, he agreed to spend three days of community service with children for one of FIFA’s humanitarian projects instead.

Hand of God

The infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal by Diego Maradona helped Argentina secure a lead in the 1986 World Cup football quarter-final while playing against England, when instead of kicking or heading the ball, Maradona directed it with his hand to score a goal. His action was not visible to the Tunisian match referee and to the dismay of Englishmen, the goal was awarded to Argentina. During a post-match interview, Maradona commented that the goal was scored “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God”, and hence the term. Maradona disclosed that he was waiting for his teammates to rush to him and celebrate after the ball ended in the goal post but when nobody did that he directed them to come and hug him or the referee would not allow the goal.

Indian fast bowler Sreesanth was snapped holding his cheek and sobbing after a 2008 edition IPL match between Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians. It was, however, learnt later that Sreesanth had been slapped by the Mumbai Indians’ captain Harbhajan Singh after they lost the game and the former came in to say “hard luck” to him. Harbhajan was instantly awarded a ban for the remaining matches of the tournament.

Winning and losing are all part of the game but for many nothing can beat the “taste of victory”. Losing gracefully therefore, on many occasions, is quite difficult than winning comprehensively.

The writer is a health care leader working with a pharmaceutical company.

kalishahid@hotmail.com