The Most Boorish Pro Athlete in U.S.? Magazine Says Connors Wins It Easily

Tennis player Jimmy Connors, who stalked off the court last year during a match with Ivan Lendl, led a pack of boorish athletes to win TV Guide’s “Mr. Nice Guy” award.

In winning the mock honor, Connors beat out, among others, Dave Kingman, the former Oakland A’s slugger who sent a gift-wrapped live rat to a female reporter, and Boston Red Sox pitcher Dennis (Oil Can) Boyd.

The award, given annually to a professional athlete for “displaying boorish actions,” was won by Connors “sitting down,” a magazine spokesman said.

That’s exactly what Connors did--he sat down during the fifth set of the match after protesting a linesman’s call and “remained seated, possibly under the impression tennis isn’t big enough to default Jimmy Connors,” the spokesman said.

When he refused to resume play, the match at the Lipton International Players Championships at Boca Raton, Fla., ended in default. Connors was fined $25,000 and suspended for 10 weeks.

Kingman capped a long-running feud with Sacramento Bee reporter Susan Fornoff by sending to the press box a neatly wrapped package. Inside was a live rat with a note pinned to its tail: “My name is Sue.” The incident earned Kingman a $3,500 fine and the Mr. Nice Guy silver medal.

The bronze medal went to Boyd, who, after failing to make the American League’s All-Star team, threw a clubhouse tantrum, hurling clothing and cursing teammates.

Before it was over, he assaulted a TV cameraman, tossed a soft drink at a photographer and threatened a police officer, who then arrested him after learning Boyd had an unpaid traffic ticket.