The Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame...
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The Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame... is a sports series that debuted in 2005 on ESPN2 and is now televised on ESPN Classic. Hosted by Brian Kenny, the series examines controversial figures and events in the history of sports that featured figure(s) involved in the event later being labeled as a scapegoat. In each episode, the show defends the accused by presenting evidence to separate fact from fiction, and then explaining why the accused cannot be held accountable from experts and witnesses.
Several reasons that didn't make the list (called "The Best of the Rest") are discussed first, followed by the actual top five reasons.
The first episode aired in April 2005 and examined The Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame Steve Bartman for the Cubs' 2003 playoff collapse. Bartman was excoriated by Cubs fans as the reason for the Cubs' 8th inning collapse against the Florida Marlins in the sixth game of the 2003 National League Championship Series. He unwittingly became the focus of the derision of long-suffering Cubs fans and the butt of many jokes.
Season 1
Other topics include The Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame...
- Art Modell for moving the Browns to Baltimore.
- Kobe Bryant for the breakup of the Lakers.
- John McEnroe for his repeated outbursts in tennis matches.
- Jerry Krause for the breakup of the Bulls.
- The 1919 White Sox for "throwing" the World Series. see Black Sox scandal
- Wilt Chamberlain for losing to Bill Russell in seven of their eight playoff matchups.
- The Portland Trail Blazers for drafting Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan.
- The U.S. golf team for its 1999 Ryder Cup celebration.
- Bill Buckner for the Red Sox losing the 1986 World Series.
- Umpire Don Denkinger for the Cardinals losing the 1985 World Series.
- Harry Frazee for selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees.
- The Atlanta Falcons for trading Brett Favre.
- Major League Baseball for keeping Pete Rose out of the Hall of Fame.
- Mike Tyson for losing to Buster Douglas.
Season 2
In September 2005 a new line-up of episodes was created. Season 2 examines The Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame...
- Mitch Williams for the Phillies losing the 1993 World Series.
- Ralph Branca for the Dodgers losing the 1951 pennant (see "The Shot Heard 'Round the World").
- The Edmonton Oilers for trading Wayne Gretzky.
- The BCS for the lack of a playoff in Division 1-A college football.
- Terrell Owens for his over-the-top celebrations.
- Earnest Byner for the Browns' playoff loss (see The Fumble).
- Dan Marino for never winning a Super Bowl.
- Scott Norwood for the Buffalo Bills losing Super Bowl XXV.
- Sports Illustrated magazine for publishing a Swimsuit Issue.
- Bob Knight for his repeated outbursts.
- Fred Brown for Georgetown's loss to North Carolina in the 1982 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship NCAA Final.
- Georgetown for losing to Villanova in the 1985 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship NCAA Final.
- Chris Webber for Michigan's loss to North Carolina in the 1993 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship NCAA Final.
- George Steinbrenner for the economic divide in Major League Baseball.
- José Canseco for of steroid use in baseball.
Season 3
- Michael Jordan for trying to play baseball.
- Charles Barkley for saying "I am not a role model."
- Walter O'Malley for moving the Dodgers from Brooklyn to Los Angeles.
- Greg Norman for not winning more majors.
- Len Bias' death for the demise of the Boston Celtics.
- Dennis Rodman for being a bad boy.
- Marvin Hagler for losing to Sugar Ray Leonard in 1987.
- Anna Kournikova for never winning a tennis title.
- The NCAA for not paying athletes.
- George Foreman for losing to Muhammad Ali (see "Rumble in the Jungle").
- The Minnesota Vikings for trading for Herschel Walker.
- Grady Little for the Red Sox losing the 2003 ALCS.
- Jerry Jones for the demise of the Cowboys.
- Bobby Cox for the repeated postseason losses of the Atlanta Braves.
Missing footage
On all but one episode (Michael Jordan tries to play baseball), no footage of National Basketball Association games appears. Shows with NBA themes generally look more like slide shows than television programs. The NBA's embargo on moving pictures resembles the prohibition the National Football League placed on ESPN during its original ESPN25 series. Neither the NBA nor ESPN will explain the omission, and no one covering sports on TV seems to have noticed this.
External links
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