When man bites man, it’s not just Suarez
In the midst of the universal condemnation of Luis Suarez for his chomp on Italy’s Georgio Chiellini, it’s worth remembering that he's not the only person ever to get the munchies and decide the best thing to chew on is the nearest human.
One of the most famous early viral videos was ‘Charlie bit my finger’. Baby Charlie biting on his older brother’s finger became the most watched video ever on YouTube and is much much cuter than our other examples.
Before there was Suarez, there was Tyson.
The most notorious incident of biting in sport was Mike Tyson getting his teeth into Evander Holyfield and tearing a chunk off his heavyweight rival’s ear during their world title fight in 1997.
Tyson was disqualified, but later had his boxing licence reinstated.
Rugby also has its biters.
New Zealand were heading towards a series-clinching second Test win over South Africa in 1994 when Johan Le Roux clearly bit All Blacks hooker Sean Fitzpatrick. Replays showed Fitzpatrick wincing in pain as Le Roux drew blood.
The South African was sent home in disgrace, banned for 17 months and his international career ended.
More recently England hooker Dylan Hartley was suspended for eight weeks for biting Ireland player Stephen Ferris during an RBS 6 Nations match in 2012. There was no television evidence, but Hartley was found guilty.
Just last month US baseball player Miguel Oliva bit a teammate so badly he needed surgery.
The Albuquerque Isotopes players got into a confrontation during a game and the incident ended with one of the Dodgers’ top prospects Alex Guerrero requiring plastic surgery after having a chunk of his ear bitten off by the veteran catcher.
Olivo was released by the Dodgers organisation two days later.
In a case of art imitating life Game of Thrones actor Clive Mantle was badly bitten in a fight. The character he played in the hit TV show had two fingers bitten off but in real life it was his ear that was chewed.
Mantle got into an argument with fellow guests in a hotel, and his ear was so badly damaged he needed reconstructive surgery.
By comparison, Chiellini seems to have had a lucky escape.
