With April Fool’s Day nearly upon us, the time has come for this column to reveal the annual Fool of the Year in sports.

The definition of a fool is “a man devoid of sound judgement.”

That produces plenty of candidates over the past calendar year.

The Oakland Raider organization may not be Fool of the Year, but could be considered Fool-In-Waiting. The Raiders dealt for Antonio Brown, figuring they got a real team player, then went out and topped that by signing ever-controversial linebacker Vontaze Burfict.

Talk about mixing a concoction ready to explode, Keep your eyes on that situation, as I’m sure most Pittsburgh football fans will.

Fans can be Fool of the Year contenders as well. A Boston Celtics fan made inappropriate comments directed at Golden State’s Demarcus Cousins and earned himself a two-year ban from attending NBA games in Boston.

A Utah Jazz fan went one better. He uttered inappropriate comments toward Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook and got himself a lifetime ban from attending Jazz games.

Staying with the NBA, one must consider the New Orleans Pelicans a candidate for Fool of the Year. Their star player, Anthony Davis, wants traded despite being under contract for another couple of years.

To punish “him,” the Pelicans decided not to play Davis in the fourth quarter of any game for the rest of the season. Isn’t sitting your best player for the final quarter punishing your own team?

Duh.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim signed Mike Trout to a $20 million deal. They have yet to win with him. They also have yet to win with Albert Pujols, who they gave more than $200 million to a few years ago.

Fools never learn.

Steelers tight end Xavier Grimble is a candidate. He had a sure touchdown catch against the Denver Broncos last season, but decided to try running over a defender instead of around him. The result was Grimble fumbling the ball through the end zone, the Steelers losing a touchdown and eventually the game, which kicked off a late-season fade that cost them a playoff spot.

A foolish move, indeed.

But not foolish enough to land Fool of the Year honors.

That distinction goes to .... drum roll, please ... former Steeler running back Le’Veon Bell.

This is a man who turned down $14.5 million to play football last year after turning down a multi-year offer with a Super Bowl contender that was worth more than he eventually got with the New York Jets.

The Jets, by the way, are not a Super Bowl contender.

And Bell will never make up that $14.5 million he spurned last year — letting himself get out of shape in the process.

Le’Veon got his green by agreeing to wear the Green.

And left all other fools green with envy.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle