With April Fool’s Day having just passed, now is the time for my annual presentation of Sports Fool of the Year.

As happens so often, there are plenty of candidates.

Fools exist in all walks of this world. Sports fools are particularly interesting because the foolish things they do can have serious repercussions to themselves or to their team.

For example:

Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur opted to kick a field goal on fourth down deep in Tampa Bay territory in the NFC Championship Game, his team trailing the Bucs by eight with just over two minutes left.

Like Tom Brady’s gonna give the ball back to The Pack. He didn’t — and Green Bay lost by five.

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash pulling ace pitcher Blake Snell from Game 6 of the World Series, his team leading 1-0 in a must-win to force Game 7.

Snell’s pitch count was not outrageous. This move was, as the Rays’ bullpen got hit around and Tampa Bay lost the game — and the series.

Then there’s Major League Baseball in general. The owners and players squabbled their way right to a basic ruination of their 2020 season. At a time when this nation needed live sports, MLB fought over money.

A big — and needless — public relations hit.

How about Le’Veon Bell?

Remember when he was “all that” with the Steelers? He turned down millions of dollars, then sat out a season and thus lost millions more.

That decision caused him to be released by one of the NFL’s worst teams, the New York Jets, became virtually a non-factor with Kansas City, and he is now trying to find any team that will take him.

The Pittsburgh Penguins were eliminated in four games by the Montreal Canadiens in the “play-in” round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. In a regular year, Montreal would not have even qualified for the playoffs.

Ouch.

But none of these guys are Fool of the Year.

That honor belongs to professional tennis star Novak Djokovic.

He entered the 2020 U.S. Open as a three-time champion. He was riding a 26-match winning streak and was the No. 1 seed, an overwhelming favorite to win the Open.

But he was disqualified.

Why?

Because he swatted a tennis ball out of play out of frustration in losing a point and inadvertently struck one of the tournament’s officials.

That official was dazed. Those in charge of the tournament called an impromptu meeting court-side and decided to dismiss Djokovic from the tournament.

Djokovic’s move — in my eyes — was the most foolish sports move of the past calendar year.

Congrats!

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle