Which athlete fell furthest and fastest off the talent cliff?

I'm stunned Tyson isn't getting more votes. He was the undefeated, undisputed heavyweight champ and then he was in jail and then he was biting Holyfield's ear and wanting to eat Lewis' children.

That's a bigger fall than Duval took.

 

Kordell Stewart.
Eric Hinske.
Jim Carey.

 

Ooh - Jim Carey is a good one.

 

Mark "The Bird" Fidrych

Should players who had a major injury be listed?

How about Steve Kemp?

And is "F" really his middle name?

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kempst01.shtml

 

As I remember it, he didn't actually end up going over the cliff.

 

But it wasn't as sudden. To me, you ALWAYS knew Tyson was a little bit crazy. Then he was crazier. Then he was CRAZY. But it was more a slipping away into Bolivian than a dropoff like Duval had.

I'd vote for Ankiel, in terms of his first career. I mean, he just freaking LOST it.

 

And isn't that how boxer's careers pretty much always go? One day, they just get in the ring and are a smidge too slow and start to get pounded.

 

Duval had some back issues that royally fucked his game up.

Jones is a better candidate — no obvious reason why he should just fall off the face of the earth at age 29, when he should've been at his peak.

 

Jim Carey skyrocketed to the bottom as quickly as he rose to the top.

Vezina winner at 22, washed up by 25.

 

End of thread.

 

Eh, I don't know.

Anderson was only great for one season, the infamous 1996 year when he hit a (allegedly) steroid-induced 50 homers. Other than that year, he was a .270-.280, 15-20 homer guy, and he maintained those numbers as late as 1999. He also played in 140+ games and hit 19 home runs in 2000.

 

Any mention of Nomar?