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Which athlete fell furthest and fastest off the talent cliff?

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by Evil Bastard (aka Chris_L), Apr 12, 2009.

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Which athlete fell furthest and fastest off the talent cliff?

  1. Chuck Knoblauch

    1 vote(s)
    2.2%
  2. David Duval

    20 vote(s)
    43.5%
  3. Mike Tyson

    5 vote(s)
    10.9%
  4. Steve Blass

    3 vote(s)
    6.5%
  5. Andruw Jones

    7 vote(s)
    15.2%
  6. Jim Carey - NHL

    2 vote(s)
    4.3%
  7. Other

    4 vote(s)
    8.7%
  8. David Ortiz

    4 vote(s)
    8.7%
  1. Armchair_QB

    Armchair_QB Well-Known Member

    MLB history is littered with one-hit wonders who won Rookie of the Year. Guys like Hamelin and Charbonneau don't belong in this discussion.
     
  2. urgrad2004

    urgrad2004 Member

    Ian Baker Finch
     
  3. JR

    JR Well-Known Member

    Alexandre Daigle.

    Most expensive first overall draft ($12.5 million over five years) pick in NHL history and arguably the biggest flop.

    "I'm glad I got drafted first, because no one remembers number two"--#2 that year was Chris Pronger.

    An NHL GM was purported to say about Daigle, "Alexandre loves hockey. He just doesn't like playing it."

    Singlehandedly responsible for the introduction of the rookie salary cap in the latest CBA.
     
  4. goalmouth

    goalmouth Well-Known Member

    Who was the steroided OL the Packers chose #1? I forgot his name.
     
  5. e_bowker

    e_bowker Member

    To fall off the talent cliff, don't you actually have to climb up it first?
     
  6. cougargirl

    cougargirl Active Member

    Goalmouth - Tony Mandarich.

    Todd Marinovich

    Maurice Clarett - although I'd say his was more like pissing away his talent.

    Jason Bonsignore

    Brian Lawton - although he falls more into the "unfulfilled expectation" category.
     
  7. Baron Scicluna

    Baron Scicluna Well-Known Member

    Timmy Smith
     
  8. Beaker

    Beaker Active Member

    Michael Owen
     
  9. Gues#t

    Gues#t Guest

    Bill 'Snuffy Smith' Rogers went from a solid pro to a slicing hack overnight, and never sniffed it again.
     
  10. old_tony

    old_tony Well-Known Member

    This is one of my guys. He went from British Open winner in 1991 to shooting 92 in the first round of the 1997 British Open, withdrawing and retiring. Recovered to have a nice announcing career.

    Here's one a little less recent: Phil Ford.
     
  11. Double J

    Double J Active Member

    This is probably uncharitable, since he'd been so great for so long, but how about Warren Spahn? He went 23-7 with seven shutouts and a 2.60 ERA at age 42, a season in which he led the NL in complete games, including a 1-0, 16-inning loss to the Giants (Juan Marichal also went the distance to get the win - probably the last time two starters both went that long). After that, he went 13-29 in the next two seasons before finally, mercifully, packing it in.

    You could also throw his old teammate Hank Aaron in the mix. He hit 40 home runs in only 392 at-bats in 1973, then hit only 42 more in the next three seasons before he too, finally, mercifully, retired. Of course, after he passed Babe Ruth, he really didn't have much in the way of motivation other than the big contracts.
     
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