Who is the biggest waste of talent in sports history ?

**Iron Warrior** · 07-03-2004, 12:03 AM

My choice goes to Mike Tyson. I truly believe he could have been the greatest if he would have stayed focused and out of trouble. He was the world's heavyweigth champ at 20. He was a knockout machine when he was focused.

I think Darryl Strawberry is a close second, it still boggles my mind how he was caught with coke and a hooker even though he knew he had cancer.

DieTrying · 07-03-2004, 12:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iron Warrior

My choice goes to Mike Tyson. I truly believe he could have been the greatest if he would have stayed focused and out of trouble. He was the world's heavyweigth champ at 20. He was a knockout machine when he was focused.

I think Darryl Strawberry is a close second, it still boggles my mind how he was caught with coke and a hooker even though he knew he had cancer.

Ryan Leaf has to come to mind. Dunno if any of you guys remember a guy named Cecil Collins, but us Dolphin fans sure do. Also, not at all a waste of talent, but it would have been amazing to watch Barry Sanders play another 5-6 years.

**Iron Warrior** · 07-03-2004, 01:26 AM

Yeah I forgot about Ryan Leaf LOL! He's gotta be one of the biggest pussies in NFL history.

Barry Sanders is the best back of all time IMO. Would have been a treat to watch him break the rushing record. It's amazing how he never had much talent around him or a fullback for most of his career but was still able to dominate. The only thing I have to criticize him for is quitting on his teammates 1.5 months before the season began. He should have given earlier notice to the team just out of respect for his teammates who were counting on him.

**CEDeoudes59** · 07-03-2004, 10:22 AM

MLB - Ken Griffey Jr. (still having a great career, but was once on pace to shatter the homerun record).

NFL - Brian Bosworth, Lawerence Phillips, Cecil Collins, Heath Shuler, Akili Smith (smith was never talented however).

NHL - ? people say Eric Lindros but I can't label Lindros a bust.

NBA - Grant Hill (Injuries absolutely ruined him), soon you can add Kwame Brown to this list - he will be the worst #1 pick in the past 15 years.

**size** · 07-03-2004, 10:59 AM

I remember Cecil "The Diesel" Collins. He was dominant at LSU, and I expected him to be a strong NFL player.

I think it is Bo Jackson. He was absolutely incredible. However, I am not sure if his talent was wasted, but rather it ended to early due to injury.
I spend alot of time analizing sports for job purposes and Bo Jackson was the most talented guy that I ever saw.

Another wasted talent was Archie Manning. He did not waste it, but the teams he played for were awful in ever other position. Archie Manning had the potential and talents to be a Hall of Fame quaterback, but unfortunately for him, he got stuck player for some of the worst teams in history.

**CEDeoudes59** · 07-03-2004, 01:11 PM

Bo Jackson was certainly ahead of his time, but would he be the best athlete in professional today if say, he was a rookie?
Bo Jackson and Hershall Walker remind me alot of Fred Taylor today.
Only back in the Jackson's and Walker's day - they were bigger and faster than most linebackers, that wouldnt be the case today.
Jackson was clearly more talented than Walker, Walker lacked the vision to be a great RB.

**CEDeoudes59** · 07-03-2004, 01:12 PM

eddie george is pretty soft today

**size** · 07-03-2004, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deoudes59

Bo Jackson was certainly ahead of his time, but would he be the best athlete in professional today if say, he was a rookie?

Bo Jackson would be dominant today. I would be willing to bet a large sum of money on that.
Bo Jackson rarely trained in the weight room. Could you imagine if he had?

However, this will be a pointless debate as it is impossible to prove either way.

rsray1975 · 07-03-2004, 01:55 PM

I think Ryan Leaf has to be up there. As for Ken Griffey, and Grant Hill I dont know if I put them into the same kind of wasted talent as Ryan because of injuries. How about Brian bosworth, Andy Katzenmoyer, Tony Mandarich. I have to say thanks for Tony being touted as the best lineman ever entering the draft, because it aloud Barry Sanders to come here to detroit. Watching Barry was without a doubt the best times in football to me. He was a @ss for quiting early though. Kwame Brown is also a good name to have on the list. How aobut Sam Bowie remember him he was drafted before Michael Jordan. I better go before I keep thinking of more busts.

**size** · 07-03-2004, 02:05 PM

Tony Mandarich is definitely a good one. What about Todd Marinovich? He was a serious bust who had been groomed his whole life to be a professional.

**CEDeoudes59** · 07-03-2004, 02:27 PM

I think Bo would be good-great today.
I think that he benefited (some) from 'being ahead of his time'.
Maybe its not as applicable to baseball or football (in the past 10-15years).

Certainly the comparsion is accurate in basketball and hockey.
If Lebron James launched his career in the 80s -- would he be better than Jordan? (it would depend on how many championships we won -- thats what ultimately separates Jordan from ever other superstar)

If Teemu Sellane, Pavel Bure, Jaromir Jagr played in Gretzky's era - I have no doubt that they would have scored more goals than Gretzky. But Wayne is still the best ever. Mario second

**Swanson52** · 07-03-2004, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by size

Tony Mandarich is definitely a good one. .

That's who I was thinking! Remember that HUGE spread in SI when he was a senior-talked about his diet, weight training, what a force he would be in the NFL, etc. etc. What a ****in joke.

Skark · 07-03-2004, 03:10 PM

You can't fault Barry Sanders for the timing of his retirement. Do you feel like YOU abandoned your teamates (co-workers) the last time you quit a job? Did YOU give 1 and a half months notice?

I don't fault guys like Leaf, Shuler, and Akili Smith, they just didn't have the talent, and it is the teams that made the mistake.

To me, its the guys that throw their careers and lives away chasing the white powder.

And of course guys like Collins, Riddick Bowe (who had more talent than anyone I've seen when motivated), Ike Ikebuchi (who WOULD be the heavyweight champ right now) and Rae Curruth, who not only did in their own career, but are now in the hole.

**CEDeoudes59** · 07-03-2004, 04:04 PM

cocaine is a hell of a drug

**Iron Warrior** · 07-03-2004, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by size

What about Todd Marinovich? He was a serious bust who had been groomed his whole life to be a professional.

This dude was a HUGE mental case. Last I heard he was caught using drugs and last played in the AFL. He was supposed to be the next Kenny Stabler for the Raiders.

About the grooming part, he was being pretty much forced to be an athlete by his father since he was a child, didn't have a burger until his teens cause his dad was strict with him.

**Iron Warrior** · 07-03-2004, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skark

You can't fault Barry Sanders for the timing of his retirement. Do you feel like YOU abandoned your teamates (co-workers) the last time you quit a job? Did YOU give 1 and a half months notice?

I see your point of view. The reason I critcized him was because I was looking at it from an ex-community college player's point of view cause I'd be mad if I were busting my ass and the guy we rely on the most quits on such short notice since learning an NFL offensive system can take some time

**Iron Warrior** · 07-03-2004, 04:41 PM

One of the most intriguing things about Bo Jackson was that he wasn't even as dedicated to football as other football players since he was playing about 8-10 games a year for the Raiders. He'd be a 1500 yard rusher in today's NFL. HIs acceleration was incredible, extremely physically gifted for the 80's and early 90's