Who's the *current* athlete you find the most disappointing? Not in a "damn he ran down 3 nuns while snorting coke in his Hummer" way, but as an athlete, who do you think is the biggest bust going? Remember, guys who flamed out and quit or got hurt young (Ryan Leaf retired right?) don't count, only guys who are actually still playing. Bonus marks for guys who actually do have tones of talent but just don't seem to use it rather than guys who got hurt.
In terms of ability and hype versus current performance, here are my picks:
Sure he's good (I guess, what do I know), but have you ever seen a pro athlete who looks more pleased to be sitting out? It seems half the time they show Raptor highlights on TV it starts with Vince in a nice suit sitting down joking and laughing. Not only is he an overpaid cancer in his dressing room, but his combination of fragility and apparent happiness to be in street clothes courtside while his teammates go down in flames night after night must just drive the Raps nuts.
Alexandre Daigle. Only now is he settling in as a middling NHLer, but as a former very hyped #1 overall pick who was compared directly to Mario and Bure it has to be one of the biggest disappointments in hockey draft history. The fact he did show signs of offensive flair early in his career but then just disappeared, with his Sens teamates privately labeling him a coward who became unwilling to take a legit hit, a damning indictment in a contact sport. Eventually he retired briefly afting doing nothing to justify his huge initial contract before coming back as a third liner who chips in the odd goal while happily playing small minutes on a mediocre team. Gets bonus marks for claiming he never liked hockey and only played for the money and to make his dad happy when he retired in his mid 20's.
Who else? I don't know football, and for baseball all I can think of is a guy like Kris Benson who has all the skills to be one of the best pitchers around but except for one hot streak this year (which naturally fizzled when he was traded) he's never played close to his potential.
In terms of ability and hype versus current performance, here are my picks:
Sure he's good (I guess, what do I know), but have you ever seen a pro athlete who looks more pleased to be sitting out? It seems half the time they show Raptor highlights on TV it starts with Vince in a nice suit sitting down joking and laughing. Not only is he an overpaid cancer in his dressing room, but his combination of fragility and apparent happiness to be in street clothes courtside while his teammates go down in flames night after night must just drive the Raps nuts.
Alexandre Daigle. Only now is he settling in as a middling NHLer, but as a former very hyped #1 overall pick who was compared directly to Mario and Bure it has to be one of the biggest disappointments in hockey draft history. The fact he did show signs of offensive flair early in his career but then just disappeared, with his Sens teamates privately labeling him a coward who became unwilling to take a legit hit, a damning indictment in a contact sport. Eventually he retired briefly afting doing nothing to justify his huge initial contract before coming back as a third liner who chips in the odd goal while happily playing small minutes on a mediocre team. Gets bonus marks for claiming he never liked hockey and only played for the money and to make his dad happy when he retired in his mid 20's.
Who else? I don't know football, and for baseball all I can think of is a guy like Kris Benson who has all the skills to be one of the best pitchers around but except for one hot streak this year (which naturally fizzled when he was traded) he's never played close to his potential.
