In light of the recent Maurice Clarett debacle, I have decided to reflect on some athletes who had the world in the palm of their hand, and then chose to throw it away.  It is happening too often, seeing athletes with the potential fame and fortune, throw away their life's work and dreams on some poor decisions.  Let's start with the most recent and obvious, Maurice Clarett. 

"Yeah that's right, I F'd up....again"

Clarett won the NCAA Championship game for Ohio State when he was a freshman.  He had all the hype with him, and was proving that he was the man in the college scene amongst running backs.  This is the high point of his life.  Clarett's ego was swelling, and accompanied with some bad advice from agents and Jim Brown and others, Clarett decided to try to go to the NFL, a season before he was eligible.  He then spent the next year of his life battling it out with the NFL and the courts.  The NFL won.  Why did this one man think he could overturn a longtime standing NFL rule?  Bad advice and a big ego.  Why did he not just stay in college one more year?  He would have been the big man on campus, perhaps win another title, and probably still get paid.  Then he would have gone to the NFL, probably a top 10 pick I would guess.  But he chose delusions of grandeur and tried to test the waters.  He failed.  He then was in trouble with the law for insurance scams.  Then, for what reason I don't know, he gets a second chance.  The Broncos draft him and bring him into training camp.  Clarett, then arrives overweight and gets cut from the team.  Second chance blown.  Now, he is obviously in trouble.  This young man had the world in the palm of his hand, and threw it all away.  Could've made more money than most of us will see in a lifetime, and threw it all away.

Who else is on this list?

How about the NBA, and Leon Smith.  Do you remember this story?  he actually got paid, and then threw it all away.  Here is the story if you care to read. http://www.sportslawnews.com/archive/Mark's%20Vie
w/Thought27.html

And what about Rick Tocchet?  I am sure he collected enough wealth throughout his playing and coaching career to not need to start up a bookmaking business.  Talk about making the wrong decision, now he is probably looking at some long hard time.

Obviously the tops on the charts, would have to be Ray Carruth.  I am not even going to waste my time refreshing you all on his story, I am sure you all remember it well.

Another NBA guy, Chris Andersen.   Prohibited to play in the NBA for 2 years because he did some type of hard drug.  The NBA only bans players like this without warning for extreme substances.  Andersen had virtually no game, other than dunking, but he had managed to stick around in the NBA for a while.  Again, bad choices have started his demise.

Who else?  Shoeless Joe?  Stanley Roberts?  Half of the Tour De France?  Dale Carter?

It seems as though the list doesn't stop.

I would like to hear your opinions as well.  This is the first of a two part series, with the next installment being "Athletes that sucked it up, worked hard and made the most out of their situation.  I know, not a very catchy title, but it sums up what I want to get accross.

Who else had the world by the balls and threw it away?

The day after the Nuggets victory…what a sweet day it is.  Since the Nuggs shot a blistering 39% and got the ‘W’, I will spend some time today wondering this question: Why do people hate winners?  Here are a couple of conversations I have had at my local watering hole:

Conversation #1:

(Bar Patron) “I hope LSU beats Duke tonight!  It looks like it is going to happen!”

(Myself) “Why do you hope the blue devils lose?”

(Bar Patron) “I just can’t stand them, they win all the time and I hate those American Express Commercials.”

Conversation #2:

(Bar Patron) “Man I hope Tiger chokes down the stretch.”

(Myself) “Really?  Why is that?”

(Bar Patron) “He just wins too much.  Plus I don’t like his little celebrations.”

Hey, I am human.  I can understand the dislike of Coach K's Amex commercials that run every twenty seconds or so during march madness.  But it is conversations like these that make me wonder, why do people despise winners?  Why do people shun excellence in the sports world and not admire success?

There are several teams and players that people love to hate for no other reason than that they win more than others.  If I hear one more person say they hope Tiger Woods loses I will cringe.  An example should be made out of Tiger.  He is what all golfers should strive to be.  He has made it on the tour through nothing but hard work, and fans despise him for it.  Don’t like the celebrations or tantrums?  Heaven forbid, a golfer actually look passionate about the game he plays.  He is THE most dominant person in golf and will continue to win.  Why does everyone hate Tiger Woods so much?  Phil Mickelson has now won 3 majors…are people going to start hating him now?

We all know the teams people love to hate…the Yankees, Duke, Notre Dame, just to name a few.  I can understand the Yankees situation is a bit different because they basically have a blank check and can buy any player they want.  This is why baseball for the betterment of the sport should do profit sharing amongst the teams and have a salary cap.  But I digress, that is a bullet point for another day.  But all the teams listed above have one thing in common.  Historically they are winners.  Why do we hate winners?

Can anyone shed some light on this for me?  I can understand why Red Sox Fans hate the Yankees, they are bitter rivals.  Hell, I can’t stand CU as a Colorado State Grad.  I can understand the bitter animosity for another team when they are your rival.  What I don’t understand is despising a team or player because they are good at winning.  Just one man’s opinion…I am out like Kenyon Martin.