U thought Michael Vick going to jail for dog-fighting was stupid and ignorant, and it was (what most people fail to realize is that Vick went to prison for the interstate operation of the dog fighting ring and not for the actual act of dog fighting, thats just a misdemeanor charge but when u operate an illegal activity from state to state the Feds get involved), but I must say the recent Plaxico Burress incident of shooting himself in the leg accidentally tops all Stupid Athletes Activites in recent memory. Below are a few more stupid athlete moments from the past, if u can think of more please add to the list:

1. In 2006, Ben Roethlisberger survived an offseason near-death experience after he crashed his motorcycle into the side of a moving automobile; Big Ben was not wearing a helmet

2. The NBA's second overall pick in 2002, Jason Williams, suffered multiple injuries, including a fractured pelvis and a torn ACL, when he crashed his motorcycle. His injuries were so severe that amputation to one of his legs was a possibility. Like Roethlisberger, he was also not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. Not exactly the smartest move to make after signing an $11 million, three-year deal.

3. In 2002, Jeff Kent , of the then San Francisco Giants, missed the beginning of the season due to a broken wrist. He claims to have suffered the injury while washing his truck

4. MLB's Marty Cordova bought himself some time on the disabled list in 2002 after getting a burn at a tanning salon

5. Detroit Tigers closer Joel Zumaya sat out three games in 2006 after he strained his throwing arm playing "Guitar Hero" on Playstation 2

6. NBA's Golden State Warrior point guard Monta Ellis tore a deltoid ligament in his left ankle after falling off a moving mo-ped a month before training camp was to start ('08-'09 season). All of this just after signing a six-year $66 million deal a month earlier, this activity is clearly prohibited under chapter 12 of the NBA's uniform player contract. He is not the first player in the NBA to disobey the contract, and I'm sure won't be the last...In the middle of the 2007-2008 season, L.A. Lakers Forward Vladamir Radmonovic was fined $500,000 by his team for separating his shoulder while snowboarding, an activity that is also forbidden in all contracts

MATT RYAN just like his rookie predessor of 2004 BEN ROETHLISBERGER will more than likely be named Rooke of the Year (although Joe Flacco of the Baltimore Ravens, Chris Johnson of the Tennesse Titans and Matt Forte of the Chicago Bears will garner a few sympathy votes) and deservedly so, Ryan has played like a QB who's been in the NFL for 4 to 5 years and he's very much the Franchise Leader the Atlanta Falcons were hoping he would be when they drafted him #2 overall. The Falcons are having a fantastic season (8-5) considering all the chaos of last year, Michal Vick going to jail and their cowardly coach Bobby Petrino quitting on the team with a few games left in the season, and its not to far out of possibility to see the Falcons make a deep run into playoffs if in fact they get in and can stay focused on what they do best--(running the ball and play-action passing)

Now it might be too early to ask this question because Ryan has a few more games left in this season but I was wondering and wanted to know what u guys thought....no matter what happens with Matt and his Falcons the rest of the way who will have had the best rookie qb season of all time--Ryan, Roethlisberger or is it another QB in the history of the NFL who's rookie season stands out in your mind?

I'm never one to knock the hustle of a NFL referee, they have a hard enough job in real time that I totally respect and wouldn't dare attempt, but we all have to admit this year has been a down year in terms of execution for the REFS. Every fan has had his moments of hatred and confusion while watching there favorite team on any given Sunday-Monday-Thursday or that occasional Saturday toward the men in stripe shirts and most of it this year has been deserved; but when its all said and done the NFL refs have the hardest job of all the professional sports because of the speed and size of the athletes. Just like your favorite team or player or that team the NFL referees will bounce back next year with a quality season after having a down year this season

Drew Brees was on pace to break Dan Marino's single season passing yards record but as of this coming week it looks like that record will stay in tact and thats good because the comparisons between the two should stop right there. Drew is a fighter and gutsy QB and when its all said and done he will put up Hall of Fame type statistics but will he be worthy of the Hall of Fame? I'm not sure but what I do know is Marino went into the Hall on his very first ballot and deservingly so, he was a Star as soon as he hit the NFL and he took a under-deserving Dolphin team to the Super Bowl in his second full season in the league on his way to a career where he was feared by most defenses and defensive coordinator. Brees doesn't strike that type of fear but he goes out each and every week looking to lead his team to a win and he doesn't go down without a fight....I like that about Brees but I'm not prepared to make him out as the next Marino but what he might be able to do that 'Dan the Man' never did was bring home a Super Bowl Victory--maybe

I know its still early in Roy Williams tenure with the Dallas Cowboys but I'm prepared to say right now that the acquisition of the WR by the Cowboys is a full-on BUST. When its all said and done the Detroit Lions will have gotten the better of the deal (they received 2 first round picks from Dallas) and the Cowboys will be left with another player that can't deliver on the super-star level that owner Jerry Jones expected when he signed them. Roy Williams is good and use to be great a few years back with the Lions but he now looks slow, overweight and disinterested

Rumor has it that at some point today the New York Yankees will do what they've done consistently for the last 8 years, start an expensive off-season spending spree on free agents by inking a proposed 7-year $160 million deal with ace pitcher CC Sebathia. And if history is any indication by the end of this coming season ('09) the Yankees will be where they were the last 8 Octobers, at home watching another team win the World Series. CC isn't the only player N.Y. will over-pay for, word has it they plan on buying another pitcher or 2 and maybe a position player will be thrown in the mix (if the over-price is right, they might try to break the bank on signing FA Manny Ramirez)

We're already past the point of trying to convince MLB to change the financial structure of the league so that all teams have somewhat of a fair chance of winning the World Series each year, that dead-horse has been beaten to no end and the high profile MLB owners are too greedy to give up one red cent (yes, i know teams like the Yankees that have high payrolls year in and year out have to pay a luxury tax that is then spread out to the smaller market teams but we're a few years in to that experiment and so far that excess of money has yet to make a bit of difference when it comes to those low-tier teams acquiring high-impact players), so baseball at least should be preaching some type of quality control amongst all teams personnel acquisitions

Because the Yankees have proven again and again that just because you go out and pick up 2 or 3 superior talented baseball players each offseason, by spending hundreds of millions of dollars, doesn't mean your going to win the World Series; its the exact opposite, more times than not teams that over-spend on free-agents end up missing the playoffs that same year or if they do make the playoffs there bounced out in the divisional round. Its all about team chemistry on and off the field and building your roster through your farm system not the free agent system. I expect the Yankees to make more headlines in the coming dayz by spending more money and signing players that will more than likely crack under the pressure of the New York media (see A-Rod) and 3 years into their contract will be on the Yankee bench or out-right released....which will equal more seasons of No-World Championship Titles for the Steinbrenner family.....at some point you would think the Yankee Organization will wake up and figure out that spending money foolishly is the 'root of all Evil Empires'

1. LeBron James is having an MVP type season so far and at the rate his game is growing he might be league MVP for the next 3 or 4 years but if he's of the mind-set that he's going to have better exposure and greater opportunity to win multiple Championship Rings in the Tri-State Gotham area come 2010 he's sadly mistaken. No matter the financial arrangement that other teams can offer, the Cleveland Cavalier can offer him more money, in addition within the state of Ohio/Midwest Region he's the biggest professional draw period and from an on-the court point of view he's in a better player personnel position to go back to the Finals and possibly win it all. Even with Lebron James on their rosters during the '10-'11 season the Knicks or Nets would still be years away from proving to be any consistent NBA Crown Threat and I'm sure King James will not like that as part of his burgeoning legacy especially considering the Cavs this season will once again, like last year, push the Celtics for the title of Eastern Conference Champ. Just like his American Idol before him, Michael Jordan and the city of Chicago, Lebron James staying in Cleveland for his entire career (or at least through his prime career years) can permanently put that city on the NBA map and make the Cavaliers relevant in a town that so desperately needs a legitimate Sports Champion

2. Gilbert Arenas of the Washington Wizards is either the smartest guy in the NBA right now or the Wizard organization is the dumbest, I'm going to go with the latter. This past  off-season they gave a HUGE Money contract extension to an oft-injured Arenas who hasn't played a full healthy season in 3 years for the Wizards and has yet to play a minute for them this year. They gae him the money in fear that they would lose him to another team and then potentialy  have to watch Gilbert come back to Washington and beat them mercifully on the court in another uniform, well Wizard fans you don't have to worry about him beating you or any team on the court with his play but you do have the chance to see him in another uniform; not an opponent uniform but the uniform of a businessman. Arenas will be 'sporting' the perverbial IR 3-piece suit while riding the bench for the forseeable future and I don't see it changing much at all, he's an injury prone player (after having a clean bill of health his first 3 years in the league) who's had a numerous knee surgeries, the so-called 'death injury' for any player who relies on his quickness to be effective, Gilbert will be considered lucky if he can carve out a career similar to past NBA vet' Bernard King

3. David Stern needs to figure out how to raise the quality bar of play in his league. There are 4 teams in each league that are playing at a high level and can be considered a legit contender for the NBA crown, and this isn't a recent phenomenom this has been going on in the NBA for quite a long time and I don't see a change coming any time soon. As long as the league continues to let college 1 and done players enter the NBA who are not ready to contribute from a skilled on the court point of attack, the league will continue to have 3/4 of their teams resemble Minor League organizations. Of course there are more reasons why the NBA has a poor quality of play in general, coaching--players with bad attitudes making a ton of money they don't deserve, but the gist of it starts at the foundation of player development and that starts at the college level; Stern needs to mandate a rule that players have to be at least 2 years removed from their senior year in high school to enter the NBA, at that point you might start to see better quality of individual and team play n the NBA

4. I feel sorry for the Portland Trail Blazer fans, there string of First Round Center draft Bust seems to be continuing with the slow emergence of Greg Oden. They suffered with an oft-injured Bill Walton (although he did deliver a championship for the city but he should of delivered more if wasn't for his chronic bad knees), Sam Bowie was drafted in '84 and immediately went on IR--he has the distinction and curse of being drafted ahead of Michael Jordan (to the Blazers credit they didn't need a 2 guard because they had Clyde Drexler so I understand that move) and in the '07 draft they step up and find themselves in the positon of drafting #1 overall again so they pick the highly touted Greg Oden out of Ohio State. What does he do, he plays one or two exhibitions games and is immediately shut down for the year so he can have micro-knee surgery, not a good sign for a player who hadn't had a healthy full season since his junior year in high school. So this year ('08-'09) Oden is finally playing and by all accounts has shown some flash of potential greatness but he has a lot of work to do to refine his game (he only played one year in college and in that one year he proved to be a great defensive talent but his offensive skills were poor to say the least) he has a lot of work to do if he's going to be the Franchise Dominant Force the whole league is expecting him to be, one if not many Blazer fans hope he can stay healthy long enough to realize his full potential