Sports idols who lost your respect?

[mccoyrj]

With all the hubbub around Phelps and A-Roid, has there ever been an athlete that you sincerely admired or idolized that later lost your respect?

I can't think of any of my childhood idols that let me down, but there were some I admired for their athleticism that later went down in flames. Pete Rose comes to mind.

 

[dfergie]

OJ...

 

[salsadancer7]

With all the hubbub around Phelps and A-Roid, has there ever been an athlete that you sincerely admired or idolized that later lost your respect?

I can't think of any of my childhood idols that let me down, but there were some I admired for their athleticism that later went down in flames. Pete Rose comes to mind.

Funny you started this thread...and the two I admired the most, only one let me down. Michael Jordan and all the rumors about his gambling....that was very disappointing.

My other idol NEVER disappointed me because there will never be a better man in baseball than Roberto Clemente.....period.

 

[mccoyrj]

OJ...

Good one. How could I forget him.

Funny you started this thread...and the two I admired the most, only one let me down. Michael Jordan and all the rumors about his gambling....that was very disappointing.

My other idol NEVER disappointed me because there will never be a better man in baseball than Roberto Clemente.....period.

Amen Salsa.

 

[SabresRule]

Luckily, no Buffalo sports stars during my time did anything this stupid.

(I was not alive when O.J. played in Buffalo)

 

[Rey]

Brett Favre. enough said.

 

[Ramy]

Pete Rose for sure.

 

[SamCdbs]

I am a little older than most of you.

My generation lost respect for all of the strikers in every sport. In the old days players were, and needed to be, approachable regular guys who worked hard. To strike against the fans was shameful.

Of recent vintage, I would have to say Tony Stewart. To go from a relationship with one of the finest Christian gentlemen in sports to one with a convicted criminal, all for money, was shameful.

 

[Jimbo]

Pete Rose for sure.

Unfortunately, I agree, Pete , loved to watch him on the field, but did nothing worthwhile off of it... although I'm sure he could do wonders as a batting coach, given the chance.
There's the one guy that sports refuses to give another chance after giving the majority of the other athletes chance after chance after chance, ala, Strawberry, Gooden, Steve Howell, (no I think I got his name wrong, the pitcher that was busted for drugs 7 times before he was removed from baseball). Someone correct me on his name, I knew it when I started this post and forgot it.

edit: the names posted here were not idols of mine other than Rose, and I'm not sure he was a idol either, just a great player that I followed on the Big Red Machine, always been a Big Pete Rose fan.

Jimbo

 

[HD MM]

Jim Thome.

Through the early 90's I watched him grow up through the Indians farm system, then grow into a fan favorite long baller in the Jacob's Field era. He was so loved in this town, that in 2003, a poll in the Cleveland Plain Dealer named Thome the most popular athlete in Cleveland sports history!

When his contract was up in 2002, he claimed to want to resign here in Cleveland. He had a home here. He was loved here. He was a throwback player with loyalties. He even said he wanted to stay. Here's his exact quote...

[FONT=trebuchet ms,geneva]"I've never even thought about playing for another team. I really like the idea of playing your whole career in one place. That doesn't happen much today. You look at Cal Ripken, Tony Gwynn, Kirby Puckett. For them to play their whole careers for one team, that's very special."

"What I do know is that my wife and I love it here, and we'd love to stay."[/FONT]

In the end, Thome took the money and signed with Philly. The city was crushed, myself included.

 

[Ramy]

Unfortunately, I agree, Pete , loved to watch him on the field, but did nothing worthwhile off of it... although I'm sure he could do wonders as a batting coach, given the chance.
There's the one guy that sports refuses to give another chance after giving the majority of the other athletes chance after chance after chance, ala, Strawberry, Gooden, Steve Howell, (no I think I got his name wrong, the pitcher that was busted for drugs 7 times before he was removed from baseball). Someone correct me on his name, I knew it when I started this post and forgot it.

edit: the names posted here were not idols of mine other than Rose, and I'm not sure he was a idol either, just a great player that I followed on the Big Red Machine, always been a Big Pete Rose fan.

Jimbo

You were close. It was Steve Howe.

 

[salsadancer7]

Jim Thome.

Through the early 90's I watched him grow up through the Indians farm system, then grow into a fan favorite long baller in the Jacob's Field era. He was so loved in this town, that in 2003, a poll in the Cleveland Plain Dealer named Thome the most popular athlete in Cleveland sports history!

When his contract was up in 2002, he claimed to want to resign here in Cleveland. He had a home here. He was loved here. He was a throwback player with loyalties. He even said he wanted to stay. Here's his exact quote...


In the end, Thome took the money and signed with Philly. The city was crushed, myself included.

Maybe he felt slighted by what he was offered in his next contract? ALOT goes on in those negociations. Who is his agent? Does his agent have a good realtionship with the team? Does the player have a good or bad history with his former team? Did he have a good relationship with ownership and the coaching/management? I mean the location of where you play is one of many reason why players stay or go.

 

[HD MM]

Maybe he felt slighted by what he was offered in his next contract? ALOT goes on in those negociations. Who is his agent? Does his agent have a good realtionship with the team? Does the player have a good or bad history with his former team? Did he have a good relationship with ownership and the coaching/management? I mean the location of where you play is one of many reason why players stay or go.

That's not the point. Thome was supposed to be different. This city has seen many players leave for more money, but Thome seemed to be a throwback player. He brought back the high socks, he lived in the suburbs with the rest of the common people of Cleveland. He was loved here more than any other athlete. His relationship with ownership, the players and managers were all mutually well.

Plain and simple though, he lied through his teeth. I wouldn't have lost my respect if he didn't lie and tell everyone he wanted to stay. But that's what he did. He broke hearts. 7 years later, I'm still not healed.

 

[riffjim4069]

OJ...

Yep, I used to really like OJ until he butchered two people...almost as bad was the fact people were labeled as being racist if they didn't jump on the "OJ was framed" bandwagon. It is harder to image a bigger scumbag than the wife-beater/double-murderer/convict OJ Simpson.

 

[salsadancer7]

That's not the point. Thome was supposed to be different. This city has seen many players leave for more money, but Thome seemed to be a throwback player. He brought back the high socks, he lived in the suburbs with the rest of the common people of Cleveland. He was loved here more than any other athlete. His relationship with ownership, the players and managers were all mutually well.

Plain and simple though, he lied through his teeth. I wouldn't have lost my respect if he didn't lie and tell everyone he wanted to stay. But that's what he did. He broke hearts. 7 years later, I'm still not healed.

Again dude, you weren't at the negociations were MAYBE something happened. I mean MAN, did I love Pudge Rodriguez. I was a HUGE fan BEFORE he came to the Marlins and when he became a Marlin....I almost went bankrupt paying for season tickets they year he was here.

Think of this....You FAVORITE player, STILL in his prime....and NOW is a part of YOUR FAVORITE TEAM!!! WOW!!! The on top of that LEADS THEM to an improbable World Series WIN!!! I almost wet my pants when that happened!

The he left for Detroit...and I was crushed...and for basically the same amount of money he wanted to stay with the Marlins. He ALREADY lived here, had a house on Star Island...the works. I was crushed! Still am to a certain extent. I spoke to him at a baseball clinic he had in Broward a few years back and he recognized me from both clinics he has given at the school I use to coach and some charity events here in Miami...and I flat out asked him what happened. He evaded the conversation until he gave in and said that negociations went a tad sour..of course it was never brought up in the news...but he stated that when ti comes to negociations...SOMETHING always happens to turn things, unfotunately, for the worst most of the time.

Believe me...I am still smartin' !

 

[HD MM]

Again dude, you weren't at the negociations were MAYBE something happened. I mean MAN, did I love Pudge Rodriguez. I was a HUGE fan BEFORE he came to the Marlins and when he became a Marlin....I almost went bankrupt paying for season tickets they year he was here.

Think of this....You FAVORITE player, STILL in his prime....and NOW is a part of YOUR FAVORITE TEAM!!! WOW!!! The on top of that LEADS THEM to an improbable World Series WIN!!! I almost wet my pants when that happened!

The he left for Detroit...and I was crushed...and for basically the same amount of money he wanted to stay with the Marlins. He ALREADY lived here, had a house on Star Island...the works. I was crushed! Still am to a certain extent. I spoke to him at a baseball clinic he had in Broward a few years back and he recognized me from both clinics he has given at the school I use to coach and some charity events here in Miami...and I flat out asked him what happened. He evaded the conversation until he gave in and said that negociations went a tad sour..of course it was never brought up in the news...but he stated that when ti comes to negociations...SOMETHING always happens to turn things, unfotunately, for the worst most of the time.

Believe me...I am still smartin' !

Sorry dude, all answers will be different for each individual. You can't make me think otherwise. That's my answer and I'm sticking to it.

 

[SmokeFan14]

I am a little older than most of you.

My generation lost respect for all of the strikers in every sport. In the old days players were, and needed to be, approachable regular guys who worked hard. To strike against the fans was shameful.

Of recent vintage, I would have to say Tony Stewart. To go from a relationship with one of the finest Christian gentlemen in sports to one with a convicted criminal, all for money, was shameful.

All for money?? Are you kidding me? He owns like 3 other series teams. He had more money than the law allows after a few seasons with Gibbs..much less 10 years. He was/is setting himself up for after his racing career is over, to have a way to stay in the racing industry as an owner. Lots of teams would've killed to have ol' Smoke on their "roster", and had the money to offer him...i.e; Hendrick, etc.. Was it a great move financially? Absolutely. Did he have anything to do with Gene Haas' criminal behavior? Hell no. It was a great business decision. No upfront investment and 50% stake in the largest CNC machine tool builder in the Western world. I and probably 99% of other people would've done the same thing. That being said, Gibbs is a great man in more ways than one as far as I can tell, so we do agree on that.

 

[Rey]

Hey smokefan

 

[SmokeFan14]

What up, Rey?! Hope all is well down your way!

 

[Paul Wozniak]

It would be a shorter list to name those who HAVEN'T lost my respect.