That’s actually kind of true. They didn’t take the actual medal from him. Presumably, he still has it. But I guess someone can take it from him…robbery, for example.
I just saw Lance Armstrong in an ad for some supplement on YouTube. I’m gobsmacked. What the hell were they thinking? Then again, NBC had him on their Tour de France coverage.
Nobody ever asked OJ to drop by the broadcast booth for NFL games, so I’d probably rank Simpson’s fall from grace as more substantial than Armstrong’s. Folks forget how popular OJ was back in the day. A poll in 1976 ranked him the most admired celebrity by school-age boys AND girls, above folks like Neil Armstrong and Chris Evert. Yes, his fame was almost entirely within the US, but that’s a mighty big market, and he was a mighty big star. By 1995, no one of any note wanted to be associated with him.
But today, kinda popular with the “bro” set. His fall was drastic, but he hasn’t hit bottom like OJ or Pistorius, or probably even Armstrong. The man even had an Adult Swim series in 2014. The type of people who would be most apt to like Tyson in the first place would also be the most likely to overlook his rape conviction.
Tyson has taken a circuitous route from mainstream idol to cult favorite.
Take it they did:
Wow. Thanks for the education. But could they have taken it from him legally, if challenged? The story says “Johnson handed the medal back to the IOC.” implying he gave it back voluntarily.
Tyson had a one man show on Broadway. He’s been in movies. He’s doing much better than many boxing champs.
I don’t know if Aaron Hernandez was the biggest fall, since he only played 3 seasons and lost the Super Bowl. But I certainly think he was the hardest fall. Six months after his Super Bowl appearance, he started a chain of events that ended with three murders (I know he was only convicted of one, but I think he committed all three or was so close to it that it made no real difference), a sentence of life without parole, and then suicide in prison, within a span of less than 5 years. He could have had two SB rings by now and instead he’s a convicted murderer six feet under.
Top level chess players have a notorious reputation of being close to the edge, and a few have gone over it. The top example is Bobby Fisher, who lost his World Championship when he refused to defend it, became a recluse, then resurfaced 20 years later to play a non-sanctioned match; got himself in trouble with the U.S. government, publicly applauded the 9/11 attacks, and was a noted anti-Semite, among other personality flaws.
But Fisher isn’t the only one. Wilhelm Steinmetz died in a mental hospital, penniless. Paul Morphy may have had a shoe fetish. Alexander Alekhine collaborated with the Nazis and was possibly murdered by a Soviet hit squad. Compared to them, Gary Kasparov’s attempt to steal (actually buy) the presidency of the World Chess Federation is pretty mundane.
If we’re going outside the realm of sports, (Fisher was not an athlete), there’s Edgar Allan Poe.
Chess is kind of the opposite of athletics, so bringing up chess is very much off-topic.
Interesting. Sports Illustrated did cover chess back in the day, and we are in the Game Room.
I wouldn’t put Morphy’s shoe thing in with the other dramatic collapses of great chess minds. It is more odd that, like Fischer, Morphy dropped the game at such an early age (22, compared with Fischer’s effective retirement at 32). It is understandable that he wanted to make his name as an attorney, but somewhat befuddling that he would not return to the game when his legal career tanked.
The title states “athletes.” Not even in the wildest chess proponent’s wet dream would a chess player be considered an athlete. ESPN covered, I believe, the 1995 WCC, Kasparov vs. Anand. Still not athletes.
Do we count Rosie Ruiz?
Chess players working out doesn’t make them athletes, especially in the context of this thread, whose title states “athletes.” If anyone who works out are athletes, I’m an athlete! The article even says “Because professional chess is sedentary.”
Then there is this recent ESPN article: Why grandmasters like Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana lose weight playing chess
I’m not sure I would call them athletes, myself (and we’ve debated this in The Game Room before) but I don’t think it’s so out there that it could be considered a hijack. It’s not an easy distinction to make, believe me we have tried. Mainly a matter of personal preference.
I do. And I’m sure the OP and this room’s moderator would agree. The title makes it clear that the OP is talking about professional athletes. Bobby Fisher, or any chess player, who works out doesn’t make them professional athletes. If anyone who does something active is an athlete, then we can start talking about the downfall of Bobby Flay and his grilling exploits, or anyone really, and this thread is meaningless. I’m quite sure that’s not the intent of the OP. So much that I’m requesting this bullshit stop and the original intent of the OP be restored. If someone wants to discuss the possibility that accountants are athletes, open a thread in IMHO and stop hijacking this clearly titled thread.
A’aight. You know all the names you just mentioned? Losers. Not a single one of them holds a candle to my guy.
Alexandre Villaplane was a well-known footballer (or soccer player, if you prefer) during the 1920’s and the early 1930’s in France. He was even the captain of the French side during the World Cup in 1930.
He was accused of fixing matches, but that wasn’t proven. Then he got into horse racing and finally ended up in prison for fixing races. That isn’t the juicy bit, either.
Because then, when the Nazis invaded, he went and joined them. He joined the Carlingue, known as the French Gestapo, and started counter-insurgency operations against the Resistance. He was known as a particularly brutal bastard and killed a bunch of people, stealing anything he could get his hands on meanwhile. Even the actual Gestapo eventually jailed him.
After the war he was executed in 1944.
So there you go. Do you have anything more extreme than a literal Nazi War Criminal with at least 10 proven murders to his name? I don’t think so.
Haven’t seen Lawrence Taylor’s name. Probably the best linebacker of his time. Throughout his career and since he’s had trouble with alcohol, drugs, and avoiding underage prostitutes. Even though he’s in the NFL HOF, he’s now known more for his criminal exploits than his athletic accomplishments, and I believe is a lifetime registered sex offender.
I just read your post and thought I was reading my own, until I realized my name isn’t RickJay. Sorry.
I believe the closest anyone’s gotten to .400 since Ted Williams was Tony Gwynn’s .390 in the strike-shortened 1994 season.