# Biggest busts in the history of US sport **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 27, 2002, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-busts-in-the-history-of-us-sport/121072 "2002-07-27T04:32:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lorenzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4da419/32.png) [@Lorenzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorenzo)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-busts-in-the-history-of-us-sport/121072/1 "2002-07-27T04:32:52Z")
Damon Bailley Mychal Thompson Rick Mirer Kade McNown Rashon Salaam Brian Kingman Archie Griffin Brian Bosworth Shawn Bradley Bill Walton ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-busts-in-the-history-of-us-sport/121072/2 "2002-07-27T04:40:45Z")
Oh. Never mind. I thought this was going to be about Mia Hamm. ---
**Author:** ![Lorenzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4da419/32.png) [@Lorenzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorenzo)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-busts-in-the-history-of-us-sport/121072/3 "2002-07-27T04:48:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Number \* > \*\*Oh. Never mind. I thought this was going to be about Mia Hamm. \*\* 😃😃😃 ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-busts-in-the-history-of-us-sport/121072/4 "2002-07-27T04:52:57Z")
Ryan Leaf Darryl Strawberry Haj ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-busts-in-the-history-of-us-sport/121072/5 "2002-07-27T11:36:22Z")
Why is Bill Walton up there? He was a dominant center for a few seasons and won a championship until his feet gave out. ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-busts-in-the-history-of-us-sport/121072/6 "2002-07-27T12:11:04Z")
um, the XFL ::d&r:: ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-busts-in-the-history-of-us-sport/121072/7 "2002-07-27T12:21:05Z")
Why, [Morganna, the Kissing Bandit](http://www.gameops.com/sro/acts/morg/index.htm), of course! ---
**Author:** ![Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Kahuna_Burger)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-busts-in-the-history-of-us-sport/121072/8 "2002-07-27T12:23:35Z")
Ajou Ajou Deng Rick Ankiel Ki-jana Carter Anyone taken in the first round by either the Clippers or Bengals ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-busts-in-the-history-of-us-sport/121072/9 "2002-07-27T13:48:02Z")
Tony Mandarich Eric Lindros David Klingler Andre Ware Mark Malone Heath Shuler ---
**Author:** ![mikeargo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/858c86/32.png) [@mikeargo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikeargo)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-busts-in-the-history-of-us-sport/121072/10 "2002-07-27T14:25:50Z")
The Yankees paid a million dollar bonus to pitcher Brien Taylor, their top draft pick. So far as I know, he never pitched an inning in the majors. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-busts-in-the-history-of-us-sport/121072/11 "2002-07-27T14:49:55Z")
Todd Marinovich - Raiders(?) Todd Van Poppel - NY Yankees Akili Smith - latest Bungles washout Booker Reese - Buccaneers accidental first round choice (I grew up in Tampa Bay and live in Cincinnati, both places where you can scarce swing a dead cat around without hitting a big sports flop of some sort…) ---
**Author:** ![PatrickM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7feea3/32.png) [@PatrickM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickM)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-busts-in-the-history-of-us-sport/121072/12 "2002-07-27T17:03:21Z")
Wayne Garland. Way back in mid 1970s at the dawn of baseball’s free agent era, Garland won 20 games for the Orioles. The Indians immediately signed him to a ten year contract for the then unheard of sum of $235,000 per year, after which Garland hurt his arm, went 13-19 in his first year in Cleveland and genrally stuck out the joint. Sam Bowie. The guy the Trail Blazers selected instead of Jordan. Ralph Sampson. A guy 7’4" who wanted to play point guard. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-busts-in-the-history-of-us-sport/121072/13 "2002-07-27T18:31:06Z")
PatrickM, Wayne Garland sure brought back memories. I forgot all about him until reading your post. And it reminded me of another bust. Rennie Stennett, who was signed by the Giants for an ungodly sum, broke his leg and never regained his form. And for Reds fans, let’s not forget Ken Griffey, Jr. One of the biggest free agent busts in recent memory. ---
**Author:** ![Ripple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@Ripple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ripple)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-busts-in-the-history-of-us-sport/121072/14 "2002-07-27T18:38:24Z")
I thought this was going to be a **Ryan Leaf** thread. heck, the Seahawks offered him one last chance, and he goes and retires. ---
**Author:** ![Jerrybear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8c91f0/32.png) [@Jerrybear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jerrybear)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-busts-in-the-history-of-us-sport/121072/15 "2002-07-27T19:03:23Z")
As a Packer fan, I have to go with Tony Mandarich. He was supposed to be the next Forrest Gregg, instead he was more like Forrest Gump. The Packers could have had Barry Sanders, for crying out loud! Barry Sanders and Brett Favre in the same backfield would have been unstoppable. I, too, disagree at least somewhat with including Bill Walton here. In general, I would define a “bust” as someone who just plain did not live up to his/her potential, rather than someone whose career was cut short or hampered by chronic injuries. Darryl Dawkins is someone who I do think was a bust. He was not a totally bad player, but always seemed to get into foul trouble and was just generally not a very dominant center. The 76ers were never able to win a championship with him, but did do so with Moses Malone in the middle. ---
**Author:** ![roadrunner70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@roadrunner70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roadrunner70)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-busts-in-the-history-of-us-sport/121072/16 "2002-07-27T19:11:50Z")
Anybody remember Mark Fidrych? I didn’t think so. ---
**Author:** ![imthjckaz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/imthjckaz/32/3223_2.png) [@imthjckaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/imthjckaz)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-busts-in-the-history-of-us-sport/121072/17 "2002-07-27T19:24:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lorenzo \* > Damon Bailley > Mychal Thompson > Rick Mirer > Kade McNown > Rashon Salaam > Brian Kingman > Archie Griffin > Brian Bosworth > Shawn Bradley > \*\*Bill Walton \*\* Uh, **Bill Walton** was elected to the [Hall of Fame](http://www.hoophall.com/halloffamers/Walton.htm) in 1993 and was named one of the [NBA’s Top 50 Players](http://www.znetsports.com/nba/nba_top_50.asp) of all time. Hardly a bust. ---
**Author:** ![Lorenzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4da419/32.png) [@Lorenzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorenzo)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-busts-in-the-history-of-us-sport/121072/18 "2002-07-27T21:23:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by imthjckaz \* > \*\*Uh, **Bill Walton** was elected to the [Hall of Fame](http://www.hoophall.com/halloffamers/Walton.htm) in 1993 and was named one of the [NBA’s Top 50 Players](http://www.znetsports.com/nba/nba_top_50.asp) of all time. > > Hardly a bust. \*\* IMHO a “bust” is a relative thing. I think of a bust as someone with high potential and high expectations who falls well short of expectations. Perhaps Walton does not belong in the top 100 busts or 1,000, even, but after graduation from UCLA he drew comparisons to Lew Alcindor, fair or not. His career does not compare to Alcindor’s. After college, Walton was on a strict vegetarian diet that was seriously lacking in protein for a man of his stature and activity level. Walton ignored his team’s physicians’s dietary advice, which, according to the physicians, limited his potential and lead to many avoidable recurring injuries. Clearly, Walton had a noteworthy career, but IMHO he could have, would have and should have been a much more dominant player for a longer period of time. His last few years were a mere shadow of his potential. ---
**Author:** ![imthjckaz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/imthjckaz/32/3223_2.png) [@imthjckaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/imthjckaz)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-busts-in-the-history-of-us-sport/121072/19 "2002-07-27T21:41:59Z")
Is Tiger Woods a bust? He has fallen below expectaions, by not winning the British Open. Yes, the Big Red Head, did have high expectations. And he did not achieve the longevity part of those expectaions. But he was still considered Hall of Fame material because, when healthy, he was the 2nd best center in the league. Kareem being #1. ---
**Author:** ![jacksen9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@jacksen9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacksen9)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-busts-in-the-history-of-us-sport/121072/20 "2002-07-27T22:53:26Z")
Ricky Williams has been a disapointment. Rebecca Lobo Kelvin Cato [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-busts-in-the-history-of-us-sport/121072.md?page=2)