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Top 5 Most Overrated Athletes
cbslocal.com ^ | May 15, 2014 9:52 AM | Jason Iannone

Posted on 05/15/2014 1:17:52 PM PDT by BenLurkin

It’s difficult to judge an athlete’s true worth, even if on paper it’s clear they’re either a mega-loser or a mega-winner. But once you go beyond the stats and sabermetrics, and really take a look at what they’ve done, you inch a little closer to uncovering their true value.

In the cases of these five, we found a whole lot of nothing. These are some of the most overrated performers we’ve ever seen, and they should probably pay back all the money they’ve earned and go work at a Walgreens or something. Or CVS, if they prefer. We’re not picky.

5. Wilt Chamberlain

...

Unfortunately, outside of a plethora of women’s phone numbers, he rarely won anything significant. In basketball, the ultimate team sport, Wilt was seen as a bad teammate, somebody who cared more about HIS shots and HIS stats than helping his team win rings. He won two titles, though given his gaudy numbers, plus the fact that his teams made the playoffs every single year he played save one, he really should’ve won more.

...

4. Danica Patrick

...

Here’s the issue: she’s never won. It’s not just that she’s never won a Sprint Cup — plenty of people have never done that. It’s more that, with the exception of ONE RACE back in 2008, she’s never won anything. She’s started over 230 races and won one. She rarely even finishes in the top ten. For somebody touted as a super-duper star, that’s pretty pathetic.

...

3. Deion Sanders

...

2. Dennis Rodman

...

1. Alex Rodriguez

...

(Excerpt) Read more at losangeles.cbslocal.com ...


TOPICS: Sports
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To: NKP_Vet

The reason Ryan had such a long career, is that he started out in the Mets’ bullpen, so he didn’t throw too many innings in his early years.


181 posted on 05/16/2014 6:43:03 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: driftless2

“Were the Celtics the greatest team of the sixties? Undoubtedly. But they were fortunate to have their key players stay healthy for the playoffs”

And they kept their team intact. Once a Celtic, always a Celtic. Not so anymore.


182 posted on 05/16/2014 6:45:17 AM PDT by NKP_Vet ("It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died;we should thank God that such men lived" ~ Patton)
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To: daler
Greatest World Series pitching performance of my lifetime, and I'm not a young man.

I was there in 1991. Best baseball game I ever saw. Morris and John Smoltz toe-to-toe until the Twins finally got into the Braves bullpen.

183 posted on 05/16/2014 6:50:50 AM PDT by Colonel_Flagg ("Compromise" means you've already decided you lost.)
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To: dfwgator

My cousin, Cal Koonce, was a pitcher on the 1969 Mets team. There’s a championship poster of the team with him standing beside Ryan. Cal was mainly a relief pitcher with the Mets, started out with the Cubs as a starter.


184 posted on 05/16/2014 6:51:51 AM PDT by NKP_Vet ("It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died;we should thank God that such men lived" ~ Patton)
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To: bankwalker

Eric Lindros might have been the single greatest waste of talent ever to play in the NHL. Between him and Brian Lawton, anyway.


185 posted on 05/16/2014 7:02:18 AM PDT by Colonel_Flagg ("Compromise" means you've already decided you lost.)
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To: catfish1957
Very misleading stat. He was a starter (Not full time in 1969 WS Met team)for only mediocre teams. Mets, Angels, Astros, Rangers.

It is a telling statistic. Lots of pitchers have been stuck on poor teams (and in the days before free agency often for their whole careers). Ryan did pitch in the post-season six times, so it is not like he was always on lousy teams. Over their careers, great pitchers have the ability to rise above the mediocrity of poor teams. Ryan didn't seem to have that ability.

I'll admit he wasn't the greatest pitcher of all time, or even his era, but for someone to even elude he was overrated is absurd.

So how do you define overrated? I believe it is when someone's reputation greatly exceeds their accomplishments.

IMO, a necessary condition for a great or elite pitcher is consistency. Ryan just lacks that. To often, Ryan would follow up a brilliant performance with a lackluster one. A Bob Gibson would follow up a brilliant performance with another good one a few days later. With Ryan, you never had that confidence.

I brought up Nolan Ryan because I have often heard his name come up in discussions with casual baseball fans. He seems to be included with the elite pitchers in the minds of these fans - a position which a careful examination of his record doesn't support. A player like Ryan can be very good and still overrated.

186 posted on 05/16/2014 8:23:22 AM PDT by CommerceComet (Ignore the GOP-e. Cruz to victory in 2016.)
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To: Hegewisch Dupa
Thank you for the call on Rose. Obviously people don’t come to FR for the sports; but it still is crazy that people here have called him the “Greatest Hitter Ever.” Embarrassingly naive.

A few years back on the FR, there was a thread about Pete Rose. Someone offended my Mick-idolatry (note my screen name) by saying that Pete Rose was the greatest switch-hitter of all-time. I took each player's five best seasons and compared them. Other than batting average, Mantle just crushed Rose - even Mantle's fifth best year far surpassed Rose's best. Power numbers weren't a surprise but on-base percentage was. That is supposed to be Rose's game and Mantle far exceeded him. Selecting the five best seasons for Rose was easy - the seasons to pick were quite clear - but for Mantle, there were 5-6 seasons which could have been included as his 4th or 5th best seasons. (IIRC, I used to MVP share to determine inclusion.)

It was during this analysis that I first concluded that Pete Rose is really overrated. I have not done the analysis but I be willing to bet that Eddie Murray's and Chipper Jones' best seasons would beat Rose's as well.

187 posted on 05/16/2014 8:52:26 AM PDT by CommerceComet (Ignore the GOP-e. Cruz to victory in 2016.)
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To: catfish1957

It’s a 53 man squad, QBs don’t win or lose alone. The best QB in the world can’t win when the rest of the team stinks.


188 posted on 05/16/2014 9:46:43 AM PDT by discostu (Seriously, do we no longer do "phrasing"?!)
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To: discostu

If I’m the GM of a football team...What’s my top priority, Find the best Offensive Line Coach I can....Because if I have a guy that can take any ragtag bunch of Offensive Linemen and turn them into a good unit, I’m a contender regardless of what I’ve got at the other positions.


189 posted on 05/16/2014 9:48:51 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: CommerceComet

Ryan’s teams weren’t very good for the most part throughout his career.


190 posted on 05/16/2014 9:50:46 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: dfwgator

2nd priority is defensive line, because all the points in the world won’t do you any good if you can’t keep the other team from doing the same thing.


191 posted on 05/16/2014 9:51:18 AM PDT by discostu (Seriously, do we no longer do "phrasing"?!)
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To: BenLurkin

Totally disagree with the inclusion of Deion Sanders on this list. Until injuries started to take control, no single defensive player could affect an entire offense like Sanders could. The opposing team’s #1 receiver was essentially useless for the game and the rest of the defensive secondary could help on the others.


192 posted on 05/16/2014 9:52:41 AM PDT by kevkrom (I'm not an unreasonable man... well, actually, I am. But hear me out anyway.)
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To: kevkrom

Plus, Deion’s return capabilities.....I can still hear Chris Berman repeating ad nauseum.....”Prime Time.........Prime Time.......Prime Time.....” when he returned an INT or Punt return for a TD.


193 posted on 05/16/2014 9:58:10 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: discostu

Tony Romo will never win the big game because Tony Romo doesn’t believe he can win the big game.

Until that changes, he’ll put up good numbers except when it counts.


194 posted on 05/16/2014 9:59:14 AM PDT by kevkrom (I'm not an unreasonable man... well, actually, I am. But hear me out anyway.)
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To: kevkrom

Tony Romo will never win the big game because he’s a Cowboy and they haven’t won any big games in 20 years, and won’t until Jones stops being the GM or learns that his team plays real football not fantasy football and stacking the team with “sexy” receivers won’t win.


195 posted on 05/16/2014 10:01:52 AM PDT by discostu (Seriously, do we no longer do "phrasing"?!)
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To: dfwgator

I think all these bozos who think Nolan Ryan was overrated need to go ahead and charge the mound.....


196 posted on 05/16/2014 12:55:39 PM PDT by catfish1957 (Face it!!!! The government in DC is full of treasonous bastards)
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To: dfwgator
Ryan’s teams weren’t very good for the most part throughout his career.

For the record, Ryan's teams were 2,024-1,960 in his career for an overall winning percentage of 50.80%.

This issue is actually making my point. If Nolan Ryan was an all-time great pitcher on mediocre teams, wouldn't you expect his teams to win far more frequently when he pitched? For his career, his teams were only about 3.5% more likely to win when he pitched than when he didn't. Admittedly, that is skewed by his time with the Mets but even later in his career, he never had the win differential that you'd expect from a great or elite pitcher.

I'm not saying that Nolan Ryan is a bad pitcher. I think that he was a very good pitcher who is HOF-worthy but he was not a great or elite pitcher. Those who classify him there are overrating him IMO. Overrated athletes is what this whole thread was about.

197 posted on 05/16/2014 12:58:20 PM PDT by CommerceComet (Ignore the GOP-e. Cruz to victory in 2016.)
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To: Theoria

His ko’s of Pinklon Thomas, Tyrell Biggs, Holmes (Larry had enough to beat an always tough Ray Mercer)were masterpieces of efficient, almost clinical beatdowns...especially vs Biggs.


198 posted on 05/16/2014 3:56:49 PM PDT by pallmallman (Q)
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To: pallmallman

He was never the same after Cus D’Amato died, that’s when he lost his way.


199 posted on 05/16/2014 3:58:21 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: pallmallman
Sure.

I like the way he 'raped' Bruno as well. I loved his peek a boo style and movement. I had a former squad leader who was a golden gloves champion that grew up competing with Tyson. He said Mike always cried before his matches and was really scared. Keep in Mike was one of the few people as a kid that I've seen who would have the ability to maul a fully grown man at the age of 12 of 13.

Michael Spinks unfortunately will always be remembered for his loss to Tyson, in brutal fashion. But, Michael was one of the greatest lighthvys ever.

200 posted on 05/16/2014 4:04:35 PM PDT by Theoria (End Socialism : No more GOP and Dem candidates)
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