Biggest Waste of Talent Poll:

[prohornblower]

So...Ryan Leaf doesn't count because we found out he just wasn't as talented as we though, but Len Bias is #3 on your list, ahead of Ricky )*&#_$ Williams? Wow. Awful logic.

[shane88888]

Actual wastes of talent:

Derrick Coleman, Vin Baker, Shawn Kemp (what a great player he could have been), Doc, Daryl, Bias, Roy Tarpley, Diego Maradona (!), Shaq (he should have eight rings), Randy Moss

[prohornblower]

By the way, Strawberry had 335 homers over parts of 17 seasons, in which his career OPS was +138. He won rings with the Mets and Yankees. He stole 221 bags.

How much more would he really have accomplished if he didn't do crack or whatever? You do realize Ricky gave up football after accomplishing an 1800 yard rushing season for yoga, pot, and Canada.

[MuresanForMVP]

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Actual wastes of talent:

Derrick Coleman, Vin Baker, Shawn Kemp (what a great player he could have been), Doc, Daryl, Bias, Roy Tarpley, Diego Maradona (!), Shaq (he should have eight rings), Randy Moss

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stop saying Shaq people

[Needle77]

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Actual wastes of talent:

Derrick Coleman, Vin Baker, Shawn Kemp (what a great player he could have been), Doc, Daryl, Bias, Roy Tarpley, Diego Maradona (!), Shaq (he should have eight rings), Randy Moss

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stop saying Shaq people

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[shane88888]

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So...Ryan Leaf doesn't count because we found out he just wasn't as talented as we though, but Len Bias is #3 on your list, ahead of Ricky )*&#_$ Williams? Wow. Awful logic.

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Um, yeah, Ryan Leaf cannot count because he just wasn't that good. How is he different than Heath Shuler, Rick Mirer, Todd Maranovich, Dave Klingler, Akili Smith........

Len Bias threw away his talent. This is easy to see; he is dead. If Larry Bird says his team would have won several more titles with you, then that is a suitable level of talent and a gigantic waste of it. If he proved to be only a good NBA player when he died, then it's a lesser waste. But given his potential and the situation he was going to, he was a gigantic waste.

Ricky Williams realized at least some of his potential. Jim Brown he ain't. Get off his [censored]; there's a reason he was drafted BEHIND Edge James.

And, by the way, 1,800 yards means very little in terms of a player's greatness. By using rushing yards as a measure of Ricky's greatness only argues that Jamal Lewis is a bigger waste of talent. He's had bigger seasons, and he landed in the pokey by entirely his own doing. That, is a waste of talent.

edit: And don't say it's different b/c Lewis is still playing. Once you go to prison, it's damn hard to come out the same.

[shane88888]

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stop saying Shaq people

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So it doesn't irk you that one of the greatest talents in basketball history has accomplished, at most, 70% of what was possible?

Google some old Shaq images from the Orlando days, and let me know if you do a double or triple-take when you see what he used to look like.

He's like the Barry Bonds of basketball - just with fried food and his belly instead of HGH and his head.

[prohornblower]

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So...Ryan Leaf doesn't count because we found out he just wasn't as talented as we though, but Len Bias is #3 on your list, ahead of Ricky )*&#_$ Williams? Wow. Awful logic.

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Len Bias threw away his talent.

Ricky Williams realized at least some of his potential. Jim Brown he ain't. Get off his [censored]; there's a reason he was drafted BEHIND Edge James.


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OK, Len Bias' death was an anomoly. Most coke heads don't just die within a couple years of doing coke or whatever. It was more a freak accident than anything. I think it would be different if he were in the league 8 years as a stud (say where Kobe is now) and began a downward spiral of coke. Plus you can't just assume he would have been great in the NBA. The NBA is &*)&(&ing hard to succeed in. To use your term "There's a reason ______ was drafted before Bias", right? I don't know the dude's name, but Bias wasn't even the first pick.

But anyway that is a horrible argument that Edge was selected before him. Tom Brady was a 6th-rounder. Guess he's worse than 150+ players, right? And didn't Ditka trade like 6 draft picks to get Ricky? And 1800 rushing yards isn't the end-all be-all for RB's - I was just throwing it out as one example of Ricky's NFL talent.

No pun intended, but I think you're being biased here. Your top 3 picks are Northeasterners.

[shane88888]

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OK, Len Bias' death was an anomoly. Most coke heads don't just die within a couple years of doing coke or whatever. It was more a freak accident than anything. I think it would be different if he were in the league 8 years as a stud (say where Kobe is now) and began a downward spiral of coke. Plus you can't just assume he would have been great in the NBA. The NBA is &*)&(&ing hard to succeed in. To use your term "There's a reason ______ was drafted before Bias", right? I don't know the dude's name, but Bias wasn't even the first pick.

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Of any professional sport, high NBA draft picks are the surest thing out of any of the sports, especially during Bias' era.

This has been discussed. Bias was drafted second because he was a forward. Brad Daugherty was a center, and damn good before injuries. Cleveland needed a center. NBA teams always pick size first. (See Bowie, Sam and Jordan, Michael).

As for potential, see quotes from Coach K (who calls him and MJ the two best players ever to come through the ACC) and Dean Smith:
http://www.boston.com/sports/article...ght_have_been/

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But anyway that is a horrible argument that Edge was selected before him. Tom Brady was a 6th-rounder. Guess he's worse than 150+ players, right?

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So we're arguing that Bias was the second pick, and therefore not that good, but then we're arguing that Williams being the second selection AT HIS POSITION does not matter. Fantastic logic.

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And didn't Ditka trade like 6 draft picks to get Ricky?

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All this shows is that Ditka was a moron for trading so many picks. How does this point to Williams being great?

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And 1800 rushing yards isn't the end-all be-all for RB's - I was just throwing it out as one example of Ricky's NFL talent.

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Feel free to throw out another example at any time. He just wasn't that great a player.

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No pun intended, but I think you're being biased here. Your top 3 picks are Northeasterners.

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Yeah, it's regional bias that makes me proud to argue that the biggest wastes in sports history are from my corner of the country. We're very proud.

[Clarkmeister]

Len Bias << Jason (Jay) Williams