Biggest Waste of Talent in Sports History?

[Clarkmeister]

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John Daly gets no love? The guy did win a couple of majors, which is more than most pro golfers can claim. But still a waste of enormous talent not to have accomplished more.

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Daly's a pretty good call.

[Triumph36]

I think Alexandre Daigle is not the right answer - I don't think Daigle would've been a great player even if he did care. His skates were NHL speed but his hands never caught up. It wasn't like this guy was making circus moves but wasn't showing up for games - he just never took his game to the next level.

Daigle did come back and enjoy one 'successful' season in Minnesota.

A way better answer to this in the NHL is someone like Petr Klima or Viktor Kozlov. Klima's personal problems stopped him - Kozlov has unbelievable skills but doesn't seem to know what to do with them.

[JACK CUST]

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[legend42]

Donald Clarence Dacey

[FireStorm]

Mark Prior, Brien Taylor, Strawberry, and Gooden, who have all already been mentioned. Derrick Coleman is a solid choice, as someone who could have put up great numbers but had a lackadaisical attitude about the game.

40% of people who have won or contended for the Heisman in the last 20 years could probably make this list.

Pervis Ellison. And although he had a solid enough career, you can potentially throw Sam Bowie in here on the merits of the sandwich #2 selection in the draft.

John Daly has won two majors, but has not top tenned in one since 1995. He also has a grand total of 5 career PGA tour wins. Too much hype for a guy who performs this inconsistently.

BTW, please stick the arguments about Prior not being a bust b/c of injuries in the muck. The man is a walking paper doll. It speaks volumes when you are the supposed hope of a franchise and have 45 career wins and one playoff appearance in five seasons. The guy stubs his goddamn toe and he's out for the year.

[prohornblower]

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The most convincing argument I have heard so far is for Dwight Gooden.

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How exactly did he waste his talent? The dude won 192 games. Just because someone said he would win 400 games doesn't mean it is true. Winning that many games at the professional level is still really difficult.

I still stand that Ricky Williams is the answer, and probably will be for many years. Williams chooses drugs, and yoga and zero fame and 6 figure paychecks over being famous and getting 7 figure paychecks. Gooden just chose drugs, and it didn't affect him until after years and years of success.

Williams blows Gooden out of the water. Unless he comes back to the NFL and contributes a LOT more.

[gila]

I know not too many bike guys here, but JAN ULRICH was a pretty big waste of talent. He should have, at least, gave Lance MUCH more trouble in the tour than he did. Instead he would not train and eat junk food all winter, come to the tour overweight, ride himself into shape in the first week, then still come in second.

And finally, when lance retired, he got kicked out of the tour he was the favorite to win via doping.

With a good work ethic, and a better doping cover up, he should have easily won 3-6 tours.

[gila]

Justin Gatlin is an American sprinter. He is an Olympic gold medalist who shares the world record in the 100 m sprint (with Asafa Powell), with a time of 9.77 seconds. He is currently serving an eight-year ban from track and field for testing positive for doping.

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showfl...D=#Post11207354

[By-Tor]

lefty is now pholding tournaments worldwide

[ChuckyB]

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Justin Gatlin is an American sprinter. He is an Olympic gold medalist who shares the world record in the 100 m sprint (with Asafa Powell), with a time of 9.77 seconds. He is currently serving an eight-year ban from track and field for testing positive for doping.

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showfl...D=#Post11207354

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Yeah, but he plugged those bitches on "Pros vs. Joes". That more than fulfills his athletic potential.