I say
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Leaf
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Poor Leaf. I am not sure why he failed so miserably. At the time he was drafted, as I recall, many, many "experts" believed that he was better than Peyton Manning. Things didnt work out that way.
http://cardboardmania.blogspot.com/2...f-arrived.html
Read this Dumba$$'s work
David Carr's Pretty high on my list
This is an insanely difficult and impossible question to answer.
However Leaf has to be pretty high up on this long list. Some of the other more notable and notorious ones would probably include Brien Taylor, Sam Bowie, Lawrence Phillips, Brian Bosworth, and Ed O'Bannon.
Its harder to remember the MLB ones because in the NBA and NFL the draftees are playing on the big stage in a matter of months, as opposed to a matter of years, if ever in Major League Baseball.
What happened to Carr wasn't entirely his fault. The Texans never put a decent offensive line around him and he got killed because of it, and eventually it made him gun shy. I think he would've been a very good QB if he ever had a decent offensive line. Plus he had some good year's and he's still in the league, maybe his career will have a renaissance.Quote:
Originally Posted by DarthJaker
Although he did bring to mind Joey Harrington. Now THERE is a bust.
Steve Chilcott, drafted #1 overall in the 1966 MLB draft. He and Brien Taylor, through 2005, are the only #1 picks to fail to even reach the majors, I believe. That draft consisted of 63 rounds (63....although most teams had dropped out by about round 55, leaving the Yankees and Dodgers to rotate picks), and featured dozens of prospects who would eventually make the majors, including Steve Garvey, Ron Cey, Bill Russel (thats odd, dont ya think? Where was Lopes?), gary Nolan, Richie Hebner.... and the #2 overall, Reggie Jackson.
I can't remember his name now, but the guy drafted by the Bulls in the early 2000's that got in a motorcycle accident and was temporarily paralyzed.
EDIT: Jay Williams! That was his name.
Morgana the Kissing Bandit.
Or was that not what you meant by "biggest bust"? :)
Sam Bowie and Ryan Leaf easy. I bring up the fact that 1. The Trailblazers passed on Mike Jordan. 2. The Chargers passed on Fred Taylor, Greg Ellis, Charles Woodson, Randy Moss.
I understand team needs for the Chargers but they did need a RB, DT, CB and WR too so...
Also, Bowie ranks number one for me because of the Mike Jordan disaster. When they asked Bob Knight if he would draft Bowie and he said "No". When asked why because the Blazers needed a big man he said "Play Jordan inside, hell he's good enough".
And wow...I guess the Blazers blew it.
hard to label someone as a bust if they can't play due to injury (see: jay williams) & or play frequently enough to be effective due to injury (see: sam bowie)
you aren't a bust b/c someone drafted after you was better, you're a bust b/c you didn't play up to what your potential was thought to be
I cant agree with Bowie. Sure, we all know NOW that he wasnt as good as Jordan. But, to me, a bust is someone who accomplished nothing, or next to nothing. Bowie was injury prone, but he played about 10 (?) years in the NBA. He also made the All-Rookie team his first season. Not really a bust, at least as I defined it.
I define a bust as someone who did not reach their supposed Superstar/Hall of Fame/All-Star potential, regardless of the cause. Was it entirely their fault? No, probably not. But it still stands to reason that they were a bust.Quote:
Originally Posted by etothep
Sam Bowie wasn't a bust because of who he was drafted ahead of, but the fact that he was drafted ahead of one of the best (possibly THE best) and most decorated players in NBA history just adds to the story.
More power to you, but when Jay Williams is happy to simply be alive after his motorcycle injury, I won't label that a bust since he didn't even get a chance to live up to his potential.Quote:
Originally Posted by YEAH DAAAAWG
And yeh, when you're drafted ahead of a future hall of famer, it does enhance your story of being a bust. But hindsight is always 20/20 & the blazers needed a big man, & couldn't have counted on bowie to have chronic knee problems.
Bowie actually had that on his scouting report. The Blazers took their chance, and failed.
I just go off Bobby Knight after he coached Mike in the 84 Olympics. "Greatest player ever" he said.
He was already considered it by Bob Knight and multiple scouts. The fact he was passed on is an incredible part of the story. It adds to Bowie being the largest bust. Being chronically hurt is a waste of money and therefore: a bust.
Ryan Leaf's temper figures more to me along with his horrible play. Not a team player either.
To each their own. I do think its sad what happened to Jay Williams, but I do still consider him a bust.
Anyways, Darko Milicic has to be on here. I never believed he got a fair shake in Detroit because of Larry Brown's notoriety for not liking young players, rookies especially, but he has to be a bust at this point.
Other names that have popped into my head: Colt Griffin by the Royals, Charles Rogers by the Lions, Michael Olowokandi by the Clippers, Nik Tskitishvili by the Nuggets.
I still think of Josh Hamilton as a bust to an extent too, to be completely honest. If he had a full, healthy, substance-free career from the get-go he'd probably be one of the few players in the stratosphere of Pujols and A-Rod right now.
Darko never did get his fair shake at playing time but he was supposed to one of the better players in the league right now. He's a minor bust I'd say.
And also, not a HUGE bust but considering the hype Yao Ming got before he got drafted I would consider him somewhat of a disappointment. Not a bust quite though he has performed but he was supposed to be as good as Shaq.
Al Chambers has to be pretty far up there. A .208/.326/.292 in 57 career games. Pretty darn awful.
Jason Williams broke his leg in 2 or 3 places and was never the same.
Biggest bust, every RB the Bears have drafted since Payton retired except Neal Anderson. This list include Enos(Penn St), Salaam(colorado), Benson(Texas)
kwame brown (vs sam bowie) - 3 less points per game (a whopping 7.5/game), 2 less rebounds a game (a whopping 5.5/game), & barely a third as many blocks per game as bowie (brown with a staggering .7 blocks per outing). all in just 4 less mins per game in his career thus far.
again, bowie lived up to his potential better than brown, which is how i measure a bust, so brown is the biggest nba bust in my opinion.
if you count personal tragedies in measuring busts, then i think len bias is the biggest bust as he died of an overdose the week he went #2.
biggest nfl bust is either leaf or akili smith to me (heath schuler is close too)
I was thinking of Bias too, but something like that is untouchable when it comes to this type of discussion in my opinion.Quote:
Originally Posted by etothep
I would go Leaf, but I think Lawrence Phillips was probably a bigger bust than Smith, and Joey Harrington probably too.
Salaam has to be a big bust in the NFL too. Coke addiction ruins his career.
i dont see how a motorcycle incident is within the conversation when a guy ODing isntQuote:
Originally Posted by YEAH DAAAAWG
smith went #3, philiips went #6...harrington is at least still in the league
Charles Rogers sucked it up in Detroit.
good callQuote:
Originally Posted by EVEN11323
It's just.....different. I can't explain it, but it just doesn't feel right labeling a guy who died within a week after being drafted a bust.Quote:
Originally Posted by etothep
Harrington is barely in the league, he's been released by the Saints like three times this season and probably won't be playing in the NFL again anytime soon. I could certainly see an argument for Smith over Phillips, but personally I think Phillips was more of a bust that Smith.
so if jay williams died in his motorcycle accident has opposed to just being horribly injured, he wouldn't have been a bust?Quote:
Originally Posted by YEAH DAAAAWG
hard to measure statistically how a qb is a bigger bust than a rb, so i won't even attempt to (assuming i could to begin with)...for the record i count leaf as the bigger bust due to smith at least being mobile enough to earn some yards with his legs when he played
Brien Taylor would probably top my list too. He was damn good in high school (476 K's in 239 innings pitched), and who knows what would have become of him (even though the odds are against high school pitchers).Quote:
Originally Posted by Swampdog
An "honorable mention" (or is it dishonorable?) goes to Toe Nash.
Actually, from what he himself has said a couple of times on Dan Patrick's show, he was immature, he didn't put in the work, and he couldn't handle the pressure. He's actually really turned himself around...works as a coach at a small college, and grew up.Quote:
Originally Posted by Swampdog
As for horrible picks, how about the 'forgotten man' from the 1983 QB draft, Todd Blackledge. Went 7th overall, and was the 2nd QB picked after Elway...ahead of Jim Kelly and that Marino guy.
Sean Gilbert went 3rd overall to the Rams in '92. He was supposed to be a difference maker, and he was...at the postgame buffet table. Lazy, lazy, lazy.
Blair Thomas 2nd overall to the Jets in 1990. Wasn't strong enough to break tackles, and wasn't fast enough to get away from tacklers, which doesn't lerave too many options.
And, of course, Tim Couch #1 overall in '99. Actually, while we're talking Browns, how about Courtney Brown #1 in 2000? Uhhh...who else comes to mind.
Also in 2000, Peter Warrick 4th to the Bengals. Wasn't fast enough to blow by DBs the way he had in college, and never really had learned to run routes in the college game, getting by just on physical ability.
Aundray Bruce #1 to the Falcons in '8...arguably the worst #1 pick of all time, he started a whopping 42 games in his career.
And Rick Mirer #2 to Seattle in '93. Had a record breaking rookie season, then completely fell apart. And on the subject of Seattle QBs, in '91 they took Mark McGwire's brother Dan in the first round. He was flat out horrendous.
Kimbo!
Funny, I think any real MMA fan knows Kimbo was all hype with no substance. the Sydd Finch of MMA.Quote:
Originally Posted by KowboyKoop
Mirko was a bigger bust than Kimbo.
I considered Blackledge as well. Drafted ahead of 3-4 better QB's, including Kelly and Marino, as previously noted.
Willy DeWitt, a Canadian boxer of the 'Eighties
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_DeWitt
If we're talking about fighters/boxers/etc., would Tyson qualify? He was great for a while, and then it just all went downhill.
Quote:
Originally Posted by etothep
I don't think either belong in the discussion. A bust is someone who had a chance, and failed. Neither Williams or Bias had a chance. If you're going to include them, then you have to include Ernie Davis, too, and that's just wrong.
Someone who should be in the discussion, though, is Todd Marinovich.
I don't believe anyone mentioned Steve Emtman or Quentin Coryatt... the first TWO picks in the '92 draft, both taken by the Colts. Although that draft class was largely unimpressive, burning the top 2 picks in the entire draft on 2 guys you expect to plug into your front 7 and give you a solid defense for years to come... where Emtman ended up almost perpetually injured and ineffective, and Coryatt was entirely average... that's a pretty huge double-bust, I think. And the Colts went on to continue being perennial garbage until Peyton came along.
No one has mentioned David Clyde yet --- one of the biggest MLB Busts.
And a few #1 NFL piks from the last 20 years ... Alex Smith, Tim Couch, Ki-Jana Carter and Jeff George.
Carter... yeah, that was a MASSIVE bust.Quote:
Originally Posted by gRYFYN1
Jeff George didn't live up to the potential he was supposed to have, but he went on to have a somewhat solid journeyman career, with a few pretty good seasons. He was always great with the physical tools. Not so much a bust as a guy who didn't become an all-time great.
Smith isn't a bust quite yet, I don't think. But if he doesn't breakout next season, when he comes back from this injury, then he'd definitely qualify as a bust.
I kinda feel bad for the guy. He's had three or so offensive coordinators since getting drafted, and he did show promise a couple years ago when he had Norv Turner as an OC. He's probably doomed to fail if his OC is going to be Martz though, because Smith doesn't have the strongest arm and Martz is well-known for his pass-happy, deep ball oriented offense.