Biggest waste of talent (self-induced)

[vboy]

What sportsmen do you think have wasted their talent the most. When I say wasted their talent, I mean that they didn't achieve the greatness they were destined for, due to their own actions.

 

To start you off I'll give you these:

 

 

 

George Best (retired way way too early and the drink had a very bad effect on him)

 

GAZZA (that stupid tackle on Gary Charles in the FA Cup final - he was never the same again)

 

Alex Higgins (no single thing with him, I think it was everything - drink, drugs, women, etc, etc)

 

Mike Tyson (he got complacent and didn't train and when he lost against Douglas the aura of invincibility about him was lost)

[arbiez]

Difficult thread as I would assume that the biggest waste are the ones we will never hear about. Here are a few for review:

 

Todd Marinovich

Ryan Leaf

Darryl Dawkins

Scott Skiles

Art Schliester

 

Controversial callout: Shaquille O'Neal -- If he would just practice his free throws and workout in the off-season, he would be so much better.

Edited September 25, 2007 by arbiez

[RedBull]

Phil Neville.....He could have been the greatest!

[Guest Q]

GAZZA (that stupid tackle on Gary Charles in the FA Cup final - he was never the same again)

 

 

Totaly 100% disagrea with that mate. he was brilliant at rangers

[vboy]

Totaly 100% disagrea with that mate. he was brilliant at rangers

 

 

Mate in fairness it's a very small pond up there. He was playing against crap teams 90% of the time. When he was at Boro and Everton competing against a better standard of team week in week out he was no great shakes, as I'm sure you'll agree.

 

The point was he lost his bit of pace with the injury and was never the world-beater again IMHO

[spitfirecharlie]

Totaly 100% disagrea with that mate. he was brilliant at rangers

 

 

Neville Southall would be brilliant at Rangers, today.

[Guest Q]

Mate in fairness it's a very small pond up there. He was playing against crap teams 90% of the time. When he was at Boro and Everton competing against a better standard of team week in week out he was no great shakes, as I'm sure you'll agree.

 

The point was he lost his bit of pace with the injury and was never the world-beater again IMHO

 

Which was after he left us

[vboy]

Neville Southall would be brilliant at Rangers, today.

 

 

Speaking of Big Fat Nev. He got voted the most miserable player by Talksport

 

He was big the last time I saw him a couple of years ago, he must be humungous now

[RedSam2007]

Phil Neville.....He could have been the greatest!

 

 

Nah, Ian Dowie was a better ugly bastard.

 

Phil runs him close though, I'll grant you that.

[paranoidandroid123]

Unfulfilled talent, Matthew Le Tissier. Technically brilliant, some of his goals were works of art but he really was a lazy fucker. In my opinion if fitter he could have been a top England international. I think the comfort of staying at Southampton where is lack of fitness was accepted led to this.

[bige43]

Difficult thread as I would assume that the biggest waste are the ones we will never hear about. Here are a few for review:

 

Todd Marinovich

Ryan Leaf

Darryl Dawkins

Scott Skiles

Art Schliester

 

Controversial callout: Shaquille O'Neal -- If he would just practice his free throws and workout in the off-season, he would be so much better.

I'll second the Shaq one. Playing on skill alone. Never did enough to better his game. Can we add roughly 3 or 4 more championships if he put in the effort.

 

Tyson should have never left his original handlers. He would have been one of the greats if he had stayed.

 

Add:

Ralph Sampson

Tyrone Wheatly

Ron Dayne

Most NBA rookies straight out of high school. Completely watered down the league.

Too many to list here...lol.

 

How about we list the ones that played for crap teams and still shined. I'll start:

Barry Sanders

Buck Williams

[jackpot]

Maradona, you might as well close the thread now.

 

The finest footballer I have ever had the misfortune to see scoring against England.

 

Ravaged by drugs and weight problems, he was still the best footballer on the planet. Imagine what he could have achieved if it was not for those problems.

 

He could have been a bigger icon than Pele.