|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE |  |
Reactions: Sports turkeys Users sound off on the biggest duds of 1999
Posted: Wednesday November 24, 1999 03:42 PM
CNNSI.com asked users to submit their nominees for the most maddening athletes or sports moments of the year. We received hundreds of responses. Chargers quarterback Ryan Leaf, NBC reporter Jim Gray and University of Kansas football player Dion Rayford were served up most often, but the BCS and baseball umpires also drew a heaping helping of votes. When you're finished with this sampling of the most interesting responses, check out a few of the more obscure choices. Is there a bigger bonehead than Ryan Leaf? I suppose a case could be made for Bobby Beathard and the Chargers "braintrust", who picked Leaf and gave him the guaranteed millions -- or the sports "experts" who had Leaf rated above Peyton Manning.
Peter Warrick, for taking his 95% Dillard's discount. He couldn't wait a few months until he would be a millionaire and able to buy all the clothes he wants, but not the Heisman Trophy.
Jim Gray gets my vote. I know we've heard enough about his interview with Pete Rose already, but he fits the description of a turkey. After seeing the interview I was so mad I turned the TV off, and didn't even watch the game. His kind of reporters have no place in front of a camera as far as I'm concerned.
Jim Gray of NBC Sports for making an undeserving martyr of Pete Rose.
The fans at Veterans Stadium who cheered after Michael Irvin's scary neck injury are shoo-ins for turkeys of the year. I know Philly fans are tough (just ask Santa Claus) but this was horrific and classless. They deserve a place right next to Latrell Sprewell in the Turkey Hall of Fame.
Bill Parcells for not having any sort of backup quarterback for Vinny Testeverde. Stick with commercials!
Once again the Atlanta Braves prove that they are the Turkeys of the '90s. With a pitching staff our forefathers would cross an ocean for and gold-glovers that gobble up near-hits, they manage to end up with their necks in the chopping block. Perhaps that's what they foretell with their ridiculous chant and handjive.
The Baylor University football team, for failing to take a knee while up by 3 points against UNLV with only 12 seconds left in the game and UNLV out of timeouts. A play was run, the running back fumbled the ball on UNLV's 1 yard line, and the fumble was picked up and run back 100 yards for a UNLV win.
For the worst call in baseball's postseason since the '85 Series, Tim Tschida gets the Turkey. The Red Sox looked like the team of destiny this year ... that was, until the Curse took hold of the umpires in the ALCS. Jose Offerman out of the baseline?
This year's turkey should be given to the Boston Red Sox fans who not only demoralized themselves, but also a city linked in baseball tradition when they threw debris onto the field after a bad call by an umpire.
My turkey of the year is Broncos offensive tackle Matt Lepsis, for rolling on Terrell Davis' knee.
The biggest "turkey" of the year has to be Lawrence Phillips. He was so heavily pursued by so many teams, and then he doesn't do anything for the Niners. He then stops listening to the coaches, and gets suspended. He does not deserve to be in NFL, because after screwing up THREE times, there is no need for him to get another chance.
Barry Sanders. Barry never had the attributes of a great leader, but we all called him one because he didn't show-boat on the field. After making us all think he was such a class act, Barry showed us what a "turkey" he really is by quitting on his team and fans, only to say that if the Lions would trade him, he'd come back and return the rest of his signing bonus.
Notre Dame coach Bob Davie has been the best defense the Irish have faced this year. His hideous clock management cost them at least two games, and his inability to motivate a team chock full of high school All-Americans has shaken the faith of students and alumni alike. His recent contract extension makes the ND administration look like turkeys themselves.
Instant Replay in the NFL, because it didn't change anything. The officials refuse to admit they're wrong.
Latrell Sprewell for still thinking he was wronged in Golden State. The fans for returning to watch the NBA. The Chicago Bulls for thinking they could do it without Michael Jordan. And anyone crazy enough to pay $49.95 for any pay-per-view boxing match this year.
The University Of Arizona football team. Preseason consensus top five team has to beat ASU to get to 7-5 and be bowl eligible. Can finish no higher than 5th in the weak, weak Pac-10. Such talent, poor coaching. The most disappointing team in all of college football.
Turkey? Well, in the NFL it's the 49ers. This is a football team that went from very good to very bad with the snap of a salary cap. If there has been a more hapless group of football players in San Francisco uniforms I don't know who. Even the great Jerry Rice has buckled under the pressure of playing on a "loser" team.
Alexei Yashin of the Ottawa Senators for refusing to uphold his contract and for holding out for more money. Yashin is a very good player, but he is not in the top tier with Jagr, Messier or Modano.
The Cleveland Indians are my choice for turkey of the year. No team had more firepower. They had all the hitting in the world, but they were too stupid to go out and get a good pitcher to take them over the top. With the lineup they had there was no reason that they shouldn't have made some trades to acquire some pitching and at least go to the World Series. Instead they stuck with their lineup and lost in the first round of the playoffs.
Without a doubt, the people who run the BCS are the turkeys of the year. And so are the pollsters at AP and any other outfit that would put Marshall so far down its list.
Martina Hingis, for her temper tantrum during the French Open Final. Her utter disregard of her opponent, of the game, of the history of the event -- of everything -- is a low point in the history of the game.
Bobby Bonilla and Rickey Henderson: The National League Championship series, one of the greatest and most exciting of alltime, with their team facing elimination after overcoming it so many times. These two turkeys are in the clubhouse playing cards! I'll never cheer for either of them again.
The two writers who left Pedro Martinez off of their AL MVP ballots. Don't you have to watch baseball to write about it? These guys made themselves look like morons just to prove a point or get attention. The guy from the New York Post voted for both David Wells and Rick Helling last year, but Pedro wasn't up to that standard?
Jean Van De Velde, for his collapse on the 72nd hole of the British Open, where he took 7 when 6 would have won the tournament.
The New York/New Jersey MetroStars earned the highly dubious distinction of being the worst team ever in Major League Soccer -- not a great thing to have attached to your team, even if the league is only four years old.
You guys. For oh-so prematurely picking Ron Dayne as one of your top 10 disappointments in college football this year. Open mouths, insert feet, and chew away gentlemen!
Want to suggest another sports turkey? Submit your nominees -- and check back here to see if we post it on the site.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
