ESPN's 10 most overrated athletes list - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brad Russ · 06-29-2003, 06:06 AM

What do you think of their choices?

http://espn.go.com/page2/s/list/mostoverrated.html

mcgwirefan · 06-29-2003, 02:12 PM

I agree with ESPN's list except all Closers in baseball. All boxers ARE over-rated though. You can't say Dennis Eckersley and Trevor Hoffman, for example are over-rated pitchers. Look at SD without Hoffman.

What about over-rated teams? A few current ones are:
Atlanta Braves
NY Yankees
Boston Red Sox
NJ Nets

ks · 06-29-2003, 04:21 PM

Bo Sox overrated? Also, the Braves have just put together an unprecedented string of consecutive division titles...doesn't sound too overrated to me.

Anyway, I can't really disagree with the list, but there are so many other players who are overrated. I happen to think Tiger is, but that's just me. I dunno...all a matter of opinion.

ks

Swimfan85 · 06-29-2003, 07:39 PM

I am so sorry, but I dont understand how are the Red Sox overrated? They have one powerful line-up no one is giving them the credit they deserve, granted their pitching could use a boost but so could the Yankees. The Red Sox have a very talented team this year and hopefully the managment can put the pieces of the puzzel together

Also, how is Antoine overrated? People think he is bust, no one ever says anything good about him, so how can he be overrated?

Andy Roddick overrated? He is so young and has yet to peck (and oh so very hot)

Johnny Damon? wht with his speed and good fielding abilities...he doesnt give enough credit, he should have made the AL AS team last year. Yah, he got off to bad start but hes been picking it up of late..I dont get how he can be overrated?

Derek Jeter and Vince Carter yes...

one last thing...NOT EVERYONE CAN BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM!

Brad Russ · 06-29-2003, 09:10 PM

Here's the list for anyone who doesn't feel like checking out the link:

The List: Most overrated athletes
By Jeff Merron
Page 2 staff

As those MLB All-Star ballots roll in, we couldn't help but ponder the mystery: Why do so many fans think Ivan Rodriguez is the best catcher in the NL? Why is Paul Lo Duca not even among the top five vote getters? Obviously, Lo Duca is underrated. And I-Rod is overrated.

But there are a lot of athletes in sports today who are much more overrated than I-Rod. Here are the Top 10 whose reputations most exceed them.

Vinsanity has had trouble staying healthy the past two seasons.

1. Vince Carter
The second coming of Michael Jordan? Not quite. To quote one ESPN editor who's seen this country through a bagful of undeclared wars, "Vince Carter is the most overrated athlete of my lifetime."

2. Mike Tyson
Ten heavyweights we'd take over Tyson:

Muhammad Ali
Joe Frazier
George Foreman
Larry Holmes
Joe Louis
Rocky Marciano
Sonny Liston
Jack Johnson
Gene Tunney
Jack Dempsey

3. Derek Jeter
What's the deal with Steinbrenner asking Jeter, in that Visa commercial, how he can afford his nights on the town? George, you pay the man. Or, we should say, overpay ($19 million a year through 2010). Jeter's good. Very good. Probable Hall of Famer. But his performance has declined every year since 1999, and he's only the fourth-best shortstop in the AL. Defensively? Adequate, at best, as Rob Neyer explains here.

4. All closers
What does it take to make an "excellent" closer? Give a half-decent pitcher the ball, a lead of up to three runs, nobody on base, and only one inning to pitch every two or three days. He'll rack up dozens of "saves" and be called "one of the best closers" and reap millions in rewards.

As one GM told Peter Gammons, "There are about three closers who really make a difference in the game. Otherwise, the notion of paying an Armando Benitez or Robb Nen $6.7 million to $8.8 million is outdated and silly."

He's gritty, but Erstad has been a mediocre hitter other than his fluke 2000 season.

5. Darin Erstad
Erstad had one great season in his career, and many poor-to-fair seasons. He may contribute the "intangibles," but the Angels center fielder is the worst-hitting regular center fielder in the AL, and near the bottom among alloutfielders. During the 2002 World Series, Angels manager Mike Scioscia said, "We have some guys who can hit the ball out of the park, but predominantly we're a club that does battle at the plate and moves runners along, and it's been successful for us this year." Erstad wasn't one of the guys who could hit the ball out of the park (19 homers total in 2001 and 2002), and he wasn't one of the runners who got moved along (terrible .313 on-base percentage in 2002). One great season does not a great (or even good) player make.

6. David Duval and Phil Mickelson
How many majors have the two won between them? Mickelson: 0 (in 44 tries). Duval: 1 (in nine years on the PGA). One reason Tiger's been so incredibly dominant: Duval and Mickelson can't touch him. If we're looking for someone to challenge Woods, it's way past the time to start looking elsewhere.

7. Antoine Walker
A friend's e-mail said, simply, "Check out that shooting percentage!" So we did. And, wow. He's the worst shooter in the NBA among players who averaged at least 8 points per game. Lowest field-goal percentage (.388). Unfortunately, only five players in the league put the ball up more. Walker was also among the worst 3-point shooters, which begs the question of why he attempted a whopping 582 3-pointers last season. And here's the topper: Shaq shot better from the charity stripe than Walker.

Jake the Snake will get a chance to prove how overrated he is with the Broncos.

8. Jake Plummer
Career passer rating: 69.0. Career TD passes: 90. Career INTs: 112. Sure, he played in the football wasteland that is Arizona, but that's no excuse: Plummer did nothing to elevate the Cardinals. That's what a good QB is supposed to do. But Plummer's not good. There's no evidence to suggest he is. So, the question remains: Why did the Broncos gave Plummer a $7 million bonus to sign with them as a free agent?

9. Pavel Bure
The Russian Rocket? For years he's been struggling even more than the Russian space program. And he comes at a higher price.

10. Chris Webber
Doesn't battle it out under the basket. Averages 60 games per season. Hasn't done what it takes to move from "very good" to "great." It's all been said before, and it's all true. Page 2's Charley Rosen, who's forgotten more about basketball than we'll ever know, once ran through a list of the league's clutch players. Was C-Webb in there? You bet. As a "decoy." Ouch.

Also receiving votes: Jerry Stackhouse
Oscar de la Hoya
Andy Roddick
Tony Stewart
Ben Wallace
David Beckham
Alfonso Soriano
Johnny Damon
Eric Lindros

THE LIST

Who is the most overrated athlete?
Vince Carter
Mike Tyson
Derek Jeter
All closers
Darin Erstad
Phil Mickelson/David Duval
Antoine Walker
Jake Plummer
Pavel Bure
Chris Webber

Brad Russ · 06-29-2003, 09:22 PM

Of this list, the only ones I disagree with are Chris Webber, All closers, and Vince Carter. Chris has scored over 20 points a game in his career, and almost led his team to the Finals this year, as well as last year. Had he not gotten injured in the playoffs this year, I think he would have. How is that overrated? Vince Carter averages over 20 points a game in his career too, he just happens to have the misfortune of being on a piss poor team that gives him absolutely no help. If he was on a team like L.A., or San Antonio he would have never made this list. And of course as someone said already, there have been many great closers. So I think I would take those three choices away and put Yao Ming in Chris Webber's spot, and Antoine Walker in the number 1 spot. Yao Ming was probably the second most hyped player this year aside from Michael Jordan, and he wasn't even rookie of the year, so he definitely should be on that list. As far as Antoine Walker, all you have to do is look at his stats and I don't think I need to say anymore. If he didn't shoot so much he'd only average 11, or 12 points a game.

06-29-2003, 06:06 AM	#1
Brad Russ Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 17, 2002 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 10,085	ESPN's 10 most overrated athletes list What do you think of their choices? http://espn.go.com/page2/s/list/mostoverrated.html
	__________________ St. John 15:13 - Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." Currently my favorite song. Last edited by Brad Russ; 06-29-2003 at 06:39 AM.

06-29-2003, 02:12 PM	#2
mcgwirefan Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 03, 2003 Posts: 458	Over-rated I agree with ESPN's list except all Closers in baseball. All boxers ARE over-rated though. You can't say Dennis Eckersley and Trevor Hoffman, for example are over-rated pitchers. Look at SD without Hoffman. What about over-rated teams? A few current ones are: Atlanta Braves NY Yankees Boston Red Sox NJ Nets
	__________________ Rockin' with Rick (aka Rick Nelson fan!)

06-29-2003, 04:21 PM	#3
ks Certifiably Insane Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 21, 2000 Location: I live in my hole... Posts: 5,501	Bo Sox overrated? Also, the Braves have just put together an unprecedented string of consecutive division titles...doesn't sound too overrated to me. Anyway, I can't really disagree with the list, but there are so many other players who are overrated. I happen to think Tiger is, but that's just me. I dunno...all a matter of opinion. ks
	__________________ "Ya gotta have a little faith." C.D. DeLerenzo

06-29-2003, 09:10 PM	#5
Brad Russ Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 17, 2002 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 10,085	Here's the list for anyone who doesn't feel like checking out the link: The List: Most overrated athletes By Jeff Merron Page 2 staff As those MLB All-Star ballots roll in, we couldn't help but ponder the mystery: Why do so many fans think Ivan Rodriguez is the best catcher in the NL? Why is Paul Lo Duca not even among the top five vote getters? Obviously, Lo Duca is underrated. And I-Rod is overrated. But there are a lot of athletes in sports today who are much more overrated than I-Rod. Here are the Top 10 whose reputations most exceed them. Vinsanity has had trouble staying healthy the past two seasons. 1. Vince Carter The second coming of Michael Jordan? Not quite. To quote one ESPN editor who's seen this country through a bagful of undeclared wars, "Vince Carter is the most overrated athlete of my lifetime." 2. Mike Tyson Ten heavyweights we'd take over Tyson: Muhammad Ali Joe Frazier George Foreman Larry Holmes Joe Louis Rocky Marciano Sonny Liston Jack Johnson Gene Tunney Jack Dempsey 3. Derek Jeter What's the deal with Steinbrenner asking Jeter, in that Visa commercial, how he can afford his nights on the town? George, you pay the man. Or, we should say, overpay ($19 million a year through 2010). Jeter's good. Very good. Probable Hall of Famer. But his performance has declined every year since 1999, and he's only the fourth-best shortstop in the AL. Defensively? Adequate, at best, as Rob Neyer explains here. 4. All closers What does it take to make an "excellent" closer? Give a half-decent pitcher the ball, a lead of up to three runs, nobody on base, and only one inning to pitch every two or three days. He'll rack up dozens of "saves" and be called "one of the best closers" and reap millions in rewards. As one GM told Peter Gammons, "There are about three closers who really make a difference in the game. Otherwise, the notion of paying an Armando Benitez or Robb Nen $6.7 million to $8.8 million is outdated and silly." He's gritty, but Erstad has been a mediocre hitter other than his fluke 2000 season. 5. Darin Erstad Erstad had one great season in his career, and many poor-to-fair seasons. He may contribute the "intangibles," but the Angels center fielder is the worst-hitting regular center fielder in the AL, and near the bottom among alloutfielders. During the 2002 World Series, Angels manager Mike Scioscia said, "We have some guys who can hit the ball out of the park, but predominantly we're a club that does battle at the plate and moves runners along, and it's been successful for us this year." Erstad wasn't one of the guys who could hit the ball out of the park (19 homers total in 2001 and 2002), and he wasn't one of the runners who got moved along (terrible .313 on-base percentage in 2002). One great season does not a great (or even good) player make. 6. David Duval and Phil Mickelson How many majors have the two won between them? Mickelson: 0 (in 44 tries). Duval: 1 (in nine years on the PGA). One reason Tiger's been so incredibly dominant: Duval and Mickelson can't touch him. If we're looking for someone to challenge Woods, it's way past the time to start looking elsewhere. 7. Antoine Walker A friend's e-mail said, simply, "Check out that shooting percentage!" So we did. And, wow. He's the worst shooter in the NBA among players who averaged at least 8 points per game. Lowest field-goal percentage (.388). Unfortunately, only five players in the league put the ball up more. Walker was also among the worst 3-point shooters, which begs the question of why he attempted a whopping 582 3-pointers last season. And here's the topper: Shaq shot better from the charity stripe than Walker. Jake the Snake will get a chance to prove how overrated he is with the Broncos. 8. Jake Plummer Career passer rating: 69.0. Career TD passes: 90. Career INTs: 112. Sure, he played in the football wasteland that is Arizona, but that's no excuse: Plummer did nothing to elevate the Cardinals. That's what a good QB is supposed to do. But Plummer's not good. There's no evidence to suggest he is. So, the question remains: Why did the Broncos gave Plummer a $7 million bonus to sign with them as a free agent? 9. Pavel Bure The Russian Rocket? For years he's been struggling even more than the Russian space program. And he comes at a higher price. 10. Chris Webber Doesn't battle it out under the basket. Averages 60 games per season. Hasn't done what it takes to move from "very good" to "great." It's all been said before, and it's all true. Page 2's Charley Rosen, who's forgotten more about basketball than we'll ever know, once ran through a list of the league's clutch players. Was C-Webb in there? You bet. As a "decoy." Ouch. Also receiving votes: Jerry Stackhouse Oscar de la Hoya Andy Roddick Tony Stewart Ben Wallace David Beckham Alfonso Soriano Johnny Damon Eric Lindros THE LIST Who is the most overrated athlete? Vince Carter Mike Tyson Derek Jeter All closers Darin Erstad Phil Mickelson/David Duval Antoine Walker Jake Plummer Pavel Bure Chris Webber
	Last edited by Brad Russ; 06-29-2003 at 09:24 PM.

06-29-2003, 07:39 PM	#4
Swimfan85 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Jul 04, 2001 Posts: 7,030	I am so sorry, but I dont understand how are the Red Sox overrated? They have one powerful line-up no one is giving them the credit they deserve, granted their pitching could use a boost but so could the Yankees. The Red Sox have a very talented team this year and hopefully the managment can put the pieces of the puzzel together Also, how is Antoine overrated? People think he is bust, no one ever says anything good about him, so how can he be overrated? Andy Roddick overrated? He is so young and has yet to peck (and oh so very hot) Johnny Damon? wht with his speed and good fielding abilities...he doesnt give enough credit, he should have made the AL AS team last year. Yah, he got off to bad start but hes been picking it up of late..I dont get how he can be overrated? Derek Jeter and Vince Carter yes... one last thing...NOT EVERYONE CAN BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM!

06-29-2003, 09:22 PM	#6
Brad Russ Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 17, 2002 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 10,085	Of this list, the only ones I disagree with are Chris Webber, All closers, and Vince Carter. Chris has scored over 20 points a game in his career, and almost led his team to the Finals this year, as well as last year. Had he not gotten injured in the playoffs this year, I think he would have. How is that overrated? Vince Carter averages over 20 points a game in his career too, he just happens to have the misfortune of being on a piss poor team that gives him absolutely no help. If he was on a team like L.A., or San Antonio he would have never made this list. And of course as someone said already, there have been many great closers. So I think I would take those three choices away and put Yao Ming in Chris Webber's spot, and Antoine Walker in the number 1 spot. Yao Ming was probably the second most hyped player this year aside from Michael Jordan, and he wasn't even rookie of the year, so he definitely should be on that list. As far as Antoine Walker, all you have to do is look at his stats and I don't think I need to say anymore. If he didn't shoot so much he'd only average 11, or 12 points a game.