People in Sports Revered in Death or Retirement Wo Were Jerks

Then it’s hypocritical to name athletes.

 

Well, I haven't named any athletes.

 

Great contribution to this thread.

 

Never liked Isiah Thomas - he always seemed fake.

 

Bill Elliott. Michael Waltrip. Ken Schrader. Dale Jarrett was pretty unapproachable at the end of his career, but much better once he retired.

 

Talked to Bart Starr twice. First time was about 10 years ago, the second time about two years after that. He was an absolute asshole to me both times. Was really surprised because, from what others have told me over and over, he's a great guy. Either I got him on his only two bad days or I'm the asshole. I'd like to think it's the only two bad days explanation.

 

Nope, completely real. A real asshole.

 

I recall in the wake of Pearlman's Walter Payton bio that Bears Nation lost its shit at the notion that Payton might not have been the best teammate, husband or father.

 

That is strange. Never met Starr myself, but everyone who has says what an incredibly nice person he is.

Only thing remotely controversial I've ever heard about him is that he won't sign generic autographs. He insists on personalizing them to lessen the chance they'll be sold for profit.

 

Earnhardt Sr. was the first person to come to mind when I saw the thread title. He was universally hated on the circuit, known as one of the dirtiest drivers out there. I mean, if you had to pick a villain of NASCAR prior to his death, he would have been named on nine out of 10 lists. But when he died, all of a sudden he became a hero. People started putting his No. 3 on their pickup trucks and he became a sweetheart of NASCAR overnight.

I don't know anything about him personally, as far as how he treated fans, but whatever his sins were in NASCAR people seemed to forgive him as soon as he died.

Side note, that's something that's always been a pet peeve of mine. I know it's part of it to point out the good things people do when they die/retire, but sometimes you just have to be honest and say that person was a jerk. I tell my friends and family all the time, when I die I want them to be honest at my funeral. If they hated me and only pretended to like me, say that. Don't make me out to be someone I wasn't. LOL

 

But he’s still alive, unfortunately.

 

Ha. I must've missed all the names you contributed to the thread.