Sports Heroes to Zeros

Dong Shot Favre.

 

In any other market where fans aren't yinzerised delusional drones conditioned to blindly worship their heroes -- Ben Roethlisberger would have fit into this category........

 

Chris Pronger in Edmonton? Didn't win the cup, but got within one goal of it. He walked on water in the second half of his one season there. First couple of times back after getting traded to Anaheim extra security had to be brought in from the airport to the hotel where the Ducks were staying to the arena. Pronger is still a dirty word in Edmonton and one of the most vilified athletes who has ever played in the city, many still blame him for setting in motion what has become of the team. Mike Comrie -- an Edmonton native and one time future of the franchise, hell his dad was a part owner -- was a close second until he and the team kissed and made up a couple of years ago.

 

The Liverpool fan in me says Fernando Torres.

 

sadly Joe Dumars is getting into that zone. Two titles as a player and one as an exec, but hasn't made any good personnel moves since winning the title in '04 and now pretty much everyone wants him out

 

Winner. er...Loser...whatever.

 

He's a coach, but how do people in Kentucky feel about Pitino?

 

I think people currently residing in Louisville, Kentucky feel pretty good about him...not so sure about people in Lexington.

 

Tiger Woods.

 

Realistically, he could go from Hero to Zero to Hero again.

 

Obviously no championship, but Sammy Sosa even has a before and after photo.

 

I think Sammy Sosa is the ultimate example of this phenomenon. Surprised that no one has mentioned Manny Ramirez in Boston, as well. It seems to happen a lot with college coaches. At Notre Dame alone, Ty Willingham and Charlie Weis were worshiped when they won some games right out of the chute, then proved to not be up to the job in the long run. Patrick Kane, who scored the winning goal in a Stanley Cup Finals, is probably getting into this territory.

I don't really count guys like Pujols or Jim Thome who pissed off their fan bases by leaving town. I think the best examples are those who wore out their welcome while they were still there. That's more interesting.