Rosh Hashanah: Sports Figures Who Should Take Some Time To Repent

First he couldn't turn an 8-3 Jets team into a playoff team in 2008. Then he was part of a scheme that did not place Brett Favre on the injured report.

Magnini owes an apology to Jets fans and the Viking organization.

The highly touted Rubio didn't like Minnesota's weather and contract, so he booked a plane ticket back to Spain and eventually signed with FC Barcelona.

The Timberwolves still hold the 18 year-old-point guard's draft rights, but it's pretty much definite that Rubio will never don a T'Wolves jersey.

On July 10, Jonathan Sanchez threw a complete game shutout without allowing a hit or a walk. Yes, that means he threw a no-hitter. No, it does not mean he tossed a perfect game.

Sanchez can thank teammate Juan Uribe for booting a groundball with one out in the eighth inning and ruining his chance of making history.

He's the only Jew in this slide show, so if only one of these athletes does repent this week it should be Youkilis.

This Red Sox player is known for his volatile temper. Ask Rick Porcello what he thinks of "Youk" and he'll likely respond, "F***ing a**h***." Youkilis, you shouldn't want a reputation like that, so repent.

Who?

Riley is the Golden State Warrior's GM who drafted Stephen Curry with the seventh overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. Knick fans were in shock. Do you really think it was a coincidence that New York's crime rate went up 50 percent that night? Well, it was not a coincidence but it was because of Larry Riley.

These three Orangemen chose to leave Syracuse early for the NBA. You can't blame Flynn, who was selected sixth overall, but Devendorf and Harris should have stayed at 'Cuse.

Devendorf was an academic senior last year, but had one year of college eligibility remaining. Had he stayed another year at Syracuse, he could have improved his draft stock, which was clearly low this June. Devendorf went undrafted.

Harris passed on his senior year and Syracuse degree by bouncing for the NBA. He felt pressure to leave because he needed money for his son, but now he is teamless and degreeless.

Without these three players, the Orange are no longer a contender for the national title, so the trio should send its apologies.

If the first five names had stayed healthy the whole year, the Mets would be a playoff contender. However, it may not be such a bad thing that these guys have spent the majority of the season on the Disabled List; it put Met fans out of their agony early.

Instead of witnessing a September collapse, Met fans understood their team was done back in June.

Although Daniel Murphy has been healthy, I'm sure the Mets wish he wasn't. Not only is he hitting .262, but he also has lost some games with his glove.

All six players owe their fans an apology for not even providing the hope of a postseason berth.

Why cause a brawl in a meaningless September blowout? It doesn't matter who the instigator was, it just should not happen.

Even more so than Carlson, Posada owes an apology to his teammates. The last thing the Yankees need now is an injury to a star player.

Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez? Acceptable as bad role models.

Derek Jeter? To Jim Rice, he's a bad role model. To the baseball world, that's blasphemy.

Everyone recognizes Jeter as a class-act who gives 150 percent every time he takes the field. Millions of kids look up to him. Heck, plenty of pros look up to him as well.

Rice ought to send Jeter, the game's best role model, an apology.

However, Jeter is not the only person he should ask for forgiveness. Each of the little leaguers he spoke to about this also deserves an apology for being lied to.

How could someone be dumb enough to shoot himself in the foot?

Just ask Plaxico Burress. He'll also tell you how great jail is and what happens when you drop your soap.

The New York Giants were the unfortunate owners of Burress' contract, and now they are without one of the best receivers in the NFL.

Still without a punishment, Derrick Rose cheated on his SAT so he could play at Memphis. Obviously, he was not smart enough to take the test, but he was also too dimwitted to realize that the NCAA would eventually catch him.

The only thing he can do for Memphis, who had to surrender its record-setting 38 wins and Final Four victory from 2008, and Tiger fans is apologize.

When individual reports broke claiming each of these players used steroids, baseball fans across the country wept because they realized baseball's best are fake.

Kids had looked up to A-Rod, Manny, and Big Papi for years. Now what are they supposed to do?

I can't explain this as well as Rick Reilly can.

Check out his column: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=reilly_rick&id=4477759