Good Riddance!: 15 Players Pro Teams Couldn't Wait to Get Rid of

The Cowboys were stoked to get Terrell Owens back in 2006. I mean, he helped the Eagles finally get to the Superbowl. Certainly he would help the Cowboys get there.

Unfortunately, the 'Boys didn't win so much as a playoff game with Owens, who was more trouble than he was worth, constantly complaining about his touches, and claiming a conspiracy with his quarterback and tight end.

When he finally left for Buffalo, Dallas fans could not have been happier to see him go.

Ron Artest was a good player. He played great defense, and had a knack for getting the ball in the basket. Behind him and Jermaine O'Neal, the Pacers had begun to be considered one of the elite teams in basketball.

Then someone threw a cup of beer on him, and all hell broke loose. Because of Artest's outburst, the Pacers completely fell apart. When the Sacramento Kings mercifully took him from Indiana, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

Avery signed a handsome $15 million contract with Dallas in 2008, but was released after scoring just three goals for them. Why? Because Avery just can't keep his mouth shut.

He went bragging to the press about how other hockey players love his "sloppy seconds," alluding to his ex-girlfriend's Elisha Cuthbert and Rachel Hunter, who were both dating NHL players.

Dallas at least figured out early that this guy was a joke, and cut him loose before he did even worse damage.

What's worse than a loud-mouthed player who just happened to be the highest-paid tight end in football? One that can't stay on the field.

Shockey earned himself few fans with his behavior, but when he missed most of the 2007 season as his Giants realized that they were a better team without the high-profile star, he found out just how quick a New York Minute is. Because that's how long it took for the city to turn on him and chase him out.

Carl Everett was always one of those players that was just too talented. Not that he was the best player in baseball, but he was just too good not to take a chance on.

He could play baseball, but every organization that took said chances on him, wishes they could have stitched up his mouth like Weapon XI. Everett just continued to get driven off of team after team because he was just a jerk with a bad attitude.

No team has ever been sad to see him go.

Briefly the most feared and dominant closer in baseball, Rocker was another example of a guy that just couldn't keep his big mouth shut, and enjoy a good thing.

After making derogatory remarks about New Yorkers, gays, Hispanics, and pretty much anyone else in the world, Rocker became one of the most hated men in America. Some guys have hard enough shells that this won't phase them (see next slide), but Rocker wasn't that good.

All of that hate got to him, and he just wasn't the same player afterward. Between his middling skills and stupidity, the Braves happily let him leave.

I'm not saying that Giants fans were happy to see Bonds go. After the way this season ended for them, I'd guess that most of them would have loved to have Barry back on the team.

But Barry Bonds was kicked out by all of baseball. How else do you explain someone with this much talent that can't find a team to play on? Baseball had had enough of his act and shunned him. Can't say I miss the guy too much.

Starbury was supposed to shine in New York, and he actually did for a little while, but he never made his team better. Then when Mike D'Antoni took over the team, he saw no place for Marbury.

So Marbury sat and the team wouldn't trade him. He just wasted away on the sidelines. It was a bad marriage that the Knicks let fester far too long. When he was finally traded to the Celtics, no one in the Knicks organization shed a tear.

It's hard to imagine that Manny Ramirez, one of the most loved players in Boston, could have worn out his welcome this bad. He brought them two world series and endless entertainment, but when it started to look like he was tanking a season to get traded, Red Sox Nation turned on him faster than a revolving door.

When Manny did get what he wanted, a trade to L.A., Boston fans went about pretending the slugger never existed. Even a rebound relationship with Jason Bay couldn't mend their broken hearts. Not unless he does great in the playoffs this year.

Football is a business. Players get traded. It happens. They know better than to pitch a fit when they get shopped around.

Somebody forgot to tell Jay Cutler about that. When he found out that he was potentially on the block (after being behind one of the worst regular season collapses of all time), he acted like a little brat who got told by his parents that they were only getting him a 2007 Lexus instead of a 2009 Lexus.

Even getting Kyle Orton in return was better than dealing with his prima donna act. And now that the Broncos are 4-0, they're even happier that the shaggy-haired wonder is gone.

This is the look that Randy Moss wore for basically his entire career as a Raider. He went from being one of the most amazing pass catchers of all time, to being a fantasy football afterthought in Oakland.

He played so poorly that the Raiders only got a fourth round draft pick for him from the Patriots, and they were happy to have it. It has to hurt seeing him care again and set records for another team.

Philly fans hated to see Iverson leave. Denver fans were a little less sad to see him leave. But by the time he left Detroit, people haven't been this happy to see a player leave the organization since Darko Mlicic.

When the Pistons traded the heart and soul of their team, Chauncey Billups, for Iverson, people weren't really sure how it was going to work out. It didn't work out well.

Iverson played poorly in Detroit and when he was relegated to coming off the bench, complained about it, even though he was obviously not a starter for that team anymore. Piston fans wish they could have Chauncey back, but they'll settle for Iverson leaving for Memphis.

Eric Lindros was a phenomenal scorer for the Flyers and led them to a Stanley Cup appearance in 1997, but he was always hurt and feuded with the ownership. Fans saw him as too much of a pretty boy. Think Sidney Crosby, but worse.

He was stripped of being a captain for criticizing team doctors, suffered yet another concussion, and sat out the 2000-01 season when the Flyers refused to trade him to the team of his choice.

Finally, they traded him to the Rangers and told him not to let the door hit him on the way out, because he might get another concussion.

Really, the Knicks were happiest to be rid of Isiah Thomas, but since we're only looking at players, let's look at the biggest mistake that Thomas ever made.

Jerome James was signed to the Knicks for five years, $30 million, despite having a career average of about 5 ppg. Unfathomably, he did even worse during his career in New York.

Just 90 games in four years, and never once averaged over 3 ppg. That's the easiest $30 million I've ever seen earned.

The Knicks could not be happier that he is now gone.

I had to use this picture of Carl Pavano, because it was so hard to find one of him actually playing for the Yankees. Signed for four years, $40 million, Pavano was supposed to be the guy to lead them back to the World Series.

Instead, Pavano got hurt. Often. In fact, in the four years he was with the Yankees, Pavano pitched in 26 games with a mediocre record of 9-8.

Not that the Yankees are ever really hurting for money, but I can imagine they were pretty stoked to get his contract off the books.