Purple Drank and the 10 Dumbest Athlete Obsessions

We get it.

You are a millionaire pro athlete and you need ways to blow off steam.

The average guy on the street doesn't know what it's like to be you.

Sure, it's tough being watched all the time.

Paparazzi follows you everywhere, waiting for you to mess up.

It's probably annoying.

But come on, you make it easy for the tabloids.

And you're right, we don't know what it's like to have some of these strange and/or expensive hobbies.

10. Taking ill-advised pictures that land on the internet

Greg Oden and Dorell Wright weren't the first to take naked pics of themselves and then regret it.

A couple years before, Carolina Hurricanes player Jiří Tlustý (now of the Toronto Maple Leafs) made the same mistake.

And Olympian Scott Lago tried to have a little fun after winning his medal.

He was immediately sent home.

Watch for the cameras, fellas.

9. Dating other athletes' exes

It used to be taboo to mess with the ex of someone you know. And don't be confused, all of these guys know each other.

With all the ladies out there in the world, you would think these jocks wouldn't fish in the same pond, but they do.

Here is a short list of young ladies who reportedly made their way to more than one athletic millionaire:

Toni Braxton, Laura Govan, Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, Elisha Cuthbert, Carrie Underwood, Jessica Simpson, and of course the most famous ex as of late, Vanessa Poncel. (British soccer players John Terry and Wayne Bridge ring a bell?)

8. Getting arrested

I could have used any of more than a hundred athletes with arrests on their records, most of whom are still playing.

I could have gone with Michael Vick, Tim Montgomery, Marion Jones, or Ugueth Urbina.

I could have even gone with a more passive sport like figure skating (Wolfgang Schwarz or Tonya Harding).

But I went with John Daly.

Because I feel like he's how most of us would look after a long night of partying, that ended with a mugshot.

7. Rapping and acting (badly)

Iverson rapped.

So did Kobe and Ron Artest.

Dwight Howard just acted in a movie. Jordan is a former thespian.

A slew of other jocks and coaches have appeared is sports-related movies playing themselves (badly).

Adrian Peterson just did an episode of "Entourage."

But none of them rapped or read lines like the Diesel.

KAZAAM!

6. Hitting the casinos

There is a rumor going around the sports world that a significant portion of the more than $100 million that Antoine Walker lost over his NBA career was because of gambling debts.

Debts that he accumulated by trying to hang with Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan on Vegas trips.

If you can't hang with the big dogs, stay on the porch.

Recently, it was reported that even sports stars across the pond aren't immune to the gambling bug.

Wayne Rooney is said to have accrued a $900,000 gambling debt in just five months.

Yikes.

5. Brandishing weapons

We know about Plaxico Burress, Terry "Tank" Johnson, Marshawn Lynch, and the tragic story of ex-New Jersey Net Jayson Williams.

But the guy in the picture is Orioles DH Luke Scott and his .45-caliber Glock handgun.

I wouldn't recommend trying to car jack him anytime soon.

4. Making friends with Sir Smoke-A-Lot

"I love WEED!"

(If you haven't seen Half Baked, I suggest you Netflix it.)

As far as the Mary Jane, Ricky Williams says it's 10 times better for his depression than Paxil.

Josh Howard swears by the stuff (allegedly), and Randy Moss once admitted to puff-puff-passing on HBO’s Real Sports.

And we all know that some rat turned in Michael Phelps before he could even get a good toke.

3. Hanging out and getting drunk at bars and dance clubs

Here's what I would do if I had millions and millions of dollars.

Anytime I felt like partying, I would put my entourage to work.

I would send them to the clubs, tell them to get five chicks each, check the ladies' credit reports and criminal records, and then invite them up to the suite so we can throw our own party.

Then I would politely ask if any of these young ladies would like to spend time with me. I'd have them sign a consent form and finger print them.

Then we're ready to rumble!

No tabloids, no underage women, and no scandals.

2. Sipping on the Purple Drank

By now you know about the Purple Drank (aka drank, lean, sip-sip, or syrup).

And you probably know the main ingredients include promethazine codeine cough syrup, Jolly Ranchers candy, and 7-Up (and if you really have a death wish, you can add liquor).

Rappers love it. Lil Wayne made it famous. And now pro athletes are bringing it to the mainstream.

Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Johnny Jolly has been suspended for the entire 2010 season because of it.

And cops ran a sting to catch JaMarcus Russell with his fingers around the Styrofoam cup.

Looks tasty, huh?

1. Making it rain at Gentlemen's clubs

It is still legal to go there.

Lots of women are there with little or no clothes on.

And because of those two reasons, huge men still go there, filled with testosterone, cash, and liquor.

They come with their buddies and teammates.

They come to celebrate wins or to forget losses.

Back in the day, before 24-hour news networks and tabloids, jocks probably went to strip clubs.

We just didn't hear about it.

Honorable Mention: Going back to graduate

What is up with that? You left for a reason. Why go back?

We know Shaq did it. Vince Carter almost missed a playoff game because of it.

The whole freaking OKC team seems to be doing it.

(Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green and Kevin Durant all took college classes last summer.)

On a side note, Durant is a little too "goody two shoes" to be in the NBA.

Signing quiet extensions, going back to school, practicing in the offseason?

What is your deal?

Take it easy, KD. Get a little sizzurp in you.

It will help you relax.