Darrelle Revis and the 10 Most Me-First Stars in Sports
If Darelle Revis has taught us nothing else this offseason, it's this: For a guy who plays a sport where team is taught to be put before self, Revis Island seems to think pretty highly of himself.
His holdout efforts to become the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL may be based in the fact that he is the best cornerback in the NFL, but they've also shown him to be a selfish player. Forget about hard work being rewarded in the end; Revis Island wants his reward after just one season of hard work.
But that got me thinking: Just how selfish is Revis? Where would he rank amongst the most selfish stars in sports? Would he even crack the Top 10?
And so, with that in mind, I bring you the 10 most me-first stars in sports.
10. Floyd Mayweather
1 of 10
A man who plays a non-team sport like Mayweather tends to be somewhat selfish to begin with, but Mayweather takes the cake and merits mention in this piece for his behavior the past two years.
Despite calls from all circles to fight Manny Pacquiao and determine the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, Mayweather and his camp have dragged their feet, made ridiculous demands of Pac-Man, or simply remained silent as deadlines passed.
To deny the boxing world a fight of the scope of Pacquiao-Mayweather because you refuse to acquiesce to any demands from the opposing camp is ridiculous. I'm not sure whether Floyd is selfish or scared of Manny; otherwise, he'd be higher on the list.
9. Christiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid
2 of 10
Ronaldo is without a doubt one of the five most talented soccer players on Earth; the problem is, he knows it. He left Manchester United, one of the most popular clubs in the world, to get more money at Real Madrid.
He has a reputation for sulking or disappearing in games when he doesn't get the scoring chances he feels he deserves. Basically everything about him screams "Look at me! I'm awesome and I know it!"
8. Darelle Revis, New York Jets
3 of 10
So Revis is holding out to be the highest paid cornerback in NFL history.
So he is simultaneously undermining his team's chances at a Super Bowl and possibly becoming the villain when the Jets lose in the divisional round of the playoffs.
He is the best cornerback in the NFL, and is right in that he deserves to be paid like it. But remember this; the guy's nickname is "Revis Island." Clearly, he was a loner all along, we just hadn't figured it out yet.
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7. Vincent Jackson, San Diego Chargers
4 of 10
Not only was Jackson a bonehead in violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, he's currently stating that he's willing to sit out the duration of the season unless he gets traded.
By doing so, Jackson is jeopardizing his team's chances to make the Super Bowl, or even the playoffs. The Chargers lack a proven top-class receiver without Jackson, which hurts their passing game.
While the Jets could make a run to the Super Bowl without Revis, the Chargers need Jackson if they want to keep their role as a Super Bowl darkhorse. But he's too busy being selfish to realize it.
6. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
5 of 10
So I figure you'll give me some stats to prove why Kobe isn't a me-first player. Sure, his assists have gone up, but he's trying to trick you.
Does no one remember how Kobe was before the Pau Gasol trade? Surly, self-centered, chased Shaq out of town to be the alpha dog in L.A. I'm not saying he's not one of the best players in the NBA, I'm just saying he's selfish.
Which he is.
5. Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
6 of 10
Why is A-Rod on this list? It's easy: he wants everyone to love him.
That's why he took steroids, that's why he signed the $250 million contract, that's what he's said in the past. He just wants you to love him. He doesn't care about winning, unless you love him because he wins.
That's why he's a me-first star. Above all else, he wants to be loved; he wants you to put him first.
4. Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings
7 of 10
Brett Favre is selfish. Don't believe anything he tells you about owing anything to any teammate coming back this season.
If he cared about his teammates, he would have stayed retired after he left Green Bay. Or, at the very least, after he retired in New York.
If Brett Favre cared about anything besides Brett Favre, he would never have gone to the Minnesota Vikings and burned every bridge between Minnesota and Wisconsin. Anytime someone gives up deity status in a place, it's because they're not done being in the spotlight.
Look at the interception he threw in the NFC Championship Game. Maybe, if he slides, or takes the hit, or if the Vikings just run the ball to begin with, they win the game. Instead, Favre tried to be the hero, and it blew up in his face.
Will it happen again? It's been happening his whole career, so yes.
3. LeBron James, Miami Heat
8 of 10
It's fitting for LeBron to go to a team who wear black as one of their primary uniform colors, since he caused the death of professional basketball in Cleveland.
By deciding that all the "we're all friends here in Cleveland" routine was fake, LeBron showed that he doesn't care about anyone or anything other than himself.
Why else would we have had "The Decision"? Who but a supremely me-first star would think that an hour long special in which he crushes the souls of millions of Ohioans and vilifies himself to the entire country was a good idea? And that, friends, is why LeBron James is No. 3 on this list.
2. Vince Carter, Orlando Magic
9 of 10
Vince Carter could have been one of the best basketball players of all time. He had the talent.
But Vince was more concerned with tanking games in Toronto to utilize his talent. That's right: he intentionally played poorly to force the team to trade him. That is inexcusable. He would be No. 1, but he seems to have learned from his mistakes.
1. Terrell Owens, Cincinnati Bengals
10 of 10
Terrell Owens is by far the most self-absorbed, me-first star in all of sports.
He has become such a pariah that even his incredible skills haven't been able to save him in three different cities (San Fransisco, Philadelphia, and Dallas).
He sulks when he doesn't get the ball, and doesn't always run routes to their conclusions.
He throws teammates under the bus with regularity, and became a one-man reality show while with the Eagles.
He has his own reality show.
When you combine all of those things, it becomes clear that Terrell Owens is the most me-first star in all of sports.
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