Usain Bolt and the Oddest Two-Sport Wannabes of All Time
Usain Bolt has decided that his talents on the track would be suited to helping Manchester United succeed on the pitch.
Before you completely dismiss Bolt's declaration, consider he played soccer in high school and has even trained with Man U in the past.
But at the same time, it seems very unlikely he can even come close to having enough ball skills to make the jump into uncharted territory for a track star. With that in mind, it now seems safe to go ahead and dismiss Bolt's dream.
The allure of crossing into a new sporting arena has attracted dozens of professional athletes throughout history. Some have been at least slightly successful, others have failed and others, like Bolt, haven't even tried quite yet.
Here's a look at 10 of the oddest two-sport wannabes of all time.
No. 10: Roy Jones Jr, Boxing to Basketball
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Roy Jones Jr. isn't just the token huge dude at the gym who fires up jumpers that nearly break the backboard. He can actually ball.
He makes this list simply because he is much better at boxing, and the parallels between the two sports of his choice are so very few.
Jones is the only man in history to play a professional basketball game and win a boxing match in the same day, a feat he accomplished on June 15, 1996, when he played for the USBL's Jacksonville Barracudas and defeated Eric Lucas in a fight.
The love of basketball still hasn't faded, but at least Jones knew when to quit trying to play professionally.
No. 9: Terrell Owens, Football to Basketball
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Like Roy Jones Jr., Terrell Owens isn't horrible at basketball. He just isn't nearly as good as he thinks he is.
T.O. played college basketball at Tennessee-Chattanooga, spent time with the Sacramento Kings summer league team, and played in the USBL.
His dream of playing in the NBA will never come true, but at least he will be able to dominate in the annual NBA All-Star celebrity game against the likes of Anthony Kim and Michael Rapaport.
No. 8: Brandon Marshall, Football to Basketball (In His Dreams)
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Usain Bolt wants to play for Manchester United. Brandon Marshall wants to play for the Miami Heat. What in the wide, wide world of sports is going on here?
Marshall has said he plans to launch an NBA career as a secondary occupation in the event of an NFL labor stoppage.
It's not hard to imagine Marshall being able to play pro ball, but the USBL seems like a better option. Baby steps, Brandon.
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No. 7: Justin Gatlin, Track to Football
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Justin Gatlin hadn't play organized football since 10th grade, but he had nothing better to do while serving a suspension from track competition for doping.
He worked out at the University of Tennessee's pro day, and attracted interest from Tampa Bay and Houston.
The Bucs even gave the sprinter a tryout contract, but his attempt to make the NFL as a wide receiver ended when the team cut him.
No. 6: Jerry Rice and Tony Romo, Football to Golf
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Jerry Rice and Tony Romo aren't awful at golf, they just aren't really good enough to avoid making this list.
Both players have worked tirelessly to improve their game. Rice has dabbled with the Nationwide Tour, and Romo has twice tried to qualify for the U.S. Open in 2005 and again in 2010.
He nearly made the field this year, but withdrew after a rain delay despite not being completely out of contention.
Don't rule out another attempt at qualifying by Romo in the future.
No. 5: Usain Bolt, Track to Soccer (In His Dreams)
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Bolt has played organized soccer and loves the game, so his understanding of the strategy behind the sport wouldn't be a problem.
His speed is impossible to ignore, but so too is the little matter of actually being able to dribble, fend off physical play, and actually kick the ball into the goal.
It's not completely impossible for Bolt to see his dreams come true. It just seems like he should stick to what he is good at...Really good at.
No. 4: Michael Westbrook, Football to MMA
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Michael Westbrook never lived up to expectations at the NFL level after a fantastic college career. By contrast, anything he does at the MMA level will exceed all expectations.
Westbrook has participated in exactly three official fights as a heavyweight in the last five years. He has also become a Brazilian Ju-Jitsu artist, although his exact proficiency in the sport is unclear.
It appears Westbrook's second career is going about as well as his first.
No. 3: Todd MacCulloch, Basketball to Pinball (Seriously)
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Todd MacColloch was once an overpaid big man who was asked to defend Shaq in the NBA Finals while playing for the Sixers.
Now, he is an avid pinball player, and a good one at that.
MacColloch's transformation into another "sport" distinguishes himself from many of his counterparts on this list. At the same time, there's nothing admirable about a 7-foot dude having to resort to a child's game to become successful.
The Nets gave him a six-year, $34 million contract without knowing he would soon use the money to expand his pinball machine collection.
Talk about putting money to good use.
No. 2: Brock Lesnar, WWE to Football
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Even though Brock Lesnar's brute strength is impossible to ignore, it seemed unlikely he would ever get an NFL career off the ground.
The Vikings signed him to a training camp deal and he actually made some impact as a defensive lineman, but he was cut before the regular season began.
After that, the South Dakota native decided to return his focus to what he does best. Good decision.
No. 1: Michael Jordan, Basketball to Baseball
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Was there any doubt?
Michael Jordan's decision to walk away from his platform as quite possible the best basketball player ever at the peak of his game will never be completely understood.
M.J.'s dreams of making his father proud were never realized thanks to an inability to hit those nasty minor league curveballs.
Thankfully, Jordan was able to admit he was in over his head and return to where he clearly belonged.
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