James Harrison, Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson and Biggest Quitters Ever

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison was excused from practice today as he contemplated retirement, his agent said.

Harrison announced on a Fox Sports radio show that he might retire after being fined $75,000 for a hit that knocked out Browns receiver Mohamed Massaquoi in Sunday's game.

Yes, I'm serious.

Apparently, Harrison feels the fear of constantly being fined will prevent him from playing football the way he wants to. 

But I think he's just the latest egomaniac/athlete to quit his sport because things weren't going his way.

Obviously, Harrison isn't the first guy to do it, and he certainly won't be the last. But who are the biggest quitters who came before him?

Let's take a look at the top 15 quitters in sports history.

15. Brock Lesnar

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LAS VEGAS - JULY 11: Brock Lesnar reacts after knocking out Frank Mir during their heavyweight title bout during UFC 100 on July 11, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images)

Brock Lesnar got his start in professional wrestling with the WWE, where he was billed as "The Next Big Thing."

But after making a couple million bucks, he left the company to pursue an NFL career that didn't last very long. After being cut by the Minnesota Vikings, Lesnar gave up football to start training for a mixed martial arts career.

Something tells me that quitting wrestling and football worked out pretty well for him in the long run, though.

14. Matt Leinart

Hey Matt Leinart, Kurt Warner is taking your spot as the starting quarterback of the Arizona Cardinals.

Hey Leinart, Derek Anderson's going to be the team's starter. Hey Leinart, we're going to cut you because you don't even try, and you were outperformed by an undrafted rookie.

Hey Leinart, maybe you should put the funnel down and get to practice, so you can resurrect the little bit that's left of your once-promising career.

13. Scottie Pippen

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17 Mar 1999: Scottie Pippen #33 of the Houston Rockets looking on during the game against the Denver Nuggets at the McNichols Arena in Denver, Colorado. The Rockets defeated the Nuggets 114-103. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr /Allsport

Scottie Pippen fans like to try and forget Pippen's short stint with the Houston Rockets in 1999.

It was basically a disaster from start to finish for Pippen after he was traded from the Chicago Bulls. He couldn't coexist with Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley at all on the basketball court.

And if Rockets message boards are any indication, Rockets fans will tell you that Pippen's time in Houston was a part of their team's history they'd all like to forget.

12. John Daly

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KINGSBARNS, SCOTLAND - OCTOBER 07: John Daly of the USA plays his second shot to the nineth hole during the first round of The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at Kingsbarns Golf Links on October 7, 2010 in Kingsbarns, Scotland. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird

Following a bad round at Torrey Pines in January, John Daly announced that he was giving up the sport.

Daly told the Golf Channel, "I'm done. I'm done."

Asked, "Done with what?" Daly answered, "Golf. I can't compete. I can't play like I used to. I can't keep taking spots from guys out here playing this bad. It's not worth it."

Considering he shot a 71 that day, I'd say he was being a bit dramatic because he was 0-for-2 at making the cuts during the season.

Surprise, surprise. He's since returned to golf.

11. Michael Jordan

Why the best basketball player on the planet would retire to pursue a baseball career is beyond me.

But that's what Michael Jordan did in 1993.

He briefly retired from the NBA to attempt to play baseball before returning to the Chicago Bulls in 1995.

Jordan then retired again in 1999 when the looming departures of his championship running mates Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen became evident.

So Jordan quit on the Bulls not just once, but twice. I guess being the greatest player in NBA history gives him a free pass, though.

10. JaMarcus Russell

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OAKLAND, CA - JANUARY 03: JaMarcus Russell #2 of the Oakland Raiders walks off the field against the Baltimore Ravens during an NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on January 3, 2010 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

I had the privilege of watching JaMarcus Russell up close and in person at LSU, as he emerged from his cocoon as a beautiful butterfly before splattering against the windshield with the Oakland Raiders.

Seriously, if you want to see what happens when you give a guy with no work ethic $32 million in guaranteed money, look no further than Russell.

He never seemed to put forth any effort on the field. He showed up to camp looking like an offensive guard, and he was busted for sippin' syrup when he should have been throwing routes.

What a waste of talent.

9. Manny Ramirez

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BOSTON - JULY 30: Manny Ramirez #24 of the the Boston Red Sox stretches before taking batting practice prior to a game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim throws against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on July 30, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. (

All baseball fans remember how Manny Ramirez' career ended in Boston.

He was unhappy with his contract situation, so he went all Gilbert Arenas and faked a knee injury. He didn't hustle on ground balls, and he got into an altercation with teammate Kevin Youkilis.

But hey, that was just Manny being Manny. 

8. John Calipari

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SYRACUSE, NY - MARCH 27: Head coach John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats reacts as he coaches against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the east regional final of the 2010 NCAA men's basketball tournament at the Carrier Dome on March 27, 2010 in Sy

Whenever a new opportunity arises, John Calipari takes it. 

I'm not hating on the guy, but the fact remains that Calipari has quit on more than just one of his teams.

He left the University of Massachusetts to coach the New Jersey Nets the same year he took the school to its first ever Final Four.

Then, after nine years at Memphis, he abandoned the school to coach at Kentucky before allegations surfaced that the team used an academically ineligible player—later revealed to be Derrick Rose—during Calipari's tenure.

7. Allen Iverson

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CHICAGO - FEBRUARY 20: Allen Iverson #3 of the Philadelphia 76ers moves against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on February 20, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls defeated the 76ers 122-90. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees tha

In what was, in all likelihood, his final season in the NBA, Allen Iverson gave about as much effort to the Memphis Grizzlies as I did.

The Memphis-Iverson relationship was over basically before it even started, as Iverson played just three games with the team before leaving for "personal reasons."

Those "personal reasons" turned out to be that he didn't like coming off the bench, and he wanted to return to the Philadelphia 76ers, which he did.

You could say he quit on the Sixers too, but his daughter's health issues did play a big role in why he left the team.

6. Ricky Williams

Dolphins running back Ricky Williams tested positive for marijuana in 2003 and 2004 before deciding to hang up his cleats.

Of course, we all like to talk about what happened after his early retirement more than we like to discuss the circumstances that led up to it.

After leaving the NFL, Williams went into a bizarre place—spiritually, that is—studying Ayurveda, an ancient Indian system of holistic that revealed Williams' love for weed and his newfound desire to neglect shaving his beard.

He has since returned to the NFL and performed pretty damn well.

5. LeBron James

Obviously, LeBron James didn't quit the entire sport, but he did quit on an entire team, organization and city.

Not only did he embarrass the entire Cleveland Cavaliers organization, but he spurned the entire city in an hour-long television interview that served to stroke his ego.

I'm actually a LeBron fan, but the guy definitely quit on the Cavs, even though I'm not quite sure others wouldn't have done the same.

4. James Harrison

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PITTSBURGH - OCTOBER 17: James Harrison #92 of the Pittsburgh Steelers encourages the fans to make noise while playing the Cleveland Browns on October 17, 2010 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh won the game 28-10. (Photo by Gregory

Here's what James Harrison said in that radio interview in regards to the NFL's crackdown on controversial hits: 

"I'm going to sit down and have a serious conversation with my coach tomorrow and see if I can actually play by NFL rules and still be effective," Harrison said. "If not, I may have to give up playing football."

This might be the biggest overreaction in the history of life, not just sports.

The hit may have been just as much Massaquoi's fault for ducking his head as it was Harrison's, but he still knocked the guy out and got fined because of it.

Deal with it. 

3. Brett Favre

I don't really have to elaborate a whole lot on this one.

We all know that Brett Favre is a quitter.

He's retired so many times now that I've lost count. He wants to play, then he doesn't, then he does.

Chances are we'll see him pull the old "I'm retiring" bit one more time this offseason before he returns to play grandpa—I mean quarterback—for the Vikings.

2. Lane Kiffin

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KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 12: Lane Kiffin, head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers talks in the press conference after a game against the UCLA Bruins on September 12, 2009 at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. UCLA beat Tennessee 19-15. (Photo by Joe

Current USC head coach Lane Kiffin might have pulled the quit of the century when he left Tennessee after just one season.

He jumped at the opportunity to coach the Trojans while showing a blatant disregard for anyone or anything in Knoxville.

You don't make a commitment to a team on a six-year deal, and then leave after one season. An act like that shows complete neglect for anyone other than yourself. 

But honestly, if you look at his face in that picture, you can tell he wasn't going to be there long.

1. Roberto Duran

In a 1980 rematch between boxers Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran, Duran was getting beat by Leonard in the eighth round when he turned his back on him and quit.

Duran uttered the phrase that would go down in infamy, telling the referee, "No mas." Translation: no more.

Duran claimed he quit because of "stomach cramps," but his manager Carlos Eleta revealed the truth.

"He quit because he was embarrassed," Duran said.