LeBron James, Miami Heat and the Most Disappointing Sports Debuts Ever
The Miami Heat is continually the topic of discussion in the sports world. It will be no different here.
As you all saw, they laid a foul smelling egg on Tuesday night. With all the excitement that surrounded the team, we all expected an energetic, fast paced team. At the very least, we were hoping they would look good.
It got me thinking about all the disappointments the sports world have given us. We have been promised a lot, but unfortunately, some of those promises do not always work out. Here is a list of the most disappointing debuts in sports history.
10. Curt Schilling
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The future Hall of Famer did not start out his career so well. Schilling was a September call up for the Orioles in 1988. He proceeded to pitch the worst game of his life.
Through 14 and two thirds innings he garnered an 0-3 record. He also gave up three home runs. When it was all said and done his ERA would be an elephant size 9.82. Not to worry, though. I think he got over those initial jitters.
9. Kimbo Slice
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Kimbo Slice is a menacing figure. You would never think he would get knocked around easily. That is exactly what happened in The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights.
That show was Slice's springboard to the UFC. Many thought that all he needed was a little training in the fine arts of the ground game. But instead he was beaten badly in his first bout with eventual season winner Roy Nelson.
He was still put on a event card to fight in his first and possibly only UFC pay-per-view fight in UFC 113. He fought Matt Mitrione and lost on a TKO in the second round. Dana White said it was most likely his last fight in the UFC.
8. Greg Oden
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Much of the talk surrounding and leading up to the NBA draft in 2007 was about Kevin Durant and Greg Oden. Either way you could not go wrong. While Oden is still very young, I am looking at his first couple of years here.
He was the big man that would help the Trailblazers compete for a title. Oden was going to be the star Portland was waiting for. Well, they are still waiting. Before the start of his inaugural season he hurt his right knee. He underwent microfracture surgery and missed the entire season, Durant won rookie of the year.
In his second season he missed 21 games due to injury. In his third year he managed to play in 61 games, averaging just under nine points and seven rebounds. Through all of Oden's struggles, Kevin Durant has emerged as one of the best in the game.
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7. Dan and Dave (1992 Summer Olympics)
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The hype around Dan and Dave during the summer of 1992 was insane. They were on every commercial touting every single product. I half expected them to come through the television and do my homework. The men were gods before they even got to Barcelona.
We as the American public were asked time and again who will be better Dan or Dave. We would find out at the Olympics.
Well, what we found out is that they are both pretty lame. But the worse of the two has to be Dan O'Brien who failed to even make it to the Olympics. He missed a pole vault during qualifications.
6. Ryan Leaf
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Ryan Leaf was the Chargers savior. He would be the quarterback of the century, if he could make it past the first year. In the 1998 draft, the Colts had the first pick. They chose Peyton Manning. This was a good pick if you are into that sort of thing, but the Chargers had the second pick and they took the equally remarkable Ryan Leaf.
It is tough to compare and see who has had the more lucrative career as Ryan Leaf never had one. In his first ten games he threw two touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. He was even worse in his second season and was waived almost immediately.
5. Barry Zito (San Francisco Giants)
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Barry Zito was the lovable quirky ace for the Oakland A's. Then in 2007 the Giants threw a bunch of money at him and he signed with San Francisco. But everything should have been fine, right? I mean he was only moving across the bay.
Things could not have been more different for the former Cy Young winner. He went from a 16-10 record and 3.83 ERA in the more difficult to pitch in American League to much more funky statistics pitching in the National League. In his first year, he posted an 11-13 record with an abysmal 4.53 ERA. He got even worse. In his second season he posted an ERA above five.
With his fourth year in the books now, he has has yet to get his ERA to drop south of four.
4. David Carr
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David Carr was an amazing college quarterback. He made the Fresno State Bulldogs a formidable opponent every week he was at the helm. So it makes sense that the then expansion Houston Texans drafted him as their first ever selection. They just forgot to draft an offensive line.
David Carr hardly stood a chance in his first season. How can you when you are being sacked to the ground 76 times? The promising young star is now a backup in San Francisco. It beats getting sacked I guess.
3. Grant Hill (Orlando Magic)
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Grant Hill was about to become the new face of the NBA. With Jordan gone, companies were looking in his direction to plaster his face and moniker all over their products. The wave of good feelings only grew when he was traded to the Magic.
Now Orlando would have two burgeoning stars in Tracy McGrady and Grant Hill. Hill however, never got the memo. He only played in four games in his first season due to injury. The second season he only played in 14 games, 29 games the year after that. Then he had to take off the entire fourth season because of injuries.
2. 2010-2011 Miami Heat
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The NBA has never experienced this much anticipation for an opening night game. It was as if Jessica Biel was set to play Scarlett Johanson in a game of Twister mid-court. We didn't know what to expect.
Then we got what we least expected, a horrible game. Chris Bosh was hardly mentioned, per usual. But this time it was because he didn't do anything. Dwayne Wade was trying, but he wasn't himself and LeBron James was carrying the load, again.
So the NBA basically had me watching a re-run of when James did everything last year on the Cleveland Cavaliers, thanks.
1. David Beckham
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David Beckham was coming to America. He was bringing with him rainbows, and unicorns and granted wishes for all the children in the world.
There was much fan fare for a man that plays a sport that this country sadly does not even watch. So, it was going to be a grand day when he finally suited up in his kit and took to the pitch, right?
On July 21, 2007 David Beckham finally took to the field in the 78th minute. Soccer is 90 minutes people. With added time he played maybe 15 minutes. That might not have been such a bad debut if he played in the next four games, which he did not because of injury.
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