Derek Fisher and the 20 Biggest Traitors (Allegedly) in Sports

Fox Sports addressed a rumor earlier this month that Los Angeles Laker and NBA Players Association President Derek Fisher may have been working unfairly with NBA Commissioner David Stern on issues regarding the current NBA lockout. 

According to the report, rumors have been surfacing that Fisher may have been siding with NBA owners on the issue of basketball-related-income in hopes of ultimately strengthening his personal popularity among league authorities.

Should the rumors turn out to be true, Fisher would undoubtedly be regarded as one of the biggest traitors in the history of sports.

Who else belongs on that list, though? How about these guys...

19) Tommy Bowden

Tommy Bowden made a name for himself by leading his 1998 Tulane University football program to an undefeated season.

Then, despite the fact that the entire city of New Orleans was begging Bowden to stay with the Green Wave, he decided to pursue the head coaching position at Clemson instead.

Bowden is no longer coaching, and he never won a conference title in his 10 seasons with Clemson.

Sounds like Tulane got their sweet revenge.

18) Mike Mussina

Mike Mussina began his storied career with the Baltimore Orioles and was a fan favorite throughout his 10 years with the club.

Then, in true traitor fashion, Mussina signed with the divisional rival New York Yankees and dominated the Orioles for the remainder of his career.

Smooth move, Mike.

17) Chris Chelios

A Chicago native, Chris Chelios spent a decade with his hometown Blackhawks and emerged as a star in the NHL.

However, when he didn't find postseason success with the 'Hawks, he decided to move to Detroit and win two Stanley Cups with Chicago's arch-rival Red Wings.

Ditching your home town is never a good move, but teaming up with the enemy is just sinful.

16) Carson Palmer

The Cincinnati Bengals spent their No. 1 overall pick on Carson Palmer in the 2003 NFL draft, and Palmer went on to enjoy eight solid seasons with the team.

However, after the 2010-11 NFL season, Palmer insisted that he would retire before ever playing for Cincinnati again, essentially leaving the Bengals out to dry.

Luckily for Cincy fans, the Bengals got the last laugh. Management was able to ship the disgruntled quarterback to Oakland in exchange for two high draft picks, and the Bengals are playing remarkably well so far this season.

15) Brian Kelly

If there's one person that Cincinnatians can't stand more than Carson Palmer it has to Brian Kelly.

After turning the Cincinnati Bearcats' football program into a national power from 2006-2009, Kelly left to pursue the head coaching position at Notre Dame.

The worst part? He ditched after repeatedly promising that he would stay at UC, and he didn't even stay around long enough to coach the Bearcats in their Sugar Bowl match up against Florida. The 'Cats got smashed and Kelly took the brunt of the blame.

14) Shaquille O'Neal

Shaquille O'Neal is one of the most beloved NBA players of all-time, unless you're an Orlando Magic fan.

After being selected first overall by the Magic and being named the Rookie of the Year in 1993, Shaq spent just four seasons with the team before signing a monster contract with the Los Angeles Lakers and going on to become one of the most dominant athletes in the history of sports.

Even more agonizing for Magic fans, O'Neal won four championships over his career and made 15 All-Star appearances.

Way to rub it in.

13) Terrelle Pryor

Terrelle Pryor's NCAA violations at Ohio State didn't just hurt his reputation, they essentially destroyed the future of football in Columbus for years to come.

While his illegal activities weren't particularly heinous, Pryor cost beloved Buckeye Head Coach Jim Tressel his job, left the program in disarray, and then fled Columbus to sign a fat contract with the Oakland Raiders.

Something just doesn't seem okay about that. 

12) Robert Irsay

It's never easy for an owner to tell his team's fans that the sports franchise they love so much is being moved to another city, so former Colts owner Robert Irsay decided to literally move the Colts from Baltimore to Indianapolis in the middle of the night without any forewarning.

Baltimore fans were crushed, while Indy fans were ecstatic.

At least the tables have turned this NFL season.

11) Art Modell

Much like Robert Irsay, Art Modell crushed an entire city of sports fans by moving the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore, Maryland where they would eventually become the Ravens.

Luckily for Cleveland fans, the Browns are once again an NFL franchise. Not so luckily...they're one of the league's worst.

10) Wade Boggs

The only thing more questionable than Wade Boggs' notoriously grimy mustache was his decision to leave the Boston Red Sox and sign with the New York Yankees.

Boggs would have gone down as a hero in Boston folklore had he not committed such a blatant act of sporting treason.

9) Tiki Barber

Tiki Barber, who was actually a solid running back in the NFL for several seasons, will always be remembered more for the selfish way in which he left the league.

Barber scrutinized the entire New York Giants organization after a 2005 playoff loss, and then created a season-killing distraction in 2006 when he announced midseason that he would retire at the year's end.

Karma bared it's head, though, as the Giants won the Super Bowl just one year after Barber retired.

8) Manny Ramirez

Manny Ramirez was an absolute stud in his prime, but despite his on-field success he'll always be remembered for the off-the-field issues that marred his career.

After leaving the Cleveland Indians in search of a bigger paycheck in 2000, Ramirez signed with the Boston Red Sox, starting his career-long slide down a slippery slope.

After reportedly assaulting clubhouse employees and talking down about the entire Red Sox organization, Ramirez left Boston to pursue a career in Los Angeles.

A few lackluster years later, Ramirez was a Chicago White Sock for a short while, before finally retiring amid steroid allegations in the middle of the 2011 season as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays.

7) Carlos Boozer

Before there was LeBron James...there was Carlos Boozer.

In 2003 Boozer was emerging as a star for the Cleveland Cavaliers and he appeared to be close to signing a long-term deal with the team that would make him a cornerstone of the Cavs' franchise.

The deal was set: The Cavs would release Boozer from his current contract, before resigning him to a six-year deal reportedly worth $39 million. 

However, in the brief period that Boozer was technically a free agent, (while Cleveland was putting together the final touches on their offer) he shocked the NBA community by inking a much larger deal with the Utah Jazz and leaving Cleveland empty-handed.

That's just cold.

6) Johnny Damon

Johnny Damon is either an idiot, or the bravest man to ever walk the face of the earth.

Things were looking great for Damon when he was a member of the 2004 Boston Red Sox, (a team which knocked out the New York Yankees in the ALCS before going on to win the the World Series) but after the 2004 postseason, for whatever reason, he immediately left the Sox to sign with the Yankees.

Seriously, Johnny?

5) Deion Sanders

Deion Sanders was without a doubt one of the greatest American athletes of his time, but he was never a particularly dedicated guy.

After enjoying several seasons with both the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL and the Atlanta Braves of the MLB, Sanders ditched Atlanta to win a Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers, one of Atlanta's most heated rivals.

Then, after just one year in the Bay, Sanders skipped town again to win yet another title with San Fran's rival Dallas Cowboys.

Five years later, Sanders signed with the Washington Redskins for a season before inking a deal with their crosstown rivals, the Baltimore Ravens.

Four moves. Four betrayals.

4) Bobby Petrino

Nothing says traitor like completely abandoning your team midseason to escape personal scrutiny.

That's exactly what Bobby Petrino did when his Atlanta Falcons were falling apart following Michael Vick's dog fighting allegations in 2007.

When things got ugly in Atlanta, Petrino ditched the Falcons to become the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks, prompting analysts, fans and football followers all over the nation to label him one of the biggest quitters in the history of the game.

Ouch.

3) Nick Saban

LSU and Alabama have been conference rivals for years, so when former LSU coach Nick Saban left the Tigers to sign a deal with the NFL's Miami Dolphins, and then returned to the SEC shortly after to coach the Alabama Crimson Tide things got ugly.

It's one thing to leave a college program to pursue an opportunity at the professional level, but what was Saban thinking when he signed on with 'Bama?

Beats me.

2) Brett Favre

It's hard to call Brett Favre's decision to retire and then return to the NFL as a New York Jet an act of treason, but his later decision to become the starting quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings made Green Bay fans sick to their cheese-filled, beer belly stomachs.

Favre wasn't just a former Packer, he was the absolute man in Green Bay for years. The fact that he would even consider playing for a rival NFC North franchise was absurd, and the fact that he actually played reasonably well in his short stay with the Vikings was even worse.

Still, the Packers got the last laugh. Favre's replacement, some guy named Aaron Rodgers, may very well be the best quarterback in the NFL and the Super Champion, undefeated franchise probably isn't missing Favre too much these days.

1) LeBron James

NBA super star LeBron James is not a violent dictator, a serial killer, or a criminal of any kind...but don't tell that to the city of Cleveland.

When James decided to leave his hometown Cavaliers following the 2010 NBA season in order to "take his talents to South Beach" he immediately became the most hated and controversial figure in the entire state of Ohio. 

Simply put, speaking James' name in the Cleveland area is practically against the law.