Who are the most pathetic, lackluster, heartless, jerks ever to suit up?

[dark_lord]

Steve Francis:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/25/AR2006022501849_pf.html

Steve Francis, the New York Knicks' newly acquired guard, was preparing to throw the ball inbounds in the third quarter of the Washington Wizards' 110-89 victory last night when a heckler shouted, "Hey, Stevie, where you going next?"

Francis looked over his shoulder and shot back nonchalantly, "To the bank."

i am not a francis fan by any means, but i got to admit, that was a pretty funny comeback

[EJPLAYA]

I think we should try and differentiate between players who just aren't as good as we hoped they would be, and players who are truly pathetic. If we want to start this discussion it should be around guys like Ron Artest, Josh Howard, and Stephon Marbury. Guys who are truly fitting of this mold.

Josh Howard?  seems like an over-acheiver to me.  drafted 29th overall and now playing at a fringe-all star level..  what gives?

If you are going to call someone pathetic, you really ought to be talking about the guy's character and decision making vs. his basketball ability.  Josh Howard and his " I smoke weed in the offseason and so does everyone else in the nba " mentality to justify his actions put him in the pathetic category.

[chrismihm]

i respect josh howard for being honest and not giving the standard cliche answers in interviews.  i like a guy that speaks his mind, and i thinnk we all know there is a LOT of weed smoking in the nba.  and there are SO many worse things than smoking pot. 

[EJPLAYA]

i respect josh howard for being honest and not giving the standard cliche answers in interviews.  i like a guy that speaks his mind, and i thinnk we all know there is a LOT of weed smoking in the nba.  and there are SO many worse things than smoking pot. 

Ahhh.. The old "every one is doing it" justification. Very nice. Maybe we should respect Jason Kidd for beating on his wife because a lot of athletes have done that. Or maybe respect Shawn Kemp for dropping kids with huge amounts of women because EVERYONE does that.

Like it or not these guys are looked up to by youth and I don't respect ANYONE for acting like it is okay to do drugs and break the law. This is why he is Pathetic.

[chrismihm]

the thing about his beaing hsi wife or fathering fatherless children around the cu=ountry is that it deeply hurts people and has serious consequences.. im sorry but josh howard smoking a bit in the off season is a victimless crime.

[EJPLAYA]

the thing about his beaing hsi wife or fathering fatherless children around the cu=ountry is that it deeply hurts people and has serious consequences.. im sorry but josh howard smoking a bit in the off season is a victimless crime.

Except for the kids who look up to these athletes and are being told that it is okay and not a big deal. That's just what society needs is a bunch more pot heads running around because the role models in their lives say it is okay! Sounds like some victims to me... If he wants to smoke pot in the privacy of his own home then whatever. He should just shut his mouth about it. That makes him pathetic.

[chrismihm]

everyone does it

[chrismihm]

i mean come on, youve done it right?

[satch]

Blount.

[bdm860]

everyone does it

i mean come on, youve done it right?

Well I think we all now know one poster who does.

[Emperor Young]

Jayson williams, the guy who killed his limo driver..

[kw10]

As soon as I read the thread, the name of Zach Randolph came to mind, when I tried to think of others, the name of Zach Randolph kept popping up, then eventually Blount, Nate Robinson, Marbury and Sprewell.

But Zach Randolph, even if he averaged 25 and 10 once, is possibly any team's worst asset (or close to it). I often wonder a guy like that can ever win a championship. He's just that guy that has negative effects on the team (a hell lot at that). Everywhere he goes, his team fails, the Blazers as soon as he left, flourished (sure Brandon Roy had 1 more year to deveop into an even better player) and the Knicks (sure it's a mess already) but if he went to any other teams, he'd destroy them as well, so therefore I want him on the Lakers next season.

[klg05]

Umm. . . Manny Ramirez?

Sorry, couldn't resist, I've just about had it with that guy.

[zerophase]

and there they are.

[guava_wrench]

I think we should try and differentiate between players who just aren't as good as we hoped they would be, and players who are truly pathetic. If we want to start this discussion it should be around guys like Ron Artest, Josh Howard, and Stephon Marbury. Guys who are truly fitting of this mold.

Josh Howard?  seems like an over-acheiver to me.  drafted 29th overall and now playing at a fringe-all star level..  what gives?

If you are going to call someone pathetic, you really ought to be talking about the guy's character and decision making vs. his basketball ability.  Josh Howard and his " I smoke weed in the offseason and so does everyone else in the nba " mentality to justify his actions put him in the pathetic category.

I like Howard's honesty. At least he isn't getting drunk, which causes far more societal ills. The true pathetic character athletes are the ones who get into fights at bars.

Getting into a fight at a bar is one of the definitions of pathetic character.

Or even worse, the idiots who drive drunk.

I think you also have to consider how players mature. Players like Francis and Marbury get worse as the get older.