Let me preface this by saying I am not a "hater". I categorically refuse to accept the label. I reserve the right to say whatever I wish, whenever I wish. That's what blogs are for, right? With that in mind, today I take aim at America's most overrated athletes in all the major sports. By overrated, I mean athletes whose talents do not come close to matching the media hype they receive.
With the NFL labor dispute finally nearing an end, I thought it fitting to start with the most overrated player in the NFL. And the choice was easy:
New York Jets QB Mark Sanchez
And don't just take my word for it, the stats don't lie. More career interceptions than touchdowns. He completes barely more than 50% of his passes, which in itself wouldn't be so terrible, until you look at his feeble yards per attempt (less than seven yards per).
So what this means is that he completes roughly half of his passes, most of which are short dump-offs, slants, and quick-outs. In other words, he completes a
low percentage of
high percentage passes. Wrap your head around that! Oh, but he's good looking and plays in New York, so he's a STAR. Bleh. In my book, he's the Trent Dilfer for the new millennium--a mediocre talent riding on the coattails of a lights-out defense.
On to the next sport locked in a labor dispute, the NBA, aka The Association. And the "winner" is:
Portland Trailblazers guard Brandon Roy
Some would consider me cruel for piling on a guy whose knees may be shot, leaving his career in jeopardy at 26 years of age. But he has led a charmed life so far in the league. Named rookie of the year in 2007 despite missing 25 games. Named to the All Star team the following three seasons, often ahead of arguably more deserving players, see: Ellis, Monta.
And maybe that's my problem with him. Roy went from college to NBA elite status overnight. He is certainly a good player, but not OMG great. He is by most accounts one of the nice guys in the league, but I still don't like that he was granted NBA superstar status (and all the favorable treatment from officials that comes with it) from jump.
On to the Boys of Summer, the most overrated player in Major League Baseball. And the winner is:
Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard
The big slugger is a few years removed from his 2006 MVP season, and has been largely overshadowed by Albert Pujols among NL firstbasemen. He still hits for power, but the bottom line of Ryan Howard is this: He is a strikeout MACHINE. He followed up 2006 with 199 Ks in 2007. And matched that number in 2008. In 3598 career at bats, Howard has struck out a staggering 1140 times. That is close to a strikeout every third at bat. If I had to pick someone in that Phillie lineup I
want to face with runners on in the late innings of a tight game, I'm looking at you Ryan. And you'll probably get caught looking at strike three.
And we've reached the point in the program where we talk hockey. I do not profess to have any great knowledge of the game, nor do I follow it very closely. However, I do have a bone to pick (of course I do). And the most overrated player in the NHL is:
Some Defenseman who gets credit for an assist for simply being on the ice when his team scores. Pick one. Any one. And if you can explain to me how assists are awarded in hockey, I will send you, free of charge, a Spain Men's National Team soccer jacket. I'm serious.
I first noticed this crazy everybody-gets-an-assist in hockey thing back in the 1990s when Ray Bourque and Paul Coffey roamed the blue line for the Bruins and Red Wings, respectively. I'm pretty sure Bourque and Coffey got assists for being in uniform when their teams scored. Why?
I'll put away my slings and arrows for today. I already feel better getting that off my chest.
