Top 10 Flops of the Decade

The Decade Series at RSS is back as we feature the Top 10 Flops of the Decade. How do you make such a prestigious list you ask? You have to be the hope of a team, a franchise, or even an entire city and fall flat on your face. Busts or disappointments are way too kind for this crowd. You have to be destined for greatness, only to end up somewhere in-between Rusty Larue and Pete Incaviglia on the all-time scale of impactfulness. This is a list meant for the esteemed few, this is the Top 10 Flops of the Decade.

#10 Kimbo Slice

-Kimbo was an internet phenomenon. His street fights had been viewed by millions of people. He brought MMA to primetime network television, something the UFC couldn't do. And then... he got knocked out in 14 seconds by the equivalent of Lou Savarese. MMA on CBS was done, EliteXC went bankrupt within a week, and Kimbo then went on to get knocked out in the first episode of The Ultimate Fighter this month. Hopefully Kimbo enjoyed his 14 seconds of fame!

#9 2007 Dallas Mavs

-The Mavs were 67-15 in 2006-2007. The 6th best regular season of all-time. Dirk Nowitzki was named the league's MVP. They were the #1 seed in the West, and expected to vanquish the ghosts of the year before when they lost in the Finals to the Heat and the NBA referees. Then, they met the Warriors (coached by ex-Mavs man Don Nelson). It wasn't just that they were upset by the #8 seeded Warriors in the first round, but they were thoroughly outplayed, especially in Oakland. Dallas was embarrassed in the biggest flop in NBA Playoffs history.

dsa

#8 JaMarcus Russell, David Carr, Alex Smith & Tim Couch

-What else can you say about these #1 QB selections? These guys are so bad, they make this list ahead of Michael Vick. At least Vick had some good years, you know, before that whole jail thing. These guys... not so much. We've chronicled Russell's struggles on this blog (video evidence below), and it's an achievement to be in the class of #1 busts like Couch and Carr. Couch was drafted in '99, but his glory years in the early part of the decade see him make the cut. Sorry, no video of him crying was available. David Carr's 18-36 record as a starter and Alex Smith losing his starting job to the great Shaun Hill earn them a spot as well. Not exactly a great decade to be a #1 QB in the NFL.

#7 Kwame & MJ

-Speaking of poor #1 draft choices, His Airness hasn't exactly had the same success as a GM as he did as a player. The #1 pick of the 2001 draft has averaged a robust 7.0 PPG and 5.2 RPG in his "illustrious" career. Heck, not even MJ's comeback in a Wizards uniform could save this disaster. Kwame is now on his 4th NBA team, while MJ is ruining his 2nd franchise in Charlotte. Just for fun, let's get Stephen A. Smith's take on Kwame! SAS should just be thankful Quite Frankly didn't make this list...

#6 Steve Spurrier in the NFL

-This short clip is the perfect summary of The Ol' Ball Coach in the NFL and his 12-20 record as Head Coach of the Washington Redskins.

#5 Dennis Miller

-How high would you have to be to want Dennis Miller to broadcast football games? How high would you have to be to actually understand Dennis Miller broadcasting a football game? This was one of the most peculiar marriages of this, or any decade. A late-night, sophisticated comedian calling a game with a bunch of meatheads slamming into each other was only going to end as a flop. I think these are real quotes...

14 quotes from the Dennis Miller Era

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Headlines - Gridirony
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Ron Paul Interview

#4 Larry Brown in New York

-Ah yes, surely Larry Brown coming home would save the Knicks! The world's most famous arena saw the world's worst basketball throughout this decade. However, Larry was supposed to fix that. He had just come off of an NBA Championship in Detroit when heading to New York before the '05-'06 season. He was signed to a 5 year contract and was paid the biggest contract in NBA coaching history. A funny thing happened on the way back to greatness, the Knicks went 23-59 and Brown was gone after one season. But, then again, you can't totally blame Larry, right? If only the following Youtube classic was a real NBA commercial. The NBA, where....

#3 Matt Millen

-I'm sure Lions fans are upset that Mr. Millen isn't #1 on our flops list. If you look up the definition of flop in the dictionary, Millen's picture is close by. Millen was the 2nd highest paid GM in the league, a former All-Pro, and a renowned analyst. He was brought in before the 2001 season in hopes of finally bringing the title back to Detroit... and his Lions teams went 31-84. 31-84!! He was given 7 years!! Fans carried banners into the stadium asking to fire their own general manager! Only in history will we understand the utter horrid stench that was the Millen Era in Detroit.

#2 Triple Crown Horses

-A curveball in our Flops list! Even though Horse Racing ain't what it used to be (not since the roaring 20s at least, con 'sarn it), the elusive Triple Crown chase and repeated failures was a huge story this decade. We're currently in the longest TC drought in history, and a dying sport needs it. 6 horses won 2 of the 3 Triple Crown races this decade, including 4 that choked in the Belmont. (War Emblem, Smarty Jones, Funny Cide, and Big Brown) For the magnitude of the achievement, the importance to the sport, and the number of chokes and flops, these horses make the list. Big Brown even had a bonus from UPS for the Triple Crown and he went off as a 3-10 favorite at the 2008 Belmont. 3-10!! Those odds are similar to Tiger Woods beating Charles Barkley at Pebble. But alas, history went begging again...

#1 This Is The XFL!!!!

-An obvious choice. Vince McMahon's brainchild was supposed to combine the best of the WWF and the NFL. It was hyped as much as New Coke, and it had a big network in NBC backing it up. A huge audience showed up in Week 1, but was cut by more than half after the first game. What was the problem? Oh yeah, the football sucked! Eventually, ratings declined as records were set for the lowest rated primetime shows in history. It was so bad, that the league folded after a season. One season. He Hate Me, the pregame scramble, the Birmingham Thunderbolts, The Boz... all gone, before we even had a chance to love them. The wrestling fans missed the steel chairs, figure 4s, and crazy heel turns. The football fans missed competent football. In the end, a dream scenario turned into a nightmare, and the flop of the decade. Let's travel back in time to a different age. An age of the XFL...

Man, I wish the XFL was just given a fair chance, why does life have to be so unfair?? Why!!! Wh... Oh, sorry, let me compose myself... what do you think? Are we missing any flops in the world of sports? Is the XFL and Vinny Mac worthy of our prestigious award? Leave your thoughts in the comments below and tell us who you think is worthy of being anointed the biggest flop of the decade. Bye for now...