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Chan Ho: Bad, but not the worstThis list has a certain amount of criteria:
Money Matters
Eddie George might have been a bust. But he was cheap: one year, $1.5 million. Outside of taking up a roster spot, George really wasn't a problem. Chan Ho Park on the other hand ...
Calculated Risk
The Rangers took a flier on Pedro Astacio and he stunk. The Mavericks acquired Shawne Williams from the Pacers thinking they might have a diamond in the rough. Low-risk, high-ceiling acquisitions are OK.
Attitude/Mental Illness
Being washed up is one thing. Being not very good or out of position is another matter. Just being an asshole or a crazy asshole takes things up a notch.
Performance
All that really matters, right? Alex Rodriguez was given probably the worst contract in Major League history. But he wasn't the worst player acquired. A-Rod was really good as a Ranger. He was just paid too much and the team, eventually, was hamstrung financially. Dennis Rodman was a giant distraction and a bit. But he also pulled down 14 boards a game as a Maverick. Hell, Terrell Owens put up numbers and was pretty cheap. Was he really the reason the Cowboys never got better?
Rookies/Draft Picks Do Not Count
That'd be a top 50 list ... for the Cowboys alone. All apologies to Bubba Wells, Monty Farriss, Doug Smith, Shan Foster, David LaFleur, Quincy Carter, Josh Howard, Donald Harris, Mo Ager and Shante Carver.
Fan Disinterest
When a player distracts a locker room or clubhouse or drives some sort of wedge internally that is bad. When he affects the entire city or fanbase, that's another. Also, I think it matters when a fan can say, "Hey, remember when we signed that guy?!" or "He's not as bad as that guy we signed or traded for!" When you refer to something as "The Galloway Trade" that carries a lot of weight.
Here are the top 10:
10. Tony Banks
Only because A) Banks was going to be the successor to Troy Aikman and so much promise was hyped up behind the quarterback of the future and B) he was released in Training Camp in lieu of rookie Quincy Carter to the shock of everyone everywhere.
9. John Rocker
You might call trading nothing for a 27-year-old reliever that strikes out a lot of batters a pretty good gamble. But you knew he was a hot-headed homophobe and racist. He posted a 6.66 ERA in 30 appearances. No matter the talent and the potential, the Rangers in 2002 didn't need that. It was a piss-poor move by a desperate and wayward organization. He was surrounded by controversy as a Ranger after having a few choice words with the gay and lesbian community. He later was implicated in steroid use.
8. Vicente Padilla
An odd choice, maybe, because I don't think most people remember the nuttiness. He was a reported heavy drinker. He routinely threw at opponents inciting numerous bench-clearing brawls (he led the league in hit batsmen in 2006). He was also insubordinate by doing random-ass shit on the mound including his 60 mph curveball for large parts of a start out of spite. Weird, weird dude.
7. Mike Vanderjagt
Finally, Jerry Jones spent a little money on a kicker. Not just any kicker. The most accurate kicker in NFL history. And he could dunk. First, he battled injuries in the pre-season. He was briefly replaced with Shaun Suisham. He hit just 72 percent of his field goals including a crucial blocked attempt in Washington and missing two more in Indianapolis. He was released and replaced with Martin Gramatica. It was his last season in the NFL.
6. Chan Ho Park
Park didn't take a five-year, $65 million deal and then take a shit every fifth day (when not injured). He broke spirits. He broke a franchise. Again, I cite Alex Rodriguez: Simply a very, very good player given entirely too much money at one time. Park took a big contract (at the time) and sucked. In three-and-a-half seasons, Park made 68 starts missing large chunks of two seasons. Posted a 5.79 ERA as a Ranger. He set, for my money, the Rangers back further than A-Rod. You talk contracts and the Rangers, Park's is the first to come up.
5. Ken Caminiti
We worry about Josh Hamilton. He has a drink at a bar and it's 10 o'clock news. No one had the same apprehensions about Caminiti. A well-known alcoholic and drug user (he'd been busted for coke a year before the Rangers signed him), a suspected steroid user and general ne'er do well. Still, the Rangers -- and fans -- expected insane hitting numbers and Gold Glove defense at third. He was released 54 games into the 2001 season hitting .235. He was dead three years later.
4. Joey Galloway
Sorry, but if you're name is synonomous with arguably the worst trade in the franchise history, you make the list. He was traded for two first-round picks, which the Seattle Seahawks would use to get Shaun Alexander and Koren Robinson. His first season, he played one game and missed the rest of the year after tearing his ACL. He never eclipsed 1,000 yards or 70 catches in four years as a Cowboy. Adding insult to injury, he'd move to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and post three pretty good seasons.
3. Sidney Ponson
What kind of a nut was Ponson? The pitching-poor Texas Rangers dumped the guy early in the 2009 season after starting 4-1 with a 3.88 ERA. Granted, he was never going to maintain that pace, but the Rangers were not in a position to necessarily dump players unless they were completely bonkers. Sort of known as a drinker, Ponson was seen at a bar in Florida the night before a start (he was hit up by the Rays the next day). He later berated Ron Washington after being pulled from a game and getting his next start pushed back.
2. Sean Avery
Odd, I think, because outside of pure performance and output, crazy acquisitions almost rarely happen in hockey. Outside of Pierre Turgeon, I couldn't think of a bigger stinker in Stars history. I think Avery nears the top in Dallas history. He was touted highly as a ornery lightning rod and a player with edge -- something we thought the Stars needed. It's also thought that his relationship with Brett Hull was a big reason he came to Dallas. He wound up playing 23 games, notching 10 points. It did not take long for Avery to wear out his welcome. In Calgary, he made a comment about "sloppy seconds" in reference to former girlfriend Elisha Cuthbert. He was suspended and ordered to take anger management classes and counseling. The Stars -- the team -- didn't want him back.
1. Lamar Odom
Without doubt the worst. He incorporates everything that is wrong. Poor play, a total attitude issue, possible mental instability, a celebrity wife and reality show, random disappearing acts (literally), gets paid a lot and there was a high ceiling of expectations. Also, the minute he left, the Mavericks became about 65 percent more likable.
Honorable Mentions
Alonzo Spellman, Doug Christie, Marcellus Wiley, Shawn Bradley, Pierre Turgeon, Raef Lafrentz.
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