When you think of the “good guys” in sports history, names like Peyton Manning, Tony Gwynn, Cal Ripken, Jr., Wayne Gretzky, Barry Sanders, Ken Griffey, Jr., Larry Bird, Derek Jeter, Joe Montana and more pop up. These are the players that, no matter how much you loathed their teams, you still respected them as individuals.
And then there are the “bad guys.” People like Ben Roethlisberger, Kobe Bryant, Alex Ovechkin (as much as it pains me to say!), Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez and Ty Cobb may have a rabid local fan base, but their national images dovetailed during their careers for their playing style, off-field activities and general demeanor.
And there is one man currently in limbo between those two places: LeBron James.
Good: He is the most excellent basketball player in the world today.
Bad: He abandoned his hometown team to “take [his] talents to South Beach.” (His words, not mine). Oh yeah. He did it on a live special on ESPN.
Good: He has been a team leader since Day One, leading by example and words.
Bad: As good as he’s been, he has never won a championship.
So, where does that leave his public image? I’m caught in the middle. And I think he is, too. He’s definitely at a crossroads and the next 12 months will go a long way in defining his permanent-ish image.
Last week, when NBA superstar LeBron James decided to bolt Cleveland to join the Miami Heat, I, along with many others, compared it to Hulk Hogan turning evil and joining the NWO.
That got me thinking about other notable “heel turns.” In wrestling terms, when a good guy goes EVIL, it’s called a heel turn, referencing inside labels for good guys (babyfaces) and bad guys (heels).
So what constitutes a turn?
Well, it’s usually easy to pinpoint the moment where the person does something heinous or a revelation about them emerges which drastically changes our perception of them. Someone that has always been controversial or had wide-spread negative perceptions surrounding them doesn’t qualify. Basically, lifelong jerks don’t count. A heel turn is a fall from grace that is difficult to ever recover from.
With that said, I present to you the Top 5 Real Life Sports “Heel Turns:”
Honorable Mentions: Jack McDowell flipping the bird to Yankee Stadium, Lance Armstrong splitting with Sheryl Crow during her cancer treatment (I mean…REALLY?????), Roberto Alomar spitting on umpire John Hirschbeck
#5 – Michael Vick Bankrolls Dogfighting Operation: Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick
was arguable the most electrifying player in the NFL. His unorthodox style kept fans on the edge of their seat – would he throw a touchdown or get sacked for a 30-yard loss? Both outcomes happened quite often, but everyone wanted to watch. He played the position like millions of video game players manipulated their controllers.
He was the face of his franchise, one of the most marketable players in the league. Under his direction, the Falcons became a premiere team in the league. Their signature win came on January 1, 2003, when Vick and the birds upset heavily-favored Green Bay at storied Lambeau Field in the playoffs, the Packers’ first home playoff loss ever.
While his demeanor soured slowly as the team struggled, the summer of 2007 was when he went full-blown heel. That summer, evidence of Vick bankrolling a large dogfighting ring, with harsh imagery from rape stands to drownings to hangings, blew up…and so did his career. Vick went to jail, and while he has returned to the league, his reputation is irreparable. (Note: I previously discussed Michael Vick here)
#4 – Rafael Palmeiro Wags His Guilty Finger: There are several ways to get into a sport’s
Hall of Fame. Be GREAT…or be REALLY GOOD for a long time. Baseball star Rafael Palmeiro, sitting on nearly two decades of REALLY GOOD, was finishing out his career, with a ticket seemingly punched for Cooperstown, NY.
There are, however, ways to block your own induction to the Hall of Fame. Embarrassing yourself and your sport in front of Congress is pretty decent way to do just that.
Testifying under oath on March 17, 2005, Palmeiro swore to Congress he had never done steroids, famously wagging his finger at them, almost shaming them for even considering that fact.
That August, Palmeiro tested positive for the steroid stanozolol. He was immediately suspended for 10 games. While he was reinstated after serving his time, the one-time champion of goodness became a poster boy for all that was wrong with the game at the time. The Congressional nature of his case brings his lying to a higher level. Now, the only way he will see the Hall of Fame is with a ticket…if they even let him in.
#3 – Ray Lewis, Murder and Redemption: By January 31, 2000, Baltimore Ravens linebacker
Ray Lewis was entering the prime of his career. He had already been named to two All Pro Team, led the NFL in tackles and was seen as an emerging leader of the premier defense in the league. His popularity became national, as his hard, aggressive style of play endeared himself to all gridiron fans.
However, that night, everything changed. While the exact events remain a mystery, here is what we know: Lewis was involved in a back alley fight, which led to the stabbing deaths of two men on the opposite side. Lewis was charged with murder, and the image of a top athlete sitting in his trial every day wearing prison jumpsuits was prevalent.
At the end of the day, Lewis agreed to take a lesser charge to testify against his co-defendants. The NFL fined Lewis $250,000 and his image was in tatters.
I included Lewis in this list because of how shocking the image was: one of the most popular players in his league charged with murder.
However, also to be mentioned is how Lewis found redemption. A decade of distance from the murder, Lewis has shown remorse for his involvement, dedicated himself to community service and mentoring young players in the league, trying to make sure nobody makes the mistakes he did.
He has become a “spiritual leader” of the Ravens and the NFL – a weathered warrior who has seen the worst and emerged from it a better man. So while his heel turn was shocking, his return to good graces has been inspiring.
#2 – Tiger Woods Likes The Ladies: LeBron James wants to be a global brand…Tiger Woods
IS. He dominated with PGA Tour for more than a decade, taking the game to greater popularity than ever before. A man bred to win at golf, Tiger’s focus, fitness and precision were legendary. Part marketing play and part psychological ploy, if you saw Tiger wearing red on Sunday, you knew he was winning.
He endorsed top-flight brands and products and it all made sense – he was top-flight. He was a family man, living the perfect life.
On November 25, 2009, a report came out of Tiger being in a single-car crash late at night in his gated community in Florida. Which led to a report of a mistress. Which opened the floodgates.
Women upon women upon women came forward claiming to have had sexual relationships with Tiger Woods. And he didn’t deny it! Because there wasn’t anything to deny.
And it was over. His run at the top of the sport – as it’s best player, biggest star and most popular competitor, the scads of rich endorsement contracts, the life people dream of…all of it, gone. Tiger walked away from golf for several months, a tense time of supposed rehab for his addiction and trying to repair his marriage.
While he has returned to golf and kept some sponsorships, he is no longer THE golfer. His life is in shambles and the man who cherished his privacy is forced to see the world watch it.
#1 – OJ Simpson and The White Bronco: Hall of Famer football player and successful actor
and commentator OJ Simpson did it right. After an illustrious playing career, he successfully moved on to other arenas. He was not a national treasure (like, say, Mike Ditka or Betty White), but he was respected and recognized everywhere.
His ex-wife, Nicole Brown, and her friend Ron Goldman, were found dead at their home on June 12, 1994. Five days later, Simpson, the prime suspect, was involved an in infamous low-speed car chase. Police chased a white Bronco SUV for hours around Los Angeles. The footage interrupted the NBA championship and began a national obsession with the case.
Finally apprehended, Simpson’s trial gripped people coast-to-coast. The former Heisman Trophy winner’s court battle touched a nerve with people, headlines, ratings, dinner-table discussions and workplace arguments.
The announcement of the verdict sits as one of those “you always remember where you were” moments, along with 9/11 and JFK’s assassination. And despite his acquittal, Simpson remains a villain in pop culture…and the legal system. He is currently serving nearly a decade of jail time on numerous felonies, including armed robbery and kidnapping.
What other real life sports heel turns would you include?
Stay with me on this one. It combines sports and professional wrestling. But it makes sense.
Listen to this while reading. It helps set the tone.
The year was 1996. For over a decade and a half, Hulk Hogan was the hero of the then-World Wrestling
Federation (now World Wrestling Entertainment). He preached the “demandments” of training hard, saying your prayers and taking your vitamins. Kids loved him and parents saw him as a good role model.
He was the ultimate “good guy.” He toured the world, put on great shows and had a relatively squeaky-clean image (for this conversation, we’re talking about the Hulk Hogan CHARACTER, not the guy who testified in a steroids trial, ok?).
After leaving the WWF, he joined rival organization WCW. While there, he continued his benevolent ways, defeating bad guys of all shapes and sizes (and even a Horseman or three!).
In May 1996, former WWF performer Scott Hall appeared on WCW’s “Nitro” TV show to say that “we” are taking over. Hall was best known as “Razor Ramon,” a vaguely-Scareface-ish character who slipped back and forth occasionally from “good guy” to “bad guy.”
A short time later, Kevin Nash (known as “Diesel” in the WWF) joined Hall to wreak havoc in the about-to-start war against the rest of WCW.
The promised a third member of their group would emerge on national Pay-Per-View – at the 1996 Bash At The Beach. WCW stalwarts Sting, Lex Luger and Randy “Macho Man” Savage came to the ring for the match. Only Hall and Nash appeared from their side, but didn’t appear too worried. Luger was strangely injured and taken to the back early in the contest, leaving it two-on-two. And then this happened:
Hogan joined Hall and Nash to form the New World Order (NWO) with the stated goal of taking over WCW. The implication was that WWF owner Vince McMahon had sent them to destroy his competition, but a few lawsuits later, that undertone was removed. The NWO terrorized WCW for years to come.
Let’s replay that story, but with LeBron James in 2010:
Awesome, beloved good guy James, playing for his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, is living a dream. He takes on the Lakers, Celtics and Magic 81 times a year and is the undisputed face of the team and perhaps the second-most-marketable basketball star ever, behind Michael Jordan. As a free agent, he can choose what team he wants to play f or. Will he stay with his hometown team and lead them to championship glory?
While James was making up his mind, Dwyane Wade (Scott Hall) announced he was staying with the Miami Heat and wanted to attract other top stars to come with him to take over the league.
A day or two later, big man Chris Bosh (Kevin Nash) joined Wade in Miami, giving the Heat two of today’s top superstars.
On the nationally-televised ESPN show “The Decision,” James had the opportunity to come in and save the day for his hometown. He could spurn every offer and remain the ultimate “good guy,” the face of his franchise and most beloved player in the league.
James, however, pulled a Hogan. He ripped the hearts of out his loyal fans and joined Wade and Bosh in Miami.
Is he now a villain? Or is he a hero for turning down more money for the best chance of winning?
Time will answer those questions.
But, without a doubt, Wade, Bosh and James are now the New World Order of the NBA.
Tonight is the night! LeBron James will announce on a live special on ESPN who will pay him to
play basketball! (If your guess is “Nike,” you win snark points, but snark doesn’t help us solve this mystery.)
So let’s quickly break down his top options:
Cleveland Cavaliers – Who doesn’t want to be THAT guy who grows up somewhere, elevates the town and stays there? He would be the American Icon, the Hometown Hero — the Demigod of Ohio. He would be THE show, the undisputed King of Cleveland. He would have an unprecedented level of control over the organization for the next 15-20 years – and beyond, should he choose to go into coaching, managing, or even owning an organization. Don’t forget, the Cavs can pay him the most money under the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Miami Heat – If LeBron joined the Heat, he would be a part of the most talented trio of players in generations, with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Miami is a party town and a bigger market than Cleveland, for sure. However, he would be joining Wade’s team. He’d be a tri-Captain, instead of THE MAN. To do so, he’d have to take less money from the league and hope that endorsements and outside ventures help his bank account. On the flip side, the pressure to win for a decade straight would be immense. Anything short of an annual trophy hoist would be deemed a failure. So, to summarize: less money, less control, less spotlight, more pressure. Don’t see it happening.
New York Knicks – If ever a team needed a savior, it’s the Knicks. Burdened by bad drafts, poor coaching, terrible chemistry (or, to quote Charles Barkley: “just turrible”) and shady management, LeBron would give new hope to the #1 market. He would take the franchise from an afterthought to a legitimate contender. Plus, Amar’e Stoudamire, while an excellent player in his own right, could easily be the Pippen to James’ Jordan. For someone who has said on the record he wants to be a “global brand,” living in NYC could go a long way in helping the cause. The downside, of course, is the increased pressure to pump new life in a moribund organization. I would say there would be increased media scrutiny, but James is a national player – everything he does is examined on a higher level. The special is being filmed at former Knick star Allen Houston’s Greenwich, CT, estate. Does that mean anything? Or is it just a convenience place for ESPN to film on short notice?
Washington Wizards – Just making sure you’re paying attention!
Chicago Bulls – How do you become the greatest of all-time? You can try by leading his former team. While most people wouldn’t want to work under the shadow of Michael Jordan – the original “global brand” basketball star – James has seemed quite open to the possibility. Outfielder for the New York Yankees…Quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys…Forward on the Detroit Red Wings…playing these positions carries a mystique. Leader of the Chicago Bulls may have that pull for James. Do not forget that their roster is built to win for years to come. The supporting cast is there and the salary structure appears to be in good shape. Unlike Miami, where it would be the stars and nobodies, this team can grow together for a decade.
My Take – It makes the most sense for him to stay in Cleveland. Why would someone rip the heart out of his hometown on national TV? In all seriousness, what opportunities, exactly, would be more open to him if he played in another city? None. He has the connections and finances to call his own shots.
