OT: Biggest Chicago Sports Busts

Backyard Hockey

Dealing With It
Feb 13, 2015
13,315
5,110
Bears: Stan Thomas, Tank Johnson, Alonzo Spellman, Kevin White

White Sox: Adam Dunn

Hawks: Kyle Beach, Billy Sweatt, Igor Makarov, Mikhail Yakupov, Pavel Vrobiev, Ty Jones, Eric Lecompte

Hawks lead because that is where my

Totally unqualified to comment on Cubs/Bulls.

outside of Javon Kerse, I don’t think there’s been a better physical specimen to play d line in the NFL than Spellman

his issue was mental illness.
 

Giovi

Registered User
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Feb 1, 2009
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Well in terms of ROI, certainly you have to put Toews on the list as a bust (for the cap number in rstrd):

This is year #5 of his $10.5 m cap hot per year
....and he got a lit more cash up front in the early years of this deal...made a ton of money..

So what did we get from him?

Yr1 (2015/16) 80GP 28g 30a 58 pts and +16
.725 pts/g .35 g/g

Yr2(2016/17) 72GP 21g 37a 58pts and +7
.806 pts/g ..29 g/g

Yr3(2017/18) 74GP 20g 32a 52pts -1
.703 pts/g .27 g/g

Yr4(2018/19) 82GP 35g 46a 81pts +2
.988 pts/g .426 g/g

Yr 5(current)* 29GP 5g 10a 15pts -6
*to date .517pts/g .172 g/g

So only 1 season where acceptable 81 pts forca $10.5 cap hit and even that is overpaid ...of only 81 poi ts then the +/' should be better than just +3..so even in his greatesxyear point-wise of his career ,overall not much of a difference guy...on a net basis.

But even this 1 "great" season is justv1 of the first 4.. The other 3 were men...disappointing...for the money expended.


So what does he give so far this season?

Total Bust so far ....slightly over a half-point per game only ...just 5 hoalsvin firstc29GO and a lousy -6..
..
Certainly not 1C calibre ..let alonreworth $10.5 per yr.

OVERPAID BY A LOT ...Looks to.me like the $10.5 for 9 years has turned very sour
...we may be looking at only a 1of 8years where even close to justifying his pay level.
:facepalm:
 
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BrianE

Registered User
Dec 29, 2014
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For the Hawks Tony Tanti (didn't he break Gretzky's junior records?). And maybe JP Dumont.
 

Cowch

Registered User
Jan 24, 2019
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I liked fiddy's post cause it made me laugh so hard. Didnt he win funniest poster on hfhawks? Fiddy never let's me down.

Speaking of let downs, no one has mentioned Joe Borchard. Young me thought he was going to be the greatest hitter of all time.
 
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Blackhawkswincup

RIP Fugu
Jun 24, 2007
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Biggest Draft Busts IMO

White Sox = Joe Borchard (2000 MLB 1st round , 12th overall)
The guy was so hyped and got the biggest MLB signing bonus for a draftee at time (It wasn't until 2005 that a player got more)

Was completely useless in field and couldn't hit a baseball if his life depended on it

Bulls = PF Sidney Green (1983 NBA 1st round , 5th overall)
The Bulls completely whiffed on selecting Green to be cornerstone of franchise as he never showed much bouncing around NBA for his career as a bench reserve player for most part. Several players drafted after him became allstars and one a HOF (Clyde Drexler).

Thankfully the next year the Bulls were lucky enough to have Portland pass on Jordan

Bears = LB Waymond Bryant (1974 NFL 1st round , 4th overall)

The guy who was supposed to be the next great MLB proved not only to be complete bust but struggled enough at MLB that he was moved to OLB by year 2 and was out of NFL after 4 never recording a sack and only notable thing he did was end Nameth's career with hit

Bears error made more appalling by fact next pick was DE John Dutton who would become star in Baltimore while LB Randy Gradishar drafted at #14 would become stud LB star for 70's Broncos (Multiple time Pro Bowler)

Bears then used #20 on a DE in that same 1st round pick (DE Dave Gallagher) after passing up chance to draft someone like Dutton at #4. Gallagher lasted just one year with Bears........ The next pick in draft

Future HOF WR Lynn Swann

Its drafts liked 1974 that set back organizations a generation

Blackhawks = LW Kyle Beach (2008 NHL 1st round , 11th overall)

I am going to go with Beach because he didn't pan out in the slightest bit. Not even making it to NHL in his career and Hawks passed up alot of talent in that draft thru 1st round taking him

People may go with Barker but NHL changed with that lockout and he wasn't built for it and the drop off in that draft from top 2 and 3rd was dramatic. Barker at least made it to NHL and played a bit

My expectation is Trubisky will assume the mantle of Bears worst draft given trade to move up , the spot he was drafted , the two QB's we passed on and likelyhood that Mitch will be gone from Bears and not starting in NFL after next season
 

emeyezee

Registered User
Jul 1, 2015
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Biggest Draft Busts IMO

White Sox = Joe Borchard (2000 MLB 1st round , 12th overall)
The guy was so hyped and got the biggest MLB signing bonus for a draftee at time (It wasn't until 2005 that a player got more)

Was completely useless in field and couldn't hit a baseball if his life depended on it

Hey he hit that one home run that one time. So that was nice :laugh:
 
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hawksrule

Lot of brains but no polish
May 18, 2014
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He obviously means bust relative to his contract, not for his whole career.
 

No Fun Shogun

34-38-61-10-13-15
May 1, 2011
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Mitch has the potential to be a horrid bust, even a historic one. Second overall that we traded up for? If he's not a franchise QB that becomes legitimately quality, hard to downplay that.

Heck, even if he becomes merely competent on a consistent basis, that'd be a mild bust where he was taken. You expect worldbeaters there, not players potentially needing shelter or gameplanning around their deficiencies.

And I say that fully acknowledging that he's been okay to good the past couple weeks.
 

crazyhawk

Registered User
Apr 8, 2011
2,870
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In the Hills
I don't follow other Chicago teams but with the Hawks ...
I have to put my number 1 beside Cam Barker being a 3rd OA pick touted as a top 2 D.
My number 2 goes to Kyle Beach and as has been mentioned a Tom Wilsonesque style top 6
My number 3 goes to Akim Aliu whom I had hoped would have brought a Tkachukesque presence to the Hawks .. he wasn't a first rounder but the kid had some tough hurdles to overcome not withstanding the current whirlwind.
He is still trying even now to make it to the NHL at 29! I wish him all the best. And secretly I wish for the Hawks to give him another chance and have him come in and make an impact. ( he's playing D now I hear .. )
 

ColdSteel2

Registered User
Aug 27, 2010
34,759
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Man I was really excited about Jack Skille once upon a time. He still carved out a decent career as a 4th liner, but not what I thought he was gonna be. Just did not have the hockey sense.

It takes two things to win, brains and balls. Skille had too much of one and not enough of the other.
 

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