The 25 Biggest Joke Athletes in Sports History

From Kwame Brown to Ryan Leaf.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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While the majority of athletes have relatively nondescript careers, a couple times in every generation there are players who exceed all expectations. They gain great fame and notoriety not for their skills in competition, but for being the butt of ridicule for the entire sports-watching community. 

Some, like Travis Henry, had decent enough careers but couldn’t avoid trouble away from the game while guys like Ryan Leaf were a complete catastrophe from the moment they set foot on the field. Still others like Eddie Gaedel were more literal “jokes” played on fans by shrewd owners. Regardless of how they got there, these people will all live on in infamy for their exploits. We give you the 25 Biggest Joke Athletes in Sports History.

RELATED: Ryan Leaf Story

25. Randall Simon

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24. Nate Newton

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23. Freddy Adu

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22. Rick Ankiel

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21. Greg Oden

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20. Latrell Sprewell

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19. Ruben Patterson

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18. Michael Olowokandi

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17. Sam Bowie

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16. John Daly

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15. Darko Milicic

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14. Sean Avery

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13. Rosie Ruiz

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12. Adam "Pacman" Jones

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11. Todd Marinovich

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10. Eugene Robinson

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9. JaMarcus Russell

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8. Travis Henry

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7. Tony Mandarich

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6. Kwame Brown

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5. John Rocker

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4. Brian Bosworth

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3. Eddie Gaedel

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2. Sidd Finch

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1. Ryan Leaf

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