The 10 Most Overhyped Sports Stories of the Past Decade

Professional sports are no strangers to that crazy little thing called hype. As fans, we love to build-up our favorite teams, and even get caught up in the players, stories, or events that the media proclaims as the "next great thing." After all, who would a player like LeBron James be if we hadn't known about him since his high school days? What is the Super Bowl without all the fanfare and attention that accompanies it?

Of course, we all know that there are those times when someone or something just can't live up to all the expectations surrounding it. Remember Freddy Adu? Or how about that Dream Team that the Philadelphia Eagles were supposed to have a couple years ago? Busts, all of them. To show you the rest of the supposed-to-be-best, we assembled the 10 Most Overhyped Sports Stories of the Past Decade for you to look back on. Hopefully, this is last time you'll ever have to think about Tebowmania.

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Sport: Soccer
Date: 4/3/2004

Back in 2004, when soccer was still struggling to gain a foothold in the United States, the MLS found itself in desperate need of an exciting, new star who could get fans to start paying attention to the game. Enter Freddy Adu, the 14-year old supposed phenom, who was drafted by D.C. United in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft. The youngest American athlete to sign with a professional sports club in over 100 years, Adu was exactly the type of player that MLS had been looking for: a young, fresh face that would draw in a new generation of viewers and interest from American audiences. With the expectations in place, the attention surrounding Adu was intense, as the fledgling athlete found himself constantly under the microscope of a general public looking for its own Pele.

Unfortunately, Adu was never able to live up to these sky-high hopes. He was only able to tally 12 goals throughout his career with D.C. United, made just a marginal impact with the European clubs he latched onto when he went overseas in 2007, and is now playing for the Brazilian club, Bahia. Safe to say that's probably the closest he'll ever get to Pele again.

Sport: Baseball
Date: 10/19/2004

Depending on who you talk to, the legend of Curt Schilling's bloody sock is either one of the most heroic moments in baseball history or one of its most B.S. At the time, it appeared that Schilling's pitching performance had earned its place as one of the best ever. Not only had he had managed to save the Red Sox from elimination but, essentially, Schilling did it on one leg.

When the hype started ramping up for this, though, Schilling's moment in sun became too much to handle. By the end of the 2004 postseason, after the Red Sox had secured their first title in decades, it was the only thing that the media and Boston fans could talk about. It was great and all but, honestly, do we really even know if it was actual blood? Whatever the case, let's just all agree that we've heard enough about this story.

Sport: Basketball
Date: 7/1/2010

When LeBron James became a free agent after the 2009-2010 season, the media went absolutely nuts. Day in and day out, we were bombarded with questions and speculation about where the once-in-a-lifetime forward would end up playing the next season and, in the end, this build-up culminated in some of the worst, most overbearing PR we've ever witnessed. The Decision, the Miami Heat Welcome Party: these two, regrettable events stand out as the prime examples of what happens when the hype machine takes over.

It's fair to say that, given what they've accomplished now, the Heat had every right to call this much attention to themselves. They've won two titles, and the NBA has undoubtedly become a different league since they came around. When it comes down to it, though, we're not sure that anything this team accomplishes could ever make up for how much they pub was given to this moment. The summer of LeBron practically redefined what hype is today.

Sport: Basketball
Date: 2/10/2012

When Jeremy Lin stepped into the starting lineup for the New York Knicks, few could've foreseen the oncoming media storm that would come to define the former Ivy League athelete's short-lived—but spectacular—tenure with the franchise. With Carmelo Anthony sidelined by injury, and Amar'e Stoudemire taking time off due to the death of his brother, the Knicks were in desperate need of boost in order to keep the team afloat. Staring at an 8-15 record at the time, things weren't looking too good in the Big Apple.

But, amazingly enough, it would be Jeremy Lin, a waiver-wire acquisition for the Knicks, who would turn things around for New York. In his first four starts, Lin averaged an eye-popping 27.3 PPG, along with 8.3 assists and 2.0 steals, with his crowning moment coming against the Los Angeles Lakers, when he managed to outscore Kobe Bryant by putting up 38 points to Kobe's 34. From that point on, Linsanity was in full force, and by the All-Star break, Lin was able to lead the team back to a .500 record.

However, all good things must come to an end, no matter how Linsane they may be. When Melo came back from his injury, he and Lin failed to coexist on a productive level and, with the firing of Mike D'Antoni, new head coach Mike Woodson brought in an isolation style offense that played to none of Lin's strengths. By season's end, Lin's numbers had become decidedly more pedestrian, and the once-sensational point guard found himself back on the bench, this time sidelined by a tear in his meniscus. When Lin signed with the Houston Rockets in the offseason, the Linsanity train had officially left the station and, as his average numbers in Houston have proved, it doesn't appear that it's ever going to be coming back.

Sport: Football
Date: 3/4/2008, 2/8/2009

An all-time great like Brett Favre deserved to be sent off from football in the right way but, because of the future Hall of Famer's crippling indecision, Favre instead had to watch his final game from the sidelines, too old and injured to play. After Favre announced his retirement from the Green Bay Packers on March 8, 2004, NFL fans were ready to see their favorite gunslinger ride off into the sunset. But, then, of course, Favre had to go ahead and change his mind.

This back-and-forth would go on to characterize Favre for the next few years, as he bounced around from Green Bay to the New York Jets and then finally Minnesota, where he nearly led the the Vikings to the Super Bowl before throwing a game-losing interception. Throughout all of this, Favre was constantly in the media spotlight as he faked on his retirement another time—ultimately just using it as a tactic to secure his release from the Jets—and then pissed off the fans that once loved him by signing with Green Bay's biggest rival, Minnesota. In his final season, Favre not only saw his streak of consecutive games played come to an end, but also led the Vikings to a dead-last finish in the NFC North. You deserved better, Brett. Too bad you kept yourself from getting it.

Sport: Football
Date: 8/30/2011

The trouble all began for the Philadelphia Eagles in the summer of 2011, when newly-acquired back-up QB, Vince Young, said that Philly had become a "dream team" in the course of the offseason. At the time, it was hard not to buy into what he was saying. That year, Philadelphia had picked up three former Pro Bowlers in cornerbacks Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, as well as defensive lineman Jason Babin. With DeSean Jackson, Mike Vick, LeSean McCoy, and Asante Samuel already on the roster, this squad looked almost unstoppable.

However, the dream season quickly became a nightmare. The team started out 1-4 before limping to an 8-8 finish, failing to make it to the Super Bowl, or even into the playoffs. The following season, the team's fortunes were even worse, as the Eagles went 4-12, prompting management to fire longtime head coach, Andy Reid, at the end of the season. And all those much-vaunted signings that originally prompted the dynasty discussions? Not a single one is still with the team. Keep dreamin', guys.

Sport: Basketball
Date: 8/10/2012

Few athletes have been more insufferable to read about than the much-maligned All-Star center, Dwight Howard. In large part, much of the hate now dogging Howard started back in early 2012, when he was still playing for the Orlando Magic, and was trying to decide whether he should re-sign with the team, ask for a trade, or pursue his options in free agency after the season ended. Howard was famously ambivalent about his intentions throughout the entire process, and nauseated fans who just wanted to see the guy make some kind of commitment. But then, after picking up his player option with the Magic at the trade deadline, Howard did the unthinkable: he demanded a trade. At that point, Orlando was just ready to move on from this headache, and at the end of the season, they shipped Howard off to Los Angeles in compliance with his request to play for a big-market contender.

Unfortunately for Howard, though, karma is a bitch. What was supposed to be a super team in Los Angeles—with Howard playing alongside Pau Gasol, Steve Nash, and Kobe—actually turned out to be a historic mess. The head coaching situation was doomed nearly from day one, and injuries, miscommunications, and locker room tensions went on to derail the franchise throughout the season. The Lakers were supposed to contend with the West's best for a spot in the NBA Finals. Instead, they limped to the eighth seed before being swept away by the Spurs. And, well, you know the rest.

Sport: Boxing
Date: 12/11/2009

On March 13, 2010, boxing fans were almost treated to what could've been one of the greatest ever bouts in boxing. On that day, as reports indicate, we should've been watching Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao duke it out over $50M purse and, more importantly, complete supremacy in the world of fighting. It was, to say the least, going to be epic. Unfortunately for us, though, Pacquiao eventually balked at the fight conract that was sent to his team from Mayweather's camp on December 11, 2009. The main issue came up over how stringent the doping policies would be for the two sides, with Pacquiao asking for less invasive standards.

As the years have gone by, the bout still has yet to materialize, and boxing fans for this generation continue to be deprived of a signature title fight. With Pacquiao looking like a shell of his former self these days, and Mayweather on his way to retirement, it now seems that the prime moment for the fight has passed too. We still might pay to see it though.

Sport: Football
Date: 12/8/2007

If there was anything we would've liked to get rid of during Tim Tebow's playing days, it was the constant narrative and media attention surrounding the former Heisman trophy winner. Ever since Tebow picked up college football's most coveted award in 2007, there has been a continual spotlight on the unconventional, but talented, quarterback. In college, Tebow helped lead his Florida Gators to two BCS national championship victories, but slowly saw his star begin to overshadow the rest of the team. Whether he was crying, scoring touchdowns, or Tebowing, the focus always seemed to be on Tebow himself, and never on his teammates.

The situation didn't get any better in the NFL. After getting drafted by the Denver Broncos in the 2010 NFL Draft, Tebow led the team to an unlikely playoff berth in his second year, despite his severe statistical deficiencies as a QB, and his unorthodox style of play. Tebow was an eyesore to watch, but still, with every win that the Broncos picked up, the country slipped further and further into Tebowmania. Eventually, though, the New England Patriots came along to burst Tebow's bubble when they beat the Broncos 41-23 in the playoffs, and the loss remains the last time that Tebow has made a significant impact on an NFL team.

Feeling the need to get a more proven QB on their roster, the Broncos acquired Peyton Manning following the 2011 season, and shipped Tebow off to the New York Jets shortly thereafter. After a tumultuous season in the Big Apple that saw him mostly riding the bench, Tebow was released by the Jets, and has yet to catch on with another team. For now, it appears likely that Tebow's career is kaput.

Sport: Auto Racing
Date: 5/29/2005

With her entry into the 2005 Indianapolis 500, Danica Patrick quickly caught the attention of racing fans everywhere as she gave the sport something that it had seen only a handful of times before: a female face. A member of the Rahal Letterman Racing team, Patrick ascended up the ranks of minor league racing before eventually earning the nod to go ahead and race with the big boys in 2005. Though she wouldn't win the Indy 500 in her debut year, Patrick was named the IRL Rookie of the Year, and it seemed like only a matter of time before she became a star, and more women would follow in her footsteps.

However, while Patrick may have been competitive for much of her Indy career, she was hardly ever a force in the league, and her move to NASCAR has been just as underwhelming. Though she has been able to pick up one win during her time as a racer, Patrick has also never been a serious contender for the Sprint Cup or IndyCar Series titles, and on top of that, she still remains as the only female racer in either league. A step in the right direction for racing? Sure. But a game-changer? Not even close.