The Top 10 Sports Illustrated Cover Athlete Flops
by Thornton Melon | June 8, 2009 - 8:27am | 0 comments - 32 reads[inline:mand] Tony Mandarich, April 1989 The Packers were so enamored with Mandarich, they chose him before Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas, and Deion Sanders in the 1989 NFL draft, only to cut him three years later. He later admitted to taking steroids during his years at Michigan State and dealt with an addiction to painkillers and alcohol during much of his NFL career. [inline:lopez] Felipe Lopez, November 1994 Lopez appeared on the SI Cover before ever playing a game at St. John's. Though he had a solid college career, he never lived up to the enormous hype and averaged 5.8 points, 2.4 rebounds, and one assist per game in four NBA seasons. [inline:mcg] Sportsmen of the Year, December 1998 Can't really blame SI for this one, but it's kinda funny to see who we looked up just a decade ago. [inline:peterson] Mike Peterson, August 1971 Peterson, a three-sport high school prodigy from rural Kansas, was described as "greatest athlete in the history of the Hay Capital of the World." Unfortunately for Peterson, the college recruiters must've missed this issue because he ended up at Kansas State Teachers College in Emporia, where he played basketball and baseball. We're guessing he became a teacher shortly thereafter. [inline:msg] SI Experiments with LSD, October 1967 You gotta give it to the magazine. Fresh off the Summer of Love, the editors decided to experiment with a little acid and came up with his baby. We're pretty confident Bill Bradley doesn't have this hanging in his office. [inline:franceour] Jeff Franceur, August 2005 Just four years ago, SI proclaimed Franceur "the Natural." His career has been decent, but there were a few others from the rookie crop who deserved some love (coughRyan HowardcoughPrince Fieldercough). [inline:gary] Gary Nicklaus, March 1985 Technically, the cover is correct because he was the next Nicklaus (as well as the current one), but that's all the magazine got right with this one. Gary was nowhere near as successful as his father and had to spend the rest of his life with the shame of having those shorts on an SI cover. [inline:bench] Johnny Bench, November 1975 Since we're not one of the 14 living Reds fans, we can be immature and make fun of this awkward man hug. [all covers courtesy Sports Illustrated]
