Category: Sports

You never know what you’re going to get in the NFL Draft. Sometimes you get Jamarcus Russell with the first overall pick, and then sometimes you get Tom Brady in the sixth round. You can scout all you want, but you never truly know how a player will pan out in the NFL until they’re on the field.

The NFL Draft moved to seven rounds in 1994 and has stayed at that mark ever since. Long gone are the days when there were 20 rounds since there are so many teams. After the first couple of rounds, the casual fan tends to stop paying attention, but there have still been some amazing players to be drafted in the seventh, and what is now the final, round. Here are our picks for the best seventh-round selections in NFL Draft history.

Before we get to the list, here are our honorable mentions for the players that just missed the cut: Donald Driver, Marques Colston, Julian Edelman, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jake Scott, Bo Jackson, Jim Ringo, and Joe Schmidt.

5. Harold Carmichael

Harold Carmichael was an incredibly tall wide receiver coming out of Southern University in 1971 at 6’8”, but was considered a raw talent. The Philadelphia Eagles took the chance on him based on his size, using the 161st overall pick on Carmichael. He would end up leading the NFL in yards in 1973 and reached four Pro Bowls with the Eagles.

Carmichael was also a two-time All-Pro in Philadelphia, playing for more than a decade with the Eagles. One of his crowning achievements was winning the 1980 NFL Man of the Year Award, as well. Carmichael finished with 8,985 receiving yards and 79 touchdowns before ending his career in 1984 with the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys.

4. Rayfield Wright

Nicknamed “The Big Cat” because he could move incredibly nimbly for someone his size (6’6”, 270 pounds), Rayfield Wright was a force at Fort Valley State in the 1960s. The school didn’t play in Division-I at the time, however, so not many people got a chance to see Wright before he made it to the NFL Draft and was selected 182nd overall by the Dallas Cowboys.

Wright was a home run pick for the Cowboys as he was named an All-Pro in six seasons, with half of those being First-Team honors. Wright was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame after winning two Super Bowl rings with the Cowboys and was inducted into the franchise’s Ring of Honor.

3. Gary Anderson

The seventh round is usually when teams are taking kickers off the board, and some turn out to be amazing at their job. South African native and Syracuse graduate Gary Anderson was the 171st overall pick in 1982 by the Buffalo Bills but actually started his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1984.

Anderson spent more than 20 years in the NFL playing for a total of six franchises, and was selected as an All-Pro on three occasions and made two All-Decade Teams. His best season came in 1998 when he connected on all 35 of his field goal attempts in the regular season (don’t ask about the NFC Championship Game, however).

2. Larry Wilson

It might be cheating since Larry Wilson was drafted into a much smaller NFL, as he was only the 74th overall pick in the 1960 NFL Draft and a first-rounder in the AFL Draft. Regardless, Wilson was still a seventh-round selection by the St. Louis Cardinals, and spent his entire career with the franchise.

The Hall of Famer finished his career with 52 interceptions and was named to the All-Pro team seven times, with six of those being on the First-Team. Wilson was also on two All-Decade Teams, as well as the 75th and 100th NFL Anniversary All-Time Teams.

1. Shannon Sharpe

Known by the younger crowd as an analyst, Shannon Sharpe is one of the best tight ends ever and was selected 192nd overall out of Savannah State. Most of his career was spent with the Denver Broncos, though he did play for the Baltimore Ravens for two seasons. 

Sharpe was a five-time All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowl player who holds the tight end record for most receiving yards in a game with 214. Sharpe finished his career with over 10,000 yards and hauled in 62 touchdowns.

You never know what you’re going to get in the NFL Draft, as some players can become Hall of Famers from later rounds, while top picks can end up being so bad that they’re out of the league within a couple of years. There have been some massive draft blunders over the years, but a few that really take the cake. Here are the five worst NFL Draft picks ever.

5. (Tie) Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold

The 2018 NFL Draft was loaded with talent, and the Cleveland Browns had the chance to finally grab a franchise quarterback. They opted for 2017 Heisman winner Baker Mayfield, while the New York Giants selected Saquon Barkley second overall. The third pick went to the New York Jets, and they took USC quarterback Sam Darnold.

Many were sold on Mayfield and Darnold to become franchise quarterbacks, while also saying the Buffalo Bills drafted Josh Allen too high at seventh overall. Within just a couple of years, Mayfield and Darnold departed their teams and became teammates and backups with the Carolina Panthers while Allen became one of the best QBs in the league. Other players that both teams passed up on include Denzel Ward, Bradley Chubb, and Quenton Nelson.

4. Tony Mandarich

Four of the first five selections in the 1989 NFL Draft were enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Troy Aikman was a mainstay with the Dallas Cowboys, Barry Sanders became one of the best running backs of all time, Derrick Thomas was one of the 1990s best linebackers and Deion Sanders is a cornerback that current-day players all looked up to.

Then, there’s Tony Mandarich. The Michigan State offensive tackle was dubbed “The Incredible Bulk” by Sports Illustrated but flamed out with the Green Bay Packers. Mandarich played four seasons in Green Bay before he was out of the NFL for several years, and ended with a modest comeback with the Indianapolis Colts.

3. Lawrence Phillips

The 1996 NFL Draft was pretty loaded, with the top three picks all being perennial Pro Bowlers and the fourth would end up being a Hall of Famer in the form of left tackle Jonathan Ogden. At the sixth pick, the St. Louis Rams were in need of a running back and passed up on Michigan’s Tim Biakabutuka and Ohio State’s Eddie George in favor of Nebraska rusher Lawrence Phillips.

Phillips didn’t even make it through two seasons before the Rams let him go as he was having a lot of trouble off the field, including staying out drinking until the morning of gamedays. Phillips played in just 35 games during his career, having short stints with the Dolphins and 49ers. What made the pick really hurt was that the Rams traded away Jerome Bettis to make room for Phillips on the roster.

2. Ryan Leaf

Heading into the 1998 NFL Draft, it should’ve been clear that Peyton Manning was the top overall player, but there was still a debate on whether the Indianapolis Colts should select him or Washington State quarterback Ryan Leaf. The Colts made the right choice by taking Manning, and Leaf fell to number two where the San Diego Chargers thought they found their franchise player.

Unfortunately, Leaf had a laundry list of problems both on and off the field, and only lasted with the Chargers for three seasons. By 2002, Leaf was out of the league and finished with a horrid 14 touchdowns to 36 interceptions. During that time, he had a record of 4-17 as a starter, including an 0-3 mark as the Cowboys started in 2001 when he received a second chance. Even worse, the Chargers passed up on the opportunity to draft Heisman winner and Hall of Famer Charles Woodson.

1. JaMarcus Russell

After a fine career at LSU that included a Sugar Bowl victory over Brady Quinn’s Notre Dame squad, JaMarcus Russell was the clear-cut number-one pick in the 2007 NFL Draft because of his impressive arm strength and mobility. The Raiders were the “winners” of the sweepstakes but quickly discovered that Russell’s head wasn’t in the game.

Russell wasn’t focusing on learning the playbook or practicing his hardest and the end result was just three years in the NFL. Russell threw for only 18 touchdowns compared to 23 interceptions, and he lost 18 of the 25 starts that he made. Some teams flirted with the idea of allowing Russell to make his comeback in the 2010s, but he ultimately played his final game in 2009 as the biggest draft bust of all time.

For the most part, football is supposed to be a non-contact sport where injuries are common, but not typically too severe or embarrassing. Of course, you’ll get the sprained ankles, minor concussions, and in severe cases, torn ACLs. However, you hardly see injuries that some would consider to be gruesome or jaw-dropping.

Throughout the history of the English Premier League, though, there have been a handful of injuries where supporters had to look away. For those that are squeamish, you might not want to be reminded of some of these injuries. Anyone that has a strong stomach will be just fine, though. Here are the five worst injuries that have happened in the Premier League, with varying reasons as to why they’re the ‘worst.’

1. David Busst

David Busst was a center-back who made his debut in 1992 for Coventry City and played on the team for 50 appearances. However, that 50th one would be his last, as Coventry City squared off against Manchester United in 1996. Coming off of a corner kick, Busst went for a putback shot but met with a Man U defender in front of the net.

Busst broke his leg in two places, ending his career. The goalkeeper for Manchester United saved the shot and when he took a peek at Busst’s leg, he walked away covering his eyes as the play stopped. Busst would eventually become a manager from 2000 to 2006.

2. Eduardo da Silva

Brazilian forward Eduardo da Silva made his way to Arsenal in 2007 and had a strong first season to help lift the squad into first place. Early in his second season, though, Eduardo suffered a gruesome injury in a match against Birmingham City. Eduardo was tackled by Martin Taylor and had to go to the hospital right away due to it being an open fracture.

The response was heavy, with many calling for Martin Taylor of Birmingham City to be banned from the Premier League. Taylor would be banned for three matches while Eduardo took an entire year to recover. Thankfully, he would play again and score in his first match before suffering another injury on the same day.

3. Peter Cech

After starting his senior career in his native Czech Republic and heading to France to play for Rennes, goalkeeper Peter Cech made his way to the Premier League to play for Chelsea in 2004. Cech remained with Chelsea for over a decade, but there was a severe setback in 2006 that caused him to sit out for months.

Cech left the box to chase down a loose ball in a match against Reading, and Stephen Hunt was going for the ball at the same time. The two had a collision with Hunt’s knee hitting Cech’s head. Cech’s skull was fractured and nearly died from the injury, but emergency services were able to save his life and he came back to the pitch just three months later wearing a rugby helmet.

4. Pedro Mendes

After spending time with several clubs, Pedro Mendes began his time with Portsmouth in 2006, coming over from Tottenham Hotspur. Mendes and Portsmouth were taking on Manchester City with Mendes chasing a loose ball while Ben Thatcher was doing the same. The two collided right at the boundary, with Thatcher’s arm catching the side of Mendes’s head.

Mendes slid into the barrier and almost immediately began seizing. His teammates quickly asked for medical assistance and he was rushed to the hospital. Thankfully, there was no long-term damage and Mendes was discharged from the hospital the following day.

5. Ryan Mason

Midfielder Ryan Mason spent much of his senior career with Tottenham Hotspur and was sent out on loan more than a half dozen times. Finally, Mason made his way to Hull City where he would play the rest of his career, though it was unfortunately cut short. In a 2017 game against Chelsea, Mason went up for a header and his skull collided with Gary Cahill’s.

Both men were immediately lying on the pitch, with Mason suffering the worst of it. Mason had to have more than a dozen metal plates put into his head after being diagnosed with a skull fracture and was forced to retire from professional football.

There have been dozens of men that have been selected to be the head coach of the Montana Grizzlies football program, with the amount of success varying greatly from one coach to another. There have been coaches like Dewitt Peck and Clyde Carpenter who combined to go 0-11 during the first half of the 20th century, but also some fantastic coaches along the way.

Out of the program’s great history, there are five coaches that truly stand out above the rest. These five men won conference titles, and two even won a national title. Here are the five greatest coaches in Montana Grizzlies football history.

5. Jack Swarthout

The first coach on the list is the late, great Jack Swarthout who was a quarterback and halfback during his playing days at Montana. Following his college career, Swarthout coached in high school and as an assistant at the University of Texas before being named the Montana head coach in 1967.

Swarthout remained the head coach through the 1975 season and finished with a career record of 51-41-1. He won the Big Sky Conference twice and was named the conference’s Coach of the Year three times. After 1975, Swarthout decided to go back to coaching high school before retiring in the mid 1980s.

4. Mick Dennehy

Mick Dennehy knew what Montana Grizzlies football was all about since he played safety for the team in 1971 and 1972. Following his college days, Dennehy spent many years coaching high schoolers before taking a job at Montana Western. In 1991, he became the offensive coordinator for Montana and was promoted to head coach in 1996.

Dennehy led the Grizzlies for four seasons and in that time amassed a record of 39-12. In each of those seasons, the Grizzlies reached the NCAA Division I-AA tournament and made the title game in his first year before falling to Marshall.

3. Bobby Hauck

A Missoula, Montana native, Bobby Hauck attended the University of Montana but was an athlete in track instead of football. He joined the coaching staff after earning his degree from the school before heading to UCLA for a few seasons. Hauck bounced around as a coordinator in the Pac-12 and Northern Arizona before returning to Montana to become the head coach in 2003.

Hauck led the Grizzlies to seven Big Sky Conference Championships in a row before heading to coach UNLV in 2010. He’d remain in Las Vegas for five seasons, then spent time as the special teams coordinator at San Diego State before heading back to Montana once again to reassume head coaching duties in 2018.

2. Joe Glenn

Joe Glenn’s time at Montana as head coach was brief, but it sure was notable. The Nebraska native played college ball at South Dakota, and that’s where he got his coaching start. After becoming the head coach at Doane, Glenn was an assistant at Montana in the early 1980s before landing a gig at Northern Colorado that led to him becoming their head coach.

Glenn returned to coach Montana from 2000 to 2002. In his second season, the Grizzlies won the NCAA Division I-AA National Championship by defeating Furman the year after they came up short in the title game to Georgia Southern. Glenn won the Big Sky Conference in all three of his seasons and finished with a 39-6 record before taking the head coaching position at Wyoming.

1. Don Read

Don Read spent his playing days at Sacramento State and was a high school coach before getting his first taste of college head coaching at Portland State. After coaching the Oregon Ducks, Oregon Tech, and Portland State through the 1970s and early 1980s, Read made his way to Montana where he served as the Grizzlies’ head coach from 1986 through 1995.

Read had a losing record in his career by the time he got to Montana, but turned things around quickly and led the Grizzlies to an 85-36 record during his tenure. In that time, Montana had four double-digit win seasons and five NCAA Division I-AA tournament appearances. In Read’s final season before retirement, the Grizzlies won it all by defeating Marshall in the championship game for the school’s first national title.

Since their founding in 1887, Celtic Football Club has been the premier club in Scotland with a long list of championships with great players and managers along the way. Of those managers, there are some that have stood out as among the best in the club’s history. Between Scottish League titles and success across Europe, these five have helped define Celtic football and established it as the greatest club in the nation.

5. Neil Lennon

Northern Ireland-born Neil Lennon spent his career playing with many different clubs, but it was with Celtic where he had his most matches with one club at 214. The midfielder would retire after spending time with Wycombe Wanderers in 2008, and after a year off of football he became manager of the club he played with for eight years.

Lennon first served as Celtic manager from 2010 to 2014 and won 70 percent of his matches and three Scottish League titles. The then managed Bolton Wanderers and Hibernian before returning to manage Celtic once again from 2019 to 2021, and once again won 70 percent of his matches while adding two more Scottish League titles.

4. Gordon Strachan

Gordon Strachan had one of the longest senior careers ever as a midfielder, starting with Dundee back in 1974, playing with manchester United in much of the 1980s and then finally ending his career with Coventry City in 1997. He stuck around with Coventry when he started his managerial career, leading the squad from 1996 to 2001.

After a few years with Southampton, Strachan became the Celtic manager with his tenure running from 2005 to 2009. During his time with Celtic, the club won three Scottish League titles and nearly two-thirds of their matches, and added a Scottish Cup and a pair of Scottish League Cups during his tenure.

3. Martin O’Neill

From 1971 to 1985, Martin O’Neill played for several clubs, but none more than Nottingham Forest as he spent a decade with them, making 285 appearances. O’Neill’s managerial career got started with Grantham Town in the late 1980s and he made several stops including Leicester City in the second half of the 1990s. In 2000, he took on the Celtic managerial position.

O’Neill spent 282 matches as the Celtic manager, and won more than three-quarters of those matches to go along with five total titles and needed just 40.3 matches per trophy. Following his departure from Celtic, O’Neill spent time as the manager for Aston Villa and Sunderland before retiring following his brief gig in 2019 with Nottingham Forest.

2. Willie Maley

There isn’t anybody alive that remembers Willie Maley’s playing career, with 70 of his 71 senior career appearances coming with Celtic from 1888 to 1897. Celtic would be the only team that Maley managed, and he did it for a very long time. All in all, he spent 43 years as the manager, with his tenure lasting from 1897 to 1940.

Nobody will able to top Maley’s record for matches managed with 1,617. He won 1,042 of those matches and an astonishing 16 Scottish League titles. Malley retired in 1940 and would live for 18 more years in retirement. The legendary manager passed away in 1958 at the age of 89.

1. Jock Stein

As a player, Jock Stein spent eight years with Albion Rovers before heading to Llanelli Town and ending his career with six years with Celtic in 1957. Following his playing career, Stein took a few years off then became the manager of Dunfermline Athletic for the first half of the 1960s before a brief stint to Hibernian that led him to Celtic from 1965 to 1978.

Stein managed Celtic in 690 matches, winning just over 70 percent of those. He would end up winning the Scottish League 10 times and added another eight Scottish Cups. Following his Celtic managerial career, Stein was the manager for Leeds United briefly in 1978 and then managed the Scottish national team before passing away in 1985 at the age of 62.

They say that the NFL Draft is a crapshoot because you can scout a player for months and still not get exactly what you thought. There’s especially pressure for the team drafting first as you don’t want to mess up on selecting who should be the top player in the draft. 

There have been many Hall of Famers and many busts, but what about those that were neither? When thinking of these five players, you may have forgotten that they were first overall picks as they feel more like middle-of-the-round types.

5. Sam Bradford

When the 2010 NFL Draft came along, there was a lot of talk as to who should be the first overall pick. The St. Louis Rams were desperate for a quarterback, though, and made 2008 Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford the top pick out of Oklahoma. Bradford showed flashes of greatness, but he couldn’t stay healthy and only lasted for five seasons with the Rams before spending his final four seasons with three teams and was out of the league after 2018.

Was it worth the pick? Sadly, no. The following six selections in the draft ended up being great players, especially Ndamukong Suh for the Detroit Lions and Trent Williams for the Washington Commanders.

4. Courtney Brown

When talking about the biggest busts in NFL history, nobody seems to bring up Courtney Brown. In fact, nobody seems to bring him up at all. Brown was the Big Ten Defensive Player and Lineman of the Year in 1999, and in the spring of 2000 he was selected by the Cleveland Browns to anchor their defense for years to come. However, Brown lasted just five seasons and only 19 sacks before ending his career in 2005 with the Denver Broncos.

Was it worth the pick? 100 percent not worth it. Washington selected a better defensive player and a perennial Pro Bowler with the next two picks while Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher was also a top 10 pick.

3. Mario Williams

When you think about defensive ends that were selected first overall by the Houston Texans, you probably think of Jadeveon Clowney. That’s because Clowney was one of the most hyped college players ever, but eight years prior to him being drafted, the Texans surprised many by taking Mario Williams first overall. He certainly didn’t disappoint as he was a four-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro, but unfortunately most of those accolades came when he was with the Buffalo Bills.

Was it worth the pick? Absolutely. No other player drafted in the top five was at the same level as Williams, and many of the Pro Bowlers in the 2006 NFL Draft ended up being a flash in the pan.

2. Eric Fisher

It’s hard to find an NFL Draft that received as little hype as the 2013 edition. There were some names that got floated around as to who should be the number one pick, but the Kansas City Chiefs were still able to shock some analysts by selecting left tackle Eric Fisher from Central Michigan. Fisher played for eight seasons in Kansas City and made two Pro Bowls before heading to Indianapolis for the 2021 season.

Was it worth the pick? The 2013 NFL Draft was filled with landmines and only a few players that ended up having solid and lengthy careers from the first round. Fisher was a mainstay for Chiefs and won a Super Bowl with him at tackle, so it would be hard to say they didn’t make the right choice. However, Lane Johnson was the fourth overall selection and a better player at the position.

1. Jake Long

Fisher isn’t the only somewhat forgettable left tackle from the state of Michigan as Jake Long was the first pick by the Miami Dolphins five years prior. Long played for four teams total in his career, making four Pro Bowl squads. He last played in 2016 for the Minnesota Vikings before retiring after 104 career games.

Was it worth the pick? Not really. The Dolphins had the chance to select Matt Ryan, which would have solved their quarterback troubles for years. In terms of the top five, however, Long was the second best player so it wasn’t a total miss.

When it comes to the largest contracts in Major League Baseball, many of them are signed with the teams that originally drafted the player as they don’t want to let a franchise cornerstone get away in free agency. There are also massive contracts signed by players who hit unrestricted free agency as teams get into a bidding war with one another for a star player.

Then, there are rare circumstances where a player signs a massive contract with a team only to get traded away with plenty of years left on their contract. Teams have become warier in taking on major deals that players have signed with other teams, but sometimes a franchise will pull the trigger because the player is still a star, and the team trading that player away needs the salary relief. Here are the five biggest MLB contracts that were traded to other teams.

5. Yu Darvish

The Chicago Cubs were still contenders in 2018 and thought pitcher Yu Darvish could get them over the hump and grab a second World Series in the 2010s. Instead, the team turned their focus to a rebuild, but still had Darvish’s six-year, $126 million contract on the books.

The team decided to deal Darvish to the San Diego Padres after he played half of his contract in Chicago. In exchange, the Cubs received Zach Davies in four prospects.

4. Eric Hosmer

Eric Hosmer was once the third overall draft pick in 2008 and cracked into the MLB with the Kansas City Royals in May of 2011. Hosmer was an All-Star with Kansas City and won four Gold Glove Awards before hitting the free agent market after the 2017 season. Hosmer inked an eight-year deal worth $144 million with the San Diego Padres who were looking to add the final pieces of what they felt was a World Series-worthy roster.

Hosmer didn’t quite live up to his contract, and the Padres attempted to trade him to the Washington Nationals for Juan Soto. However, Hosmer evoked his no-trade clause as he didn’t want to be in Washington, so his contract was instead sent to Boston for a pair of Minor Leaguers.

3. David Price

David Price started his career with the Tampa Bay Rays and was one of the best pitchers in baseball, winning the AL Cy Young Award in 2012. Price continued to be a strong performer when he spent 2014 with the Detroit Tigers and split his 2015 season between Detroit and Toronto prior to becoming a free agent. The Boston Red Sox won the bidding war for Price, giving him $217 million over seven years for his services.

Price would only end up playing in four of those seasons for Boston, however, and was limited by injury in much of his time there. Price was then sent to the Los Angeles Dodgers alongside Mookie Betts in exchange for Alex Verdugo, Jeter Downs and Connor Wong as the Red Sox looked to dump salary and acquire younger players.

2. Nolan Arenado

The Colorado Rockies drafted Nolan Arenado in 2009, and at 22 years old he made his debut with the team in 2013. Arenado proved to be worth the hype right away and quickly became one of the best infielders in baseball. He certainly didn’t struggle with Colorado as he made five All Star Games and was rewarded in 2019 with an eight-year contract worth $260 million.

The St. Louis Cardinals performed the heist of the century when they took on the disgruntled Arenado from the Rockies for five players. Not only that, the Rockies paid $51 million of the contract. Arenado immediately performed for St. Louis and in his first season was a Gold Glove winner and All-Star with 34 home runs.

1. Giancarlo Stanton

Back when he was referred to as Mike, Giancarlo Stanton came into the MLB through the Miami Marlins organization and quickly became one of the best sluggers in baseball. Stanton was a four-time All-Star with Miami and led the National League in home runs twice, and in 2015 he signed a 13-year contract to stay with the Marlins through the 2027 season.

However, the Marlins were sold in 2017 and the new ownership group wanted to unload the $325 million deal as part of the rebuilding process. With that, Stanton was traded to the New York Yankees after his MVP season in exchange for a pair of Minor League players, cash considerations, and Starlin Castro. When healthy, Stanton has proven to be worth the money.

Almost every team in Major League Baseball has signed a player to a contract that they would come to regret for years. From the Mets still paying for Bobby Bonilla well after his retirement to Washington Nationals giving $175 million to an already-injured Steven Strasburg, there has been a lot of overpays in baseball history.

The Baltimore Orioles are no stranger to these types of deals, either. While some of the other teams in the division like the Yankees or Red Sox are more known for being free agent destinations, there are some Orioles signings that have been head-scratching in retrospect. Here are the five worst contracts that the O’s have given out.

5. Brian Roberts

When there’s a beloved player in the franchise that has been there for years, you tend to do whatever you can to keep them happy and have them stick around. That’s what the Orioles did for second baseman Brian Roberts in 2010. Leading up to that point, Roberts was a two-time All-Star who could hit for average and routinely flashed the leather.

The only problem, though, was that Roberts was already 32 years old by the time the 2010 season came around, but the Orioles gave him a four-year contract worth $40 million. Over those four years, Roberts played in fewer than 200 games, including one season with just 17 games. After his contract, Roberts finished his career with the Yankees to nullify being a potential Orioles lifer.

4. Ubaldo Jimenez

Ubaldo Jimenez spent much of his career with the Colorado Rockies where he defied the odds by being a good pitcher at Coors Field, posting a 3.66 earned run average and a 56-45 record in five-plus seasons. Jimenez was dealt to the Cleveland Indians where he remained through the 2013 season before the Orioles signed the former All-Star to a four-year deal worth $50 million.

Jimenez struggled right out of the gate, posting a 6-9 record with a 4.81 ERA, but would have a bit of a rebound in his second year. Over the final two seasons of his contract, though, things fell apart quickly and he combined to go 14-23 with an ERA over 6. Jimenez’s career was finished as soon as his contract was following the 2017 season.

3. Sidney Ponson

Sidney Ponson is one of those stories of what could have been in Major League Baseball. He started his career with the Orioles in 1998, and the Aruban was a fine pitcher that finished the 2003 season with a 14-6 record and 3.77 earned run average. During that season, however, Ponson was traded to the Giants before becoming a free agent.

Ponson returned to Baltimore as the team offered him $22.5 million over three years, but he would only last for two trouble-filled years. Ponson had several run-ins with the law, including two arrests for driving under the influence. When he was on the field, Ponson posted a record of 18-26 during those two years and an ERA close to 6 before the Orioles cut their losses.

2. Albert Belle

Albert Belle was known for being a bit of a hothead, but an overall great player during his time with the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox. A five-time Silver Slugger Award winner and All-Star, Belle had actually signed a five-year deal with the White Sox but it was nullified after two due to a stipulation about his salary.

When Belle became a free agent, the Orioles gave him $65 million for five years. Just like he did in Chicago, though, Belle lasted for just two seasons. Though he was solid in those two years, Belle’s degenerating hip cost him the remainder of his career after 2000 and he missed the final three seasons of the contract before heading into retirement. Had he continued to produce the way he did at the start of his deal, Belle would have been worth it.

1. Chris Davis

After starting his career as a slugger for the Texas Rangers where he hit 42 home runs, Chris Davis was traded to the Baltimore Orioles during the middle of the 2011 season for Koji Uehara. Davis had a strong rest of the season over 31 games and then put together an All-Star campaign in 2013 with 53 home runs and 138 runs batted in.

Davis saw a huge drop in his batting average the next year but rebounded nicely in 2015 to earn himself a seven-year contract with Baltimore for $161 million. Much of the contract was deferred, and Davis was done by the end of the 2020 season and at his worst was batting just .168 over a full season.

There have been hundreds of players that have been able to say they played with the Baltimore Orioles. From legends like Cal Ripken Jr. and Eddie Murray to Brooks Robinson and Jim Palmer, there hasn’t been a shortage of franchise greats. 

There have also been some legendary players that you may have completely forgotten wore an Orioles jersey at one point, though. Here are five forgotten Orioles that made their way to the Hall of Fame.

5. Nelson Cruz

Nelson Cruz may go down as one of the most underrated players of the 21st century. After beginning his career with the Brewers, Cruz spent the bulk of his career playing with the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners from 2006 to 2018. For one year (2014) in between, though, Cruz became a member of the Baltimore Orioles after becoming a free agent.

Cruz had been under investigation for use of performance-enhancing drugs and was looking for a one-year deal with any team willing to take on the risk of having him. Cruz signed with the Orioles, making $8 million in the process. The gamble paid off for the O’s as Cruz was an All-Star in his one season and set a career-high for games played with 159. He’d finish with an impressive .271 batting average, 40 home runs, and 108 runs batted in.

4. Sammy Sosa

You don’t have to go very far down the list of career home run leaders to see Sammy Sosa’s name as he is a member of the rare 600 club, hitting 609 dingers in his career. Sosa, of course, is most known for his days as a Chicago Cub where he led the National League in home runs twice (2000 and 2002).

After more than a decade with the Cubs, the team traded the former franchise cornerstone for Jerry Hairston Jr., Mike Fontenot, and Dave Crouthers. While none of those players really panned out for the Cubs, Sosa didn’t do much for the Orioles, either. Sosa played just one season, hitting a paltry .221 with 14 home runs and 45 runs batted in before he took a year off of baseball and ended his career where it started, with the Texas Rangers.

3. Jim Thome

Another member of the 600 home run club, Jim Thome was a beloved franchise player for the Cleveland Indians from 1991 to 2002 before heading to the Phillies and White Sox for a few years. Thome became a journeyman toward the end of his career, adding stints with the Dodgers and Twins while even returning to Cleveland and Philly.

Thome ended his career with the Orioles, however. The Orioles were in line for a playoff run and wanted to acquire someone that has played in many playoff games, so they dealt for Thome for the final half of 2012. In 28 games with the O’s, Thome hit three home runs while batting .257 as the team made its way to the postseason.

2. Vladimir Guerrero

One of the most unique free-swingers in baseball, Vladimir Guerrero is a Hall of Famer that split the first 14 years of his career between the Montreal Expos and Los Angeles Angels. Before his son, Vlad Jr., made it into the league, Guerrero had one year with the Texas Rangers in 2010, and when he became a free agent, he signed with the Orioles for one year and $8 million for the 2011 season.

It would be the final season in Guerrero’s career, and he actually fared quite well at 36 years old. Guerrero had a .290 average while only missing a couple of games, but the power was mostly gone as he hit just 13 home runs at the Orioles but came up short of the playoffs.

1. Reggie Jackson

The man known as “Mr. October” thanks to his time with the New York Yankees was also known for being a mainstay of the Athletics franchise as they moved from Kansas City to Oakland. Jackson wrapped up his career with the Angels and a return to the Athletics but had a short stint between Oakland and New York when he played for the Orioles.

In 1976, Jackson played 134 games for Baltimore where he had a solid season, hitting .277 with 27 home runs and 91 runs batted in while stealing a career-high 28 bases. Jackson became a free agent after a fallout with the front office following the season, though, and signed with the Yankees.

Michiganders love their football, and even more so, arguing about football. There are five universities that are in the FBS division of college football, and all of them are rivals with one another. These five schools are also proud of their stadiums, especially with a certain school in Ann Arbor boasting about its maximum capacity.

When looking at all five of the FBS stadiums in Michigan, how do they stack up against one another? Though some people would disagree, a majority would be willing to admit that the five belong in this particular order.

5. Rynearson Stadium (Eastern Michigan University)

Rynearson Stadium is located in the northern part of EMU’s campus in Ypsilanti, which opened for the first time in September 1969. Since then, there have been a pair of expansions, but the stadium is lacking in upgrades compared to its counterparts, even in the Mid-American Conference. 

Though the stadium itself seats over 30,000 people, Rynearson Stadium has yet to have more than 87 percent of its seats sold for a single game. Many college football fans feel that Rynearson needs a serious facelift to draw in a crowd, with many citing the track that surrounds the field as one of the biggest eyesores.

4. Waldo Stadium (Western Michigan University)

There’s a big jump from number five to number four as many consider Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo to be a perfectly fine venue for football. With a cost of just over $4 million when adjusted to today’s money, Waldo has been open since 1939 and has seen a capacity number jump from 15,000 to its current 30,200.

There have been instances in which Waldo Stadium has gone well over capacity, including a 2000 matchup against Indiana State that drew in over 36,000 people. Of course, Waldo does have one tiny problem due to its elevation. No other part of Kalamazoo is lower than Waldo Stadium, which can result in easy flooding.

3. Kelly/Shorts Stadium (Central Michigan University)

There was once a time when Kelly/Shorts Stadium was lower on the list, but due to upgrades both during and after the Brian Kelly era, the Chippewas’ home stadium in Mount Pleasant climbs up to number three. Opened in 1972, the capacity has increased from 20,000 to over 30,000, breaking the attendance record in 2012 with 35,127 against Michigan State.

The stadium has seen a lot of new amenities added over the years, including new team facilities in the end zones and permanent lighting that make it stand out. Of the three MAC schools in Michigan, CMU’s football stadium stands out as the top.

2. Spartan Stadium (Michigan State University)

Originally named College Field when it first opened up in 1923, Spartan Stadium has seen a lot of changes over the years. This includes massive expansions and renovations, two of which have taken place since 2005. Spartan Stadium’s capacity has increased to over 80,400 during its history and has been home to some of the most memorable games in the state.

The updated press box and luxury suites are a sight to behold, and the seating arrangement makes Spartan Stadium a true home advantage for the boys from East Lansing. The new bells and whistles at Spartan Stadium haven’t gone unnoticed, and it’s only expected to get better as the Big Ten Conference revenue increases.

1. Michigan Stadium (University of Michigan)

We mentioned it earlier, and of course “The Big House” has to be tops in the state due to its size and history alone. Opened in Ann Arbor in 1927 with a capacity of 72,000, Michigan Stadium has undergone a lot of changes that have increased that capacity to 107,601. The record attendance was set against Notre Dame in 2013 with over 115,100 people in the stadium.

Michigan Stadium was built with the idea of potentially needing 150,000 seats, and that may one day be realized. The stadium is built into the ground and is unassuming for fans from the outside, and feels like its own large city when you’ve passed through the gates.