By Connor Muldowney @Connormuldowney on December 24, 2014
15 Famous Athletes Who Would Probably Want a Do-Over in 2014
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Some athletes had a less-than-stellar 2014 calendar year. While others rose to the occasion, these 15 -- plus an honorable mention -- athletes made fools of themselves on and off the court/field.
Let's take a look at the 15 athletes who would most likely wish to do 2014 over again.
Honorable Mention: Johnny Manziel
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Honorable Mention: Johnny Manziel
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I can say Manziel failed in 2014 because he sat behind Brian Hoyer all season long just to earn his first ever NFL start in week 15, throwing for under 90 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. He then left his next game due to an injury and it's starting to look like the Manziel era was over in Cleveland before it ever started.
Tiger Woods, PGA
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Tiger Woods, PGA
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Tiger Woods barely managed to get through 2014 as he battled injuries and many people have been calling for a retirement. Woods has barely made any noise in the PGA and did not even sniff a major victory in 2014.
Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
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Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
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Commissioner Bud Selig ruled that A-Rod was ineligible for the entire 2014 season because of his positive drug test, but the Yankees slugger didn't go down silently. Rodriguez fought for the right to reduce his suspension and he made himself look like a fool in the process.
Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks
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Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks
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Carmelo was given the opportunity to leave New York for greener pastures, but the superstar decided to come back to the Big Apple to pursue an NBA title. What has happened thus far? Oh, just a 5-25 record through 30 games -- the worst start in Knicks history.
Dominic Raiola, Detroit Lions
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Dominic Raiola, Detroit Lions
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Raiola has long been known as a dirty player and one that is usually in the center of controversy. He capped off a successful Lions regular season by stomping on the leg of a Bears player while he was laying on the ground. Raiola continues to make bonehead plays and that is one that may cost him a job for 2014-15.
Ray Rice, Former Baltimore Raven
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Ray Rice, Former Baltimore Raven
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I say former Baltimore Raven because Rice ran himself right out of a job this year. Prior to the start of the season, a video was released of Rice dragging his then-fiance out of an elevator. It was then discovered that he struck her several times, knocking her out. He was released by the Ravens shortly after and not many teams are willing to take a chance on a man who has issues off the field such as Rice.
Anthony Bennett, Cleveland Cavaliers/Minnesota Timberwolves
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Anthony Bennett, Cleveland Cavaliers/Minnesota Timberwolves
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The 2013 calendar year was a solid one for Bennett as he led his team to a deep run in the NCAA Tournament and played himself into a No. 1 overall draft pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers. It's too early to call him a bust, although he hasn't broken the 6.0-mark for points per game and averages just 16 minutes per game since being traded to the Timberwolves after he averaged just 12 minutes with the Cavs.
Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins
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Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins
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You could put basically the entire Redskins team on this list after yet another awful year, but RG3's performance takes the cake. After sitting out most of the season with an injury, Griffin III struggled mightily when he was healthy, passing for just 1,358 yards, three touchdowns and four picks. Trade rumors have been very heated lately and RG3 has already been benched multiple times.
Josh Gordon, Cleveland Browns
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Josh Gordon, Cleveland Browns
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After a scorching-hot 2013 season in which Gordon became one of the league's top wide outs, he was suspended 12 games in 2014 for failed drug tests and wasn't exactly blowing away the competition when he returned, catching 24 passes for 303 yards without reaching the end zone.
Josh Smith, Detroit Pistons/Houston Rockets
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Josh Smith, Detroit Pistons/Houston Rockets
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Not often do you see a former all-star waived by a team that is paying him $13 million a year still in his 20s, but that is exactly what happened to Josh Smith in December. After shooting brick after brick in the Motor City, Smith knew he was likely to be on the trade block. No trade happened, so he basically shot his way off the team and the Houston Rockets have since signed him to a one-year deal.
Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears
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Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears
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Another guy who's name has come up a lot in trade talks, Jay Cutler went from possible playoff quarterback in the first few weeks of the year to one of the most sorry QBs in the league, getting benched for Jimmy Clausen in week 16. Cutler's fall from grace has been one of epic proportions as he has been booed more in the city of Chicago than the opposition.
Joe Nathan, Detroit Tigers
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Joe Nathan, Detroit Tigers
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Joe Nathan had killed the Tigers for years as the closer of the Rangers and the Minnesota Twins, but he killed the Tigers in a different way in 2014. The veteran closer was given a huge $20 million deal over two years to be Detroit's closer and it killed them. He recorded a career-high seven blown saves and a 4.81 ERA. He wasn't shy to voice his opinion about the fans, either.
Roy Hibbert, Indiana Pacers
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Roy Hibbert, Indiana Pacers
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It's not often a former all-star fails so miserably in a certain stretch of time that fans from his own city post a Craigslist ad searching for his missing talent. Hibbert went from sure NBA All-Star to soft big man in the matter of a couple months and he is barely making a splash in the league in 2014-15.
Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
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Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
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Like Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson was considered damaged goods in 2014. The NFL suspended Peterson for the entire year after it was discovered he had beaten his child multiple times with a switch, leaving marks. Peterson fought to be reinstated, but he didn't see the field outside of the first game of the year. He's the NFL's biggest failure of 2014.
Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers
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Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers
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It's not often you see a former MVP and CY Young winner go from being one of the best pitchers in the entire league to the fourth-best pitcher in his own team's rotation. Justin Verlander had one of the worst seasons of his career in 2014, accounting for just a 15-12 record with a 4.54 ERA and 159 strikeouts -- his lowest total since his rookie year in 2006.
Prince Fielder, Texas Rangers
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Prince Fielder, Texas Rangers
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Talk about a fall from grace. Prince Fielder was given a mammoth contract with one of the best teams in baseball, the Detroit Tigers, just three years ago. After two average seasons in Detroit -- and terrible postseason play -- Fielder was traded to Texas for Ian Kinsler and had season-ending shoulder surgery in his first month with the team who then finished with the third-worst record in baseball.