Some men are born role models. Guys like Cal Ripken, Peyton Manning, Michael Jordan, and Ken Griffey, Jr. – Each of them are unbeatable when at the top of their game. And, not only are they fun to watch, but they also provide valuable examples to young athletes looking to improve their respective games.

But, for each great example of how to get to the pros comes another member of the sporting elite. These lucky gentlemen have gotten to the highest levels on the basis of sheer talent, despite some obvious shortcomings in their overall game. For some, it results in a Hall of Fame worthy career. Others, as you’ll see in our list below, crash and burn.

Brett Favre, NFL
If you’re a coach in a kid’s football league, one of the last men you want your charges to emulate is the NFL’s iron man. While he may have been a model of consistency in the bigtime, Brett several mechanical glitches which drive some coaches crazy. He is, in several respects, similar to Ben Roethlisberger (who has other unfortunate tendencies which should not be emulated).

Vladimir Guerrero, MLB
If your kids could hit like Vladimir Guerrero, you’d never have to work another day in your life. But that’s never going to happen. Because quite frankly, the only one who can hit like Vlad is Vlad. He is, hands down, the best bad ball hitter in the major leagues. Really. If he can reach it, he can drop it in for a single. No joke – this guy has watched a pitch bounce up to the plate before smacking it down the line for a double. It’s what makes him special. But it’s also not a good technique to teach your little-leaguers.

Mike Matasow, Poker Pro
Now, I don’t know a lot of kids who want to grow up to be Mike Matasow. And if you know any, you should cuff them around a little bit. Ok, that’s a little extreme. But seriously, no one can beat Mike the Mouth when he’s on top of his game, as his millions of dollars in professional winnings can attest. But, unfortunately for him, he can slip into loser mode in about a quarter of a second. As unbeatable as he is when right, he’s completely vulnerable when he’s off. And as most TV viewers can attest, the Mouth is off more often than not.

Alex Sanchez, MLB
After hitting .300 for the Milwaukee Brewers in the early 2000’s, the outfielder publicaly refused management’s request to change his swing. He was hitting .300, he said. Why change now? Bet he wishes he could go back now. Sanchez ended up being traded to Detroit, where he immediately got off on the wrong foot with management. After floating around the minors, he did make one other roster: the list of players who tested positive for steroids.

- Taylor Maxwell

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Tags | Alex Sanchez, Baseball, Brett Favre, Mike Matasow, MLB, nfl, poker, steroids, Vladimir Guerrero