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Aaron Rodgers and The Most Bizarre Long-Term Dramas In Sports History

Darren - March 20, 2023

Featured

Aaron Rodgers and The Most Bizarre Long-Term Dramas In Sports History

Darren - March 20, 2023

Steven Gerrard

Gerrard is arguably Liverpool’s greatest-ever player but he almost left the club. The Champions League-winning captain inspired his team to some of their most iconic moments. However, he recognized that there would be limited opportunities to win the league if he stayed with his boyhood side.

Chelsea and Jose Mourinho desperately wanted the midfield star. They almost struck a deal to sign him after months of links. Liverpool fans burned shirts with Gerrard’s name and threatened his family. But he stayed loyal to his local team and finished his Premier League career at Anfield (via Bleacher Report).

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Tyson Fury

Fury is another sporting personality who polarizes the masses. The English boxer is the most talented heavyweight of his generation. But he also failed drug tests, made hateful comments, and ducked fights. Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk are two of the biggest names that he avoided fighting.

It’s bizarre because Fury had the chance to cement his legacy by becoming the unified, undisputed champion. Usyk even offered to accept drastically reduced terms if Fury signed the dotted line. These negotiations rumbled on and on for months but Fury continued to create unnecessary drama (via Daily Mirror).

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Darrelle Revis

Revis was one of the Jets’ greatest-ever players but he made life difficult for the team. He demanded that they pay him what he wanted, however, they refused. In 2010, this resulted in one of the most dramatic contract holdouts the NFL ever witnessed. It lasted for over a month and saw Revis skip an entire training camp.

Finally, the Gang Green realized that they needed Revis more than he needed them. They offered him a new deal with improved terms and he signed an extension. It was one of those long-term dramas that no franchise needs but they could have avoided it. Revis was an elite player and they didn’t want to lose him (via Reuters).

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Brett Favre

The Green Bay Packers know all about long-term dramas involving star quarterbacks. Favre was their starter before they drafted Aaron Rodgers. He also helped them to a Super Bowl win and led their plays for a generation. Eventually, he flirted with retirement and the franchise opted to move on.

But it annoyed Favre when the Packers told him that they didn’t want him anymore. He expected to unretire and rejoin immediately as their starter. They said that they were all-in on Rodgers and traded Favre to the Jets. The disgruntled Favre finished his career with the Vikings and never forgave Green Bay (via Sportskeeda).

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Lionel Messi

Messi is the greatest player of his generation and arguably the best of all time. He achieved a massive amount of success in the early days in Barcelona as he became a club icon. But then the team became increasingly less competitive in European competitions. It enraged Messi that they collapsed every season (via Football Espana).

Meanwhile, the dysfunctional boardroom took him for granted. They mismanaged the team’s financial affairs and Messi refused to take a pay cut. In the end, he walked away as a free agent after spending his entire career in Catalonia. Then he joined PSG after a bitter parting with his former club. It was one of those long-term dramas that didn’t make anyone happy.

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Nate Diaz

Diaz became a massive cult hero during his UFC career. His swagger and willingness to throw down made him a fan favorite. However, he had one of the sport’s biggest long-term dramas. Diaz wanted a trilogy match against Conor McGregor as well as a pay rise. He also had an interest in pursuing boxing where he could make more money.

But the UFC denied him these options. They also continued to offer fights he didn’t want and automatically extend his contract. Eventually, they booked a clash with Khamzat Chimaev as they looked to kill Diaz’s star. But Chimaev fell out of the fight after missing weight and Tony Ferguson replaced him. Diaz won the match and walked away with his head held high (via Bloody Elbow).

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Kyrie Irving

The Irving-Nets saga is one of the most confusing long-term dramas in NBA history. He quit the Celtics after two seasons and joined Brooklyn as tried to assemble a ‘super team.’ However, it didn’t go well for either party. First, Irving suffered a shoulder injury that ruined his first season. Then the global health crisis started and Irving drove the franchise crazy.

That’s because he refused to accept New York’s mandatory vaccination rules. It forced the franchise into a very awkward position and meant that he missed a lot of games. Then there was an anti-semitism scandal that further stained his brand. Finally, they traded him to Dallas because Mark Cuban doesn’t care about these things (via Fox News).

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Chris Paul

These days we know Paul as one of the greatest point guards in history. He doesn’t have a ring but he enjoyed brilliant personal success with the Clippers and the Suns. However, Paul expected to play on the other side of Los Angeles. But the NBA intervened and blocked a trade to the Lakers.

Then they tried to make a deal with the Clippers but it fell apart. This rumbled on for ages before the Hornets finally sent him out West. It was one of the most notable long-term dramas of the era. The Clippers didn’t achieve the success that they expected but they had some exciting moments (via Bleacher Report).

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Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo is one of Manchester United’s greatest-ever players. However, the Portuguese superstar burnt bridges after he returned to the team in 2021. This came after over a decade away when he played for Real Madrid and Juventus. It became apparent that Ronaldo wasn’t a good fit for the new United because he lacked pace.

Head Coach Erik Ten Hag made the brave decision to drop the star. Ronaldo behaved like a child after this amid a club crisis that rolled on for months. Finally, the team released him and Ronaldo joined the Saudi Arabian team Al-Nassr. They agreed to pay him a ludicrous $210 million a year so it’s not a shock (via The Mirror).

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Vince Carter

It’s crucial to not keep an athlete who doesn’t want to play for a franchise. This is a nightmare that no head coach wants to deal with because it creates a negative atmosphere in the locker room. The Raptors discovered this after Carter lost patience with the organization. He became an icon in Toronto but demanded a move South.

However, the Raptors resisted and tried to persuade him that they were going in a positive direction. Carter’s performances declined and this dragged on for months. Finally, Toronto realized that they didn’t have a choice and sent him to New Jersey in a lopsided trade. Toronto booed their former hero every time he came North again (via Fansided).

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Aaron Rodgers

It’s amazing how an athlete’s reputation can change in a flash. Rodgers was one of the most popular and respected NFL players for a decade. Then he instigated one of the most tedious long-term dramas in league history. He held the franchise at ransom as he flirted with the Denver Broncos in 2022.

However, he stayed for another season without success. Then he repeated the same trick with the New York Jets. Meanwhile, there were fears that he would retire and spend his days using Ayuhuasca. The Rodgers saga annoyed everybody but they couldn’t take their eyes off it either (via New York Post).

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