Top 10 Tragic Sports Figures

A tragic hero is someone who has remarkable ability, but is fatally flawed. If Terrell Owens continues to acts like, well, Terrell Owens, he could go down as one of the most tragic sports figures in history.

For most of his career he dominated his position, and turned in one of the gutsiest Super Bowl performances when he played with a newly installed door hinge for an ankle. After winning the championship he sat out the following season because he wanted more money, and was eventually run out of Philadelphia. He found a new home, with new problems, in Dallas. It started when he blew off practices and physical therapy sessions in the preseason, culminated with an apparent overdose on painkillers, and now he's hocking loogies on cornerbacks.

If history continues to repeat itself for TO he could join a poignant list of athletes who let personal demons get the best of them ruining a bright career or destroying a historic legacy.

10. Gene "Big Daddy" Lipscomb - He defined what the pass rushing end is today: Big, fast and mean. During his heyday with the Colts in the '50's Big Daddy tipped the scales at over 300 pounds, but was still one of the fastest guys on the team. He fancied wine, women and heroin despite the fact he was petrified of needles. He overdosed in 1963.

9. Len Bias - During his senior year at Maryland, every time he got within 8 feet of the rim an arena-rattling dunk would quickly follow. He had Jordan like hops and Bird like touch. Smooth when he needed to be, but could also bang down low with just about anybody. He died of a cocaine overdose less than two days after the Celtics made him the number one pick in 1986.