isiah

Former NBA champion and current New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas bought the Continental Basketball Association in 1999. Within 18 months the league -- begun in 1946 -- closed up shop.

harding

Boxing proved to be a tough transition for Tonya Harding, the Olympian best known for helping to introduce knee-capping to figure skating.

artest

Building on his NBA notoriety, Ron Artest dropped a rap CD in 2006 that racked up sales of 343 units in the first week. Air-balling!

bowe

Riddick Bowe, a former world heavyweight boxing champion, decided to join the U.S. Marines in 1997. Bowe and the Corp decided to part ways after about a week of basic training.

jordan

After stacking up three NBA championships, Michael Jordan retired and attempted to live his dream of playing big-league baseball. He would have made it, too, except he couldn't hit the curveball, fastball, slider, splitter, underhand ...

gastineau

Mark Gastineau, who punctuated his sacks for the New York Jets with a frenzied dance, built a 15-2 record as a boxer but a few opponents said they were paid to take dives.

magic

Who could possibly forget "The Magic Hour" talk show on Fox hosted by NBA legend and entrepreneur extraordinaire Magic Johnson in 1998? OK, show of hands, who would like to forget that eight-week stretch?

mcenroe

You cannot be serious! Really, former tennis bad boy John McEnroe had a talk show on CNBC in 2004 that was canceled within 5 months after twice registering 0.0 on the Nielsen scale.

namath

If Joe Namath "guaranteed" victory for his New York Jets in Super Bowl III against the Baltimore Colts couldn't he at least have warned folk about how awful he and the movie "C.C. and Company" would be?

carl lewis

Carl Lewis never ceased to amaze in track competition, but made ears bleed worldwide with his musical stylings.

bruce jenner

Bruce Jenner capitalized on his record-setting Olympic decathlon performance by playing a leading role in "Can't Stop the Music," which has to be included in any serious discussion of worst movies of all time.

shaq

Combining his lyrical and acting skills, Shaquille O'Neal turned in a memorable performance as a rapping genie in "Kazaam."

millen

Detroit Lions president Matt Millen looks from the sidelines before the Lions' football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2005, in Detroit. Earlier in the day, fans, angry about cheering for a team that's perenially mired in depths of the NFL, marched around Ford Field to demand the firing of Millen. The anti-Millen signs and chants have surfaced at games of other Detroit sports teams since Thanksgiving, as well as at University of Michigan and Michigan State basketball games. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)