Comments on: A Field Guide to Sports Egos

By: Golf Swing Lessons | Fix-Golf-Slice.net

Golf Swing Lessons | Fix-Golf-Slice.net — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 06:56:56 +0000

[...] A Field Guide to Sports Egos – Matt Taibbi – Taibblog – True/Slant [...]

By: Jeff Waskiewicz

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:35:52 +0000

Great Article… There are always other athletes that come to mind but my only issue with the list is that it feels like there is too large a jump from Rickey to Michael. There should be another level between the two because to me Rickey’s crazy ways were more fun and entertaining rather than hurtful or spiteful as some of the later levels. Jordan has dragged a number of other athletes to destruction, Antoine Walker comes to mind. So from the above list of missing athletes I would nominate Deion or TO to fill that spot where the transition from amusing/annoying moves to self destructive or team destructive.

By: bayville

bayville — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:23:24 +0000

All great narcissists, but also great athletes.

The greatest narcissist – outside of politics – I’ve ever seen or heard about in sports was this obscure quarterback from the old WFL named Jim “King” Corcoran. I remember him as a kid playing for the Philadelphia Bell, the one full-year of the WFL. His interviews both in TV and in print seemed like they originated from BizzaroWorld.

He was a total loon. I remember him being interviewed by Philly TV sports guys and telling them, in all seriousness, he had the greatest arm in pro football. Period.
Remember this was the era of Bradshaw and Namath. And he had a local cult following to boot, stemming from his days as a semi-pro QB in Pottstown, Pa.
He bragged openly, in public, about his female conquests. He made fun and fought with his coaches.

And finally, he did Ricky Henderson one-better with the third person references. He would never refer to himself as “me”, “I” or even “Jim”, but as “King” or often “The King.”
A true legend in his own mind.

Unfortunately, Corcoran died last year and the WaPost’s obit on him is one of its bests.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/01/AR2009080102187.html

By: janeh

janeh — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:18:29 +0000

The only thing missing from this piece is a reference to Mtv’s “Cribs” – my favorite example of what happens when exceptionally stupid people get extraordinary amounts of money.

By: cubsfan60611

cubsfan60611 — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 01:31:40 +0000

Nice job, Matt. Really like Stage 4 re: Mike What’s-his-name was definitely a good selection.

Gotta implore you to add Sammy STEROID-Sosa to the list.

BTW: Jeffc

IF Chuck Haley has Bipolar Disorder, he can also have Narcissistic Personality Disorder. It’s called co-morbidity. Being bipolar dose not excuse or negate Haley’s NPD.

Another example of co-morbidity would be Tiger’s NPD and his sexual addictions. And you can guran-f*ckin’-tee that Tiger, being the quintessential poster-boy for NPD, will most definitely being returning to golf sooner rather than later to get his “narcissistic fix” (i.e, he needs the constant adulation to get through his day).

Narcissistic Personality Disorder (DSM IV)

A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:

(1) has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)
(2) is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
(3) believes that he or she is “special” and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)
(4) requires excessive admiration
(5) has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations
(6) is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends
(7) lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others
(8) is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her
(9) shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes

By: telee

telee — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 04:56:01 +0000

Sorry. Different subject. Check out these vids from the Roosevelt Institutes coference on let the markets be markets. Elizabeth Warrens comments, especially during the Q&A are strong. It is easy to see how government actions ( or perhaps a better description is their lack of action) is undermining the confidence in our government. And rightfully so! http://vimeo.com/9965938

By: yossarian

yossarian — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:39:26 +0000

No CURT “The Shill” SCHILLING?

By: jeffc

jeffc — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:14:55 +0000

Matt,
It’s somewhat ironic that you have nominated yourself as the judge and jury convicting people of being narcissistic, but I guess that comes with the territory when reading a humor piece. I do agree that these people are losing touch with reality, however it would help your cause to find better examples of these athletes’ actions. Some are so intellectually dishonest that it borders on ignorance. Did you even watch Jordan’s induction into the Hall of Fame or did you read that quote from some deadspin headline? Here is the video of his quote; http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Jordan-Don-t-be-in-a-rush-to-find-the-next-Mic?urn=nba,188900 Now, the man is a genuine egomaniac, but the examples you gave don’t better your argument. Jordan is a degenerate gambler, he actually thinks he can beat the casinos or professional golfers on the course. He was seen gambling the night before a playoff game against the Nicks in 1993, a series that the Bulls lost. The rumors of his philandering easily rival Tiger’s if not surpass it, but he did it in a different time(not better by any stretch of the imagination, just different) when “Everyone Wanted to Be Like Mike,” and unlike today we as a society weren’t so willing to cut down every celebrity so the rest of us could feel better about our own pathetic lives. And unlike Tiger, who would trotted out both his wife and child after ever tournament win, the public never really saw Jordan’s wife. So the entire country turned a blind eye, and it wasn’t really made public until his divorce and at that point everyone said, ‘Michael who?’ We just didn’t care anymore. Even the quote to his children is a horrible example. They grew up in the shadow of the most famous athlete in the world, imagine the artificial yet meaningless pressure society will put on those kids. He grew up as Michael Jordan, they grew up as Michael Jordan’s kids. Their identity is shape by the public perception of their father.

I do appreciate the self deprecating humor about sports journalism yet you seem to use Pearlman’s book for your information about Haley, but failed to mention, or intentionally left, out that Haley was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and took medication for it…well sometimes he did and sometimes he didn’t. The times he didn’t you have situations you described. And heavens knows A-rod is an egomaniac and rightfully the final stage, but to use a US Weekly quote from an unnamed ex for the story about the centaur doesn’t make the any funnier but comes off as lazy and unimaginative. Its as if you think your readers are as mindless as the Teabaggers you loath so much.

Even though the examples maybe a bit weak the commentary about all of them was funny as hell.

By: mtb38

mtb38 — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 02:58:49 +0000

I was going to add Deion to the mix also. It takes a special kind of egomaniac to believe you are so important that God is personally guiding your athletic greatness. I’m pretty sure that if there is a God, he doesn’t care about the Dallas Cowboys. Mocking religion and sports seems to be right in your wheelhouse, I’m surprised you didn’t take a swing at it. Great article as always though.

By: stoat

stoat — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 11:49:42 +0000

no love for terrell owens here? totally toxic ego.