Everyone loves a comeback story. They also love crushing spirals to rock bottom. Some sporting events of the past week have made me ponder some of the greatest turnarounds in history. These are some of my favorites:
Thomas Jefferson, Bold Declaration Drafter - A slaveowner who later wrote passionately about the horrors of slavery, even dropping some anti-slavery bombs into the Declaration of Independence [which were quickly removed.--ed.].
Jefferson: He was for slavery before he was against it!
Mark Wahlberg, Actor - In just a few short years he went from being the biggest douche on MTV (no small feat) to being the smallest leading man in Hollywood.
Seth Gorney, Stud - He was the worst player on the Iowa team 3 years running. His nicknames included, but were not limited to: Chunk, Fucknuts, Tasmanian Doughboy, The Big Empty, and Mt. Mongo (mostly those were things I shouted at him from my living room). Saturday night against Ohio State, Seth was the most confident, high energy player on the floor. If anyone needs further proof of Todd Lickliter's coaching abilities, look no further than Seth.
Ashlee Simpson, ... Celebrity?
David Petraeus, General - Commanded a surge of troops over the last year that has made Baghdad the safest place in the Middle East for Christians. Never heard of him? Of course you haven't - the media isn't as interested in the war in Iraq now that we appear to be winning it.
Drake Bulldogs - Last season, Drake was just 6-12 in the Missouri Valley, their 21st straight year without a winning conference record. In Keno Davis' first season as a head coach the Bulldogs are 11-0 in the conference and 20-1 overall. This is one of the most amazing turnarounds in sports' history.
Not Pictured: The Original Noah
Noah, Shepherd - Abandoned in a river as a baby, Noah drifted into shepherding and murder as a young adult [that was Moses, chief.--ed.]. Eventually invented wine, and became a renowned yachtsman and animal rights activist.
Also said "with great power comes great responsibility" [that was actually Cliff Robertson.--ed.] .
Carlos Ghosn, CEO - When Ghosn took over Nissan they were the laughingstock of the Asian auto industry - $20 billion in debt and having only 3 of their 45 production cars being profitable. Using Western business techniques he made them profitable in 1 year and debt free within 5. He's kind of a big deal.
New England Patriots - Started 18-0 playing a cocky, confident, overwhelming style of football. Kicking downed opponents in the face, bragging about it to anyone who would listen, and relishing the role of the bully. They were the Cobra Kai. But when the Super Bowl started they were a completely different team, gone was the swagger and in its place was fear, a skittish QB, and an ill conceived gameplan. They went from greatest team of all time to biggest disappointment of all time in the time it took a coin to flip. Bravo!