In my lifetime, I can think of three athletes who, in one poorly timed move, have gone from jovial, beloved figures to despised villains: Andre the Giant, Tiger Woods and LeBron James.
In the case of the Giant, the massive wrestler not only stood up to Russian threats and other various nefarious heels, he also had a charming co-starring role in The Princess Bride. He was a large, loveable personality, which made it all the more shocking when he sided with Bobby “the Brain” Heenan, embraced a villain’s status and took on Hulk Hogan, a wrestler who quite possibly meant more to kids in the late 1980s than any other athlete in the world.
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So ... there I was 